A report from an Australian publication citing a source at Acer Australia claimed up to 60 percent of the Windows Vista code needed to be rewritten, and Xbox engineers were being moved over to help with the programming.
That report created an absolute firestorm of controversy, and a long weekend of commentary on numerous blogs.
In the wake of Microsoft’s announcement that the consumer version of Vista was being pushed into 2007, followed by a substantial reorganization of Microsoft’s structure, many seemed ready to believe that the wheels had come off of Microsoft.
And when the story broke that Microsoft had entered serious rewrite mode, that fanned the flames even higher.
A Microsoft spokesperson responded about the issue via email today:
This is speculation with no demonstrable basis in fact. There aren’t any Xbox developers moving over to the Windows Vista team. Windows Vista is on track for business availability in November 2006 and consumer availability in January 2007. Windows Vista is feature complete which means the code “writing” process is in essence over. The next phase of development focuses on security, testing and fit/finish – not writing new code.
Publishing 2.0 blogger Scott Karp assessed the whole issue of news being made by the “edge,” ie, the blogosphere:
But as power shifts to edge, it’s a decidedly messy affair, because too many edge players are focused on their empowerment and not on the responsibility that comes with that power. “Non-credible” sources will be weeded out, but more will take their place.
Consumers will ultimately benefit from greater access to more varied and more accurate information, but they will be witness to the ugly process of the truth being made.
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David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
