whats the point of a release date?

dumwaldo · 06-29-03, 09:14 AM

whats the point of a release date if nothing is actually released that day?

seriously what happened to this june 23 release date for windows mobile 2003? it seems to me like here we are a week later and so far NOTHING has hit the streets. apparently microsoft has been paying attention to intel and decided to release products the same way, say it is out on a date a month before any consumers will actually be able to get thier hands on it.

oh wait, i did read a post on this forum about someone trying out a new unit in best buy that had windows mobile 2003 installed so i guess you CAN get the new OS if you don't mind shelling out for a whole new PPC.

hmmmm, interesting how brand new PPC's with the OS preloaded were able to be shipped to stores already but no consumers have been able to get upgrades for existing devices yet.

i tell you its almost as if the OS is being purposley held back from the cheap upgrade crowd while it is being offered to the expensive purchase a new PPC crowd.

am i the only one that finds this type of marketing/advertising to be an insult to the consumers?

peterbright · 06-29-03, 09:18 AM

Each OEM manufacturer has to tweak the operating system to match their specific pocket pc. You want them to do this as correctly as possible.

Manufactures also have to ramp up tp meet the demand. Things do not happen instantaneously.

bernie_rubber · 06-29-03, 09:24 AM

your just too kind peterbright...

...but if it's installed on the new product - tweaking ought to be finished...

...so it must be about ramping?

dumwaldo · 06-29-03, 10:17 AM

i understand that OEM's need to <strike>pimp their name all over</strike> tweak the OS for their systems but thats why they get pre-release access to the products. its not like the 23rd was the first date that OEM's would be able to get thier hands on the product.

i just kinda think it is a deceptive business practice to announce the launch of something knowing full well that the product would not be available to customers that are already supporting the market. i find it a little offensive that i, as an existing consumer that has already sunk money into the market, is ignored while the OS is available IN STORES if i am willing to drop the coin for a whole new PDA.

i can not have it for $30 but i can have it for $500? that says to me it is not a deployment problem, it is a marketing gimick to maximize profits as much as possible even if it is at the expense of the customers that already paid.

Crazyfish · 06-29-03, 10:32 AM

I just wish Dell Thailand would actually SELL Axims and accessories...and bother to reply to customer inquiries...

PC-in-my-pocket · 06-29-03, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bernie_rubber
...but if it's installed on the new product - tweaking ought to be finished...

Not necessarily. Getting a full version to work properly is a cake-walk compared to getting an upgrade to work.

kchristian · 06-29-03, 01:02 PM

In the industry, RTM (release to manufacturere) dates for software are much earlier (generally a month) prior to the official consumer release date. An OEM has to agree to the official release date to coordinate with the marketing hype being generated by the software vendor (MS). All vendors using the new software have to abide by the release date too. It's a controlled marketing approach that has gone on for years now.

Usually in the desktop/server OS arena you can get the software on the release date. I know that Dell has had access to the software (yes, they are putting it in their newer units) and have not put the resources into getting the upgrade out at the same time. If they can encourage someone to buy a new unit rather than buy the upgrade, which way do you think they are going to go? As we've seen numerous times, Dell is not a forerunner but gets around to it eventually. A little patience will be worthwhile. Dell has to create the installation routine and make any vendor specific modifications to the product. I want a product that works. Someday I'm sure the OS upgrades will be via a faster delivery system. Other vendors have noted a longer timeframe for an upgrade if it is even available for their product. I did an upgrade from Windows CE to Pocket PC on a Casio PDA and it required a hardware swap and over $100. Thank goodness for the flash able ROMs now.

You could have signed up for the Microsoft beta testing team if you were really into this kind of thing. It's been in the works for quite a long time.

06-29-03, 03:02 PM

I wondered too about the release date at first and why they said June 23 but we couldn't get it until some time in July.
With the Axim being the first pocket pc I've ever owned, I wasn't sure what to expect with an update such as this. But after reading what's been said in a couple of the above posts, it makes perfect sense.

I did order the 2003 update from Dell but now I'm not so sure I want to install it right away when I get it. Half of the software I like to use doesn't seem to work on the initial tests that have been done. I think I'll wait a bit and give the updates on the software a chance to catch up.