So now we wait, again

I've resisted writing about the David Richards vs Scoble argument that was nicely moderated by Phil Sim over the weekend.

But now I'm really starting to get interested. You see, the plot keeps getting thicker.
A few quick observations. First, Charles Wright is funny (it helps if you imagine the smirk of glee on his face when he writes stuff like this). Secondly, David "Riches" (as C.W. calls him), will never back down. I've competed against him while I was Editor-in-Chief at Australian Reseller News, so I too talk from experience. Thirdly, is it just me or is Scoble slighting Australian journalists? Ok, maybe not. But ya better be careful, we all carry big knives, keep crocodiles as pets and live with kangaroos. In fact, I *really have* seen a kangaroo on a street in suburban Sydney (Frenchs Forest to be precise, for the local punters at home), but I digress...

Up next, Steve Gillmor is also funny, and right as usual (btw Steve, I'd comment on your blog if that sign-in thingy wasn't so onerous). Office is on the fast train to dead-ville thanks to the hosted apps evolution.

Now for my value add. I did my own bit of digging today. I spoke to an industry source who I have a very strong sense was quite possibly David Richard's source, although the person dodged that direct question (adding to my suspicion). This person, who I will not name, said to me that the 60 per cent figure was based on "strong speculation."

Was that strong enough to include in the Windows Vista story I'm running in the Australian Financial Review on Tuesday? Nope. But it's great blog fodder. And truth be told, I don't actually care if the figure is 60 per cent or otherwise. As the subtext of DWR's rebuttal points out, either he or Microsoft will be right on the code rewrite/completion front.

So now that Ray Ozzie is in charge, as per Steve's post, and the new ship dates are announced, we sit and wait. We've got calendars with reminders, and thanks to this great bit of theatre, a well documented online trail to set the stage.

Meanwhile, how funny is this NYT yarn that says Microsoft delayed Vista to keep HP happy.

...Yet unlike Dell, Hewlett-Packard sells extensively through retailers, whose orders must be taken and shelves stocked. That takes time.

Hewlett-Packard, according to a person close to the company who asked not to be identified because he was told the information confidentially, informed Microsoft that unless Vista was locked down and ready by August, Hewlett-Packard would be at a disadvantage in the year-end sales season.

Comments

[Mark Aufflick]

If nothing else, thanks for putting me onto squash - it's a great read!