Microsoft delays Office 2007 again

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Microsoft said on Thursday that it is making another slight delay tothe planned arrival time for Office 2007. The update had been expectedto arrive for volume license customers in October and have a mainstreamlaunch in January.

Now Microsoft said it will be finished by the end of the calendar year and made broadly available sometime early next year.

"Based on internal testing and the beta 2 feedback aroundproduct performance, we are revising our development schedule todeliver the 2007 system release by the end of year 2006, with broadgeneral availability in early 2007," a Microsoft representative said inan e-mail. "Feedback on quality and performance will ultimatelydetermine the exact dates."

Microsoft said earlier Thursday that it had nearly reached itsself-imposed limit for testers of the current Windows Vista beta, withplans to stop allowing new downloads after Friday. In addition to thepublicly available beta 2 version of Office, Microsoft this week made available a Web-based test version of the software.

View: Microsoft Office 2007 Preview

News source: CNET News.com

(2 replies) #1 CY:G on 29 Jun 2006 - 19:45

Thats weird, microsoft never delays software

#1.1 webeagle12 on 29 Jun 2006 - 20:01

yup they are perfect every time, especially with Vista

#1.2 toadeater on 29 Jun 2006 - 23:30

If they would release something good, I'd wait for however long it takes. Unfortunately, they won't, even with the delays.

MS has been spending their time figuring out how to add more anti-piracy & DRM features, more online "web app" functionality (which few people want), and their usual collection of self-serving bloat. Oh, and it will be full of bugs!

MS is not trying to make better software, they're playing their old monopoly game again: use Vista and Office to attack other sectors of the industry. The DoJ has no idea what's going on.

MS should have stuck to making operating systems and their Office suite, they need to stop invading every new sector that becomes popular. Online services, search engines, online broadcasting, social networking, consoles, shopping. They're trying to do it all, so they wind up doing nothing well. One knockoff after the other, with the MS Flag slapped on as a seal of mediocrity:

"Bill Gates approves this piece of crap."

MS is the Borg, they really are. Making good software that benefits consumers and isn't full of bugs is not part of their business strategy.

If it wasn't for PC games, I'd dump Windows in a second. Come on OS X, Linux devs, get gaming!

(3 replies) #2 Andy-Roo on 29 Jun 2006 - 19:45

I think Microsoft should change their slogan.

"Where do you want to go today?"
to
"Where do you want to go...eventually?"

The delays just don't stop! Has Microsoft put ANYTHING out on time?

#2.1 Jugalator on 29 Jun 2006 - 21:08

I think the problem isn't the time it takes for them to develop their software (well, with Vista it was a problem due to them suddenly post-development start started rethinking where they wished to go with the entire project! => instant 1+ year delays). I think the problem is really that they keep giving out release dates they are honestly not sure they'll meet just to satisfy people asking for it. I wish they'd stop using that strategy, as it only gets them in the end, in the form of bad PR.

#2.2 xalee on 30 Jun 2006 - 01:17

Quote - Andy-Roo said @ #1

I think Microsoft should change their slogan.

...

The delays just don't stop! Has Microsoft put ANYTHING out on time?

The WGA tool! :p

#2.3 idoia on 30 Jun 2006 - 03:43

Isn't that slogan like from 13 years ago?¿?¿?

(2 replies) #3 theyarecomingforyou on 29 Jun 2006 - 19:46

In other words they are syncing it with the release of Vista? At least this product is feature complete and actually far exceeding people's expectations.

#3.1 webeagle12 on 29 Jun 2006 - 20:01

umm wake up and smell a coffee

#3.2 lunarworks on 29 Jun 2006 - 21:47

The interface is nicer... but Outlook 2007 seriously chugs compared to Office 2003.

The automatic spell check will sometimes cause the program to hang for half a minute on a 2 sentence e-mail.

(5 replies) #4 miguel_montes on 29 Jun 2006 - 19:47

Why not call it by its real name now?... Office 2008...

#4.1 xxdesmus on 29 Jun 2006 - 19:49

because clearly "sometime early next year" means 2008

#4.2 miguel_montes on 29 Jun 2006 - 20:21

Quote - xxdesmus said @ #4.1

Clearly, when something is called "name of the program + year", you frequently release it the year before. Take the FIFA games, for example, or Mandriva 2006 (released in 10/05), or even a lot of other Microsoft products.

#4.3 PsykX on 29 Jun 2006 - 21:27

Hahahahaha 2008, some people are so naive on Neowin.
Actually, a very special internal source from Microsoft told me they were going to rename it to Office 2010 and Vista to Windows 2012.

#4.4 miguel_montes on 29 Jun 2006 - 21:53

Quote - PsykX said @ #4.3

Why? Is this Office going to be released in 2009 and Vista in 2011??...

Whatever.

#4.5 mightyflight on 29 Jun 2006 - 22:20

That's it. Now I know. Microsoft is the reason the Mayan Calender ends in 2012!

#5 JiveMasterT on 29 Jun 2006 - 19:58

I think they should just say "We have no more deadlines. It's a ****ing free for all! When it comes out - That's when it comes out!"

#6 hotdog963al on 29 Jun 2006 - 20:00

Oh my god, they are BEYOND A JOKE now!!

#7 Orange on 29 Jun 2006 - 20:03

Sorry but Microsoft is a crap make even if i use the software i mean delayed must be Microsoft middle name.

#8 Julius Caro on 29 Jun 2006 - 20:06

Unlike vista, office beta2 rocks. So I don't mind waiting. And with vista, it sucks, and I definitely don't care they take their time...

#9 dagamer34 on 29 Jun 2006 - 20:07

It was only a matter of time.

(1 reply) #10 Marshalus on 29 Jun 2006 - 20:34

Why even set deadlines or release dates anymore?

#10.1 markjensen on 30 Jun 2006 - 03:17

Ahhhh... The problem with being a corporation. You have investors that want to see a promised new product that will bring in new revenues, and they want to know when!

#11 cooljerk_dv on 29 Jun 2006 - 20:36

I hate delays . . I'd rather they gave us a worst possible scenerio date . . like it will be released nov 27 2008, and then hit us with a surprise like .. we finished early! and now you can have it 6 months a head of schedule. I think that kind of thinking would get alot more praise than these delays are getting, plus I would enjoy the surprise of an "early" release.

(1 reply) #12 L3thal on 29 Jun 2006 - 21:05

As expected, everyone bitches because of the delay like Office 2003 isn't stable and productive enough to wait an extra 2-3 months

#12.1 TheGriffin on 29 Jun 2006 - 21:10

Ain't bitchin, just spelling it out incase some people still didn't know that its been delayed.

#13 TheGriffin on 29 Jun 2006 - 21:09

HAH! Suprise suprise

!!

Me reading an MS AD in 2008: BUY MICROSOFT OFFICE 2007 ON LAUNCH DATE* AND RECIEVE A $5 REBATE!

*December 31, 2008, DATE MAY CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT ANY REASON, MICROSOFT CANNOT GUARANTEE EXACT DATE UNTIL ACTUAL RELEASE DATE.

(2 replies) #14 Express on 29 Jun 2006 - 21:12

Don't understand what the delay would be about.
The beta has been very stable for me and everything seems feature complete.
I have grown to be so fond of the new Office that loathe to use the old version any more.

#14.1 PsykX on 29 Jun 2006 - 21:28

I know, the beta looks feature complete, but the bugs are impossible to count and this brand new plastic blue interface is ugly. They're probably working on a color chooser too for the interface.

#14.2 XerXis on 29 Jun 2006 - 22:16

you can already change the color to black

(2 replies) #15 icecaveman on 29 Jun 2006 - 21:17

The delay is because all the management from the Office team was moved to Windows after the horrible failures of the Windows team.

#15.1 PsykX on 29 Jun 2006 - 21:30

Hahahah the office team may be good to do something promising and simple to use, but they are not THAT good at designing and at fixing bugs.

#15.2 icecaveman on 29 Jun 2006 - 22:08

They knew how to keep schedule... now that all the staff previously responsible for Office staying on schedule most of the time was moved over to the Windows division to try to stop it getting delayed againd and again. Now Office suffers and will be delayed again and again

#16 trip21 on 29 Jun 2006 - 23:35

I think they just say it is being delayed because they want to release it at the same time as the caw pat..... err, ummm I mean Vista. Whenever that will be

(1 reply) #17 jasondefaoite on 29 Jun 2006 - 23:56

This is not delayed to meet the Vista schedule. According to the article, office 2007 was due to be made available to VL customers in October ... with a mainstream release in January. I thought Vista is supposed to RTM end of October and made available to VL at that time? Or are they already planning the next Vista delay?

#17.1 Hurmoth on 30 Jun 2006 - 00:02

It looks like Vista is going to be delayed beyond January at the rest of OEMs. Microsoft hasn't yet made any official announcement, but it is widely expected to happen though.

#18 qdave on 30 Jun 2006 - 01:05

those delays dont bother me, as long as os will work fine

well office too.

#19 hardgiant on 30 Jun 2006 - 03:34

Office 2007 beta 2 rocks, been using it as my main Office app and haven't had any real problems.

Vista beta 2 sucks, I had to install it three times already. Vista needs a lot more work.

#20 phantasmorph on 30 Jun 2006 - 04:19

So, basically Microsoft are planning to bundle Vista, Office 200x and Duke Nukem Forever in one handy-dandy package? Maybe toss in a coupon for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and a brochure about the Phantom console.

(1 reply) #21 LTD on 30 Jun 2006 - 06:36

Makes OS X Leopard all the more compelling.

#21.1 Chicane-UK on 30 Jun 2006 - 07:44

Leopard has been compelling for a looong time.. Vista helped me make that decision for myself.

#22 thejohnnyq on 30 Jun 2006 - 12:16

The delay is because of several show stoppers. I have been working with some Dev's on a major one my self.

It is preferred that they correct these bugs instead of shipping the product with the bugs, as has been done in the past.

#23 j0j081 on 30 Jun 2006 - 13:44

At least now we get to keep the beta longer.

#24 protias on 30 Jun 2006 - 15:54

all my vendors removed office 2007 because what they used to be able to do in 5 minutes, now takes 1.5 hours to do!! gg microsoft

#25 MadDog on 30 Jun 2006 - 18:18

Quote -

Microsoft said on Thursday that it is making another slight delay tothe planned arrival time for Office 2007. The update had been expectedto arrive for volume license customers in October and have a mainstreamlaunch in January.

The space bar is your friend.

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