As many media outlets are reporting, Microsoft announced yesterday on its MacMojo blog that it would not release Office 2008 for Mac until January of 2008 instead of its previously announced target of the second half of 2007. However, it plans to begin releasing series of “sneak peeks” in September to
reveal some of the features and functionality of this release.
Wow, I’m shocked! Who would have ever thought that Microsoft would be tardy in releasing one of its software products. As my blogging friend David Sparks recently posted, if MICROSOFT thinks it is not ready for release … it must be really ugly." Amen, brother!
Source: "Office 2008 Coming January 2008" posted at the MacMojo blog.
Why is it that when Microsoft delays a product, it’s absurd, but when Apple does, as in Leopard, no one bats an eyelash. Despite my love for Apple and Hate for Microsoft, I still realize that these things take time, and even Apple isn’t perfect.
I think there are two main reasons:
1. Apple’s delays are infrequent and are typically measured in months instead of years, like Microsoft’s.
2. Apple has a history of under-promising and over-delivering, whereas I believe the opposite to be true for Microsoft.
No, Apple isn’t perfect, but it’s a heck of a lot closer to perfect than Microsoft.