The news about the next version of Microsoft Windows keeps piling up, and it all points to one inescapable conclusion: Put any deployment plans for Windows Vista on hold until mid-2007.
The latest blow comes in the form of a report from Australian news service Smarthouse, which is reporting today that “60% of Windows Vista code to be rewritten.” Admittedly, they are referring to the consumer versions of Vista, but the whole code base seems to be collapsing under its own weight. The simple fact that Microsoft feels a need to distribute several version of Vista is in itself a bad sign, I think. (One IT lampoon site offers an explanation for the multiple versions.)
If you want to take your AEC IT to the next level, my advice is to look at creating stronger ties with Microsoft’s SharePoint technologies and related web services initiatives, and to spend more money on hardware than on software this year. Buying more powerful hardware will help you take full advantage of existing improvements in AEC technology, and helps keep your options open. If you plan an upgrade to AutoCAD 2007, MicroStation V8 XM Edition or the current releases of the other primary CAD platforms, make sure your Windows XP is current and stable, and certainly don’t be looking to Windows Vista anytime soon.
--RSN