Slashdot | Microsoft Uncertain About WinFS for XP:
Microsoft Uncertain About WinFS for XPPosted by samzenpus on Wednesday March 09, @09:41PM
from the still-deciding dept.
Ant writes “As a follow-up to WinFS to be available in WinXP story from a few days ago, BetaNews reports that Microsoft (MS) stopped short of confirming reports that it plans to back-port its next-generation WinFS file system architecture to Windows XP. MS tells BetaNews it is only evaluating the move while also acknowledging WinFS is still years off. �We are currently evaluating making the WinFS storage subsystem available on this platform and will make the decision based on what is best for customers.“ a Microsoft spokesperson told BetaNews.�
Wait….
If you (Microsoft) spend time (and therefore money) on developing a technology (WinFS, in this case), it’s usually because it’s got some value to your bottom line. It’s either a technology that’s going to help you do YOUR job as a developer/integrator easier/faster/more efficiently, or it’s going to add to the bottom line, directly or indirectly.
If, as I highlighted above, they’re so concerned about what’s best for their customers, why is the backwards compatibility even an issue? The answer’s easy — money. WinXP users are potential next-gen Windows users: providing them backwards compatibility detracts from the bottom line by giving them yet another reason to NOT upgrade.
It irritates me that they say claim to be so concerned about their customers when they’re really only worried about the bottom line.
Edit: Seems the original post on /. mis-interpreted what was said at the keynote. There’s an updated article here that leads me to believe that WinFS *is* being ported. Who’s right? Who knows?