Intel CEO believes Windows 8 being released prematurely
updated 06:44 pm EDT, Tue September 25, 2012
Bugs, driver issues cited as reasons to delay release
According to Intel's Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini, Microsoft's forthcoming Windows 8 operating system is being released before being truly ready. Otellini's remarks echo recent concerns from industry analysts and other Microsoft partners who claim that the new operating system lacks robust applications and hardware manufacturers will not have the time to work out incompatibilities and driver issues before release.
“We are concerned at the level of bugs and fine tuning that appears necessary to get the beta systems we demoed ready for prime time,” Alex Gauna, an analyst at JMP Securities LLC in San Francisco, wrote in a Sept. 13 note in response to versions of Windows 8 shown at Intel’s recent developer forum.
Microsoft may be partially addressing this situation by allowing Windows 8 Pro downgrades to Windows 7 or Windows Vista. A change to the operating system licensing agreement allows users that don't like the way Windows 8 works to replace it with Windows 7 or Windows Vista at no extra charge, however this will not be possible for the basic Windows 8 and Windows RT versions. PCs sold with a standard Windows 7 install will remain on the market until late October 2014, but buyers of these systems will be forced to pay for the Windows 8 upgrade.
