Years ago, we talked a lot about vapor-ware. It was software that had been announced. It would be out "real soon now," as the PC-Magazine inside joke went. "Real soon now" came to refer to a host of products beginning with dBase IV, which appeared nearly four years after the initially announced release date. If PC-Mag said, "It'll be available Real Soon Now," you knew that you might see it in your lifetime.
Today it seems that vaporware should be extended to include hardware as well as software. Microsoft announces a version of software years before its planned release date, then releases it late and with fewer features. Yes, I know, we'd rather have the software now with some features than later with all the features, but the features promised for version 2.0 have a tendancy to appear (finally!) in version 3.0.
I for one am tired of one company announcing a new product just to get people to wait for their product rather than a competitor's. And I've seen plenty of clients buy software based on slick pitches about what was coming in the next version. Some of them are still waiting.
The rule is: don't buy software on the basis of features promised. Buy software (and hardware, spouses, couches, etc.) based on features available today.
It'll keep you out of trouble.
