Adding fuel to the fire about Longhorn as well as salt to the wound of SQL Server’s laughable clarified release date is speculation in the industry that Microsoft’s Longhorn will not make its 2006 release date.

Read about it at: Longhorn in 2006: Can Microsoft Really Pull This Off?

Granted, opinions are just that, nothing concrete. But the opinions are a reflection of Microsoft’s track record, which is indeed concrete, and not flattering for Microsoft.

To Microsoft’s credit, at least they are readily acknowledging that Longhorn won’t be ready any time soon in 2006; when you look at the schedule of events surrounding the Longhorn release, you can see that they anticipate it hitting retail shelves (and bundled with Wintel machines) in time for Christmas 2006. That places the release date 20 full months away, a lot further than the short 8 full months before the beginning of 2006.

Nevertheless, many things have to happen between now and then, starting with a working beta, which Microsoft is already overdue on delivering.

Let’s just sit back and see what the giant pulls off.