Vagueware

[Grant Barrett]

On Wednesday, June 30, 1999, A. Vine <avine at ENG.SUN.COM> wrote:
>So, vaporware is software that is actually in progress, but a ways off from
>being released, I guess?

To elaborate on my other comments: in my world, vaporware is a product that it's makers claim is being coded, but has never seen the light of day in an alpha or beta version for a dern long time. For example, every once in a while, somebody announces something like an operating system that will run all the software in the world without emulation at full speeds; they're just fishing for stupid venture capital. Sometimes "makers" of vaporware are pulling hoaxes, or are inexperienced businesspeople with a good idea but no business sense.

Vagueware, as I wrote a minute ago, is dreamed up by the marketing department. It is easily recognized by the PowerPoint presentations that introduce it at trade shows rather than live demos of even partially working software. Most vaporware "publishers" won't dare show their heads at a trade show.

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Grant Barrett

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