WereKitten, I think you and Malstrom are talking about the same thing, it is just that he uses consciously harsh words, while you are using euphemisms. They are vaporware for not breaking into the mass market.

Vaporware doesn't only mean a product that is nonexistent, fake, hoax, but also that it fails living up to the expecations. Surface might be a clever experiment for the future, but when it was announced, it was also announced as the "future is now", with all those videos of people using surface in everyday situations. Obviously, they didn't have intentions to break into the mass marked, but they CLAIMED TO DO SO! And that part was fake.

Natal is all the same. They might actually release it for the 360, quietly, or delay until the "720", but it definitely won't live up to the expectations of exanding the market and competiting against the Wii. The total lack of Natal-based games is the proof.

No Werekitten is not agreeing with your mate. This was not vapourware as it was released just not in its codename form. This obviously is very common.

LOL! MS scared the crap out of Malstrom!!! For once I like them!

A few thoughts ...

Natal looks like it has been over-promised and it is likely that Microsoft will under-deliver with it. It will (potentially) be a fairly expensive add-on ($100+) with little/no third party support, and most of the games would be considered simple next to the amazingly complex Wii Sports. With how late we are already into the generation (The XBox 360 is almost 4 years old) if Natal is delayed and is (likely) to be released 18 (or more) months from now it is likely that it will be shelved until the next generation.

In my opinion:
1. Malstrom is wrong and this will be released.
2. He is right that Microsoft announced it like this to buy some time.
3. It will not effect this generation.

No, I'm not agreeing with him and no, I'm not using euphemisms. He's just wrong in his wording: vaporware doesn't mean underdelivering or delaying a product.

MS actually worked on those projects, the results can be verified by independent sources, they have found real applications, they never announced their release as a product for mass market and then not deliver it. Those were not vaporware, those were simply middle technologies aimed at developers.

If MS had announced a release of Longhorn to retail with a functional WinFS with a given matrix of features on a given date, and nothing but pre-rendered demos had been worked on in the meantime, that would have been vaporware. Underdelivering on the features of Vista with respect to initial plans, but explaining why some choices where made and how the remaining pieces are being worked on for future use was not.

And again, please note that this come from someone who despises MS's business practices, and that doesn't even use Windows Vista on either laptop, desktop and various home servers.

As for Surface, go see their website right now and note how it's aimed at businesses that want to implement some proprietary software on it for interaction with the public. How exactly is that vaporware?

If you think that the market Surface was going for was every home, too bad for you. If your Malstrom fell for the hype by websites about various technologies and felt that they would have changed his computer and his day to day living the following month, too bad for him. Had he followed through in researching, he would have formed an actual informed opinion on them.

Wait a minute.

People who don't own a 360 are suddenly going to buy a 360 AND pay an extra $200 to use a control scheme that they've never tried in a medium they don't like?

It's an excellent idea, but that article made me realise just how ridiculous the notion sounds right now.