Intel and Dell not yet ready for Vista, but AMD is

Intel is reported to be waiting for Windows Vista Service Pack (SP) 1 before rolling out Windows Vista on a broad scale inside the company. And it sounds like Dell also is planning on waiting for SP1 before doing an internal deployment.

(Microsoft brass foolishly continue to hedge about when -- and even if -- Microsoft will deliver a Vista SP1 release. But the word is Vista SP1 is on tap for this fall or winter.)

Meanwhile, however, another of Microsoft's primary Vista partners, AMD, isn't going to wait.

During a May 4 Web conference with selected bloggers and Microsoft Featured Community leaders, Henri Richard, Executive Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer said that AMD froze last week a gold image of Vista for internal deployment.

By this summer, AMD is expecting to roll out Vista on 1,000 employee machines, Richard said. While 1,000 might sound like a relatively small number, given that AMD has 16,000 employees total, the 1,000 represents a "very high percentage" of those who use PCs on a daily basis.

While he was quite bullish about Vista, Richard also expressed frustration with the number and the compatibility of drivers with Windows Vista.

"Why are some of the OEMs waiting so long to develop drivers for Vista?" Richard asked rhetorically, in response to one of the chat participant's questions on Vista driver compatibility. "It doesn't take rocket science to see that Vista is here to stay."

Syste, peripheral and software communities need to get onboard the train or be left behind, Richard concluded.

Question for you early Vista deployers (or wannabe deployers): Any particular drivers you're still awaiting that are hampering you and your company's ability to move to the latest Windows release?