Hey Jim,

Some clarifications for you.

At DevConnections in Orlando, an RTM date no later than June 30th was announced. So far, we are not backing off of that date.

RTM = Released to Manufacturing. But it still has to be manufactured. That adds some time to the actual retail availability. How much time? I dunno, I'm still the new guy.

IMHO, Amazon and whomever know the product is coming out, so they post stuff like this so that you are encouraged to preorder through their site. Do they have "insider info" that I am aware of? No. But when you think about it, isn't it a great marketing ploy on their part to get you to preorder from them?

So just lay low until the official RTM. Which is coming soon. Believe me, the product will be out soon; but don't pay too much attention to 3rd party websites who have a profit incentive to post order dates that don't correspond to availability and reality.

>>>First we have a new definition for "launch".
>>>
>>>Now we may have a new definition for "released" (if Craig is right and "end of June" referred to RTM). I'm betting most "regular folks" expected an "end of June release" to mean 'you will be able to take delivery of the product at the end of June.
>>>
>>
>>None of this is any different than in the past or for other Microsoft products. "Release" has always meant RTM and "launch" has always been Microsoft's term for unveiling the product to the public. The launch for VFP 3 took place at DevCon '95 (in 1/95) and the product didn't ship until the summer, for example.
>>
>>Microsoft frequently schedules launch events for products to coincide with things like Tech-Ed.
>>
>>Tamar
>
>While I'm sure that you are correct, it is interesting that both Amazon and Dell have reported availability of the product. They must get (or surmise?) their information from somewhere.
>
>It may well be that those in the know know what Mr. Green "means" when he says 'released by the end of June'.
>But many of us - dare I say most - on the UT are not "in the know" and are unaware of the codewords surrounding VFP (and probably MS products generally). I think that Craig B.'s frequent repetition that "released" means RTM bears this out.
>
>I can also say that in the past any date *I* had heard for a VFP release meant that I could go to my local software store to buy it. Of course information hardly flowed so easily/quickly as it does today. But VFP6 was a case when it did and it surely was purchaseable on the date previously promoted.
>
>JimN