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MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: After a number of delays, Microsoft is racing to get its new operating system, Vista, on store shelves by early next year. But Jason Paur says a lot of businesses may not be ready to buy Vista.

JASON PAUR: Microsoft is projecting a boost in sales when its new version of windows known as Vista is scheduled to come out early next year.

But in a poll of about 200 IT departments in businesses nationwide, about half said they won’t buy Vista until at least a year after its arrival, if they buy it at all.

Joe Wilcox of Jupiter Research conducted the survey.

JOE WILCOX: It may be that Microsoft has to adjust its expectations somewhat. Increasingly when I talk to IT managers they don’t really care about operating systems so much.

Wilcox says many of IT managers he spoke with expressed concern over problems that are likely to arise.

Many businesses worry that the difficulties of implementing a new operating system may outweigh the benefits.

In Seattle, I’m Jason Paur for Marketplace.