Quote Originally Posted by Peripheral Visionary View Post
That fixed schedule is my one single complaint about Ubuntu. Ready or not it must be released on a certain date....
I think it would be difficult for a business to operate without a fixed release schedule. Customers need to know. That doesn't mean you need to hold to the schedule if that means releasing a broken product. Delay is called for in that case. (And perhaps a more realistic approach to schedule making.)

But, something like Debian's totally vague "when it's ready" approach makes it impossible for any customers to make their own plans.

This is all part of the fundamental tension that must exist in any distribution whose sponsor/funder needs to turn a profit: Community interests and business interests are *never* going to be entirely compatible. The tensions are aggravated by the widespread notion that it's unethical to sell FOSS products.