“Quoting extensively from internal Microsoft Corp. e-mails, plaintiffs’ lawyers argued Friday that the company knowingly misled consumers by allowing PC makers to emblazon ‘Windows Vista Capable’ stickers on PCs that could run only the most bare-bones version of the operating system,” Joseph Tartakoff reports for The Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
“The new documents are the latest development in a lawsuit filed against Microsoft last year, charging that the company deceived consumers into thinking that the PCs they were buying could run Vista’s most highly promoted features, even when they couldn’t. The slogan was part of a campaign by Microsoft to maintain sales of Windows XP computers during the 2006 holiday shopping season after Windows Vista was delayed,” Tartakoff reports.
“The hearing Friday before U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman was held to determine whether the lawsuit merited class-action status and whether Washington law applied,” Tartakoff reports.
“During his opening presentation, plaintiffs’ lawyer Jeffrey Tilden of Gordon Tilden Thomas & Cordell quoted from numerous internal e-mails that appeared to show that employees within Microsoft had misgivings about the “Windows Vista Capable” campaign. The documents are under seal pending a ruling by Pechman,” Tartakoff reports.
“‘Even a piece of junk will qualify’ for the ‘Windows Vista Capable’ designation, wrote one employee in an e-mail that Tilden read out loud,” Tartakoff reports. “Another employee, Mike Nash, currently a corporate vice president for Windows product management, wrote in an e-mail, ‘I PERSONALLY got burnt. … Are we seeing this from a lot of customers? … I now have a $2,100 e-mail machine.’,Jim Allchin, then the co-president of Microsoft’s Platforms and Services Division, wrote in another e-mail, ‘We really botched this. … You guys have to do a better job with our customers.'”]
More in the full article here.
Hah a VP bought a non Vista capable machine .. I mean couldn’t he have asked what the specs were gonna be? What an idiot.
“‘Windows Vista Capable’ “
Most consumers would take that to mean, it will run Vista
As they say, a Leopard can’t change its spots…
Kinda like “Plays for Sure”, no?
How’s 10.5.2 doing? Haven’t heard much. I suppose that’s good.
Microsoft
Our stickers. You’re stuck.
Mafia$oft is like a washed up boxer riding the ropes just praying for that bell to ring.
10.5.2 is an amazing update.
Everything is much faster, and finally InDesign CS2 no longer crashes when you Quit the app.
Hurrah!
WOW ..now imagine what the e-mails that are under seal say.
It is OK as long as you also included an asterisk or ‘conditions apply’ warning then list the missing functions below. I don’t think they did this.
I love Allchin’s remarks “We really botched this…You guys have got to do a better job…
Nice.
“You guys have to do a better job with our customers”
The problem is that Microsoft’s “customers” aren’t the end users, it’s other companies (like PC manufacturers).
Trying to keep Windows running is like wiping a butt that never stops pooping.
@ Silverhawk
Leopard 10.5.2 running great (on the old G5 Tower) on the work computer (24 hours have passed). Everything still playing nice, not one problem. Servers, CS3, iLIfe, Safari. No problemo.
@pat
“Trying to keep Windows running is like wiping a butt that never stops pooping.”
ROFL!!!! What a quote. I love it! Quote of the day goes to Pat.
Microsoft “Our Passion” is “Your Money”®™©
We don’t really care about anything else.
Of course we understand their potential is tied to their passion!
Sad thing is though, that when I hear of Vista a vision of impotence comes to mind.
@opie,
Stop looking in the mirror.
Re: 10.5.2:
I installed it last night. It rates high on the snappiness index. No problems yet (PowerBook 1.5 GHz).
However, Dashboard still sucks. It’s potential is not being realized.
I also downloaded the new Firefox 3 beta (the third) last night, but I haven’t tried it yet. The third beta will be the second to last before RC’s are seeded. I’m most psyched about the new “Mac-like” interface/theme AND that there are over 300 memory leaks that have been fixed!
“Windows Vista Capable” is an oxymoron.
The whole multi-version approach from Home Edition to Super Tricked Out Edition seems like an accident waiting to happen. I wonder how many Windows users pushed the envelope trying to get some extra features for their 3 year old Dell and ended up with a beige dust bin?
Oh well…not my problem. 10.5.2 running beautifully here also.
And the graphic of Ballmer and Gates at the top still makes me laugh. Too funny!
Re: 10.5.2:
Yeah, everything is snappier on my rev. A MacBook (seriously), except I think Stacks is just a little jerkier than before. Exposé, Dashboard and other animations are smoother now, though.
but the lemmings keep buying the next Windows machine..and the next….they’ve accepted these problems as part of the package.
Cross your fingers when you surf.
what… no comments and defending of M$ Vista crap from ZuenTang? Maybe he got smart for a change… nahhh
10.5.2… LOVING YOU!!!
And we’re not hearing from ZuneTang on this one because…?
@pat
“Trying to keep Windows running is like wiping a butt that never stops pooping.”
Microsoft is already aware of this, and they’re working in a solution code-named Bidet.
How ironic that the most Vista capable machine, a Mac, will never have a “Windows Vista Capable” sticker on it.
Uh… the M$ dude paid $2100 for a PC and all he can use it for is email? What happened to the “macs are soooooo expensive” crowd? I thought all PCs cost $499 and had the same specs as a MacPro?
Your frustration. Our profit.
They ought to use this M$ Vista thing for an episode of Boston Legal like they did for the bathroom stall solicitation story. I can picture Alan Shore’s diatribe over the true meaning of ‘capable.’ Please, please….
It is pretty obvious that MS did this to mislead buyers, but the question will be whether it can be proven and whether it falls outside of standard practice for advertising. This kind of double talk is all too common in sales sheets.
That would be Windows Bidet Ultimate if you really want the possibility of being clean and not just capable of being clean…
It is the ploy of scoundrels: Communicate using an ambiguity that (1) unsuspecting customers will interpret in the most positive light and (2) will be just accurate enough for you to avoid being fully responsible for any misunderstanding.
A conscientious company would take care to prevent such misunderstandings altogether.
Memo to Windows users (who think Apple hoses their customers):
Just who got hosed by whom? At least Apple’s specs allow for error on the user side. Leopard’s minimum requirements haven’t stopped older Macs that are below specs from running the OS marginally well!
Just one more case where “popular” is no indication of “better”.
“Windows.” “Vista.” “Capable.” What a marvelous juxtaposition of terms that by themselves radiate power, but taken together elicit …
… projectile hurling.
$2100 email machine?
So the basic version of Vista is only good for email – says MS’s own execs??
The basic version of OS X Leopard trounces Vista Ultimate!
[looks around] Hey! I haven’t seen Zune Tang®, or his witty comments, around for some time. I wonder what the mighty ZT has to say about this? [wink]