14 replies to this topic

[brewin]

images/news/vista.jpgEven internally, Microsoft couldn't agree on what the base requirements to run Vista were, but that didn't stop it from inaccurately promoting the OS as running on some hardware, new email evidence in an ongoing consumer class action suggests. What do the latest revelations mean for the future of Vista?

Microsoft's external front might have been firm, but internally there were endless arguments over whether that strategy was appropriate, and how much PC manufacturers were going to get annoyed by the shifting requirements and endless delays. That information has emerged as a result of court documents filed in a US class action which argues that systems labelled as Vista-ready and sold in the months prior to Vista's official debut were not in fact capable of running the OS.

Microsoft's own most senior executives were completely bamboozled by the "Vista capable" labelling scheme. "I personally got burned by the Intel 915 chipset on a laptop that I PERSONALLY (e.g. with my own $$$) [bought]", said Mike Nash, Corporate Vice President, Windows Product Management, who bought a "Vista capable" laptop, only to find it couldn't run the Aero interface. "I now have a $2100 email machine," he concluded.

158 Pages of Email Evidence (Huge PDF Warning)

APC Magazine

[Steve Ballmer]

The Windows Vista CapAble Lawsuit! Whinners!
A few of you may have read the stories about several groups of whinny mormons attempting to initiate a class action lawsuit against us for deceptive advertising by allowing PC vendors to slap "Vista CapAble" stickers on crappy low-end PC's.
Let's just get the truth out here!

Vista was originally supposed to be released prior to the Christmas shopping season '06, but for reasons of our own we had to put off the release until '07 (for Vista this was the 17th and last time we changed the release date).
The PC vendors went wild, Mikey Dell fell to his knees before me and pleaded for help, "Half of our sales are during this quarter, people won't buy! They'll wait! Oh my God! Oh my God!"
I calmly got him up and said, "Really Mike! I'm not your God! But I do know what you mean, we have a plan! Buck up dude."
Still sniffling he whimpered, "Thank you God! What's you plan Bill?"
I Replied, "Stop calling me that!" I sat him down in MY chair and explained, "You guys can just slap a sticker on the low-end crap! Have it say 'Windows Vista CapAble', the half decent ones slap 'Premium Ready" on 'em!"
Sounding worried he stuttered, "those boat anchors won't run Vista".
I looked him straight in the eye, "I have the Nasal toned Nerds (NtN's) down in the basement stripping Vista down to Windows 95! We are gonna' call it Vista Home edition, we'll let them upgrade to that!", we both had a good little chuckle. I went over to him, grabbed a pen and paper and wrote - "CapAble"
I winked at him and said "get it?" He stared at it for a few seconds then smiled and slooowly said, "yeah, Cap Able! ... able but with a cap!" He stood and high fived me, he screamed, "Jesus! You are slick!"

... maybe I am, maybe I am!

[TheBearLT]

That was a fascinating story Steve..

Edited by TheBearLT, 01 March 2008 - 06:35 PM.

[m.oreilly]

awesome steve...just awesome

[Linoman]

Wow thats a really good story, although might I just say if I bought a PC under the impression that it could RUN VISTA 100% and later found out it couldn't I would be pretty pissed....

Heck I am pissed and my PC can run Vista perfectly

[m.oreilly]

Linoman, on Mar 1 2008, 01:09 PM, said:

Wow thats a really good story, although might I just say if I bought a PC under the impression that it could RUN VISTA 100% and later found out it couldn't I would be pretty pissed....

Heck I am pissed and my PC can run Vista perfectly

i think steve already covered your concerns...

[TheBearLT]

Linoman, on Mar 1 2008, 11:09 PM, said:

Wow thats a really good story, although might I just say if I bought a PC under the impression that it could RUN VISTA 100% and later found out it couldn't I would be pretty pissed....

Heck I am pissed and my PC can run Vista perfectly

Hey, MS don't lies... They promised that vista will be able to startup on your machine. It started ? yes.. what do you want more ? Hehe

[Camaro]

Well I dont know about you but if I wanted a boat anchor I would just go buy one, or a paperweight, take your pick.

[brewin]

I bought a "Vista Capable" laptop last summer with an Intel 915 GPU. It got something like a 2.0 performance rating in Vista. I was utterly devastated. Okay, so I didn't actually ever intend to install Vista on it, but I still want my money! I'll be waiting for my check in the mail once this suit gets settled.

[Linoman]

This is such false leading, Microsoft how could you do this to your consumers. Some of these people praise you and this is how you treat them? Now right I tell you not right

[m.oreilly]

well, i for one am behind steve 100% (yo steve, thanks for the sas drives ).

[Steve Ballmer]

No lie here! The stickers say Vista CapAble!

Able to run Vista with a Cap on features, performance, compatibility!
Just run the version we call Home edition.

[Linoman]

No lie, lets think of an example.

A company builds a plane (2 versions) both have wings but only the one has both wings and engines.
Now remember BOTH ARE CAPABLE of flying... So a customer buys the cheaper one only to realise it doesn't have any engines... Am I the only one who finds what MS did immoral

[TheBearLT]

Linoman, on Mar 4 2008, 09:00 AM, said:

No lie, lets think of an example.

A company builds a plane (2 versions) both have wings but only the one has both wings and engines.
Now remember BOTH ARE CAPABLE of flying... So a customer buys the cheaper one only to realise it doesn't have any engines... Am I the only one who finds what MS did immoral

You thinking like I do.. he he