Microsoft lowered Vista requirements to help Intel sell incompatible chipsets
By Nilay Patel 
posted February 28th 2008 12:13PM
posted February 28th 2008 12:13PM
So now that the "Vista Capable" lawsuit is a full-blown class action, the judge has unsealed all 158 pages of emails between Microsoft execs trying to sort out what went wrong with the sticker program. While bits and pieces have been blacked out, what remains is still fairly incredible -- although Intel's 915 chipset was initially rejected as incompatible with Vista, MS execs flatly admit that "In the end, we lowered the requirements to help Intel make their quarterly earnings so they could continue to sell motherboards with the 915 graphics embedded" and "We are caving to Intel. We worked the last 18 months to drive the UI experience and we are giving this up." On top of that, it seems that the company was getting direct feedback from retailers that the stickers were confusing, with Wal-Mart appealing directly to HP to pull Vista Capable stickers from low end machines, and an MS exec saying that "I was in Best Buy listening to people and can tell you this did not come clear to customers. We set ourselves up." That's pretty damning, if you ask us -- and the complete emails, linked below, are full of similar bombshells. Looks like this case may have some serious legs after all.Disclaimer: Nilay's a lawyer, but he's not your lawyer, and none of this is legal advice or analysis.
Read - Seattle Post-Intelligencer coverage of the case
Read - PDF of all the emails
Your logic circuits are flawed, you must be destroyed.
Market caps for MSFT & INTC are 259 & 118, respectively, in Billions.
INTC isn't pushing anyone around, they were just saturating the market with their chipset, while MSFT was pushing their new OS onto every branded computer, and then MSFT realized they have to lower "requirements" of their OWN certification program to ensure the adoption and acceptance of Vista.
Apple and Sony have done so many wrongs, but their PR departments are run by eccentrics, and being shunned by those fools sucks big time if your business model relies heavily on the polarizing aspects of their business practices drawing so many page views.
Many websites will continue to glorify certain companies which are a foundation of their business model. Who the hell wants to read comments that aren't written by fanboys? it would be boring as hell.
I know Microsoft is a very very profitable company so it makes them a ripe target for litigation but really I think a little personal responsibility is in order. Microsoft could have written anything on that sticker and they would still be in this position. I just think everyone who is smiling and cheering about microsoft bleeding should remember that every time microsoft gets sued it increases the retail on their software, and so it should. So from me to you, thank you dipshits who are too stupid to figure out the difference between vista capable and vista premium ready, youve just cost me money next time I buy an OS. Oh and to those using macs, dont think Apple isn't taking notice and factoring in litigation cost into your next mac. You too get to subsidize these idiots.
While Microsoft clearly deserves the ire of the fooled consumers, it seems to me that Intel is at least as culpable here. In further thought, this type of collusion to defraud consumers seems akin to conspiracy to commit fraud. Both ought to be pilloried for it. I can't support more Microsoft abuse if Intel isn't held equally to task.
P.S. I'm not a lawyer, but if I was one, you'd probably fire me as I really don't care about your case as long as I get rich...
I'd rather update my OS until Windows 7 out...The hardware requirement of Vista can never get credit from me.