Consumers Can Sue Microsoft Over Vista (tech2.com)

[ThinkFree]

A federal judge said Friday that consumers may go ahead with a class action lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. over the way it advertised computers loaded with Windows XP as capable of running the Vista operating system.

The lawsuit said Microsoft's labeling of some PCs as "Windows Vista Capable" was misleading because many of those computers were not powerful enough to run all of Vista's features, including the much-touted "Aero" user interface.................................

Source: *www.tech2.com/india/news/software/consumers-can-sue-microsoft-over-vista/29621/0

 

[victor_rambo]

I don't know much about this tech stuff n all but I have a basic doubt:
How can Microsoft be sued for that. The PC vendors should be sued as they produce the hardware and advertise of its capabilities. Or is that because Microsoft persuaded the PC vendors to advertise as "Vista capable"

 

[The_Devil_Himself]

let this peaceful and ethical company die..oops live in peace.everybody is after this poor innocent lamb.

 

[Cyrus_the_virus]

I don't know much about this tech stuff n all but I have a basic doubt:
How can Microsoft be sued for that. The PC vendors should be sued as they produce the hardware and advertise of its capabilities. Or is that because Microsoft persuaded the PC vendors to advertise as "Vista capable"

Nope, the story is not just that. Microsoft after delaying it's Vista launch had promised customers who were buying XP at that time that they will get a free upgrade to Vista after it was launched. The problem was, MS never specified which Pissta at that time because they hadn't told about the different variants and there is a problem there...

The problem above is that hardware Manufacturers don't sell their system without Microsoft certifying them as Vista capable and hardware manufacturers don't make the "vista capable" stickers themselves, M$ does it. And again, I'm sure M$ defense here will be, sure, it can run vista, just that it will only run on the basic version... again, they made a mockery out of consumers because it wasn't specified to them as to which Pissta is capable as consumers never new what M$ knew at that time, that there will be different versions of Pissta some incapable of running the misleadingly advertised Aero.

 

[victor_rambo]

Thanks for the explanation Cyrus.

 

[x3060]

well were are they gonna keep all the money they make by sueing. . can they give some to me

 

[phreak0ut]

I agree that having "Vista capable" is kind of misleading but not completely. If it can handle Vista Basic, what they have used is right, isn't it? MS has got big lawyers which can fend off public very easily. Another attempt gone down the drain.

 

[MetalheadGautham]

same thing can even be used against *certain* linux vendors who claim that their distro runs on even PIII machines. Once upon a time, Novell went advertising SuSE saying that their *brand new* OS runs on most systems XP runs, but they conviniently forgot to mention that Compiz Fusion needed lots of resources to run. But they can be excused because the stated requirement was only slightly lower than the actual one. But in M$'s case, its waaaaaay off the mark.

 

[nish_higher]

err..
Vista capable Sticker means the PC is capable of running Vista and meets minimum system requirements
which are-
Windows Vista Home Basic
Minimum supported requirements
Certain product features are not available with minimum supported requirements.

800 MHz processor and 512 MB of system memory

20 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space

Support for Super VGA graphics (32bit only)

CD-ROM drive

And all PC's bearing that Sticker qualify for vista basic

 

[Cyrus_the_virus]

Vista capable Sticker means the PC is capable of running Vista and meets minimum system requirements
which are-
Windows Vista Home Basic
Minimum supported requirements

When will you guys understand? Please take some time reading the previous posts before wasting your time writing one. Before Pissta was released, no one knew that there were different versions, and when ever Pissta was advertised during that time, they alwasys showed off showing Aero as it's biggest improvement. Did M$ tell people at that time that they will just get the basic version rather than the one which is capable of running Aero? Nope they didn't, that's when they were taken for a ride from the misleading advertisements which never mentioned which version of Pissta can run it, nor did anyone know there were different versions before it's release

Besides, I guess you guys can take a break, because, anyone willing to sue, can do so, and let them argue about it in the court. Don't waste your time turning this thread into a court case and a fight club. Stick to the news information.

 

[nish_higher]

dude if u think i'm acting like a Winboy (which i ain't) have u ever read this-


A new PC running Windows XP that carries the Windows Vista Capable PC logo can run Windows Vista. All editions of Windows Vista will deliver core experiences such as innovations in organizing and finding information, security, and reliability. All Windows Vista Capable PCs will run these core experiences at a minimum. Some features available in the premium editions of Windows Vista—like the new Windows Aero user experience—may require advanced or additional hardware.

Motherboards/PC's bearing Vista logo also carry the same thing-and in case its Aero its written Vista Premium REady.do u even know when PC's had this Vista Capable logo microsoft had made clear abt various versions of vista ? since when did hardware start bearing Vista Ready logo ? 8)
And i know MS' marketting policies s*ck but this was transparent

now will u sue EA for advertising 8800GT 's capabilities to run Crysys?can it run like 8800GTX ?

 

[Cyrus_the_virus]

dude if u think i'm acting like a Winboy have u ever read this-
A new PC running Windows XP that carries the Windows Vista Capable PC logo can run Windows Vista. All editions of Windows Vista will deliver core experiences such as innovations in organizing and finding information, security, and reliability. All Windows Vista Capable PCs will run these core experiences at a minimum. Some features available in the premium editions of Windows Vista—like the new Windows Aero user experience—may require advanced or additional hardware.

Motherboards/PC's bearing Vista logo also carry the same thing-and in case its Aero its written Vista Premium REady.do u even know when PC's had this Vista Capable logo microsoft had made clear abt various versions of vista ? 8)

Oh yes, how can I forget that quote is from the M$ site which they have already modified! Like I said before, I'm not interested to fight about this and let the courts decide!

Besides, I guess you guys can take a break, because, anyone willing to sue, can do so, and let them argue about it in the court. Don't waste your time turning this thread into a court case and a fight club. Stick to the news information.

In other words, there would be no Aero Glass, no Flip3D, no Media Center–no features that Vista was and is widely advertised to offer. Many customers felt like the company had ripped them off. Microsoft argued that it provided detailed information on the sticker program and that it was the customers' fault for not educating themselves before purchasing their new computers.

The plaintiffs' lawyers made much of the fact that some internal Microsoft e-mails voiced the doubts of senior-level Microsoft employees over the program's viability.

Soon after the suit was filed, the company attempted to clarify what exactly it meant by "Windows Vista Capable" and how it differed from "Premium Ready." The fact that it had to do this just showed how confusing the whole situation had become, and it was bad enough that even top Microsoft executives apparently got burned.

Microsoft internal e-mails revealed during the case hearing:

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."

"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.

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."

Above quotes from:
*arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080211-vista-capable-scheme-was-panned-at-microsoft.html
*seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/350667_msftvista09.html

 

[nish_higher]

ok ... fine ..peace..

Neither of the two people who filed the original lawsuit participated in a program Microsoft devised to help people who bought new computers before Vista's launch upgrade later to the new operating system, but they argued nonetheless that people who bought "Vista Capable" computers were harmed because they could only run a basic version of Vista
The judge said if they added a named plaintiff who did take part in Microsoft's "Express Upgrade" program, they could pursue that claim as well.



Soure-The same


+ this is either a little old or raised earlier also,as in the following links-
*www.osweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2526&Itemid=0
*www.osweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2525&Itemid=449

Truthfully, I do understand the frustration that some users are experiencing because of this, but it’s not enough to justify a lawsuit by any means. The marketing of Vista isn’t the problem here - the operating system itself is. Sure enough, those Vista Capable computers are capable of running Vista (albeit the vomit version most likely), and Microsoft even clarified this further by classifying Premium Ready PCs, however, consumers who didn’t do their research didn’t know what to expect even though the information and tools were there. Could Microsoft and the hardware manufacturers been clearer about which version of Vista would run on each computer? Definitely, but I’d rather blame the operating system instead.

 

[khattam_]

Gud for ppl believing M$.. Now fight M$ at the courts and hope for the best, maybe get a FREE Pissta Ultimate license as compensation and continue M$ crap.

 

[Cyrus_the_virus]

More related News:

Microsoft dropped Vista hardware spec to raise Intel profits


You know this stuff goes on. But you're still gobsmacked when the proof turns up.
According to an email sent last February by Microsoft general manager John Kalkman, the software giant lowered Windows Vista's minimum hardware requirements to ridiculous levels only because Intel needed to sell more graphics chipsets.
document released in response to a federal class action suit that accuses Microsoft of misleading the world with those "Windows Vista Capable" logos it slapped on new PCs in the run-up to the operating system's debut. The logos appeared on system more than nine month before the OS was unveiled.
Judging from these emails - unsealed by the court this week and spewed to the digerati by Todd Bishop of Seattle Post-Intelligencer - the case has a pretty good chance.
"In the end, we lowered the requirement to help Intel make their quarterly earnings so they could continue to sell motherboards with the 915 graphics embedded," John Kalkman wrote to Scott Di Valerio, who oversaw Microsoft's dealings with PC partners.
Intel told The Wall Street Journal that the bit about its earning was not true, arguing that Kalkman "is not qualified in any shape or form to have knowledge about Intel's internal financial forecasts related to chipsets, motherboards or any other product".
Meanwhile, Microsoft informed the paper that it included the Intel 915 chipset in the Windows Vista Capable program "based on successful testing of beta versions of Windows Vista on the chip set and the broad availability of the chip set in the market." And it said the unsealed emails showed how its execs "were trying to make the marketing program better for Microsoft partners and consumers".
You could argue, however, that Kalkman's email is far from the best of the lot. In another message, a Microsoft board member tells Steve Ballmer he's decided against "upgrading" one of his machines to Vista. "I cannot understand with a product this long in creation why there is such a shortage of drivers," he says. ®

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