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Vista Stumped Microsoft Bosses

Company emails reveal execs struggled to get OS working on PCs

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 29, 2008 3:00 AM CST
Email

(Newser) – Many Windows Vista users have struggled to make the operating system work with their hardware, and emails released this week reveal that even Microsoft bosses had a tough time, PC World reports. The emails have been made public as part of a lawsuit that claims Microsoft deliberately misled consumers by slapping "Vista Capable" stickers on machines that weren't capable of running many of the system's important features.

"I personally got burnt," complained Mike Nash, now Microsoft's vice-president for product management. "I now have a $2,100 email machine." Another executive admitted that "even a piece of junk will qualify" to be labeled Vista Capable under the criteria the company was using. The lawsuit has been granted class-action status, meaning many of the owners of those pieces of junk could be in for a refund.

Dancers scale the wall of a New York building to promote the launch of the long-awaited Vista operating system from Microsoft in this Jan. 29, 2007 file photo in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, file)
Dancers scale the wall of a New York building to promote the launch of the long-awaited Vista operating system from Microsoft in this Jan. 29, 2007 file photo in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, file)   (Associated Press)
A Microsoft Windows Vista advertisement on display at Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif., Monday, Sept. 17, 2007. Emails made public as part of a lawsuit against Microsoft reveal that many of the company's executives had a hard time getting the operating system to work. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
A Microsoft Windows Vista advertisement on display at Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif., Monday, Sept. 17, 2007. Emails made public as part of a lawsuit against Microsoft reveal that many of the company's...   (Associated Press)
Different editions of the Windows Vista computer operating system are on display at a store in New York in this Jan. 30, 2007 file photo. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, file)
Different editions of the Windows Vista computer operating system are on display at a store in New York in this Jan. 30, 2007 file photo. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, file)   (Associated Press)
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Emails reveal 'questionable' Microsoft-Intel relationship
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Microsoft slashes price of Vista
Reuters

Emails show where Vista program went wrong
ZDNet

 
Microsoft • Microsoft Vista • lawsuit • hardware • operating system • computer

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