Microsoft claims Intel pressure in ‘Vista Capable’ case

by Stevie Smith - Feb 29 2008, 18:26

This week, Microsoft Corp. has been accused of using “Vista Capable” labels to mislead computer consumers into buying underpowered hardware unable to run all-but the very basic and stripped down version of Microsoft’s latest Windows operating system.

Microsoft exec accuses Intel of pressuring the software giant into "Vista Capable" labelling. Credit: TheMoment/Flickr.

Following a legal ruling that could potentially see the software company hit by a flood of lawsuits from disgruntled Vista users, Redmond-based Microsoft is now suggesting that outside pressure applied from leading chipmaker Intel Corp. is responsible for the inclusion of “Vista Capable” labelling.Specifically, money site Bloomberg reports that e-mails from Microsoft executive John Kalkman indicate that Intel applied pressure to Microsoft to certify that certain models in its chipset range were able to handle Vista in order to aid the chipmaker in reaching its quarterly earning projections.According to Kalkman, a Microsoft general manager connected to relations with PC makers, Microsoft caved to that pressure and lowered system requirements so that Intel could “continue to sell motherboards with 915 graphics embedded,” even though certain Microsoft officials had expressed their reservations that Intel’s 915 chipset was not able to properly convey Vista’s full range of visual features. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the seriousness of the accusations, a spokesman for Intel has fervently denied Kalkman’s comments, saying that “we have no idea who he is and we are absolutely certain he would have zero visibility into Intel’s financials, Intel’s financial forecasts or anything to do with any particular quarter at any time.”However, Microsoft has confirmed the authenticity of Kalkman’s e-mails and has said in a related statement that they “reflect part of an active discussion about how best to implement the Windows Vista Capable program.”Earlier this week, District Court Judge Marsha Pechman outlined that the class action filing against Microsoft would focus on whether the company knowingly permitted the application of “Vista Capable” labels to PC systems restricted to running only a stripped version of the new OS in order to boost hardware sales ahead of Vista’s release.

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SteveMar 2nd, 2008 - 10:05:11

I think no matter what, Microsoft rushed Vista, and knew it. They can blame whomever, but the fact is they moved forward regardless. What troubles me is that it came this far, and that there is an honest-to-god court fight over this.

In IT, we knew from the jump that Vista was to be watched, and migrated to later. If some of these companies who are complaining would have listened to the CIO's and the admin's instead of sales ppl they wouldn't be in this mess.

The consumers who got hosed, those are the people I feel sorry for. They got caught into the hype and had to suffer because of it.

-Steve

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