There is currently an ongoing class action suit against Microsoft. The suit contends that Microsoft Vista has not been “Vista capable” on its computers. Specifically, users have complained that Microsoft Vista has not been compatible with printers, processors were unable to process video well, and computers did not contain enough RAM for adequate speed. Also, users contend that current Windows XP computers are not easily upgradeable to Vista as Microsoft offered.
A year ago, Microsoft promised that existing computers that met Vista minimum requirements will work seamlessly. Also, Microsoft put out labels on new computers saying “Vista capable” or “Vista ready.” This class action suit disagrees with these promises. The big revealing fact is not what we’ve found with Vista, but what the court was able to find by ordering Microsoft to allow open access to over 200 internal e-mails. A former CEO said that he used Vista and didn’t find that the video-powered processor didn’t play well with his videos. Another executive complained to another staff member of the slow Vista speed. Further, one board member mentioned his inability to connect to his printer that worked fine for Vista. These points all point to the favor of the class action suit. The last revealing and most poignant point is one of the Microsoft execs relaying to another internal member that they should do what’s right for the consumers instead of re-doing Vista. We don’t know what that exactly means, but it doesn’t sound too consumer-friendly. The court has reviewed these e-mails and will probably have the final say on how Microsoft reveals the Vista struggle.
We feel it is telling when Microsoft’s own complaints about its product. These complaints were not when Vista was in beta mode. These complaints were when Vista was produced and being used in the mainstream public. So, what’s telling is Microsoft’s execs knowingly saw defects while the public was using Vista and really did nothing actively to resolve it.