Five unanswered questions in the Vista 'junk PC' lawsuit

another black eye for Windoze

Vista and the lawsuit shows us more and more
that an EXTREMELY easy to use linux system is required.
Mandriva is one of the easier.........

All I can say, move over Windoze,
linux users will be gained from this!

junk pc's and lawsuits

You know I think everyone should watch the movie that came out a little while back, called the "bee movie". the bees sued the humans and won, and quit working, and be darned the flowers and trees quit blooming. Has anyone wondered what would really happen if the big bad microsoft said screw this we have had enough bashing and just closed up shop. how many people could really survive a day running linux or any other os.

Why have no heads rolled?

Why have no heads rolled? Microsoft continues to rake in the cash at the speed of light, why would anyone have to be fired? Just look at how long it took IBM to come to its senses. They, too, were making tons of money for too long for basically riding on the fact that nobody gets fired for buying IBM. Same applies to Microsoft, nobody gets blamed for buying Microsoft, because it is easy to blame Microsoft instead and it is much harder to get the OK to buy anything else, such as Apple or Linux systems.
And so far Microsoft apparently didn't screw up that badly that consumers start going somewhere else. Also, look at the past with the abuse of monopolistic power in regards to web browser, office applications, and desktop OS. Those are far worse illegal activities by Microsoft than some silly sticker foulup. Just add to that the fact that oversight organizations like the FTC are sleeping (especially when it comes to big business) Microsoft just can get away with anything. Seems we have to wait again for the EU commission to enforce laws and protect consumers.

Remember the willing cohorts

IT requires MSCE's, and more staff depending upon the reliability of the OS. Or lack thereof.

Microsoft depends upon the unquestioning loyalty of its IT partners to screw over the clients.

How much does it COST your company to reboot, erase and reinstall, recover from virii?

Hiring more MSCE's than anyone should ever need? How much does it cost to relearn an OS that, as Vista shows, is a downgrade?

Why no punishment for Microsoft deliberately misguiding you? They knew it. They did it. They KNOW you don't trust them.

They screwed you anyway. Why?

In the words of Bully Gates; "Because I could."
from the DoJ tapes.

Historic Problem & Solutions

It seems that every MS Windows release has been plagued with problems initially (continually?). As long as MS gets away with this and other atrocities against customers (Office 2007?!) MS will continue to commit them.

The Federal government is probably MS's largest customer, and it should use its buying power (in addition to anti-trust enforcement) to keep MS honest.
• Publish specs in an RFP that the products/vendors need to meet.
• Make MS compete against Apple and open-source alternatives to win Federal contracts.
• Put penalties in the contracts for when products fail to perform as promised.
• Establish a government contracting preference for open source.
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Apple manages to do it

Their OS 9 to X, and the latest cat without problems.

But management gets what it wants, or more specifically rewards.

If they build chimneys so no bad news can come in (Don't they also sit on each other's boards? Don't they talk?).

There were plenty of management books (many featuring disasters like the above) in the 1970-80 period. Even Bill Gates was worried about becoming IBM. They did.

Apple is an engineering and innovation company.

Microsoft is about the bottom line. Protecting their monopolies. About strongarming vendors and customers - not unlike Walmart demanding price cuts from every vendor and suggesting cutting quality to do it (e.g. Snapper). The book GMP says you get what you reward and won't get what you penalize.

When they started planting logic bombs to prevent Windows from running on DRDOS instead of MSDOS - instead of engineering a better MSDOS (they didn't have enough cash? talent? will?) they lost their corporate soul, though they already had the monopolistic momentum, much as IBM had in mainframes.

So as the fiasco was going on, can you imagine anyone being rewarded for raising a big enough stink to prevent it either from happening in the first place (say no to Intel or whatever - I think Apple says No when they need to), or being rewarded for implicitly admitting the error instead of having their dirty laundry aired via lawsuit discovery? No. Any whistleblower or team critic (i.e. "not a team player") would have been thrown out faster than anyone who cooperatively lets the disaster happen, continue, and get worse. So they sing the wrong tune in unison, but that is what they reward. Any deviation even in harmony is punished.

Just like they could modularize and thus secure Windows from the kernel up (like linux - firefox runs on X which runs on lots of subapps which runs on the system which runs on the kernel - Firefox is not part of the OS). They didn't. They were rewarded for glitz and sizzle even if the steak was inedible.

If you give users different

If you give users different choices in which OS they buy... millions of people will be extremely happy that they can save some money... and not have to buy features that just don't need.

Others will complain they don't *WANT* choices.

How does "pick the 1 you need" hurt you? Just don't buy the 1 you don't want.

Duh.

If you aren't 'smart enough' to read about a few of the differences between 2 OSs... then maybe you shouldn't be buying a computer in the first place.

AMEN to "you gotta be kidding"..

Ahh, a voice of reason and common sense in the wilderness of Computerworld! Let's REALLY look at what we have here.

The problems with the "Vista Capable" lawsuit are indicative of society as a whole today, and the USA in particular. You don't like how something came out? File a lawsuit! Unhappy with getting passed over for a promotion, even though your work stinks and you're late every day? Sue! Bored with your spouse? Sue for divorce!

That, my friends, is this Vista lawsuit in a nutshell. It doesn't matter to the snakes (aka lawyers, and my apologies to real reptiles), they'll be more than happy to file a lawsuit on your behalf, especially with a defendant with lots of cash in the bank like Microsoft.

No one in this mess is willing to look at this situation with a narrow, common sense focus, which is this: Can a "Vista Capable" labeled computer run a version of Windows Vista? If it can, whether it's Home Basic and takes 10 minutes to boot up or Ultimate with a Quad-Core Xtreme that flies, then the lawsuit is without merit, period, and should be tossed. Microsoft's advertising has always said that Home Basic does NOT have Aero, and if this statement was in the fine print, and you didn't read it, shame on you.

Here's two more societal items that I think tie in with this lawsuit.

1--The ongoing mortgage fiasco. People, you are purchasing what is likely the most important item in your life. During the mortgage application process, you are handed, and have to fill out, dozens of forms and papers. It is YOUR responsibility to read EACH AND EVERY ONE, and to make sure you understand it thoroughly. If you only asked the bank/mortgage company for answers to your questions, shame on you! Are you going to tell me that you have no friends or family to ask? How about going online to research? And, when you have your closing, YOU need to take the time to do the same thing, read and understand what you're signing.

Plus, many of these people who are defaulting purchased houses that were beyond their means...they went right up to the maximum amount the bank would lend them, without considering the "what-ifs", such as losing their job, interest rate increases, etc. Plus, of course they had to "keep up with the Joneses".

So, in the end, who is really to blame for the crisis? Sorry folks, but it's the buyer. They did not do their homework, they got burnt, and while I have a tiny bit of empathy, I have no sympathy, and don't come to me via more taxes/fees to bail you out.

2--Automobile ads...how many of you have seen the Lexus "drifting" ad? It shows a Lexus doing those stupid drifting stunts that kids do with their little imports, and of course there's the disclaimer down the bottom in small print saying "professional driver, closed course." How about that Audi ad where they show the quiet residential street, and the car pulls a 180 right into a tight parking spot? How come no one sues Lexus or Audi for false advertising? We all know what a pain it is to parallel park, I'd love to see what happens when some idiot tries that Audi stunt and crashes into a couple of cars. Odds-on money says they sue Audi for "encouraging" risky behavior.

Getting back to the issue at hand, and tying everything together, in every case above, what should rule supreme over anything else is PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Computer purchases, the way you drive, the house you buy, they are ALL choices YOU make, and if YOU choose WRONG because YOU didn't do your homework, shame on YOU, not Microsoft/Dell/HP, not Audi, not the bank.