Comments on: Microsoft sued over Vista branding

Class action suit claims software giant deliberately misled consumers with its marketing of the new operating system.

[mikeburek]

Different point of views

There are two main point of views here. Microsoft call the underlying structure of the new OS "Vista." Many consumers call the Aero interface "Vista." Microsoft's idea is like when they said Windows 2000 was built on NT code. And so is Windows XP, if I remember right. But the W2K interface is very different from the XP interface which is different from the NT interface. So using the NT, W2K, and XP names by engineers to describe the code base coincides well with the consumer using those names for the visual interface.

I do not have personal experience with Vista on many different machines, but it seems that the version you buy gives you the options, but if you get to use those option depends on the hardware. It's like buying a 400-hp car. Sure it can do 200 mph, but if the speed limit is on 55, then the 200 mph really doesn't matter.

The Vista package you get is the raw horsepower and the hardware is your speed limit. If you have a slow system, then no matter what car/Vista you get, you can only go so fast/get certain feature to turn on. Many consumers don't see/understand/know about those differences.

Maybe the ads should show "Vista" blocking spyware, and then show a "+ fast graphics card = Aero", and also a "+ high speed flash drive = fast start up time."

[adlyb1]

One clarification

Good comments, but one clarification.

Win2K was based off of NT, but XP actually came from the consumer code base (95,98,Me), because the more server centric architecture of NT make consumer applications compatibility very difficult. To this day, there are many applications that skipped Win2K and moved straight to XP.

[DemePoole]

Mascots were put on this earth to AMUSE and Entertain...

...Not to be taken seriously.

You just like sticking your foot in your mouth, don't you? LoL!

For one thing, Win2003 is SERVER software. The AVERAGE home user is not going to be running Win2003 unless they have absolutely no idea what they are doing or got a really bad deal on EBay. I guess what I am trying to say is this: Why the heck you talkin' about Windows Server 2003 in a forum that has nothing to do with servers? Oh, I can answer that question! It is just another one of your pitiful attempts to make a point that has no point.

The article in question here is MS being sued, because people are not taking the time to do their homework. Actually, it is nothing more than a bunch of twisted lawyers trying to wring a quick buck out of Daddy Gates' wallet. Gates could shut these morons up with HALF of his fortune and STILL have enough left over to BURN. Heck, he would have more money left over than most people would ever make in 1,000 life times!

Also, when someone purchases a NEW computer it comes with ALL the software that computer needs to make it "work". If someone wants to upgrade by adding extra peripherals and devices then that is their own personal problem. You don't need an iPod attached to your computer to make it work.

Why does it even matter how many drivers need to be installed? Everyone knows that Windows will need a driver for a particular device sooner or later. Everyone knows that the GENERIC drivers that are included in WinXp's driver database are not going to give that device the exact same functionality as a driver from the actual OEM. Oh, wait, the AVERAGE user probably isn't going to know that or take the time to seek out the information. That is the difference between people who understand technology and those who don't. People like us (and I am in no way implying that we are anything alike) will take the time to seek information so we won't end up toasting our systems, but the average computer user will try to do something like burn a DVD-Rom in a CD-Rom and then wonder why it doesn't work.

In any event, you have once again failed to contribute anything useful to the Technology community at large. Your world must be very, very small indeed; especially if every argument you make is Linux based. We are TALKING about WINDOWS here, not Linux. Linux makes a good server, but that's about it (I couldn?t resist).

Now go play with yourself, my little penguin mascot.

:-)

End.

[Penguinisto]

...so whose mascot are you, then? ;)

Because you sure do pour a lot of effort into saying basically nothing...

/P

[DemePoole]

Very good point, mikeburek!

I totally understand what you mean!

The only thing, though, is that marketing doesn't work that way. Take car commercials, for instance. They CLAIM you can get 0% APR, but what they don't SAY is that you must have spotless credit. Instead they put it in words so dang small, at the bottom of your television screen, that you need a Sherlock Holmes magnifying glass to even read it; or they say it so fast that you need slo-mo hearing to understand what the announcer is saying.

Another example is toy commercials. I believe it was in the 90's when there was a big thing about people ACTUALLY thinking that a GI Joe action figure could walk, talk and shoot fake little missles out of fake little missle launchers. Now how IGNORANT is that? I believe lawyers tried to sue toy companies back then, too, over "false advertising". I may have it a little mixed up, but this actually did happen! I once dated a girl whose mother thought that images could ACTUALLY project out of a CRT monitor (in 3D) like in the advertisements for some 3D graphics cards! How crazy is that!? LoL! Oh, man! I got a good laugh out of that one when it was told to me!

There is rarely any "truth" to advertising. Companies will do what they can to get their hands on your hard earned money and usually offer very little in return; except for a product that will cost even more money to repair when it eventually breaks down; but, hey, that's what they $1,500 extended warranty is for, right?

I believe that it is ultimately up to the consumer where they choose to spend their money. No one likes to get or feel ripped off, but when a person doesn't research a product that is usually what ends up happening. How hard is it to pick up a copy of Consumer Reports and find out if a product is worth spending hard earned money on? I don't feel sorry for people who don't do their homework. However, I do feel it is wrong if a company or person INTENTIONALLY and BLATANTLY misleads consumers into thinking and/or believing that a product is the Next Best Thing when all they are really selling is a ton of junk. In my opinion, Microsoft is not guilty of misleading consumers. If a computer can boot Vista all the way to the desktop without it crashing, then that computer is "Vista Capable". It might crash 5 minutes later, but oh well!

I don't know where everyone else is from, but I live in America. America is capitalistic. Rich people want to go on getting richer, not go in the opposite direction. Companies depend on the ignorance of the average person to continue filling their piggy banks day after day and year after year.

If people really wanted to make an impact then they would simply boycott Big Business and hit them where it hurts. Then again, the average American just HAS to have that new iPod mini, or nano, or whatever it is called, so that is not going to happen any time soon.

End.

[i_made_this]

Different Points of View (take 2)

I hope MSFT has to pay a lot - and I mean tons that'll hurt even them. It's far more critical than the "maybe" and "wishy washy" Viacom / Google suit because MSFT's "goods" alone are proof in any court of law in our country (except those courts located in Washington state of course). Vista is not Vista - it's that simple. Vista home thru SMB versions are Vista. Vista ULTIMATE and Vista ENTERPRISE are completely different operating systems than the baby versions - and not just the touted Aero GUI etal but the encrypted HD etal as well - these two latter versions, in order to be optimised, require huge investment in new ancillary software most of which is not yet available and the well-discussed hardware upgrade premiums. And BTW the user has no idea about the degree of the hardware upgrades until one ..well.. uses Ultimate or "Enterprise". On the latter, a good plaintiff attorney in court might well open with this question: "Mr. Ballmer, we're considering an enterprise software upgrade for our large law practice. But we're a bit confused over the difference between what you folks call Vista Enterprise and Longhorn Server. Can you help the jury understand in layperson's terms? Either Vista Enterprise with its customisation options is an enterprise OS or it is not. Because you folks would never deceive the public, I'm sure your brand mark on that OS is accurate. So why should my firm invest the huge amounts in Longhorn Server? Help the jury understand, please."

[PzkwVIb]

No Mystery here

Vista Enterprise is a OS for an Enterprises WORKSTATIONS, Longhorn is a SERVER OS. Any IT person who can't figure that out really needs to change their line of work.

[PzkwVIb]

No Mystery here

Vista Enterprise is a OS for an Enterprises WORKSTATIONS, Longhorn is a SERVER OS. Any IT person who can't figure that out really needs to change their line of work.

[orbital318]

Apples and Microsofts

being an apple person, i find this a tad stupid. People sue over anything in the US. GOD! Be responsible for you self and what you buy dumb ass! Its like that ipod suit a few years ago that the volume gets too loud, um don't turn it all the way up dumb ass! Didn't your momma teach you anything?

[calvn84]

ValvE, watchout!!

I'm suing them since I can't run Half-Life 2 at full graphics.

[Tiger1964]

Not Everyone Understands

I'm not sure that bringing a lawsuit over this is the best way to go about this. Perhaps simple explanations of computer requirements when people go to make purchases would help. I visited a Best Buy recently when several people were lined up to get a cheap laptop. Its amazing how many people have no idea of what they are buying and sadly many of these people also purchase the "extended" warranties and "virus protection".

Is it Microsofts problem that many consumers are blissfully unaware?? I don't think so, we as consumers have a wealth of information available to us by just doing some research.

[Nanette159]

Re: Microsoft Sued Over Vista Branding

I got Vista because I wanted a different computer than XP, in fact I'm so sick of XP-- well you get the picture. So what I did was buy a computer made to my exact specifications. A Voodoo PC, which is a water cooled laptop. In fact they say their 6 lb laptops are much better than their desk tops. I have a 100 Gig Hard drive, 2 Gig SATA drive, with Nvidia, and numerous other things like its own modem, carrying case and a 2 hour battery life even in Ultimate mode. So if you want the best, you pay for it big time. I've worked on computers my entire life, since they first came out in the early 70's, in fact I was being paid 18 dollars an hour when modems took up a couple of warehouses and minimum wage was 1.65 an hour. So if Microsoft says it can run Vista, well then you are going to have to do your homework and buy a computer that can handle the Ultimate version.
I'm a big time gamer, mostly solitary games, as I don't like the net much anymore, and after a tech did not put my password back into my computer, as it was configured so that I didn't have to keep typing it in, was hit with redhat dialer again, so I'm sick and tired of people not knowing what they are doing, particularly when you give them the password stuck to the side of the puter in LARGE letters and numbers and whatever else.
I've gone to 16 - 20 numbers letters, and whatever, and words that make absolutely no sense, just because I'm sick of people hacking into my puter. I think I'll just stick to my gaming and let the net go bye bye.
But if Microsoft says it can handle any version of Vista, then the suit hasn't a lap pad to stand on.
Take care folks, and if you want the best, you have to pay for it.
Sincerely,
N. S.

[adamtp1]

Whatever happened to "basic" intelligence?

I remember when only geeks had computers or had the knowledge to run them. In school our computer still worked on punch cards (o.k. showing my age). But I took the time to learn, and only recently at that, what to look for in systems to optimally run what I needed. Maybe people should take a basic aptitude test before purchasing a system since it seems "basic requirements" is a difficult concept to grasp.
What ever happened to common sense and checking out things before buying? People used to do that before costly purchases. This lawsuit is the equivalent to "kicking the tires" then complaining the Yugo you bought didn't have enough horsepower for the weekend races!!

[averagejoe123]

As a young and "dumb" consumer... I bought my PC with Vista as the operating sytem directly from Toshiba in May of 2008. I am not a technology fanatic... I have no idea about the language that most of you speak of but I felt that I did do the research I needed to aquire a brand new, powerful, well rounded laptop for my design work with CAD... because MAC "ultimately" doesn't support CAD. I heard the complaints from folks about Vista... but I felt confident that since I was buying a virgin system, not only would it work efficiently, but I would be ahead of the game... I thought I was making a smart choice. Since I have had my computer... I have downloaded Adobe and Auto CAD 2009. I have great spyware and do research on the internet...that is it. When I get up in the morning to start my computer, I have to walk away, brush my teeth, then when the log-in screen is up, I click my icon and walk away to make some coffee... then when my desktop comes up I have to wait for everything else to boot up... the camera, and the printer reinstalls itself everytime, the printer is brand new too, HP... I get dressed. Some days it seems to be fine... but about twice a week it crashes. I am running a small business and my computer is an important part of my success... If I lose a client because I have to be at an appointment but can't because my computer just crashed and can't print an important document or plans... I'm screwed. I thought I had done the right research, I thought I was making informed decisions... but instead I'm screwed because Vista doesn't work... It sucks bottom line. As the average consumer that I am... I should be able to start my computer and work in the way that need to, that was promised and sold to me. Going to a website to trouble shoot, or take my computer to a tech is not the point or the solution... I have had my computer for almost 6mo and my operating system sucks and I suffer as a result. So when I eat the cost of buying an XP system and sell my PC to someone who just LOVES Microsoft I will get a MAC and know that it may not be perfect but at least it's close. Microsoft ****** up with Vista, it was their last chance and they revealed to the world... the truth that they just can't keep up with MAC and they suck. The younger generations know it and the confidence of the older generations will be lost and that is the point. I would like to see microsoft get sued over this... they need to be accountable and they can afford it.