Vista Branding Is Confusing, But Is It Criminal?
I feel Dianne Kelley’s pain. But I think the idea of suing Microsoft for $5 million because the company’s Windows Vista branding is confusing is over the top. Kelley filed a class action suit against Microsoft, claiming deceptive Vista marketing practices.
“In sum, Microsoft engaged in bait and switch — assuring consumers they were purchasing ‘Vista Capable’ machines when, in fact, they could obtain only a stripped-down operating system lacking the functionality and features that Microsoft advertised as ‘Vista,’” according to the suit, filed March 29.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer quotes Microsoft as saying it did all it could to educate customers, retailers and partners about the distinctions between Vista-Capable and Vista Premium-Ready. Like many Microsoft watchers, I have found Microsoft’s categorization murky. My ZDNet blogging colleague Adrian Kingsley-Hughes says the same.
Can all Vista-Capable machines run Aero Glass? Can some run it? None? I still am not entirely sure. And Microsoft’s Web site does little to make that clear. Microsoft’s “Make the Move to Vista” Web site explains “Vista Capable” in the following way……..
Tags:aero, Microsoft, Windows, windows vista
