More internal Microsoft e-mails were unsealed today in the Windows Vista Capable lawsuit, detailing the wrangling that took place inside the company and across the industry before and after the operating system's January 2007 launch. The plaintiffs are using the messages to support their contention that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was involved enough in decisions to warrant a deposition.
Recent evidence from the plaintiffs traces back to Microsoft's CEO. Did Steve Ballmer lie about his level of involvement? Lies are not uncommon at Microsoft.
Documents turned over in the case show Microsoft executives opposing a decision to lower the standards for the Vista Capable designation, with former Windows chief Jim Allchin saying in one e-mail that he believed the Vista Capable program would mislead consumers.
According to some newly released court documents in the "Vista Capable" class-action lawsuit, Microsoft was worried about comparisons between its newest OS and the Mac OS before Vista was even out, and before Apple starting joking about it ("Redmond, start your photocopiers.")
Innovation in this case is typically a lie because Microsoft was caught systematically learning from and copying Apple. In general, Microsoft typically claims credit for other people's inventions [1, 2] by framing patents and putting them up on the wall.
In an e-mail message after Windows Vista's release, Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Mark Hurd complained to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer about the computer maker's "call lines being overrun" with customers' Windows Vista upgrade problems, according to a court filing made public late Wednesday in the Windows Vista Capable lawsuit.
It is far from a closed case and there are hundreds of pages of evidence, which are worth digging for secrets from inside Microsoft. It's getting rather ugly, so it's hardly surprising that Microsoft tries to end it as soon as possible. ⬆
"Idiots can be defeated but they never admit it."
--Richard Stallman
Comments
Victor Soliz
2008-11-21 16:47:53
I would be sad if Ballmer was deposed, I was very confident that if there was a person able to destroy Microsoft, it was him, I can only hope they would replace him with someone more inept.
The word "deposed" has different meanings depending on the context. Many are used to discussing M$ as an empire and thus deposed in that context has more to do with kicking Ballmer's fat, incompetent ass out of his job. (Rather he should be allowed to ride the crumbling monstrosity down into the dirt as no doubt his college buddy Bill probably intended.)
However in legal parlance deposed means Ballmer's fat, incompetent ass must sit in court and answer questions under oath by squirting hot air through one orifice or another:
One of our readers is working to help GNU through the maze of software patents and maze of patent lawsuits, which aren't the same thing but are somewhat overlapping issues
Microsoft-connected patent trolls in Europe [...] Now, in his new job, Wild can use his 'expertise' to help guide blackmail/extortion to better harm Europe's industry
Comments
Victor Soliz
2008-11-21 16:47:53
Roy Schestowitz
2008-11-21 19:03:23
HP CEO e-mailed Ballmer about Vista Capable
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/154985.asp?source=rss
Internal e-mails: Microsoft execs on Vista
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/155036.asp?source=rss
Needs Sunlight
2008-11-22 09:20:09
However in legal parlance deposed means Ballmer's fat, incompetent ass must sit in court and answer questions under oath by squirting hot air through one orifice or another:
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/155137.asp
The video clips of Bill are always classic. His personality really shows in other clips, but those are more peripheral parts of his testimony.