Both Microsoft *and* Intel Screwed You on Vista

It wasn't only MS that benefited from the "Vista Capable" logo program by encouraging sales of obsolete PC hardware, it was also Intel. MS' decision to water-down the minimum acceptable graphics solely benefited Intel among the PC hardware vendors. I won't belabor the obvious about how decisions that favor one supplier come at your expense in some way. This seems like a cartel if you ask me. The US government needs to do something about it.

It also appears nVidia and AMD(ATI) were royally screwed by what appears to be collusive behavior on the part of Intel and MS. Don't believe it?

Read this: http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/library/vistaone3046.pdf

• On 30 Jan 2006 Will Poole (MS VP) reports that Renee James (Intel VP) asked MS to delay releasing the upgrade advisor until June. Why does Intel want to delay until June? Is it legal for Intel to make such a request? It smells so much like collusion and cartel behavior (all quite illegal in the US).

• On 31 Jan 2006 Mike Ybarra (MS) comments on the unhappiness at HP because HP made graphics roadmap choices on the basis of an MS commit that MS would not give in to Intel pressure. I wonder what decisions (if any) were changed and favored Intel as an end-result?

• Also on 31 Jan 2006 Poole reports Intel leaked the change in advance of any joint communications, violating some agreement that he and Renee made. “Joint communications??? An agreement on same???” wtf? I wonder where one company begins and the other ends. An agreement for some sort of joint communication here looks awfully fishy. What was the point of Intel “leaking” this very sensitive information about another company’s product? And who did Intel “leak” this to?

• On 1 Feb 2006 Ybarra laments how MS is caving to Intel and how HP got burned. Not a word about the graphics “partners” they screwed or AMD. The poor saps.

• Amusingly on 18 Feb 2007 Jon Shirley makes a candid comment to Steve Ballmer, Ballmer dings Shirley (read between the lines), and Shirley responds with a complete sucking-up to the boss email. Lol. Dilbert.