Breaking News: CVP Will Poole Certifies Another Laptop as Vista "Capable"

Granted, you may not get the "full" experience - though some might argue that the difference will be marginal. However, it will mean another chip sale for INTC. And isn't that all that matters?

Seriously, what an embarrassment. See the story that Todd Bishop broke here:

• Full text: Microsoft execs on Vista problems

Additional coverage everywhere else including:

• Microsoft Changed Vista Rules for Intel, E-Mail Says
• Microsoft Combined With Intel For A Vista Logo Disaster
  
• Why Did Microsoft Favor Intel Over Users?

I suppose there's some way to spin this in a positive direction - and no doubt MSFT leadership will try. Here's their first lame attempt:

Throughout this process, Microsoft employees raised concerns and addressed issues with the intent to make this program better for our business partners and valuable for consumers. That's the sort of exchange we want to encourage. And in the end, we believe we succeeded in achieving both objectives.

Unfortunately, the record appears to show that while employees raised the concerns (to their credit), they were overruled by senior leadership. In other words, there was a willful decision to screw over customers and even OEM partners in order to placate INTC. Great judgement call if that's the case.

At least the Sinofsky summation shows there's hope for Windows - and the company more generally - under his leadership.

I'm not a lawyer, but these revelations would appear to be more than sufficient for the plaintiffs to win their pending class action lawsuit. So expect another $500M+ eventual judgement. Which makes the following all the more prescient:

In a February 2006 e-mail, Robin Leonard, a Microsoft employee, wrote that Wal-Mart officials were "extremely disappointed in the fact that the standards were lowered and feel like customer confusion will ensue."

She added later, "Please give this some consideration; it would be a lot less costly to do the right thing for the customer than to spend dollars on the back end trying to fix the problem."

"Do the right thing for the customer". Now there's a concept. So will anyone senior get fired for having seemingly done the wrong thing for customers, thereby damaging perceptions of Microsoft and its most important product in the process? Of course not.

Not coincidentally, MSFT is dropping Vista prices for retail skus; A move that is long overdue since the pricing there is ridiculous and sales have been abysmal.

All in all, a nice cap to a rotten week of news and stock action for MSFT.