Class-action Lawsuit Blasts Microsoft's Vista Capable Designation

Redmond (WA) - A federal lawsuit has been filed against Microsoft, claiming it falsely advertised various computers by calling them "Vista Capable" when their system specs didn’t really meet the qualifications.

"A judge announced over the weekend that it would accept the lawsuit. It attacks Microsoft for putting the "Vista Capable" certification on computers that could only run the most basic version of the operating system.

Thus, many PCs with the Vista emblem are in fact not able to run many of the Vista features that are advertised in step with the hardware. For example, the "Aero" interface, only available in the higher-end versions of Vista, is incompatible with some PCs marked as "Vista Capable".

US District Judge Marsha Pechman certified the lawsuit but said it could only look at the 2006 holiday season, when computers were branded with Vista certifications but the operating system had not yet launched. At issue is whether Microsoft created an artificial demand by tricking consumers.

Microsoft is reviewing the ruling, and does not comment on pending litigation."