The “Vista capable” lawsuit may or may not be going well for Microsoft from a legal standpoint, but evidence against the software giant isn’t doing it any favors in the public’s eye. Emails show that some Microsoft execs and employees were extremely worried about loosening the Vista capable requirements.

It’s been pretty well proven that Microsoft decided to call the Intel 915 chipset “Vista capable” after an initial pronouncement the other way. This was one of several factors that led to some machines not being able to run premium versions of the operating system, and the one around which most of the new commotion revolves.

According to Gregg Keizer, Mark Croft, the director of Windows marketing, contributed to the company’s debate by writing, “If we give on these then the Logo does not ‘mean’ anything. I think that pulling out WDDM is a bad decision for customers.”

Jim Allchin, who led the Vista development team, also said following the reversal, “I am beyond being upset here. This was totally mismanaged by Intel and Microsoft. What a mess. Now we have an upset partner, Microsoft destroyed credibility, as well as my own credibility shot.”

This stuff might be enough to inspire other companies to toss their most sensitive computers off tall buildings. Meanwhile, it’s almost sure to have an effect on how Windows 7 is marketed, and may influence the sales of Windows operating systems for some time into the future.

Windows 7, if it truly lives up to its hype, faster, sleeker, ect as shown off at PDC this week could end up being one of those must have upgrades for everyone who owns and hates their vista computer. Microsoft needs a win here, not so much to make money, they do that well, but to reverse an increasingly negative image of who they are and what they do. Microsoft is seen as a lumbering Hippo happy in its pond, when many just want to see things that work as advertised. (more…)