Microsoft 'Vista Capable' Settlement Cost Could Be Over $8 Billion 313
bk- writes with news that documents from the "Vista Capable" class-action lawsuit against Microsoft indicate the software giant could be on the hook for as much as $8.52 billion in upgrade costs.
"[University of Washington economist Keith] Leffler came up with his total upgrade costs by calculating how much it would cost to upgrade each of the 19.4 million PCs with 1 GB of memory and graphics cards or onboard chipsets able to run Aero, according to Keizer. Leffler put the maximum cost of upgrading the desktops at $155, while positing that the notebooks' integrated graphics would be more tricky to replace and would cost between $245 and $590 per unit. The total price tag for Microsoft would thus range from $3.92 billion to $8.52 billion and in some cases would include complete replacements of notebooks that could not be feasibly upgraded, Leffler testified. Microsoft in its response argued that giving litigants 'a free upgrade to Premium-ready PCs would provide a windfall to millions.'"
Microsoft Stock? (Score:5, Funny)
Obligatory The Simpsons Reference... (Score:1, Funny)
Nelson points at Steve and says: HAHA!
This would be first post, but I'm using Windows Vista on a Gateway.
Re:Does these 8 billion take into account... (Score:5, Funny)
MS can probably make Aero run on 513 MB RAM
So you'd just need to find/add a 1MB DIMM?
Re:Haha yeah. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:why just Microsoft? (Score:3, Funny)
Endorsements usually don't carry much, if any, liability. You can endorse sham-wow all you want but shouldn't be sued because it doesn't work. Its all opinion.
If any of you have ever used a 'Vista capable' computer that this article describes you'll realize that they're Vista capable just like a Honda Civic is capable of towing a flatbed full of logs.
April 1? (Score:2, Funny)
The "Vista Capable" labeling campaign began on April 1, 2006.
Oh well, probably just one of those harmless April Fools' jokes...
Re:Haha yeah. (Score:3, Funny)
B-b-b-b-but what about geico?
Re:why just Microsoft? (Score:3, Funny)
Microsoft is the one that had the final word on labeling standards for "Vista capable".
Does this mean that they're "Vista culpable"?
Re:why just Microsoft? (Score:5, Funny)
I dislike Microsoft as much as the next guy
Poster: Can I be moderated as "interesting" please?
Slashdot: No. Sod off.
Poster: Look, I hate Microsoft as much as anyone!
Slashdot: If you want to be interesting, you'll have to really hate Microsoft.
Poster: I do!
Slashdot: Oh yeah? How much?
Poster: A lot!
Slashdot: OK, you're +5 interesting.
Re:does anyone actually believe this crap? (Score:3, Funny)
...duke nukem forever being released simultanously by steve jobs while monkeys fly out his ass.
You're modded +1 interesting because some fanboy somewhere thought it would be an interesting Apple product.
Re:Microsoft Stock? (Score:5, Funny)
Ill take 100,000 shares. Im out of toilet paper.
I Need New Hardware to Upgrade to VISTA? (Score:1, Funny)
Damn -- I just upgraded to XP and now I need new hardware for VISTA goodness?
Microsoft would never make me do that! I'll wait for the newer, slimmer, bloatfree Windows 7.