Retailers: Microsoft should have never released Vista Basic
There’s a lot going on right now involving Microsoft and its “Vista Capable” label for computers. So much so that there is now a class action lawsuit against the company for “switch and bait” tactics. The Vista capable logo only meant a computer could run the most basic version of Vista. The company even bowed to Intel demands to lower the requirements to help it sell lower-end chips. What’s worse, several retailers wish Vista Basic never existed.
The feeling is mutual throughout the IT industry. Vista Basic lacks all the features that make Vista, “Vista.” Aero Glass is missing, as is media center and several utilities that are included with the upper market editions. When Walmart starts complaining about the “low-end” nature of something, you know it’s bad.
ComputerWorld says that Walmart went so far as to say it wished Vista Basic never existed. But, the stores had to sell computers equipped with it because other retailers were.
Office Depot wished that Vista Basic had never been created in the first place; essentially following in Walmart’s footsteps. As for the Vista Capable debacle, it’s in the hands of the courts now. An executive at Microsoft had this to say about the resistance from retailers on Vista Basic:
“This feedback has been consistent from retailers around the world. We should not let consumers or retailers have to decipher what windows Vista capable means.”
I suppose the consumer shouldn’t have to, either? It pays to educate yourself about the product line BEFORE you buy. I suppose the program was confusing to anyone not in the IT industry. At any rate, the author sums up with the following thought:
“here’s betting that you won’t see a Windows 7 Home Basic, not if Wal-Mart and Office Depot have anything to say about it.”
Microsoft had better get Windows 7 right, the first time. Maybe it should do what Apple does, $120 for a single license that includes all the features or $199 for five licenses to be used at the same location. While that probably won’t happen, maybe it’ll go back to the simpler “Windows 7 Home” and “Windows 7 Professional” editions at retail.
Make it so that only companies would be eligible to purchase Business or Enterprise editions. Vista Basic will probably fade away without so much as a whisper. One day, we’ll all wake up and notice that it’s just gone; at least, that’s the hope.
Related Posts:
March 4th, 2008
MS should make one version with a minimum hardware requirement that allowed an acceptable Aero experience, and put the onus back on the OEMs.
Everything else should get XP home, or they can leave it to Linux.
I hope this unbelievably boneheaded and greedy rollout makes it into marketing text to illustrate how you should never release a poor product, Vista Basic, that will get people complaining about you, and sacrifice quality for short term coin. People that have never used Vista are convinced it’s crap.
It’s also important for Microsoft to remember it’s 2008, not 1998. There are viable alternatives to your product. See GM if you think you can continually ram average product down consumer’s throat and design for your bottom line instead of customer experience. This has been a screwup up of epic proportions.
March 5th, 2008
I have ultimate and find Aero to be just a bit of glossy crap. In my humble opinion DOS 6.1 shits all over vista. oh for a command line interface. (sigh)