The "P" in HP now stands for "Pissed-off"

If you you decide to buy a new 'puter and make the decision to accept Vista (as opposed to buying a Mac or something with Linux, or buying one where the manufacturer includes XP with Vista so you can boot into XP), you probably want to investigate the chipset and whether it truly is capable of running Vista.

According to previously unseen e-mails unsealed late Friday by the judge in the ongoing class action lawsuit against Microsoft, HP (NYSE: HPQ) executives were hopping mad about Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) decision to certify computers running Intel's 915 graphics chipset as capable of running Vista. The chipset was not capable of supporting Windows Vista's new device driver model.

While HP is rightly unhappy -- having invested manpower and money to adhere to the requirements only to be undercut and to lose the competitive advantage -- at least one Microsoft exec had the rightness of mind to likewise be fuming. Jim Allchin was one of the two co-presidents of Microsoft's platforms and services unit, which oversaw Vista.

For his part, Allchin hit the ceiling over the changes to the Vista Capable standards, which were made in his absence. '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,' Allchin said in an e-mail to CEO Steve Ballmer.

An e-mail from Ballmer in response to Allchin's message appears to beg off on any responsibility. 'I had nothing to do with this. Will [Poole -- at the time senior vice president of the Microsoft market expansion group] handled everything,' Ballmer replied. 'You [sic] better get Will under control thanks,' he closed.

Although Allchin, according to the e-mails, tried to get the Intel decision rescinded, he was unsuccessful. Both Allchin and Poole are long gone from Microsoft at this point.

I'd like to think Allchin resigned in angry disgust and Poole was fir^H^H^Hasked to resign sans compensation. I've not hit the blogosphere to find out the dirt. I know I've been leery where Vista is concerned anyway. I am glad my present 'puter, while aging, is still capable of doing what I need for it to do. When this one is ready for that vast toxic recycling dump, however, it's probably time for a Mac or a Linux box for me.