Last-minute changes to Windows Vista broke drivers, forcing key hardware vendors to ?limp out with issues? when the OS launched last year, according to a presentation made public this week.

Microsoft announced Friday that it is cutting prices of packaged Windows Vista operating systems it sells in stores.

It’s easy to blame a lukewarm response to Vista for Thursday’s price cut, but there are other factors. For one, some new PCs don’t cost much more than a Windows upgrade.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Microsoft Corp. allowed the fudging of technical requirements advertised for its Vista operating system software prior to its release in order to help partner Intel Corp., according to internal emails disclosed this week as part of a class action lawsuit.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Microsoft Corp. allowed the fudging of technical requirements advertised for its Vista operating system software prior to its release in order to help partner Intel Corp., according to internal emails disclosed this week as part of a class action lawsuit.

Microsoft said on Thursday it plans to slash prices on its Windows Vista operating system sold through retail channels. The company wants consumers to upgrade to the latest version of its flagship product.

Although Don Reisinger applauds the company for dropping the price of retail versions of Vista, he thinks it’s nothing more than a ruse to hide the real issues with the OS.

Microsoft Corp. , the world’s biggest software maker, will cut the retail price of its Windows Vista operating system by as much as 48 percent to encourage customers to upgrade and to cut piracy in countries such as China.

Microsoft Corp. will cut the price of some versions of Windows Vista, the software maker said late Thursday.

Microsoft Corp. will cut the price of some versions of Windows Vista, the software maker said late Thursday. The move came a day after court filings revealed internal dissent over which Windows XP computers would be considered capable of running the new operating system — and a feeling on at least one executive’s part that the company had “botched” the marketing of computers as “Vista Capable.”