The RTM for the controversial OS, it appears, was the product of several weeks worth of Red Bull-infused all nighters. That’s what Randall Kennedy gleans from the internal Microsoft e-mail thread that surfaced as part of the pending “Vista Capable” class-action lawsuit. “Even Microsoft’s own developers had given up on ever getting Vista out the door,” Kennedy writes in Microsoft owns to up to Vista’s flaws (sort of). After sifting through some of the more embarrassing e-mails that emerged, Kennedy admits to feeling betrayed, and offers this to Microsoft: “If you’re trying to implement an important and worthwhile new technology — like UAC — and you know you need to break some stuff to get it done, please just own up the the problem and let the IT community make up its own mind. Because, chances are good that — if you deal with us honestly and present your case convincingly — we’ll accept the “no pain, no gain” logic and go along with you. But playing “hush-hush” with a major compatibility issue when your own people are struggling with the problem, well that’s just bad form all the way around.” Software Development