Microsoft Corporation, bombarded in recent weeks by antitrust lawsuits, is
having legal troubles of a different kind: The operating system Windows 98
doesn’t work, disgruntled users claim, and at least one such user is taking
action.
Dag Hinrichs, 29, filed a breach-of-warranty and breach-of-contract class
action Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of himself and
others. The suit seeks $65 million in damages.
Hinrichs said Windows 98 was billed as the operating system that “Works
Better, Plays Better,” but he claims many users have complained of
installation and operation problems.
“This case involves Microsoft’s deceptive and misleading marketing and sales
of Windows 98 software that is unable to detect numerous Plug and Play
devices,” the 27-page lawsuit begins. Hinrichs v. Microsoft, BC194320.
[See related article in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, Friday, July 17,
1998; PCWEEK Online, July 17, 1998 –
http://www.zdnet.com/pcweek/news/0713/17eoem.html ; WIRED NEWS, July 21,
1998 - http://www.wired.com/news/politics/story/13864.html ]