The outgoing head of Microsoft’s software division, Jim Allchin, made a bold claim last week that MS’s upcoming Vista operating system would not need additional antivirus software to protect it. Just as quickly as the tech press jumped on his statement did did he start backtracking. Writing on his blog, Allchin says: “Wow, you describe a specific situation and suddenly people extrapolate something completely different!” Allchin really has no one to blame but himself, because the reason why he was using a very specific situation is that he was trying to spin Vista’s security measures to make them appear in a more positive light. That’s one way to create spin: don't be false, but craft a situation that puts your point in the best light.

More positive and surprising news is that Britain’s The Inquirer says the release version is “polished, speedy, and looks good on the eye.” They had been panning the release candidate versions of Vista, and the buzz around the earlier version was less than enthusiastic, to say the least.

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