The following is easily the most idiotic complaint I’ve read all week. Apparently Vista Beta 1 — which again is only available to developers only (and people poaching from BitTorrent) — has some reported incompatibility with Google and Yahoo toolbars.

Predictably, the Microsoft haters are out, smelling conspiracy where none exists. The Register publishes a story by Andrew Orlowski titled: “IE7 nukes Google, Yahoo! search” which sends Scoble into a two post rapid fire response mode. Both Orlowski’s article and Scoble’s two post rant should contain big disclaimer that neither person likes the other, but that quickly becomes apparent.

Here’s the information completely missing from the Register and Scoble’s two posts: Beta 1 products are expected to have incompatibilities with some users and some programs. This is why they release these programs to developers first so that developers from these companies that have incompatibilities can fix them before the product ultimately ships.

Scoble does indicate that Dean Hachamovitch, who runs the IE team did test Google and Yahoo toolbar:

Dean also tells me that we have engineers working with Google to make sure that Google’s stuff will work fine in IE 7 and Windows Vista.

Those angry over this “beta is now release quality software” phenomenon should blame Google, not Microsoft. They are the ones who have become famous for leaving programs in seemingly forever beta status.

Now let’s fast forward to late 2006, when we are supposed to actually see Vista on store shelves. Who’s fault will it be then if whatever new version of Google’s and Yahoo’s toolbar isn’t compatible? It won’t be Microsoft’s and yet some people are blaming them as if they are intentionally trying to make their competition’s programs not work.

I can get on board Microsoft doing some bizarre things at times (like being party animals over a beta 1 release), but I don’t believe for even a millisecond that they would intentionally and maliciously program something to make Google or Yahoo’s toolbars not work. The fact that they have people working with engineers with competing companies should be evidence enough that this is a totally absurd and unwarranted allegation.

Remember folks, it’s beta 1 software — that means there are bugs, known and unknown bugs that developers from both Microsoft and other companies need to work through.

This is not toolbargate.

• Why are Microsofties partying over a Vista beta 1 release?
• In the Vistance, another Vista delay?
• Tabbed browsing in IE via MSN Toolbar
• MSN Toolbar beta released
• Windows Vista, the artist formerly known as Windows Longhorn
• Google bundling Toolbar and Desktop software with WinZip