FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) is a term used to describe an attempt to manipulate public perception of your competitors, by providing information so vague (usually propaganda) that the public generally opts to take the safer route, in this case the safer route being 'sticking with Microsoft products'.

Microsoft have performed their fair share of FUD campaigns (usually with Linux as the target) but I never thought I would live to see the day when they launch one against themselves.

According to PC World, Microsoft have released details of a self commissioned study which reveals that the total cost of ownership on mobile PC's is significantly less on the Vista platform than it is on XP.

From PC Worlds' article:

"According to research conducted by Wipro and GCR Custom Research, total cost of ownership for Windows XP is $4,407 annually, while Vista's cost is $3,802. The $4,407 figure was derived from costs of hardware, software, IT labor, and user costs. Mobile PCs were the focus because these units will outship desktop systems by 2010, said Hiroshi Sakakibara, product manager for Windows Product Management at Microsoft."

This tickles me all over. The last time I 'checked', Microsoft went out of their way in the early stages of Vista to tell us that Hardware upgrades are going to be a likely path when upgrading to the new OS. They even released a tool (Upgrade Advisor) which let us know which hardware we would need to replace for an optimal Vista experience.

Are MS telling me, that buying that $500 video card for Vista actually cost me less than if I had stuck with my existing card (at no cost) on XP?

Boy am I confused! But hey, Microsoft know better than me, right!

Additional reading: Microsoft Touts Cost Savings of Vista Over XP (PC World).