The New York Times reports that HP (Hewlett Packard) requested the delay in consumer versions of Windows Vista. As the number two manufacturer of PCs in the U.S., HP felt pushed to roll out its machines in time for Christmas.

This information apparently came from an anonymous source citing another anonymous source. HP seemingly told its close partner, Microsoft, that it needed the code by August at the latest if it was to guarantee holiday-season shipment. As the delivery to OEMs had slipped significantly, this story has legs ,despite its dubious provenance. No doubt that’s why the NYT ran it.

TG Daily reports: “A spokesperson for Hewlett-Packard late this afternoon acknowledged that HP communicated with Microsoft on the subject of Vista’s release, but would not say whether the company tried to influence Microsoft’s itinerary. “As we have a very close working relationship with Microsoft,” the spokesperson wrote, “HP certainly shared its preferences, but Microsoft determined their own launch strategy.” Only Microsoft would know what factors truly led to its decision, the spokesperson said, though HP stated it made no “ultimatums” to Microsoft.”

I suppose it all comes down to which anonymous source for this story you believe.