The latest in the never-ending ding-dong between Microsoft and Vista-twitchy security vendors was another snipe from McAfee yesterday, swiftly followed by the inevitable backbitching from Redmond today.

McAfee quickly came out to rubbish yesterday's reiterated promises from Redmond that it would hand over code crucial to security developers.

McAfee's Brussels lawyer Christopher Thomas said: "Despite pledges, press conferences, and speeches by Microsoft, the community of independent security companies that consumers rely on for computer protection has seen little indication that Microsoft intends to live up to the promises it made last week.

"We have been greatly disappointed by the lack of action by the company so far and Microsoft has not lived up, either in detail or in spirit, to the hollow assurances offered by their top management last week."

Ben Fathi, corporate vice president of Microsoft's security technology unit, said: "It's unfortunate that McAfee's lawyers are making these kinds of inaccurate and inflammatory statements."

Keep watching the Reg for the next enthrallingly unavoidable installment in the saga next week. Perhaps the EU might chip in with a statement.

Or just assume McAfee will say it is not being inflammatory, and then assume Microsoft will say it is, then assume...then lose the will to live. ®