I really don't think the brake was on. If u'r used to a more rugged saw and robust clutch, u'r cutting style may have caused clutch slippage.
Yeah, I'm at a loss. The people in the "brake was on" camp seem to be thoroughly convinced of this fact. It was a frustrating conversation with the Stihl rep, but I wasn't a bitch about it either. He said, paraphrasing, "sorry, but you can't say anything that is going to change the decision. all evidence points to the chain brake being left on during operation. wish i could give you better news". AKA the decision has been made.