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February 2, 2008

humor

Vista Manual. Part 1: Getting it out of the box

Posted Feb. 2, ’08, 11:07 AM PT by Aayush Arya
Category | Apple » Humor

Windows Vista box how toAsk Microsoft and they’ll tell you that Vista is an easy to use operating system but even they agree that getting it out of the packaging is no task for the feeble spirited. Among the Windows Help and How-to section is Microsoft’s most important tutorial for people who’ve bought a copy of Vista - opening the box it came in.

Featuring a state-of-the-art “swing-out section” and a set of manuals (one of which, we hear, is dedicated to finding your way around the seals of other Microsoft product packages), the Vista packaging is innovative and unique. It is a shining example of Microsoft’s industry-leading package engineering prowess.

Several well placed sources inside the company have informed us that the box was actually designed to be a deterrent for people looking forward to using the operating system. In some of the early prototypes, among the 17,463 that were discarded because they were just way too easy to open, they even had a sticker that said, “This is just the trailer. Wait until you get inside, baby!”

There’s no word on why the idea was scrapped. Maybe the final design made the sentiment so obvious that Microsoft felt no need to express it in words.

Word of advice to Microsoft: Apple and most of the media is already giving you more than your fair share of mockery quota. Jumping into the game yourself comes off as being just a little bit greedy, don’t you think?

[Via Daring Fireball]


11 Comments

krye said:

It's true what they say: Design an idiot-proof OS and only idiots will use it; including idiots that need instruction on how to open the box.

February 2, 2008 11:59 AM
Jesus Franco said:

Oh My! If documentation is needed to aid those in opening the packaging then wow, Microsoft really needs to think of a better idea on how to package those DVDs.

Yet another reason why everyone should just pirate it.

February 2, 2008 12:34 PM
Call Me Yo Daddy Author Profile Page said:

And why do we hate Microsoft again?

February 2, 2008 3:00 PM
Erik said:

And to top it all.

This isn't even a spoof.

February 2, 2008 6:00 PM
Brian Peat said:

I used the comment form on that page to request that they post more images, that I still couldn't get my box open :)

February 2, 2008 6:33 PM
Dano said:

Uhm...Vista, in it's fubar'ed packaging, has been out for over a year now...and we are just commenting on this now? Isn't there anything else out there worth mention? Come on folks...don't be haters!

February 2, 2008 7:10 PM
krye said:

I still think it's funny that you need a computer to get the "help" you need to open the box. If you're smart enough to use the computer you already have (i.e turn it on) then you're probably smart enough to know how to open a box. I wonder if Apple thinks their users are this dumb.

February 2, 2008 7:34 PM
Goobimama said:

^^ So is Elton John. Get over it.

February 3, 2008 7:28 AM
dave said:

The packaging for Office is the same. I almost destroyed the box getting it open. An Xacto knife is necessary to get it open.

February 3, 2008 12:50 PM
Kyle said:

Yeah, I found this on DF and thought this was pretty funny too and forwarded it off to some of my Windows using buddies. One of them came back with an Apple Support doc that is just as bad, if not worse:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86816

I had to give him credit on that...

February 5, 2008 8:00 AM
Aayush Arya Author Profile Page said:

LOL! I agree. That is even worse.

February 10, 2008 2:56 AM

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