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July 3, 2008

rivals

Microsoft offers iPods as search prize in Australia

Posted Jul. 3, ’08, 10:59 AM PT by Cyrus Farivar
Category | Apple » Rivals

ninemsn.jpgAs the underdog in the computer world, Apple fans have always loved to gloat, especially against Big Bad Redmond.

Almost 10 years ago now, it was rumored that Bill Gates’ house was designed on a Mac.

More recently, we’ve gloated because Microsoft employees, just like the rest of us, were lusting after the iPhone.

But now, it comes out that the Australian site, ninemsn (a joint venture with Microsoft), is giving away iPods as prizes? C’mon, guys. This is just too easy.

The Sydney Morning Herald:

Through its local joint venture with the Nine Network, ninemsn, Microsoft recently completed a full revamp of Live Search to improve results and integrate video, images, news and maps into search queries.

But in what is perhaps a sign of desperation given Google’s growing market share dominance, ninemsn is running a new Live Search promotion - Secret Search - offering surfers the chance to win prizes including the iPod Nano, Shuffle and Touch just for conducting searches.

A Microsoft source said using competitor products was frowned on at Microsoft and the company was offering large discounts on Windows Mobile-based smartphones to dissuade staff from buying iPhones.

At ninemsn, staff are forbidden from using Google search.

At the entrance to Microsoft’s Zune headquarters in the US there is an “iPod Amnesty Bin” for staff to throw away their iPods. The words “bite me” are plastered across the bin below a picture of an Apple with bites taken out of it.

Ninemsn’s head of Live Search, Alex Parsons, said if the Zune music player was sold in Australia it would have been offered as a prize instead.


3 Comments

Nathan said:

"if the Zune music player was sold in Australia it would have been offered as a prize instead."...

yeah and then no one would search for anything, because a zune is not a motivational prize.

July 3, 2008 12:59 PM
Donn Author Profile Page said:

"Using competitor products was frowned on at Microsoft."

What an excellent way to make sure you don't get any good ideas from your competitors. Further, doesn't the fact that you have to offer strong disincentives to using such products speak to the quality of your own products, that your own employees don't want to use them?

July 3, 2008 1:49 PM
thebiggfrogg said:

Alex Parsons also said: "Where we don't have a great product. . . there's no internal edict that says we're not allowed to use competitor products," said Parsons.
" Paging Doctor Freud we have a patient who took a major slip.One of these days, Microsoft, bang zune to the moon!

July 4, 2008 11:09 AM

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