So apparently Redmond is finally starting to take notice of the fact, that um, Vista sucks. (And it’s not just me saying it.)
InfoWeek: “You thought the sleeping giant was still sleeping, well we woke it up and it’s time to take our message forward,” [Brad Brooks, Microsoft’s VP of Windows Vista consumer marketing] said. “We’ve faced these challenges before, and we’re going to solve them again. There’s a conversation going on in the marketplace today and it’s just plain awful. We’ve got to get back on the front foot.”
He pointed to selected negative quotes from Windows XP’s first year as evidence that operating system launches can often be rocky.
The operative word here is CAN be rocky. It also CAN be awesome.
I present Exhibit A, Walt Mossberg’s review of Leopard: Leopard: Faster, Easier Than Vista
The Chief Microsoft Spokesbot went on to add:
“We’ve got a pretty noisy competitor out there,” Brooks said of Apple whose “I’m a Mac… and I’m a PC,” commercials criticize Windows Vista. “You know it. I know it. It’s caused some impact. We’re going to start countering it. They tell us it’s the iWay or the highway. We think that’s a sad message. Software out there is made to be compatible with your whole life.”
Remind again which part of my life isn’t compatible with my Mac?
"Spokesbot".... classic. Maybe if Microsoft didn't spend their entire time trying to keep people locked into their craptastic "ecosystem" they could actually make some pretty good products with their billions of capital. But if it hasn't happened yet, I doubt they have the maneuverability (or the know-how) to actually do it.
They've spent the last year and a half telling everybody that they know Vista is crappy but they're working on it... just buy Windows 7. That's what they told everyone about XP as it was getting plagued to death with viruses - Vista will solve it.
Oh and I love that line: "Software out there is made to be compatible with your whole life." It sounds to me like they've taken a marketing ploy from GOB: "Finally, a frozen banana that WON'T make you sick and kill you!"
Took them long enough!
Looks like Microsoft is breaking apart, the penguin is getting lost with the number of distros popping up, and OS X is just leaping ahead. Go Apple! Make us macboys proud!
Hum, nothing new so far at Redmond. We've heard this for decades now: "We're awake, we hear you... seriously." Yeah, I've heard that way too much.
As far as Apple making fun of Windows, I guess it was OK when Microsoft made fun of others, but not this the other way around? Cute!
And finally, what is really new besides the fact that MS is ticked off? What will they do besides put their front foot forward (whatever that means)? Is there anything concrete that transpires from the MS behemoth marketing-PR monster? As usual, it's same ol', same ol'. Lots of blah, blah and little rubber meets the asphalt.
MS needs to belt up and start innovating. Why don't you woo us with great products that work instead of roaring in an empty savanna?
"..compatible with your whole life.." - that is rich coming from the company that recently canned its "Plays for Sure" digital music brand, which they came up with to ensure digital music buyers that their Microsoft-encoded digital music would not be locked to a single digital device, but would "Play for Sure". The only thing these sad music files don't do these days is play, since Microsoft decided to turn off the license servers guarding the digital rights on these files, regardless of how much money people had spent on bying music under the brand. So I guess "whole life" should not be taken to mean "for your whole life" - it's just the part of it where you have to upgrade..
Microsoft can start with the packaging. Some people literally break finger nails trying to open that plastic "hinge" box. Why can't they use a plain paper box?
Don't they know it takes petroleum to produce plastic boxes? They need to be more "green" conscious and reduce package material.
Awesome post, Derik... simply because of "spokesbot".
I got Leopard that day it came out (I waited in line for a tshirt) and it has been excellent for me right from the beginning.
"maybe if Microsoft didn't spend their entire time trying to keep people locked into their craptastic ecosystem...." HEH?
Now, I am a mac user and OSX lover, but that line is just plain funny... who, outside of Apple, locks their ecosystem down better? There is no other company better than Apple at that... Apple needs to walk very carefully over the next number of years, they could very easily fall into the same pit as Microsoft... Just takes a couple of stupid mistakes... and then they'll be wearing the 'craptastic' metaphor on their name tag..
Thank you Microsoft. I spent the entire day using a thick fake french accent saying "it's the iWay or the highway." My inner Inspector Clouseau has been happy.
I also love the mixed metaphor of getting back on the front foot to deal with the conversation going on. That foot was in a mouth perhaps?
HAHAHA - Wow, I missed a big detail there.
Excellent article Cyrus... Derik's a good writer too.