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151 Comments
- dongiaconia, on 10/12/2007, -4/+95Either you haven't seen the video, or have no sense of humor. The video is not a serious advertisement. It is a parody of how Microsoft packaging tries to fill every inch of the box with specifications and text, whereas Apple leaves the boxes mostly devoid of extra info and ancillary logos in favor of a more attractive artistic look. Microsoft is not attempting to challenge Apple with this video, they are just comically exaggerating the stylistic differences between product package design paradigms. At least thats my opinion....
- lane.montgomery, on 10/12/2007, -6/+83What? Microsoft has a real sense of humor lately. Remember the Napoleon Dynamite video with Gates?
- cjackson27, on 10/12/2007, -6/+66I think Microsoft's recent sense of humor is a direct result of it's attempts at being more open. I'm sure the developers there at Microsoft have always had a sense of humor about this sort of thing, but now that they are exposed to the public via blogs and forums, we now get to see it. I think they're really starting to get it.
- xLiKx, on 10/12/2007, -6/+54i agree, MS been positive in my eyes lately, their PR staff is doing a better job
their blogs are also quite open and honest, which is rare to see from any large development group. i like that they're also interactive with readers about their blogs - kuchdawg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+38http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4291661536788172681&q=Microsoft+Ipod
- Tezkah, on 10/12/2007, -7/+39Apple has one version of "Tiger", consumers dont see "Tiger Home" or "Tiger Professional" or "Tiger Ultimate" or "Tiger Tablet"
And they usually replace older products, so you wont have Panther and Tiger on the same shelf. Might as well not even try to make excuses for Microsoft's horrible naming and packaging scheme. - felchdonkey, on 10/12/2007, -7/+32That's awesome. I'm glad to see them be able to laugh at themselves.
With the real innovation they've made with the next Office and the UI on the Xbox, I might just start saying nice things about MS. - LemonHerb, on 10/12/2007, -5/+27Sure they would, and did, and you are talking about it. Mission Accomplished.
- gronne, on 10/12/2007, -11/+32Beats the anonymous shadow dancing commericals.
- Killerah, on 10/12/2007, -3/+23I found the video, here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gh-iDTzHLE&search=napoleon%20gates pretty funny.
- toekneebullard, on 10/12/2007, -20/+39Claiming Microsoft has too many versions of things in comparison to Apple doesn't make sense to me. They have a new iPod every week, and my God, their OS...10.4.9.67.5.3.2 tiger, panther, domestic short hair....I just don't get that mentality.
/owns iPod
//Loves iTunes
///works on macs and PCs - theone3, on 10/12/2007, -11/+28Uhh... since when were apple products about the specs? Apple could sell an empty G4 cube as a desklamp and Mac users would all be clammering for it.
- rspeed, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16I've never seen a comment reach -100 before.
You seem to be missing the point entirely. The video is demonstrating ONLY that MS needs to improve their packaging design. It says absolutely nothing about the quality of the product inside the box.
Either you're in dire need of a nap, or you're making a poor attempt at trolling. - antdude, on 10/12/2007, -5/+18"Napoleon Dynamite video with Gates?" Is there a video clip of this online?
- nanoguy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14The article says that this was an internal video trying to highlight the problems the marketing department has with packaging. It wasn't created by MS corp. to make fun of themselves, it was made by an internal MS team to hopefully cause MS to create better packaging.
- LoungeActx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12hold up...this is an internal joke to poke fun at the marketing department. I'm a graphic designer..and I totally understand the MS design teams frustration with the marketing department. What people don't understand is that people in marketing don't necessarily understand design. They are supposed to be in touch with what people want/need, and they are supposed to come up with concepts that they then pass off onto the designers. They are not designers. But they do get the final word about what gets put out. It's extremely frustrating to create a first draft of something that you yourself are proud of and happy with, and then have it sent back to you 2 days later with a laundry list of changes, and things to add to it. It's especially frustrating that they don't understand the concept of white space. They often feel the need to fill every nook and cranny with some sort of marketing jargon such as "all new!", "totally hip!", or my all time favorite; a user testimonial.
In my opinion marketing students should have to take a few design courses in college so that they understand the concepts of good design, and so they can understand that they can get their point across without treating the consumer like a moron. Personally, I find that a lot of packaging is condescending, and it insults my intelligence. But I don't blame the designer. I blame the marketing department. digg for MS Design Department - ravage386, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15"viral marketing at its finest"
What exactly are they marketing? There is no product here.... - streetstealth, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13Are you saying that you actually go to the store with ~$300 in hand, not knowing which device you'll leave with?
Or, like the more discerning consumers, do you actually look up some specs and reviews in magazines and online first? It's why, for high-end products, I think simple boxes are better.
If it's something under $20, I don't need to look up reviews of it first, and I'll buy it based on what the box says. But if it's an investment of hundreds of dollars, why would I rely solely on the information that fits on a cardboard rectangle? - MartinBob, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11MS is simply showing that they know that they have flaws. Even if the haters of this video say 'why don't they focus on more stuff than packaging' are correct, then shouldn't they be happy that MS is atleast STARTING to admit to their mistakes? I guess they're expecting to see MS create a parody saying 'our OS sucks, along with our VG consoles, Origami project, and more', but isn't that asking just a little too much?
Personally, being the un-leet average US computer user that I am, I like MS's products alot. MS knows that the majority of those like myself agree, and Apple does too. MS isn't exactly in the position as to where they REQUIRE something like this video to gain respect and attention amoung it's users- they're just showing that they like to have fun.
It's damned annoying that some people believe it's their job to turn discussion of something so simple into a debate over which company pushes out better products... or maybe that's just me. - keane, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9The video with Bill Gates and Napoleon Dynamite is of better quality at http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2679657
http://download.ifilm.com/qt/portal/2679657_300.mov - Coopjust, on 10/12/2007, -6/+15I didn't think it was Microsoft, but whoever at Microsoft did this not only has a good sense of humor, but a valid point. There are so many editions and upgrades that it is really difficult from a consumer standpoint to buy software.
- revoked, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12pretty funny stuff. someone is pretty critical of MS packaging on the inside over there, gives me some hope.
- Goatman, on 10/12/2007, -8/+17the only problem with Apple's packaging is it's almost too plain. If I were standing in the store I wouldn't have a chance to look up full specs on the net.
- Chozabu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8I guess you could say "PR" instead of "Marketing"
Its spreading the microsft name, with a cool sense of humour
I still dont like microsoft, but i like this
You could now say, instead of not liking microsft, i dont like most of microsoft... - YourTechSupport, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12I thought it was funny as hell. Better that MS owned up to it. LOL.
- Dave, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8This may surprise you, but there are a lot of people working at Microsoft. Many of them don't work on Vista at all. And even those who do work on Vista are occasionally allowed free time where they're not working. You know, to go home, eat, sleep, maybe spend some time with the wife and kids. In fact, I bet they could even manage to put together a fun little video to show their friends at work during this free time.
- TidusX, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Its nice to see a company have the guts to poke fun at itself, or at least a employee for that matter. I hope that MS does do some design changes because even though their packaging isn't as bad as shown in the video, some times it is close.
- RatBagu, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Do you really think every employee of Microsoft is working on the same thing? They've got their company divided into segments. Their "creative department/marketing department" works on the "Origami" schemes and the other PR.
- Arramol, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Threatened by what? A product in a market they're not even involved in?
- eqisow, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7drawkbox... dude, terminator? He's a borg in the icon. You know.. "you will be assimilated, resistance is futile." That whole bit? Sigh... the display of such a low level of geekiness saddens me.
- RobotCitizen, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I hope people realize this is not a parody of the iPod. It's a parody of MS and their impersonal, cookie-cutter, old-hat marketing strategies. MS is trying to build a more accessible image by using self-deprecating humor.
(On a side-note, Digg's spelling checker doesn't know the word "iPod"?) - PrettyBoyFloyd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I've seen some of Microsoft's humorous video productions, usually distributed only within the company. They're really very good, and poke gentle fun at themselves, which kind of makes them seem less "evil." The one we saw at our IT Pro meeting at Microsoft's offices in San Francisco a couple of months ago was done at the UK headquarters, and showed what *really* happens when you click on the "Send Error Report to Microsoft" button after an application crash. It was hilarious.
- lore, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6My favorite part is when they expand on the definition of 5GB and end up adding a whole paragraph of fine print!
- Dragular, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Definately... I gotta say, I don't own a 360 (not because I don't want one, but because they keep asking me for money before they'll let me leave with one), but if they would get whoever designs the UI and such for it to design their next version of Windows... why, I'd almost consider taking Debian off of my Linux box.
...almost... - RatBagu, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Yeah, because everyone who works at Microsoft should be programming an operating system. *rolls eyes*
- jollyllama, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6I think that the focus on the physical packaging is an oversimplification of what the video is actually about. Living in Seattle you get a certain number of friends who work with/for Microsoft, and this ad to me spoke as much about the design/production/marketing loop that folks who work there complain about as the actual product. Microsoft's production cycle (from my friends' perspective) is an endless cycle of creative ideas going through a million and a half meetings, focus groups, redesigns, etc. Buzzwords/corperate speak have as much importance as the creative vision, and in the end the latter is buried (after all, there are way more middle management types and marketers that get to look at a product than there are artists/designers, and everyone wants to get their mark on something to impress their boss). The antithesis of this is Apple, whereby Steve rules with an iron fist, and makes quick, gut decisions based on Ive's creative flow. Or something like that.
- DarkeSword, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7I was laughing out loud pretty much the whole time while watching this.
"Now -that- has some shelf presence."
ROFL - soupisgoodfood, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4People always seem to forget the a corporation is not a single entity, but a group of interviduals. That's why I prefer the British version, where they say "this corporation are".
- DeejayKnight, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I have to agree with this completely. The best thing about this is the fact that they're actually working to make their packaging and product better for end consumers.
As much as people like to bash MS, the weirdest thing of all is that they're working to make their products easier for everyone. Of course they're going to try to make money - they're a company. That's what companies do. At least they're LEARNING from their past mistakes and using that lesson to provide a more appealing product.
*I'm still getting a Mac before I upgrade my PC to handle Vista :D - mikm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Is that relevant in any way?
- cubbieco, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Music:
"Breakfast Machine" composed by Danny Elfman.
Available on the Pee Wee's Big Adventure Soundtrack
Hudsucker Proxy = 1994
Pee-wee's Big Adventure = 1985. - FabledFoe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4They've turned out quite a few of these self-mockery type of videos, they just don't share them. I saw a couple of these at various MS conferences, including one that made fun of the error reporting system in Windows XP that featured a "send my pain" option when a program crashed (it pops up with a webcam of the developer and activates various torture devices on them).
- saska, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Clearly you've never been in the same room as a Ford/Chevy argument.
- keek4jc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I love what "a guest" said in the comments on the site: "That means someone at Microsoft was paid to create that. That's golden!"
- Petronski, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Whoever made it is a fan of the Cohen Brothers. They did just such a "marketing" sequence for the hula hoop in "The Hudsucker Proxy." The music was very similar too.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I really hope Microsoft is seeing this.
All the posts here shows how we support good sport and how we can love even Microsoft if they start doing the right thing. :-) - Perc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Apple computers have names like iBook 12" and iBook 14", number referring to the screen size, whereas manufacturers like Acer use weird combinations of letters and numbers to name their models. 5024WLMi or 3212WLMi anyone? The smallest computer they sell is called... well, mac mini. Easy as pie. There's a bit of confusion going on with the intel transition but hopefully we'll be back on track with "macbook" and "macbook pro" soon once the iBook goes away.
- Agent_M, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I don't remember seeing this much Microsoft love in one place for a very long time.
If only they could see this, so they know they've been nudged in the right direction. - alecks, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6You're saying my GM shirt isn't cool?
- jstene, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Do you suppose Microsoft used iMovie to create this?
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