The Windows 7 Party Fail Rolls On

[elfs]

As many of you might be aware, Windows 7 is coming out, and Microsoft has been throwning the most lame launch party ever, with one of the most wrenchingly embarassing video ads, encouring you (yes, you), to throw your own Windows 7 launch party and help your friends install their upgrades! One wag pointed out that the "party box" edition (which is signed by Steve Ballmer!) comes with only one copy-- unlike a Linux installathon, I think MicroSoft would be upset if you burned dupes.

Last night, Omaha and I went out and supported the arts by hitting Theatresports and watching the improv. It was pretty good; there were folks on stage who had the energy, and a few who didn't, and a few awkward moments of failure to find the narrative, but all in all the show was fun and the MC was fantastic.

But while we were there, the lameness only grew. I spotted a cheaply printed, poorly cut flyer on a table at the theater that reads:

Attention Seattle Filmmakers! Bad economy bumming you out? Let Microsoft get you some happy! The Windows 7 72-Hour Film Contest!

You have 72 hours and a shot at thousands of dollars in cash if your video breaks the mold and make audiences laugh, love, and live in celebration of Microsoft's new baby, Windows 7. Genres, characters, and other required elements will be announced at the kickoff meeting. Film length: 30sec to 2 minutes. So assemble your posse, open a can of funky, and get your art on!

"Open a can of funky?" "Get you some happy?" How unbelievably sad is this, that some shill at Microsoft is trying so desperately to find an alternative? And does anyone, anyone, other than stockholders, "live, love and laugh" in praise of an operating system?

Geez, not even an iPhone really helps you get laid.

Comments

[jenk]

It's not the stockholders that "live, love and laugh" -- it's the devs.

[dossy.livejournal.com]

"Geez, not even an iPhone really helps you get laid."

Actually, I think there's an app for that ...

;-)

[hydrolagus.livejournal.com]

I'm actually going to a launch party. It is, however, mostly a PM-finally-gets-to-tell-dev-war-stories party.

[rhonan.livejournal.com]

If you think that video is bad, you should see the set they have to show party hosts how to throw their parties. Yes, I whored myself to M$ that much to get a free copy of W7 Ultimate. I'll pass out the silly souvenir grocery bags that come in the party kit, play some lounge music in iTunes on my Windows7 machine, and shake up some cocktails.

[l33tminion]

More seriously, all operating systems suck, but with the disaster that was Vista fresh in people's minds, I can see why Microsoft is very worried. Especially since one of their competitors has very good PR and the other has price-point of "free". Also because as advertising campaigns go, "Windows: It's what you're used to," isn't very compelling, even if true.

[(Anonymous)]

Stockholders love it, devs live it, and the rest of usjust laugh at it.

"There's an app for that."
I heard about that, but I think Apple declined it on grounds of morality :P

Just as bad is some regions didn't even get balloons in the party box I hear, and MS badly photoshopped them out of the image on the regional pages. Not to mention their incident of photoshopping a white guy's head onto a black guy's body in one country...

[coraline]

Their party-promo video is much more fun with a tiny bit of creative audio editing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyas7BrbUFY&

[nbarnes.livejournal.com]

Wow.

You gotta figure, how much is botching this rollout worth? I mean, how much more money would MS be worth in three years if they hadn't frakked up the Win7 rollout like this? Millions? Tens of millions?

You'd think they'd spend a little more on making sure their PR plans aren't, you know, the stuff of legends. Not in a good way.

[lovingboth]

I was tempted, but I decided that while I'm happy to talk about, say, the Time With The Dog, my sense of shame wouldn't let me do this.

[rhonan.livejournal.com]

I'm learning to program in Visual Basic, I have no sense of shame left. That said, I am posting this from my Debian laptop, so there is hope left for me.

[rhonan.livejournal.com]

As one of the people who whored themselves out for one of those Steve Balmer Signature Editions, I can't believe how lame this is. I've been using Windows 7 RC for several months now, and it actually works better then any Windows version I've used before, and I'm not on high-end, designed for Vista, hardware. It would be so easy to promote, if they just had some respect for their customers. The house party idea is actually not bad, it's just that the execution is so wrong. It makes the Mojave Project look brilliant.

[(Anonymous)]

There is (http://current.com/items/91157865_pepsi-aplogise-for-their-iphone-app-to-help-men-score-with-women.htm).

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