interesting MS ad

[hogi]

I am just throwing this out for some interesting conversation. I was watching late night TV when a Microsoft ad appeared announcing the release of Windows 7 on 10/22/09. Isn't it quite a coincidence that this occurs in the same time frame as the Ubuntu 9.10 release. Think Redmond might be showing some "concern" about Ubuntu.

[ghostborg]

Yes, very close. Most people that I know never heard of Ubuntu. I've mentioned it before but these people go out and buy more memory cards for there camera's since they don't know how to transfer themselves. So I don't push it since I don't want the calls.

Can't wait for the 9.10 Final.

[Groucho Marxist]

I am just throwing this out for some interesting conversation. I was watching late night TV when a Microsoft ad appeared announcing the release of Windows 7 on 10/22/09. Isn't it quite a coincidence that this occurs in the same time frame as the Ubuntu 9.10 release. Think Redmond might be showing some "concern" about Ubuntu.

The fact that major media outlets and media critics have heaped nothing but scorn on Vista shows how precarious Microsoft's future is in terms of OS development. My favorite memory of Vista was when I was gathering research for purchasing my first laptop (I'm currently typing on it; it's a System76 Pangolin :) ), she forbade me from purchasing Vista. I'm paraphrasing here, but she said something to the effect of "I don't want you purchasing an inferior product that constantly fails." Mind you, she's been using Windows prior to 3.0 :D

[river226]

I don't think Ubuntu is a major cause of this, it would be coming out around this time anyways, regardless of whether or not Ubuntu would be.
At the most ubuntu pushed it up a few days. However the fact that it is coming out a week before the new ubuntu release suggests that it has nothing to do with Ubuntu, since the hype will probably have died down by the 29th. They probably should have released it the same week, overshadow the Ubuntu release altogether, and get Ubuntu out of the news.

[3rdalbum]

I love all the ads for Windows 7 that the major retailers are running in the newspaper today. They don't really have any idea of what selling points Windows 7 might have:

"Upgrade your existing Microsoft operating system to Windows 7. Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to enjoy and share your favourite TV shows, photos, videos and music" - Big W.

How? Don't we already do this? And aren't the studios going to be thrilled about you sharing music?

"Easy to use
Easy photos
Easy music
Easy gaming
It's faster and works the way you want" - Harvey Norman

So... it's easy, then?

Even Microsoft's own marketing material isn't that much better. Retravision put some of it underneath their ad for Windows 7-based PCs:

"Designed to make your PC faster, more secure and more reliable
Discover new ways to engage with your PC through multi-touch
Easy to connect, easy to browse, and simple to use"

The first sentence is a selling point. The second sentence is a waste of space because none of the computers advertised above it are shown to have touchscreens, let alone multitouch. The third sentence is meaningless because it doesn't say what you're connecting *to* or what you're browsing. Some older people who've never used a computer might be interested... until they get completely bamboozled by the tech specs of the computers in the main body of the ad.

So why do we need to upgrade to Windows 7 right away? Well, there don't seem to be any pressing reasons.

We can learn a lot from this. I was considering finding some money to fund an Ubuntu advertisement in this very newspaper. If I do this, I'm sure I can make Ubuntu sound like an "I need it now" download, compared to Windows 7.