Oops! Microsoft made an embarrassing big boo-boo
Mikey 45 comments
While Microsoft keeps throwing money on their new advertising campaign in an effort to convince the public of their superior platform, a rather embarrassing fact has just come to light.
Microsoft, which has it's own set of tools for multimedia, including their Expression Studio for video editing (which they claim "takes your creative possibilities to a new level") among other things, apparently did not use said suite to edit the TV commercials. Not only that, they weren't even produced on Windows.
So what platform and video editing software was used? Would you believe Adobe CS3 on a Mac? You better believe it.
The incriminating evidence was discovered by Flickr user LuisDS when he examined the meta data on photos appearing on Microsoft’s “I’m a PC” web site. Once word got around, a humiliated Microsoft tried to cover their tracks by replacing the photos.
I tell you, if I was pimping my own software, I would damned sure make sure my own software was used to do the pimping, not a competitors.
It doesn't get any more humiliating than that.
Hi Mike,
Interesting....Recently, well for about the past two weeks, I have been doing everything on my wifes MacBook Pro. It's about as souped up of a MAC laptop as I could buy, and for the first time ever, with it being left on the coffee table in our small living room, she has taken to learning how to use it, and getting into emailing her friends in the states. She has actually started using both hands to keyboard.
I had never had any problems with Mac in general, it was just that I started and learned and for years used only a PC. Having been forced to use the Mac, as I am putting a new motherboard and quad processor in my main computer, I have discovered there are quite a few things I like about this machine.
I don't know that it browses or does anything much faster, but it seems somehow more confident in itself. I like the way I never have to boot up, and that it dosn't ask me as many questions. Also, it does seem to handle my video processing and uploading to You tube a bit better. I know it sounds foolish, but the lighted keyboard is something we both love, especially since I do allot of my stuff at night in the dark.
One thing I have noticed in advertising of late is that often it resembles political campaigning. Today's advertising tells us what we need, and can't live without. In an age where body odor can ruin your life-according to one commercial-and that the fundamentals of the U.S. economy are sound,it is not too suprising that the messages in computer promotion are just as distorted and reality obfuscated.
With as much money as Bill G. has, one would think that he could run a 100% straight up company, honest and free from deception, not having to worry if his products were better or not. Remember the old Avis Rent-a-Car commercials-"We Try Harder"-I always liked that, admitting that you might not be the best, yet out there slugging away. It must have been quite sucessful, as they are sure a big company today.
I can't understand the need for deception when you have the marked captured anyway. Having all that money must really put Bill out of touch with hiscompany, either that or he has to much stuff delegated to people who would rather please him, than the customer.
F-
The Computer Whisperer
Sunday 21st September 2008 | 04:32 PMI must admint Friendo, I have taken a shining to Macintosh recently. I think Bill Gates is doing a Britney Spears. Y'know, all publicity is good publicity. Don't Microsoft own a large share of Macintosh anyway from when Bill purchased Steve's shares?
steven
Monday 22nd September 2008 | 12:56 PMI like Linux more: the concept especially, but I find Mandriva very fast, more effective and powerful than my Windows. Gimp is good too. The blasted downside is lack of good video editing software. Is there any?
the
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 10:14 AM"...Microsoft tried to cover their tracks but replacing the photos."
Don't you mean "...Microsoft tried to cover their tracks by replacing the photos."? Oops! Rustylime posters make boo-boos too.
Rick
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 10:17 AMHi Everyone,
I too must chuckle at microsofts gaffe. I am switching over to Ubuntu and find myself using Windows less and less and being frustrated less.
Steven I don't do much video editing myself But I have heard 2 good programs for video editing,
One is Cinelerra
Unleash the 50,000 watt flamethrower of content creation in your UNIX box. Cinelerra does primarily 3 things: capturing, compositing, and editing audio and video with sample level accuracy. It's a movie studio in a box. If you want the same kind of editing suite that the big boys use, on an efficient UNIX operating system, it's time for Cinelerra.
http://cinelerra.org/
And the other is Jashaka
Jahshaka's morphing interface allows you to work as a editor when you are editing, to work as a compositor when you are creating effects, as a audio enginer when you are mixing, and as a animator when you are doing 3d. It will even allow you to create your own hybrid interfaces to match your workflow.
http://jahshaka.org/
I hope one of these can do what you need.
Terry
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 10:22 AMThe MAC is made from Linux. Free BSD.
I can't stand the MAC interface because it is so dumbed down. You either do things the MAC way, or not at all. Most of the time it is not at all.
Windows and Linux were made for the power user. MAC Was made for the anti-nerd (English major?).
...in response to this comment by the. Thanks "the". I bet Microsoft wishes their boo-boos were as insignificant as mine :-) I have fixed the typo.
mikey
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 10:39 AMProbably Microsoft just hired an ad agency or something which used those software to do the ad.
j.
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 11:57 AMMicrosoft can't force an independent advertising company to use a particular OS or particular software. So what's the big deal?
Travis
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 12:03 PM...in response to this comment by j.. You don't have to be a genius to realise it's a big deal. Microsoft know how embarrassing it is and that's why they tried to hide the truth.
J.
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 12:11 PMOK, Travis, you hire an advertising company and see how far you get when you try to force a particular OS on them...
Jason
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 12:16 PMI just wanted to add that personally I'm sick of people constantly bashing Microsoft. I am an Ubuntu user and Ubuntu lover but hearing bullshit about Microsoft Windows is getting really old. No one seems to want to admit that Microsoft is the reason that software is where it is today, INCLUDING MAC OS AND LINUX!
Oh, and on a side note, I like how I'm not required to enter my e-mail address to post a comment. Nice.
This is not the first time Microsoft has been caught with their pants down on this sort of thing. Running windows xp or older? Open up one of the .wav files that came with your system, maybe chimes.wav, using notepad. Scroll to the bottom. Release an evil laugh as you see that Microsoft used a pirated copy of some sound editing software (tagged by the hacker group in the files) to make those sounds.
Well, since microsoft themselves didnt make the ads, and they hired someone, it doesnt really mean anything.
Rodney
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 12:53 PM...in response to this comment by The Computer Whisperer. Microsoft no longer hold shares in Apple.
"In August 1997, the Company and Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft) entered into patent cross license and technology agreements. In addition, Microsoft purchased 150,000 shares of Apple Series A nonvoting convertible preferred stock ("preferred stock") for $150 million. These shares were convertible by Microsoft after August 5, 2000, into shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price of $8.25 per share. During 2000, 74,250 shares of preferred stock were converted to 9 million shares of the Company's common stock. During 2001, the remaining 75,750 preferred shares were converted into 9.2 million shares of the Company's common stock."
http://ask.metafilter.com/30833/How-much-of-Apple-Computer-does-Microsoft-own
Microsoft currently owns around 150,000 non-voting shares in Apple, which is about 0.04% of the company but has no capacity to vote.
Rodney
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 12:54 PM...in response to this comment by Terry. FreeBSD is Unix, not Linux. And there's nothing you can't do in MacOS that you can do in Linux. Just use the shell, if you don't like the GUI.
CrazyThoughts
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 01:03 PMReminds me of Mac's own little screw-up when it was exposed that most of the apple's websites were hosted on Windows Servers...
Historian
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 01:44 PMBill Gates invented Apple's original OS, he's allowed to use a Mac.
More to the point, Mac's are just a Unix core in PC hardware, there's nothing "mac" left in them.
What
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 03:05 PMYou Apple fan boys are hilarious. You really thing Gates sat down with his team and produced the commercial?
First off this was done by an Advertising company, so I'm with the "Who Cares." It's exactly the same as the Ipod Factories use PC's with Windows and not Macs for their Operations. I'm sure it's not because they hate Mac, or made a mistake, they just have PCs and got the contract to build Ipods.
Anyone that thinks this is a big deal has "fanboy" issues.
Also at RODNEY:
I haven't researched what you wrote about the shares, but from what you posted, it would appear to me that Microsoft actually has 150,000 VOTING shares of Apple, as it says they originally held NON-Voting shares, and converted them in 2000 and 2001 to Common Shares, which are voting shares.
Robbie
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 04:20 PMI see that, like many articles of this type, that the discussion will eventually degenerate into a Microsoft V Apple V Linux debate.
I hate participating in this type of thing, but perhaps it's poignant to note one of Steve Jobs' quotes, which reads: "We have to let go of this notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose. We have to embrace a notion that for Apple to win, Apple has to do a really good job."
This is something that each person can take on board and the fact is that it's not really about one company being better or worse than the other - it's about each company doing the best job they can. And I think that's what is happening these days. Microsoft is continuing to dominate the wider market with its product and, while for some it's not their cup of tea, it's obviously OK for most people out there. Linux is great for the uber geeks like myself who have a decent sort of knowledge of Unix command structure. And Apple is obviously doing the right thing with it's "Digital Life" push.
That being said, I wouldn't like to have this sort of think happen if I was a Microsoft big wig and I did get a chuckle out of reading it. :)
Chris
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 04:36 PM...in response to this comment by Friendo. Bill gates is retired. Steve Ballmer runs Micro$oft now. Although Bill Gates appears in the advertising campaign, he doesn't deal with it.
Just pointing something out. Not saying I'm for or against any particular OS. I use Mac, Windows, and Linux in my house and I've found that each works well for what it's intended to do. Mac just happens to be best with photo and video creation/editing (in my experience, at least).
jamie
Tuesday 23rd September 2008 | 11:43 PMthis is a bit classic, however...macs are better at this sort of thing so it makes sense for windows to use it to make their commercials on...at the end of the day they probably hired an advertising company to do it anyway. windows have cornered the computer market.
i have a mac at home (at the moment), and its fun...seriously, i like it...but would i ever consider getting one instead of a pc?....i dont think so.
william
Wednesday 24th September 2008 | 02:04 PM...in response to this comment by Rodney. a lot of mac software is made by windows.you didn't know?computers are the new oil.these guys are smart they present conflict but there all buddy's. why hate who could hold a grudge they've all made billions.
Michael
Wednesday 24th September 2008 | 02:19 PMHonestly, I'm a Windows user, but I do it for the games. Not the stability. There are just some PC games out there that I like that weren't made for Mac or Linux, so I'm fine with being "Just OK". Windows ain't great, and any geek/uber geek can tell you how to hack it in more ways than 10,000 but I use my computer for leisure, not business or anything of the sort. Plus, Avast! helps keep it all clean and running... well smooth would be a relative term.
Mark
Friday 26th September 2008 | 02:34 AMBoth Linux and *BSD are derivative works of Unix so therefore everything Linux, *BSD and OSX (yes I say X not 10) ARE based on Unix!
Please do your research before posting, Rodney.
"FreeBSD is Unix, not Linux."
Mark
c
Saturday 27th September 2008 | 04:38 PMThere are a million things more embarrassing than that.
Johnny
Sunday 28th September 2008 | 06:46 AM...in response to this comment by J.. Travis isn't Microsoft. Microsoft has enormous clout. When it asks an ad agency to jump, said agency will say how high? Microsoft goofed, plain and simple, by not sweating the details...
minko
Monday 29th September 2008 | 07:11 PMExpression, as far as I know, isn't a video editing package like Premiere or FCP, so this whole thread is a bit of a moot point. I'm just glad that FCP's stranglehold of the video editing market, (mimetic desire and blind followers!) is getting some competition from Adobe. Much better, quicker than FCP
So there!
n-ohm
Monday 29th September 2008 | 08:05 PMI recently purchased a Vista machine after a couple of years of bashing the OS. To my surprise I find it a pleasure to use and wish I hadn't allowed myself to become influenced by the haters.
I have toyed with Leopard, Ubuntu, Xp and now Vista, I can proudly say I prefer Vista. It is the only OS that fulfills my requirements. Anyway to the point, DOES IT MATTER?
Anders
Tuesday 30th September 2008 | 07:53 AM...in response to this comment by minko. Expression has "Expression Encoder 2" for video editing:
http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/Overview.aspx?key=encoder
Although I don't know how it compares to Adobe Premier but it is a video editing suite none the less.
minko
Thursday 9th October 2008 | 04:34 PMexpression ENCODER 2...
..is an encoder, not a non linear edit suite like FCP or Premiere-it's for encoding, it's in the title. it's not even in the same category as imovie or windows movie maker or any other video edit package.
Expression Encoder 2-does exactly what it says on the tin-ENCODE!!!
Nick
Saturday 27th March 2010 | 11:05 AMWell, at least they will never be as dumb as mac users.
Mike
Wednesday 31st March 2010 | 01:59 AMAdded to the number of Microsoft Lackeys that access their company email accounts via their iPhones, I'm really beginning to wonder why we should use PCs. After all, the people who make the software that make them run use Mac, and that just screams "Our products are junk, and we don't trust them, but you exist in a corporate industry where you have no choice but to run our bloatware", or in layman's terms, "We don't care about our end users, and frankly, if they hate us, they can't really do anything. The Microsoft Monopoly will prevail!"
Seriously, buy Mac. The Microsoft people do!
Clarkson
Thursday 15th April 2010 | 07:24 AMMS outsources its' ads like every other big company. Dumb, de-dumb dumb. No less humiliating than not knowing a basic fact as such. Put an 'L' on your forehead.
Jesus Christ
Saturday 16th October 2010 | 05:28 AM*sigh* I hate arguing with Mac users. Apple is the largest most evil corporation in the world. It really boils down to the hardware. When people say "PC" they actually mean "System with Microsoft Windows installed", which is an important thing to notice. This is because Apple has been using Intel processors for years now. That along with Samsung chips and Seagate hard drives. It comes down to the fact that Apple is using IDENTICAL hardware to that in PC's, it's just the operating system that is different. Any Mac can run windows, and and PC can run OSX. Apple is the evil corporation because they put their own brand name on cheap hardware and jack up the prices and give it a sleek look.
What I mean is that I could buy a top of the line Apple for $5,000. Or I could buy all the parts on newegg for about $2,000, and then install OSX on it.
Microsoft doesn't make computers, so you can't really blame them for faults. They do their best to make their operating system compatible with all hardware including things that haven't even come out yet. Windows XP was ready to use with my i7 processor the day I bought it. Apple didn't release it's i7 computers until 2 years after they came out. I could have installed OSX on my i7 PC and been running the OS faster than any of the existing Apple computers for a fraction of the price.
Also... if "Think Different" is their slogan, then why do they all look the same?
Henk V
Saturday 16th October 2010 | 07:06 AMI take it you don't have a daughter Jesus..
The day has already arrived where you can get cheap and reliable total entertainment systems to park in your lounge room. Even the files and software to do this are catching up.
There is no reason why you should have to buy a 2000 buck system to do all your standard home work and surfing whilst others watch movies and listen to music files. There are ultro cheapo devices readily available now except one thing.. all operating systems are morons and have a mind of their own.
None of us are gamers here and obviously none of us would even bother to carry out anything really rigorous as far as hardware utilisation goes.
The only difference I have observed between the family macs, pc's and generic laptops is; price.
The macs are also i/o specific.. bit of a bummer having to buy expensive i/o gear to suit the mac. The mac then is cast to the daughter or "internet TV".
Is mac evil? about as evil as ford, gmh and chrysler.. get over it guys, you are paying through the nose for them in the states and you may not even own one.
Ian Rash
Friday 12th November 2010 | 02:21 PMThey probably hired an external designer that uses CS3 on a mac.
Henk V
Friday 12th November 2010 | 02:41 PMsee Ian.. when you have done it all... they bring in win 95. Who gives a dingo's kidney when every time you catch up, they change things.
I talked to a guy who does gaming software. From what I could gather he was doing albedo shit in monte carlo (like its new? no fucking way)... he has never written a line of code in his life.
Its like pimping your 5th cousin 7 times removed in serbia... nobody gives a fuck anymore.
what does 7 times removed in serbia actually mean?
mick
Tuesday 16th November 2010 | 05:50 PMNot that much of a deal really. All our macs have Microsoft Office on them.
So do the ones at my Uni as well, and most of them dual boot with windows too.
Also most design students I know use macs. If Microsoft paid someone to do the ads for them it would stand to reason they were done on a mac.
Liam
Friday 19th November 2010 | 09:14 PM...in response to this comment by n-ohm. not-proud-at-all vista user here. seriously, how can you say that?
I would easily pick XP over Vista. I generally use Ubuntu now, but I would take any other OS over linux
hugh
Sunday 21st November 2010 | 08:08 AMSo what? does Windows need to be better at absoloutley everything? was MS expected to ask the advertising company to use their software to get the deal??
omg chill guys, this is childish.. windows is cool, macs are cool, Linux is cool.. everybody to their own tastes like!
Rodney
Saturday 20th September 2008 | 09:27 PMIn no way more embarrassing than the terrible ads, themselves.