Microsoft to Australia "You’re Not Using Enough of Our Products!"

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[...] Random Feed wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThat must be what they meant when the company started the search for $ 10,000 by having to use Internet Explorer 8 . Now I see that around two weeks ago, the company had another promotion going, to further bolster the company’s image in the land down under. ( Don’t worry if you did not hear about it, it was limited to Australia. ) The company has been hiding a laptop each day , and then giving clues about where to find it. from the istartedsomething blog The Zune team needs to le [...]

[...] News Sources wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThat must be what they meant when the company started the search for $ 10,000 by having to use Internet Explorer 8 . Now I see that around two weeks ago, the company had another promotion going, to further bolster the company’s image in the land down under. ( Don’t worry if you did not hear about it, it was limited to Australia. ) The company has been hiding a laptop each day , and then giving clues about where to find it. from the istartedsomething blog The Zune team needs to le [...]

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[...] then giving clues about where to find it. from the istartedsomething blog The Zune team needs to le click for more var gaJsHost = ((”https:” == document.location.protocol) ? “https://ssl.” : [...]

Man, what IS your problem with Microsoft. Enough of your mumbo jumbo side stepping. Spit it out so the REAL debate can begin.

It’s pathetic that you think Microsoft is desperate just because they are having contests and giveaways to promote their products. People need good and happy things like this isn their lives. What’s your bone to pick?

Newsflash, Microosoft earned their money and can spend it anyway they like, and they don’t have to clear it through you first, and they don’t have to make sure YOU’RE happy about it.

Sounds and smells like petty jealousy to me…get over it!

Zune80 , self appointed bearers of the Microsoft good news should probably refrain from comment until you step back a moment.

If the products are so good, and so competitive, they would need little to no advertising. That is the way the internet works - good news of good things travels like wild fire.

As for me, I don’t comment before knowing of what I speak - I have tried IE8, and it is the best effort from Microsoft to date. That does in no way make it the best, or great. Same with Bing.

Look at it this way - once someone gave you chocolate (or feel free to substitute anything you really like), was it necessary for them to pay you to have it again?

Again, it’s their money and they can spend it however they want. Apple spends millions of dollars on advertising their products including their market leading ipod. I’m pretty sure everyone knows what an ipod is by now after all these years. So if that’s the case, and they are leading the market they shouldn’t be spending money on ads going by your logic. They do because they can, and it’s their money.

I’m 46 years old, and have been in the technical industry in many forms for the better part of my life. I know who the players are, and my opinions are not those of a 15 year old fan boy. I don’t have to step back to see the whole picture, but thanks for your predictable and over used comeback of trying to make your commenter’s look like they are somehow lacking in their knowledge of what YOU speak of. Hardly the case.

So I’ll ask again. What is your REAL beef with Microsoft, and at what point in your life did you become anti advertising or at the very least anti commercialism?

It might be en vogue to bash Microsoft when all else fails and you need something to write about, but that’s just lame.

For the record, PC Magazine did a browser test last month or the month before with Chrome, Safari, IE 8 and Firefox. Microsoft’s “best effort” came in a close second behind Chrome in speed tests over a large variance of websites. The beloved Firefox and Safari tied for a distant last place. (We’re talking milliseconds here…so it’s relatively speaking.)

I use all the browser from time to time, but predominately Firefox, then IE 8. I also own an ipod touch 2g along with my Zune 80. I’m not biased or a fan boy. I just appreciate quality, and don’t care where it comes from as long as it works and I get my money’s worth.

I just don’t like buy into the fad of bashing or getting picky over silly little things when a company is on top and deserves the money they get.

I’m just truly baffled over why anyone would have a problem with ANY company promoting their own product. That’s business. To those that thought it was unfair that Microsoft was at least originally requiring people to use IE 8 to find the “treasure” in Australia…Grow UP. I can’t run iphone apps on my Zune..OMG! That’s not fair! I think Apple should be forced by legislation to make their apps run on ALL media players. Yes, that sounds ridiculous, but that’s exactly the mentality of many people out there in the real world.
Businesses will do whatever they deem necessary to promote their products, and if the competition thinks that’s unfair then I suggest they start hitting the drafting board to make a better and more competitive product. Otherwise they need to shut up or go out of business.

Zune80, 46 ? You don’t express yourself like any 46 year old I know.

You show little understanding in that it is not the advertising, it is the use of things such as charitable donations that bothers me. Have you ever seen an advertisement for Apple, stating that if you buy an iPod, a Mac, or anything, that they will donate to charity? Do you see them using bribery on a regular basis to entice customers? (Live Search) Does this not strike you as desperate? “Oh, please, please, use our less than wonderful browser, ’cause if you do, we’ll make charitable donations that we really should be making anyway.”

Next, I look at PC Magazine all the time, and remember a test scenario, but not with those results. So perhaps you could cite a URL for me.

Last, who, other than a fanboy, gets this worked up over something that anyone who examines the situation can at least understand, if not agree, with my objections?

You clearly have not been reading me for a long time. I applaud what Microsoft does well, and take them to task for their blunders. It is not my fault that the fault/blunder ratio is so high lately.

First Bill Gates alone does amazing things for charity and other organizations. Second, Microsoft even without Bill Gates running them still gives millions to charity without drawing attention. So I guess you have a problem with runners being sponsered for charities, or PBS networks giving thank you gifts twice a year to those who support them etc. You’re being very petty over this. Apple and especially Steve Jobs is NOTORIOUS for being cheap and ungiving to charity with little exception. That’s embarrassing if you ask me, and you’re condoning it by your statement, and you actually sound proud of the fact that Apple is stingy. I wouldn’t be.

I did Google for some Apple charity promotions similar to Microsofts and did get some hits. You should try it.

Let’s not forget MacHeist 1, 2 and 3 either. It might not stem directly from Apple (I haven’t researched their full involvement yet), but it’s certainly an Apple/Mac inspired event….for charity. Which by the way, I bought my MacHeist 3 Bundle this year AND I DON’T EVEN OWN A MAC! Should I feel ashamed that I aided and helped these people donate tons of money to charity, and yet…I still got something for it myself? Wow, this is a messed up world we live in.

Shame on your for denouncing ANYTHING that helps bring money to a good cause. Once again, this is a business tactic done by many each and every day…year after year. No one gets questioned about except Microsoft. How lame.

BTW…I bought PC Magazine in hard copy from the magazine rack. I’ll gladly look for my issue and post any info here that I can. I’ll even look for an online equvalent in a little bit. The results were as I stated.

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Zune80, (without beating a dead horse) It is easy to be charitable when you have made untold billions on overpriced, buggy, always in need of an update, requiring yet another purchase, software.

I could make the case that the charitable donations of Microsoft were motivated as much by tax concerns as any humanitarian concerns, but then you would accuse me of incorrect thinking (but I would bet that more would agree with my point than yours).

As to your own charitable contributions, you deserve a hearty Attaboy! (but that was never a concern, or voicing of mine - you bring it in as part of your wild goose chase through the Land of Incorrect Assumptions and Red Herrings)

As for anything else, I’m tiring of this - you will not change my mind, I think that Microsoft using the tactics it does to gain usage share and sales is unscrupulous, you don’t think so.

Let’s leave it there.

My intention is not to change YOUR mind, and never was. Believe me I know better than to waste my time there. Sleep on it, and you might have an epiphany as to why I took the time to write as much as I did here today.

That’s a wrap….