Ad for Microsoft's Sync pretty funny

Microsoft's product marketing tends to be fairly dull. Even inside the company, its methods for naming, marketing, and packaging have been the subject of scorn and derision.

So, that makes this commercial for its Sync in-car entertainment system all the more noteworthy.

The company illustrates the power of the system's voice controls, by showing what happens when you take those commands beyond the car.

It's a good approach to explaining a whole new type of technology--something that is often tough--just ask TiVo.

What do you think? Does it make you want to get the system, or does it just make you laugh. Or does it not even do that?

[mjm01010101]

laugh? cringe....

It makes me laugh because I've used voice recognition created by Microsoft and it's quite scary that it exists in automobiles now. I mean, *really* scary.

[hawkeyeaz1]

I was thinking the same thing!

I have seen the YouTube/etc video of Microsoft showing off their voice-wreckognition software, and it was horrible (for Microsoft). From MS' past software record, it hasn't improved much.

[baisa]

what i want to know..

name aside, what i'd like to know... is are you a boy or a girl?

a new pic maybe...???

[docster87]

laughed

I laughed, but I'm not in market to get a new car so I really didn't
care about the system. Perhaps if I could upgrade my current car
radio... but even then I doubt if I would be very interested, been
trying to get as far from Microsoft as possible last several years.

[Pete Bardo]

Synch gets MS

You all know what BS, MS and PHD stand for. The MS in MS-Synch is well deserved.

I don't think I'd feel comfortable in a car that sports software from Microsoft, even if it is just for entertainment.

[mdupris]

MS and Sync

I admire the courage of anyone who would use a voice-activated computer in a car. The commercial itself s wonderful in showing what happens when the voice commands don't work as expected. Do you trust Microsoft (or any other software vendor) to make the software behave as you tell it to every time, in real time, as you hurtle your ton or two of metal down the freeway at xxx miles an hour?

[Lee in San Diego]

Just music and cell phone?

I agree about voice control over vehicle items such as turn signals,
braking and such, but I think that Synch only works with music and
cell phone type of things.

Funny ad and it is nice to see something like that come from
MicroSoft.

[mike.gw]

It's a great ad.

I saw it when it first came out. It's hilarious... esp the lady who smashes into the glass door with her coffee!

Does a good job of selling the product. Might even sell a few Fords.

[gsmiller88]

It's alright...

It definitely gets the point across, unlike their Zune ads, but I have
kinda been burnt out on the ad.

[tehrani625]

Ha...Ha?

Like the comercial from ford not MS don't give them credit for anything except for MS office that is ok...

[lone_horse_64]

*MICROSOFT IS A MONSTER*

CREATED BY NONE OTHER THAN SATAN HIMSELF.
* A MERCILESS CORPORATE MONSTER!
* HAS ABSOULTELY NO RESPECT FOR CUSTOMERS!
* IS "HUMORIOUS"?, ONLY IN BILL GATES BANK!->
"HE-UNDOUBTEDLY-OWNS-IT"
* THE COMPUTER WORLD IS CORRUPTED BY, MICROSOFT/
YAHOO/AOL/APPLE/SMILEY CENTRAL/ETC = THE LIST
OF CONTRIBUTING MONSTERS IS APPALLING.
"WE~THE~PEOPLE~OF~THE~WORLD" DONT STAND A CHANCE.

[catch23]

The more nitwits like you

stand up to the mic and be counted, the more the masses (often who know only little of MS) will join MS, saying 'at least we won't be associated with that nut case'.

Thanks

[dascha1]

I'd Rather have it in my UAV

Then I could become a true 'seeker' and decide if manual is better
or worse than my own voice:

http://www.google.com/search?q=manual+vs+speech

More holiday funnies!

[rcrusoe]

I'll pass on cars with MS software

Sync may not be able to do as much damage as the WinCE
computer that trapped Thailand's Finance Minister Suchart
Jaovisidha in his BMW a few years ago (locked the doors and
windows, killed the engine, turned off the air conditioning).

But I'd rather not take the chance.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/13/1052591776195.
html

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2002/Mar02/03-
04BMWpr.mspx

http://aardvark.co.nz/daily/2003/n051301.shtml

[Dalkorian]

funny!

I have to admit, I laughed pretty hard. But my mind is a little
warped - I heard the "not everything works like M$ sync ..."
comment right before the woman hit the door with her coffee.
Then I heard " ... but some things do!" right when she hit the
sidewalk!