Comments on: Microsoft goes live with Mojave videos

Software giant is hoping that videos of Windows Vista skeptics reacting positively to Vista will help convince millions of other skeptics that the operating system just has a bad rap.

[kelmon]

Call me a cynic but I'm not prepared to listen to the opinion of people that Microsoft has chosen and filmed. This is marketing and the result was always going to be that people love Vista. If this had come from a neutral party (university or something similar) then I'd be much more prepared to accept its findings.

This, frankly, is no more believable than the Mac vs. PC adverts but then I suspect that is the point.

[lexluthor3424]

I'm willing to bet it is actually Windows 7 being shown to the poor souls being surveyed, and this is Microsoft just wanting to give Vista positive press to alter the "rep" it has had.

[chade2001]

i've been using vista for 2 years now, and everything has been great. all i hear and read about vista is how horrible it is. jeeez, move on guys. new topic please! if you can't add anymore new bad thing to say about vista then don't comment at all. it's like beating a dead donkey for hours on end. jeez lueeze! vista has been awesome for me. stability in all programs/game i've run. programs like CS3 photoshop, illustrator, flash, premiere, solidworks, autocad and games like bioshock, team fortress2, company of heroes, command and conquer, call of duty 4, devil may cry 4, everything runs great and smooth. all this greatness in a dell 2.13ghz core 2 duo, 2 gb ram, and nvidia 8600gt. vista home premium for the win!!!

[ElDudde]

I have Vista on 3 computers, 2 desktops and one laptop, and it has worked beautifully. One advantage of Vista was the embedded Movie Maker 2 program which handles HD video. Can't get that with XP.

I like this new commercial from MS. It addresses an issue which is always seen on CNET and that is the virulent anti-Microsoft people, many who have never even tried Vista, who go on autopilot with their critcisms as soon as the word Vista is mentioned. I suspect they won't like seeing themselves on TV because this is a mirror of their complaints and behavoir. MS hit the nail on the head with this one.

BTW, I like Microsoft, its products and admire Bill Gates, especially what he is doing with his Foundation. He'll have a bigger impact on this world than anyone you'll come across in your lifetime.

[Save_Me_from_my_Govt]

I'm not anti-Microsoft... I have XP on 5 different computers that I use, and I love it. But I'm not putting Vista (a/k/a "features in search of an application") on my machines! It's buggy, it's slow, I don't have the money to go out and buy new peripherals because the drivers aren't there for what I have... I bought some extra copies of XP just to have for future computer purchases. The first thing I will do is wipe Vista off of them, and install XP.

Nice try on the "anti-Microsoft" angle--but that dog won't hunt.

[brjones]

Vista starts being bad when you have to pay for it !!! Not to mention all the crazy hardware upgrades to your PC. Linux runs fine on older hardware it is free and so much better !

[sting7k]

Why does everyone hate on Vista so much? Since getting my new computer in Dec. with Vista I have had nothing but good experiences and I love it. I have to use XP at work and I find many things I miss from my home computer. Vista WORKS I don't know why people say it sucks, XP used to give me problems all the time. Vista will once in awhile give me something but the fix is a simple update for what ever was causing the problem, and Vista finds it for me I don't even have to search.

Also I don't get why people are so concerned about its sales. I can see why someone wouldn't go out and upgrade their OS to Vista from XP, because XP works fine and there is no reason to upgrade when its already working great for them on their machine. But computers get old and have to be replaced at some point, which means get a new one with Vista. Almost every computer these days is plenty powerful to run Vista so it doesn't matter. Stop the hate, there isn't anything wrong with what is happening. Once the XP computers start showing their age (and they will) Vista will have to take over because its out there and it works.

[DakkonA1]

"MSFT rather use Flash to promote Vista instead of its own technology of Silverlight - enough said."

Oy... right. So the smart marketing move would be to use the technology that isn't widely installed yet and force people to install a program to see an ad? Brilliant, just brilliant.

I have Vista on my 3-GB, 2.2-GHz Core2 Duo, nVidia 8600M (256-MB) laptop, and it runs great.

'Vista Capable' was a mistake, but it was forced on MS by computer vendors who wanted to market their computers as having Vista but without the stuff it really needs to run well.

Windows 2000 runs faster than Windows XP and uses less resources. Why isn't their an outcry to move back to that stable, tried-and-tested operating system?

[joshatkins94]

Obviously the Mac crowd (and, okay, to be fair, the odd IT expert here and there) are going to complain about the ads are say they're stupid (perhaps it's time to have a quick look over Apple's manipulative ad campaigns again). But, as Elon Musk said (founder of SpaceX and co-founder of PayPal): "There are some people out there who believe in us, and some who do not, but if they're not buying rockets it doesn't really matter."

[SteamChip]

We are going to have to face reality. Vistink is here to stay, (at least for the next 18 months), so we might as well buck up and get with the those people on the Project Mojave.

XP users are straphangers who don't want to change seats and expect most anything Windows gotten from modboards, fleamarkets or retail stores to run on their system. BUT, it is going to be a VISTA world (at least for the next 18 months), so its time to get with the program. Remember, its the bugs and the glitches (what's bad) in these premier products that keep some of us employed indefinitly.

As far as most the public is concerned, "Umbatu" is someplace in Africa. For the rest, may they enjoy tinkering and downloading and typing in code in order to run Oblivion and Company of Heroes.

Old hippies and graphic artists, may they find pleasure using Mac to run Photoshop.

Vista is TheAnumberOne state-of-the-art operating system and the best thing to come down the pike in years. It is fine, pretty and cute, marvelous, dazzling, an entirely pleasant experience. "Areo Glass" is going to become a term as well known as "Desktop" or "Icon."

Like many other new product releases there are bound to be a few speed bumps with Vista, so here are a few things to keep in mind:

? Use only programs tested to be compatible with Vista.
? Use only hardware (printers, scanners, etc) tested to be compatible with Vista.
? If your program is not shown to be Visa compatible, and it doesn?t work, you really didn?t need it anyway.
? If your hardware is not shown to be Visa compatible, and it doesn?t work, you really now have a nice doorstop.
? Please be patient about relearning Windows for location of commonly used tasks and system tools. Think of it as an easter egg hunt?FUN!
? Its not really THAT much money to upgrade your computer beyond the stated system requirements of "Vista Ready." Just get more RAM, a faster processor, a new video card, hard drive, motherboard and power supply and Vista will run better.
? UAC is for your own good! Just respond properly to the warning dialogue boxes when doing your various Vista tasks and nothing bad will happen to you.
? Come now, DRM prevents you from inadvertantly doing illegal things on your computer, saving you from fines and prison. And besides, what kind of person would actually admit they tried to record NBC's American Gladiators?

Though a whole lot is not known about it now, Windows 7, to be released by January 2010, promises even a more complete and satisfying computer operating system experience!

[john65001]

I have a buddy who is a computer professional and an MS fan. When Vista came out he was first in line to upgrade all his machines. I recently talked to him and asked him about how Vista was working out, because I am also a computer professional and have upgraded none of my machines. His reply? "ahhh... Vista sucks. I am rebuilding all my machines with XP." So after a year an a half of using Vista, a seasoned pro MS fan is giving up on it. That to me says it all..

[tjkramer]

Let's be very clear about something that most people don't think about much.... and let me preface this by saying that I use Microsoft products, and that Service Pack 1 did fix alot of issues, a surprising number actually. But is still a debacle.

But let's be very clear about this, Microsoft does many many things, and has not achieved better than about Average on ANY of them.

Think about this: MS offers an insanely buggy, unstable operating system. Microsoft offers OneCare, a mostly crappy anti-malware tool. Their firewall is useless. Their search engine is virtually useless. Their desktop search is mostly buggy and useless. Their server applications are half-baked at best. Their web design software has always been sub-standard, and still is. Their graphics software from Expression all the way down through Windows free apps are all sub-standard.

Every single thing that Microsoft does is Average at best. If Microsoft built TVs, they would only come on about 70% of the time. If they built cars, the brakes would fail more often than anyone could tolerate. If they built microwave ovens, there would only be one cooking time, so some things would cook perfectly, everything else would burn or still be frozen.

It is somewhat staggering to imagine a company this large and this sophisticated that does not produce an EXCELLENT product in ANY category in which it produes a product.

[Motyoj]

The thing that turned me off Windows for good was when they went to that damn registry (with Windows 95 I believe). The computer would run speedily for six months, then slow down, then hiccup, then die. Re-install, curse, waste a lot of time. Nothing has been said if their new OS in the works will be using that work of the devil that is the registry. Computers are only a fad anyway. J/K

[andrewFCIM]

Vista looks great in a controlled demonstration, that is why everyone was so excited when it was released. The negative image it has earned is the result of day to day experience from a broad group of users. I'm not sure why I should be compelled by a group of what must be below average computer users. I assume below average as average or better would not be so easily duped into thinking Mojave was anything other than Vista with a different theme.

[jbstrand]

I have a Macbook but I also have thinkpad x61t, dell xps1530 and xps 420. All three of the windows PCs run Vista and I have not had a single hang up, "program not responding" or other reason to reboot (other than new software installs) on any of the three computers in a total of 18 months of operation for all three computers combined. Yeah, if you try to install it on older systems or make it work with older peripherals there may be problems, but if you're buying a new, fast computer you'd be stupid to put XP on it rather than Vista. The problem with changing the image is that there is a vocal minority of Windows haters out there who got all the ammo they needed when Vista had it's teething problems and they'll never stop bashing it. It wouldn't matter if Vista had come out on day 1 perfect (something Leopard didn't do), you'd still have a core of the Linux/Mac crowd saying it sucked simply because it's from Microsoft.

[t8]

Hey PC guy. You are just too bloated. Too much is to weighty.

[madrazojr]

Hey guys.... it seems Microsoft is really looking to spread the message. I found this job posting online for positions across the US. Check it out below:

Could you be a Microsoft Windows Guru?

Would you like an interesting & challenging job?
If your well-versed with Microsoft technologies & enjoy working with people, we have retail-based job opportunities that might interest you!


We are hiring Microsoft Windows Gurus in the following states:
CA, DC, FL, IL, MA, MD, MN, MO, NH, NJ, NV, NY, VA, WA

Please apply at www.msretaillive.com

[fortheclueless]

What this shows is not necessarily that Visa is presently bad so much as it is a lesson to Microsoft about quality from the start. I once read an article about a goodwill study produced by the Warton School. In a study of goodwill they found on average a person with a bad experience tells no less than 8 people. Those people then tell 24 more people of the bad experience even though they probably never experienced it themselves. So every time one person has a horrible experience you can count on 32 people knowing about it and and the experience having an effect on future decisions. As well a story gets better with every telling as we know. Now then we recant the initial Vista release with by most accounts was not a good experience for many. Even if every last problem of Vista has been corrected the initial failures create a mountain of perception which Microsoft must overcome. It is because of this Microsoft is right to attempt to convince people things have changed. The recent success of Apple is largely translated back to the initial failures of Vista among new mac users. Apple has nearly doubled their market-share since the release of Vista.

Will this marketing campaign be successful? it likely will have a positive effect on Vista churn. But perhaps a larger contributing factor will be the decision by Microsoft to simply no longer make XP available. I would bet removing the option will have more an effect on Vista churn. But the bad goodwill created by the initial quality problems won't erase the perception. As well when Windows 7 enters the market it will have to both prove its own worth and fight the negative goodwill left by Vista.

As well Vista has created another big problem for Microsoft. Of recent IT departments all over the globe are started to give serious consideration to adopting support for alternatives such as Apple and the various Linux flavors. Business, more correctly joe-blow user, is a segment owned by Microsoft and where Apple and Linux were nearly absent. I see lots of different customers every day in my job. Even a year ago you'd see an occasional mac in a meeting. Over the past year I've noticed that I always encounter a mac user in a business meeting and very often there are multiple macs in the room. Its one thing to have turned off home users and to change their minds one by one. Its quite another when the sleeping giant has been awakened in the IT space. i.e, Vista has gotten them actively looking at things previously ignored. In higher education, in the past 5 years, Apple has gone from 5% market-share to 35% market-share. Those kids will graduate and soon enough contribute to business decisions. Microsoft is a big company and will definitely sustain the Vista problem. But honestly its days of complete domination are behind it and they largely have themselves to thank for it. The stink from Vista will linger for a long time to come and that is undeniable.