Windows dressings: Fixing Vista's image REVIEW | Microsoft makes fine products but sells itself short in ads Recommend Comments November 1, 2008 ANDY IHNATKO Sun-Times Technology Columnist ai@andyi.com I've been looking at Microsoft's commercials for the past few months and I wonder if the company isn't going through some sort of personal crisis. Does Microsoft have a clergyperson or close friend they could sort of talk things out with? First, Microsoft did those commercials with Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld. It was pretty hard to figure out what business the company is actually in, based on those ads. Aren't they the guys who make Windows and Office and Exchange? It just seemed kind of suspicious that they didn't want to fess up to it on national TV. Microsoft advertisements suggest that some of the bias against the Vista operating system is unfairly linked to the name. (AP)  Still, I seemed to enjoy those commercials a lot more than most people. Because if I were Bill Gates, this is precisely how I'd be spending my money. You can do these sort of things when you're a billionaire. You can hire one of the country's funniest and most beloved comedians to pal around with you for a couple of days, hire a camera crew to follow you around and film it all, and then buy network airtime to make sure that everyone who graduated with you in high school sees it. Microsoft's next big ad was the ''Windows Mojave'' spot. That was the one where they promised a select group of Windows users a secret, exclusive sneak peek at a future edition of Windows and filmed their Ooohs and Ahhhs on hidden camera. Except (surprise!) they were actually using Windows Vista. I see two obvious problems with this concept. First, I would think that the company would want to spend its money distancing itself from the concept of ''Microsoft promises us something fresh and exciting, but then just puts the same old software in a new box with a different name.''Second -- and I mean for these words to help, not hurt -- this isn't the way that a winner responds to criticism, is it? Read more on : http://www.suntimes.com/business/1254045,CST-FIN-andy01.article
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