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Copy Apple? Ayyyyyy...That's What We Do Best! |
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 Everybody knows that Apple is cool, and everyone in the computer industry tries to be like the Fonz of the biz. Whether it's getting rid of floppy drives, building wireless into laptops, coming out with MP3 players, or just keeping a comb in their back pocket for a quick cleanup of that feathered hair, everybody does what Apple does.
That's why it wasn't such a shock when I read a C|Net article that mentioned that "Microsoft is promoting its Windows products on popular TV shows like Fox's "24" and HBO's "The Wire," airing this fall, as part of the software company's push to transform the PC's image from 'geek to sleek'."
Apparently, Microsoft actually started shoving it's bug-laden products in people's faces during prime-time last year, and will be pimping it's new "Windows Media Center Edition 2004" (never ones for succinct names are they?) during TV shows this year. Windows Media Center Edition 2004 (hereafter reffered to as "Big Bag o' Pus 2004") is described as "an advanced TV application with the PC as its hub", that "let['s] people download and play music and movies via a remote control".
Exactly how TV shows will show off the features of Big Bag o' Pus 2004 isn't clear. The 2GAMAAW crew speculates that since time is of the essence on shows like 24 and CSI, there will be a plot point that gives reason to going to the computer (such as having to make out who that bad guy is on a security camera), whereby the operator quickly launches Big Bag o' Pus 2004, waits 12 seconds as everything loads, has to hit OK several times to skip the "Tip of the Day", two error messages, and a friendly note that the software is not up-to-date and that he really should update, then has to close out a helpful animated cartoon character, and then after going to File -> New, and making a new project, quickly brings up the videotape of the villian-of-the-day. After waiting just a few short minutes, the video is loaded and ready to go for our heroes' analysis. A few short hours later, and mystery solved!
Ok, I may have been exaggerating just a tad there, and speaking as my own devil's advocate, the aforementioned software wouldn't even be out for the Macintosh, so you wouldn't even be able to take that long to get something done! Am I making sense!?
Anyhow, getting back to the story, Microsoft isn't alone in this on-screen rip-offiness. From the aforementioned C|Net article:
Hewlett-Packard on Thursday kicked off its largest ad campaign yet, spending more than $300 million to reach consumers with a new, trendy image . Its campaign, "You + HP," is centered on HP's digital photography lineup of cameras and printers. This summer, Gateway tried to glamorize its PCs through product placements in movies such as "Legally Blonde 2."
In both cases Apple can say "been there, done that". iPhoto is probably the sole reason for HP's ad campaign, and if you've seen Legally Blonde (the first one) you know that the tangerine iBook stole the show.
So in summation, everyone wants to be like the Fonz, but they usually end up looking like Horshack.
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October 6 2003, 3:07 PM EDT, by
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Comments:
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| Wasabe |
10/7/03, 2:37 PM EDT |
true that
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| speedyrev |
10/8/03, 4:20 PM EDT |
Apple just has an aura of cool. How many times have we seen a TV show with a powerbook or other cool Apple product? I really LOVE the stickers that cover the logo on the back of the LCD screens. They should give credit where credit is do.
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