Red-Faced Microsoft Pulls Controversial Ad (woman in ad who switched from Macintosh was MS PR woman)

KMBC ^

[chance33_98]

Red-Faced Microsoft Pulls Controversial Ad 
Spot Featured PR Agency Employee

POSTED: 9:28 p.m. EDT October 14, 2002

WASHINGTON -- Red-faced Microsoft executives have pulled an ad that purports to show a free-lance writer who switched to Windows from rival Macintosh.

There were questions about whether the woman actually existed.

It turns out she works at a public relations company hired by Microsoft. The Associated Press tracked her down by examining personal data hidden within documents that Microsoft published with its ad.

She says, "It was me. I made the switch."

Microsoft's ad was apparently a response to a national campaign by Apple that features names, photographs and testimonials from people who began using Macintosh technology because they were frustrated with Windows.

[better_dead_then_red]

And see that is one of the problems...I am not a Windows network admin. Friends that I have that love their PeeCees also love to mess with them. Friends that I have that love their Macs love to work with them, not mess with them to make them stable.

Last PeeCee I had was a very expensive Sony. Crashed 30 or 40 times a day. Started going deaf and blind when first the usb ports went out, then the serial ports. Kept eating its own drivers. It totally lost its mind when I upgraded Windows. I finally had enough, took it to the range and put several hundred rounds through it. Now that was a blessed moment.

[KneelBeforeZod]

They also keep interesting web info in the index.dat file in the cookies directory that can only be deleted by exiting to DOS.

"Spider" is a free program that will easily kill web traces. you can find it with a web search

[Lx]

Oh yeah. Is that a 12ax7a? Gives you that fat Marshall sound everytime! I wonder if there's a drive level in the sound software for distortion.

I wonder where it gets the high voltages necessary for the tube.

[chance33_98]

my first experience with a non-Intel chipset has been wonderful

I have sun enterprise with 4 ultra sparc's on it, love the sparcs! Although Solaris 8 blows. Hopefully 9 is better (Gnome interface comes standard now).

Looking to build a new system in early 2003, have not decided the chipset yet though. May try out the AMD - if it is good enough for a fellow admin it is worth a try.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Vacuum tubes? Are we regressing?

[strela]

Vacuum tubes? Are we regressing?

I don't think so. Vacuum tube technology is highly resistant to EMP damage. (And, they can help heat your house on a cold night).

[spycatcher]

Ellen Feiss tells my favorite PC to Mac switch story

[ccmay]

I would do anything she told me to do!

-ccm

[ThinkDifferent]

You can darn sure betcha that there will not be the fervor from AP to investigate the participants in the MAC ads.

Probably because the Apple ads don't sound so obviously fake, and use pictures of real people instead of stock photos. Apple started soliciting feedback from former Windows users a year or so ago in preparation for their switch campaign; there's no reason to believe they couldn't find a few dozen real people to do testimonials. I'm sure Microsoft could also have found some real people who happily switched to Windows if they had bothered to look, but instead they chose to commit a blatant misrepresentation.

[Knitebane]

You can darn sure betcha that there will not be the fervor from AP to investigate the participants in the MAC ads.

Yeah, they all do it. Everyone lies about switching. It doesn't rise to the level of impeachment. It takes a Microsoft to raise a child.

You know, when you have to resort to liberal tactics to defend Microsoft, it's time to find a new hero.

[AmericaUnited]

If I was Bill Gates, now would be the perfect time to donate 1-2 billion dollars of soft money to the RNC and insure the demonrats never bother him again.

[ikka]

If I was Bill Gates, now would be the perfect time to donate 1-2 billion dollars of soft money to the RNC and insure the demonrats never bother him again.

Bill Gates supports hard core leftist organizations like the United Way and population control measures along with lots of other bad stuff.

[Bonaparte]

"Friends that I have that love their Macs love to work with them, not mess with them to make them stable."

And all that time they save can be devoted to endlessly arguing the merits of PC vs Mac. How dreary.

[Timesink]

I wonder how many of those people in the new Mac commercials *really* switched from a PC to a Mac.

All of them. They've all been confirmed to exist and to have switched by others who didn't buy it at first: They checked Google, emailed them, etc. Several of them even have online fan clubs. And of course, you're always welcome to try a phone book if you're that suspicious. The "switcher" in the Windows ad didn't even provide a fake name.

better_dead_then_red: Apply! At the very least, they'll post your story.

[Timesink]

Earlier threads on this same topic:

Microsoft Pulls Ad After Web Flap

Microsoft fakes Apple-bashing testimonial?

[Timesink]

How much does that tube cost to replace if/when it blows? (They ALL blow eventually like light bulbs, don't they? They're from way before my time.) Looks sweet though.

[Timesink]

I don't think this is true. Someone earlier posted a link to the same photo... it's a stock photo anyone can buy at gettyimages, which is a big stock photography house.

Ironically, it's the main competitor to Corbis, which is owned by one Bill Gates.

[Timesink]

bumping for bump list

[Swordmaker]

I finally had enough, took it to the range and put several hundred rounds through it. Now that was a blessed moment.

My God, Man, you have come up with a real use for those millions of obsolete PCs that are filling our landfills!