Money Talks
But it don’t sing or dance, and it don’t walk. Something something something rhymes with talk. Something something something truuuuuuUUUUUUUEEEEE.
I’m not sure if it actually goes like that. But I think it’s something to that effect.
Anyways, recently Microsoft has been coming under a bit of fire regarding it’s latest commercial.
Basically, if you don’t feel like watching it (although I recommend that you do) it involves a run-of-the-mill girl looking for a new laptop. Within a budget of 1000$, which effectively rules out Macs. She seems out of touch with technology, so Linux is out of the question, and that leaves Windows.
Now, I don’t need to tell you that this garnered a lot of interest in the Mac vs. PC vs. Linux debates. Mac users from all over called in to popular tech websites offering her a Mac. Some users even asked for unbiased reviews from a regular user. Surely, they claim, that *insert_os* will prove superior once and for all!
So they began to track her down.
And they ran into a spot of trouble. It seems run-of-the-mill Lauren, is really trying-to-be-an-actor Lauren. When that bit of news came out, Mac fanboys everywhere went “OH. Well THAT explains it. ” And of course, to a degree, they’re right. Microsoft clearly paid her to do the commercial and model it after a regular person right? Make it seem like those reality shows we all seem to love.
Wrong. Lauren signed up for a Marketing and Research job about laptops. Microsoft tricked her alright, by not telling her that she was supposed to be buying a laptop. So Lauren didn’t know that she was buying laptop for a national commercial. Yet. Microsoft had her sign an NDA about her experience with the HP Laptop, which, while not the brightest move to satiate rabid fanboys, is the brightest move to secure your marketing partners future work with you.
Essentially what people are arguing about is the validity of the whole situation. Clearly Lauren is just an actor.
Or is she?
Lets take a look at what Lauren wants shall we?
- Laptop
- Speed
- Comfortable Keyboard
- 17in screen
Here’s what my sister wanted from a computer
- Laptop
- Fast
- Comfortable
- Cheap
Either Microsoft suddenly has down-to-earth writers, or Lauren told them what she really wanted from a laptop. She doesn’t know how much RAM your computer should use when idle, she doesn’t know what crapware is, she probably runs a blacklist firewall/av and she clearly doesn’t know what 4-4-4-12 times are.
Newsflash. Most don’t.
Lauren’s wants perfectly gibe with what the average PC user wants. And so does Laurens knowledge.
You can claim that Microsoft targets the uninformed, but in truth, they target everyone. Forget Sarah Palin, Microsoft is the true Joe six-pack.
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with Microsoft, but I’ve always had nothing but respect for them, as I have with Apple. But Microsoft has made smarter marketing decisions than Apple ever could.
Further reading:
http://i.gizmodo.com/5190861/we-found-microsofts-lauren-and-shes-an-actress
http://laurendelong.com/News.htm
http://i.gizmodo.com/5186672/microsoft-marketing-team-now-exclusively-advised-by-internet-commenters-but-it-works
Ooh, very very well written. I must say I’m very impressed.
To be honest I’d expect you, as a tech-fanboy yourself, to fall into that category of users that get a bit out of touch with the majority of consumers as soon as they know a bit about a thing or two
But, like I said this was very well written, I especially liked how you compared the major points that Lauren was searching for with those that your sister was. Because to be honest, that’s what I look for in a laptop too. Like I usually say when you tell me to try some new techy thing, I just need something that works, that’s easy to use, that I can afford, and that won’t end up being more complicated and annoying than it’s worth.
I agree that what works for a basic computer user, may be laughable to someone who knows about computers, but it seems to me that shows that many “good” operating systems lack the ability to communicate their attributes into something the average user can use. While working from the other direction, making something simple before it’s as technically sound as it should be, may not be the best idea… I think that it’s still helping more people than it’s hurting.
When it comes to choosing a computer, I stress – it just has to work FOR ME.
But like I said, very well written, and I also have to add that when you write something that’s relatable and pertinent to your readers… I completely forgot my need to complain when you turn your personal blog into a tech blog
.
Well done.
Oh not at all, I’m not out of touch, I just expect more from you at all times. You’ve fallen into that category of friends that should know better. I wish I could go back to those old carefree days, of password simplicity and no encryption on my router. But I have changed. I have seen the future. And the future is filled with Conficker.
But I digress.
It’s true, I do have a huge tech-fanboy tendency, but I know when it doesn’t apply. And that’s something most techs don’t have. They assume that the regular person wants to know what latency their RAM is running at, whereas the person is more concerned about if solitaire comes pre-installed or if they have to buy it separately.
While I wish I could impart this knowledge on others, it isn’t likely to happen, the the genius marketing decisions that Microsoft seem to make continue to keep them ahead of the pack. You can point out the increase in Mac users, but the point is, for every Mac user in Starbucks, there’s a Tim Hortens full of PC’s.
You know, I thought personal and tech blogs intertwined when it comes to you, Angelo… I guess why I never complained when I found I couldn’t understand what was going on, but just refrained from commenting to hide my noob status when it comes to technology (oh well, it’s out now =P). I like this post a lot! I agree with Imdolien when she says it’s well written – it really is! And very enjoyable and amusing too. I actually know what you’re on about! =P
I agree with you about Microsoft’s marketing strategies – they are very smart, and, with the little I know about Macs and PCs, I would still choose to get a PC over a Mac. Recently though my sister got a Mac. Even though it is sleek as hell and probably the most attractive piece of technology I have seen, PCs are made for people like me who just want to use it for specific needs without breaking down everything that’s going on. It really is the common man’s computer *plays appropriate fanfare* as much as I admire and respect macs… I don’t see it changing for a very long time.
Haha it’s true, most of my life does revolve around the tech side of things, so naturally, I do try and incorporate it every so often.
And I can agree with you on that point aenariele, Macs are really pretty. But I don’t tend to look at the outside of my laptop much, and since I’ve never really worked with Macs, I can’t really comment on the usability of the OS.