Just saw this on Channel 9’s forums: what if Microsoft designed the iPod box. It’s a video. It hurts. Ouch.
How do you improve yourself? 1) Be honest with yourself about what you do. 2) Repeat.
Honesty hurts. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.
I’m off to New York. Behave yourselves!
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Robert Scoble works at Fast Company.TV (title: Managing Director). Everything here, though, is his personal opinion and is not read or approved before it is posted. No warranties or other guarantees will be offered as to the quality of the opinions or anything else offered here.
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February 27th, 2006 at 7:39 am
Brutal, that. I run WordPress on my own server, but would like to use WordPress.com. However, isn’t there certain limitations, such as limited themes and no plug-ins? Also, your theme doesn’t look pre-made; were you able to upload/create your own?
February 27th, 2006 at 7:40 am
In all honesty, software and hardware packaging is a little different, but it also carries a bit of truth to it as well.
That and it’s hilarious!
February 27th, 2006 at 7:50 am
Henry: right. WordPress.com has limited customization right now. They are working on new features, though, to let you customize your blog more. You might wait until those are available.
February 27th, 2006 at 8:07 am
Enjoy yourself in NY!
February 27th, 2006 at 8:40 am
Its funny because its true.
February 27th, 2006 at 8:45 am
Sadly, this video is as brilliant as it is insightful. Apple markets simplicity to raving fans, and Microsoft markets complexity to reticent masses. This is why Office upgrades are usually so painful, because most of the upgraded or enhanced features only are valuable to a precious few. The rest just like the new color scheme.
Microsoft is trying to reinvent itself as hip, and they are doing a reasonably good job, but the fact is it will take a long time before a lot of IT people start to accept the goodness as true goodness and not just the latest ploy. It took a Sun a while to convince people they were “good” now, and it will take Microsoft even longer.
Put simply:
* Mac fans LOVE to buy Apple stuff.
* Microsoft users often hate to buy even more Microsoft stuff but do it because they have to.
February 27th, 2006 at 8:51 am
[...] This video answers the question posed in the title. The only thing missing is “iPod Live.” Via Microsoft’s Robert Scoble who says, “Ouch!” Filed under General Business, Marketing Listen to this article [Permalink] [...]
February 27th, 2006 at 9:13 am
Robert, thanks for posting that. A link I saw earlier suffered from the Digg effect.
Very funny stuff. Just slightly exaggerated to be funny, but very on target. Really shows the difference in corporate philosophies.
February 27th, 2006 at 9:34 am
Man, that video is awesome, and true! I just bought a Macbook Pro, and all the stuff from apple comes in really nice, drool-worthy, boxes.
By the way, MS is not all that bad at designing boxes. Office:mac’s packaging is designed extremely well. The box is cool, and the CD/DVD case is spiffy too.
Why? because they go more simplistic on it, and leave out as much extra writing as possible - only write on back. I think that’s a great combination… simplicity on the front, details on back, or seperate.
February 27th, 2006 at 9:53 am
Wow, that was great!! I am gonna kick up Vegas (and Ultimate S 2) and start doing things like that. Beats hanging out in blogs. ;)
February 27th, 2006 at 10:31 am
They did capture the “We’ll do a kinda a la carte thing, but we get to decide what pieces-parts you want” marketing direction of MS ‘05 pretty well.
February 27th, 2006 at 10:38 am
The music is perfect. Thanks for the link. :-D
February 27th, 2006 at 10:40 am
The Starck mouse packaging is pretty good. I love that mouse :)
February 27th, 2006 at 10:53 am
I’d love to hear what the Office and Windows marketing departments have to say about this on the heels of them embarassing themselves yet again with the recent announcements of the Vista and Office 2007 product lines.
February 27th, 2006 at 11:06 am
[...] I just read this post on Scobles blog about this video which shows you what the iPod box would look like if Microsoft designed it. Am I the only one that thinks that it doesn’t look too bad? Without that long list of specs, of course. -Adrian [...]
February 27th, 2006 at 11:12 am
The only thing missing from that video was the 7 differing SKU flavors. You should really end up with 7 (or more) differing boxes. :)
iPod Home - only 100 songs allowed. Same as regular iPod just with control lock (which will be hacked).
iPod Professional Edition - Vague add’ons and unlimited songs. But looks corporate. Brooding stock-photography Office-looking pictures on the packaging.
iPod Readers Edition - Same as regular iPod, just with a CD sampling of Audio Books, and a few included Audio Books and some Shakespearean looking packaging.
iPod Sports Edition - Added program to monitor heartbeat and calculate miles jogged. And cute sports-themes added.
iPod Plus! Edition - Same as regular iPod just with more eye-candy and theme makers and totally k-rad PC quality 3D screen savers (which will render your iPod comatose).
iPod Mobile Edition - An Activesync-like program to sync with Windows Mobile 2005 and Smartphones and the odd ‘Plays for Sure’ devices.
iPod Ultimate Edition - Regular iPod just bigger HD, with all Plus!, Reader and Mobile Edition add-on’s. Costs nearly twice as much, and eventually comes in differing colors. The only model with real good support levels. And the only Edition avail for firmware upgrades.
February 27th, 2006 at 11:57 am
the Windows XP box and packaging was pretty simple too, give MS a break.
their magazine advertisments are usually simple too.
though I hate how often on their website and even on their website for Vista, like a lot of corporate websites, they have useless photographs of people smiling that have nothing to do with the products and just make things look dopey in an insincere and unauthentic way
February 27th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
it’s almost as bad as those stupid dino-office ads
February 27th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
They forgot to put some of those stupid dinosaur head office people on it- then it would have a perfect example of MS’s awful overall marketing. The vista site is nice though…
February 27th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
And more SKUs…
iPod Starter Edition - Flash-sticked Nano’isms. Cartoonish-color themes. Marketed at ‘Developing’ Markets, aka, teens.
iPod Home Premium - Now with 150 songs, and a few solitare games.
iPod Enterprise Edition - Wifi, but only hooks into Exchange servers. A lame attempt at push-email that won’t really work.
iPod SPOT Edition - Just a bigger and more ugly version of the SPOT watch, but can play around 40 mp3’s too.
iPod Office Edition - SmartPhone-like Outlook contact/calendar functionality, worse than a toothache in terms of usability.
February 27th, 2006 at 2:04 pm
Why the FCK are you directing us to your lame Channel 9?
This is You Tube, send us there!
Jesus, weren’t you whining the other day about people ripping off your content?
What are you that desperate for hits or something that you need to route us through that pathetic site?
February 27th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
[...] Well, didn’t do my links for the weekend, but had to post this link I pulled of of Robert Scoble’s blog: [...]
February 27th, 2006 at 2:30 pm
“Ouch ouch”, Robert Scoble said on “What if Microsoft designed the iPod box?”
Robert Scoble did hurt himself when he found this video on Channel 9 about Microsoft designing the ipod video box (and read the comment there, both at robert’s blog and channel 9).
February 27th, 2006 at 2:46 pm
Design Basics
Via Scoble…
I’ve always said that marketing by committee is never a good idea. This video parody shows what might have happened if Microsoft had designed the Ipod box. This is true for creating all your marketing pieces as well.
The idea of “we p…
February 27th, 2006 at 3:04 pm
I love this video, it’s very funny and so true. Microsoft always launch a product in a lot of versions !!
Lapytsh
Most Valuable Student for Microsoft
http://www.lapytsh.com
February 27th, 2006 at 3:52 pm
Got up to 33 SKU’s, all very possible and done before in the past, but I think I better stop. 33 SKUs for Microsoft iPod. ;)
iPod Media Center Edition - The SKU with Video and Photos, comes with a customized interface. Pen support not avail. with Media Center Edition.
iPod Pen Edition - Touch-screen functionality, separate isolated SKU. Ultimate and Ultimate Media Center Edition does not include Pen Support. Pen not avail. with Photo or Video Editions. Has iNote program, for taking and inking notes. Eventually Pen and Media center will fold into the next version of iPod, but only if you have the Ulitmate bundle will you be able to upgrade your firmware.
iPod Live Edition - Monthly fee-portable Web-based iPod, allows you to sync your regular iPod songs to an online site, for times when not carrying an iPod, yet have web access and want to listen to your playlists. Requires iPod to work, cannot sync songs direct without the iPod. Limit of 4 syncs or 40 songs per month (whichever comes first). No collaboration or sharing features. Requires security key token and specialized SecureID login.
iPod Gamer Edition - Full solitaire suite with Pac Man and MS Arcade Pinball.
iPod SmartPhone Edition and iPod SmartPhone Video Edition - TBA. But has a secret viral-marketing countdown website pointed at by key Microsoft bloggers.
February 27th, 2006 at 4:57 pm
People love beating up on MS.
February 27th, 2006 at 5:11 pm
hahahahahahahaha…
February 27th, 2006 at 5:25 pm
I saw a rumor that MS is planning to issue Windows Longwind in six different versions. If that’s the case, this is one more place where you have a lot to learn from Apple. Apple has two versions of the OS that are current at any given time: Mac OS X, and Mac OS X Server.
Simplify, simplify, simplify.
February 27th, 2006 at 5:40 pm
Anyone know the name of the music that is used as a soundtrack for that video? I know I heard it before somewhere. Me thinks in a movie.
February 27th, 2006 at 5:43 pm
Yes, they nailed us on that one…
February 27th, 2006 at 5:48 pm
Guy’s taking a jab at you again ?
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/02/how_to_prevent_.html
Read point 9
February 27th, 2006 at 5:50 pm
Only missing was the box within the box:
Ipod size bloated to 60 times its volume,
using polystyrene foam and bubble packs.
Oh, and the manuals: reference guide, user’s
manual, quick start guide, registration pack
written in every conceivable language, and
special offer pamphlets on associated products,
like “cutting-edge belt clips”, “real leatherette
case” and “glow-in-the-dark skins”.
February 27th, 2006 at 5:54 pm
It’s a matter of style. Microsoft don’t grok style.
February 27th, 2006 at 6:10 pm
Best not to take this personally or literally. Best for everyone — Microsoft or not — who has the role of client working with designers and advertising creatives to learn from this parable. We’re all sinners here.
February 27th, 2006 at 6:12 pm
LOL,
2005 Pro Human Ear Edition.
That was cool and true.
But I got to tell ya - asp.net is my ipod and it’s just as cool.
February 27th, 2006 at 6:23 pm
The downside of Apple (my primary systems are MAC) is that they assume the users are incapable of doing anything complicated. DON’T ALLOW users to become high performance knowledge workers. If the world were designed by Apple…non-of us would drive a car…the car would drive itself. Your tooth brush and comb would have one bristle and tooth. If you can’t make it simple, don’t offer it. At least Microsoft FORCES you to do more to get your work done :-).
Doug Engelbart’s co-evolution of tools and human systems is the way we should go!
-b
February 27th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
billdaul: “If the world were designed by Apple…non-of us would drive a car…the car would drive itself.”
I know I’d rather the car drive itself. Why go with the MS product? I’d probably have to track down the latest drivers for the car before I was even able to get it on the road! There’s a lot to be said for making things simple. Doing so is a lot harder than it may first seem.
February 27th, 2006 at 6:41 pm
“The downside of Apple (my primary systems are MAC) is that they assume the users are incapable of doing anything complicated. DON’T ALLOW users to become high performance knowledge workers.”
I don’t find this to be true at all. Maybe you don’t let yourself become a high performance knowledge worker.
A simple search of Apple’s knowledge base or their help system or about 20 different web sites will reveal all that’s needed. Does Apple prevent you from using search or the web?
February 27th, 2006 at 6:43 pm
Further, bill daul, we are talking about package design and marketing. Last time I checked no one has ever become a powerful knowledge worker from an MS box!
February 27th, 2006 at 6:52 pm
Goebbels: you might check into who did this video before you go talking about copyright and such. Hint: it wasn’t done by Youtube. It was done by Microsoft marketing for an internal meeting with its designers, I’m told. But, thank you for playing!
Met: you might want to read my blog before commenting. I already linked to that post by Guy Kawasaki and even pointed out #9. Yesterday.
February 27th, 2006 at 6:54 pm
Robert
Having a sense of humour never hurts.
I started using Office Live as a portal for all my sites but some functions are less than user friendly (too many steps).
I will stop by the SEOS in New York on Wednesday morning.
Will you be around?
Having time to meet?
Let me know
P.S: I do like using CoComment
Serge
Business Site:
http://www.njconcierges.com
Blog:
http://sergetheconcierge.typepad.com
February 27th, 2006 at 7:15 pm
“Hint: it wasn’t done by Youtube.”
Hint: the primary source is youtube and the channel9 link is to YouTube so my question is (still) why the fck did we have to stop at the lame Channel 9 site?
ANd I didn’t say anything about copyright. Can you take a hint — I mean “read”?
February 27th, 2006 at 7:20 pm
P.S. I think your full of shit about this being from Microsoft. I don’t have any proof so I’ll reserve that judgement, but I’d especially love for you to back that up.
Thanks.
February 27th, 2006 at 7:59 pm
Goebbels: if I lied and you found out about it (and chances are pretty large you would) then you’d have fun with that for months, wouldn’t you?
Why link to Channel 9? Cause I run this blog. Not you. Deal. It took you a total of 10 seconds to click twice. It’s the cost of reading my blog. If that bothers you you can always decide not to read my blog.
February 27th, 2006 at 8:34 pm
“The downside of Apple (my primary systems are MAC) is that they assume the users are incapable of doing anything complicated. DON’T ALLOW users to become high performance knowledge workers.”
1. It’s Mac, unless you’re talking about the address.
2. How do they assume users are incapable of doing anything complicated? They publish full frameworks of just about every core OS feature. Not to mention that there’s a whole unixy underbelly for power users.
Don’t allow? You’re full of shit.
February 27th, 2006 at 8:35 pm
* documented unixy underbelly.
February 27th, 2006 at 8:48 pm
How do they assume users are incapable of doing anything complicated?
My answer would be :
Front row, the front row remote.
iPod not having an equaliser, not having on the go song deletion (I am not sure whether they’ve added this)
Macs not having a right mouse button (uptil this year)
customizable desktop on OSX (Windows allows you to movie things around, customize clicks, etc more).
Multiple ways to do something, e.g close an active window.
Apple never releases anything half-baked - but that also means they are not aggressive in advancing technology - what changes has happened to the iPod in the past 5 years ?
February 27th, 2006 at 8:57 pm
about the packaging video:
I know many people who bought an iPod not knowing it doesn’t come with a charger :)
But they wouldn’t dare say that out loud coz they would be frowned upon.
I’d take a bit more transparency in this case. If your product is mostly sold online and in your own stores, you have the freedom to reduce to data on the box.
But I would rather have more data on something I buy from Frys or Bestbuy - and on something I have no idea about (like a GPS device, for e.g)
February 27th, 2006 at 9:48 pm
The iPod did come with a charger until the fifth generation. Part of the $100-$200 reduction in price was losing the charger and case that used to be included. (A free slip case has been made included of late.) However, I don’t see how a person of normal intelligence would expect a charger and an iPod in a box that small.
As for throwing boxes away, I’ve kept my iPod boxes for all five generations. Many people do. They’ve even been sold on eBay.
February 27th, 2006 at 9:49 pm
met: “Apple never releases anything half-baked - but that also means they are not aggressive in advancing technology - what changes has happened to the iPod in the past 5 years ?”
Apple is not aggressive in advancing technology? Where have you been for the past 30 years?!? Apple have been innovative since day dot.
February 27th, 2006 at 9:58 pm
Robert: “Goebbels: you might check into who did this video before you go talking about copyright and such. Hint: it wasn’t done by Youtube. It was done by Microsoft marketing for an internal meeting with its designers, I’m told. But, thank you for playing!”
What was the gist of this internal meeting? How to be more like Apple? How to learn from Apple? :)
February 27th, 2006 at 10:40 pm
That was hilarious. But strangly surreal. This isnt something that could be far off. Windows media mp3 player?
February 27th, 2006 at 11:10 pm
[...] From Robert Scoble’s What if Microsoft designes iPod box [...]
February 27th, 2006 at 11:50 pm
Diego: if you can’t learn from your competitors you’re doomed.
February 28th, 2006 at 4:12 am
[...] noch keine kommentare zu’was wäre wenn…’ RSS feed fuer kommentare und trackback URI fuer ‘was wäre wenn…’ [...]
February 28th, 2006 at 4:18 am
the user will have to reboot the ipod everytime you play a song :P
February 28th, 2006 at 4:32 am
this is great. loved the add-ons around the use and warmth of the message and packaging. The sys reqs with the fold out were great.
February 28th, 2006 at 9:41 am
“If that bothers you you can always decide not to read my blog. ”
I’m not bothered by your hypocrisy; I’ve been experiencing it for over 3 years. I’m just pointing it out: you bitch and whine when someone grabs your content or don’t cite true original sources, and now you pass us through Channel 9 for no reason to get hits. When I ask you why, you don’t answer: you just say it’s my blog, fck off.
Sure, it’s your blog. But why are you passing us through a site that has nothing to do with this video?
By the way, I’m pretty certain I’m close to proving that this was not done by Microsoft: neither the Channel 9 poster or the YouTube poster work for Microsoft to begin with.
You making the absurd claim that Microsoft produced I think needs to be defended. Otherwise, I’ll have to keep harassing you about it like the money you owe me for welching on our bet.
February 28th, 2006 at 9:48 am
met,
1. front row: it’s a 1.0 product and is meant to be simple. The “Pro” Mac solution was to install Salling Clicker on your phone 3 years ago.
2. iPod does have an equalizer, but it is a simple one. But the “pro” solution is to have music that is produced properly equalized, not to bump some settings around because you think distorting bass is “pro”, it’s actually “amateur.”
3. Mac OS X has been around for over 5 years and has always had right click. Prior to it, numerous mouse manufacturers supported it and or you could program it with apps like QuickKeys. Is that too “pro” for you?
4. There are numerous customizations you clearly aren’t aware that are quite exposed by Apple. There are many, many more that can be done with simple plist hacks and other tricks. There are many apps to modify the desktop. There are numerous skins. I can think of 4 ways to close a window.
As I said, Apple doesn’t stop you from being a “pro”; you have stopped yourself.
February 28th, 2006 at 10:29 am
[...] 1) Widescreen iPod: this just makes sense. The cool factor here would be Apple completely re-inventing their GUI, either with an all-touchscreen version, or possibly moving all the buttons to the edges or back of the unit. This would allow them to keep the same form factor while improving the video display. Plus it’s better than the video Scoble found about a Msft-designed iPod! [...]
February 28th, 2006 at 10:31 am
I don’t care if its amateur, I want to change the equalizer settings.
I want to have a right click button on my powerbook.
If frontrow is meant to be simple it is not supposed to be compared to media center.
:)
the stupid disclaimer any mac user has to put up forward : I also own a powerbook, I like it for what it is - and hate it for some of what it is.
And to the person who said that Apple is at the forefront of innovations (of course they are doing stuff in areas where they have to fight - thats why the company is still alive).
What have they done to the iPod in the past 3 years that was so innovative?
Now think if Apple were in MS’s position, what kind of innovation would they be doing?
February 28th, 2006 at 10:49 am
I have to (somewhat ashamedly) admit that I like the dino campaign…
February 28th, 2006 at 10:53 am
“I don’t care if its amateur, I want to change the equalizer settings.”
But you said you wanted to be able to behave as a pro, and not you want to act as an amateur? (btw, you get bass and treble control starting today.)
“I want to have a right click button on my powerbook.”
This has nothing to do with the “being allowed to be a pro” though…
“If frontrow is meant to be simple it is not supposed to be compared to media center.”
Correct. It doesn’t. Apple doesn’t. Silly fools who “love” Media Centers, but really know it’s not very good make the comparison because they know that when Apple has a full offering it will be better.
February 28th, 2006 at 11:12 am
I thought it was kind of funny but I would have to side with more information being displayed rather than just pictures and a word.
February 28th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
I vote for the internally Microsoft-produced video scenarion. I clearly hear the voice of the product/brand team trying to embarrass/cajole senior management to keep from piling on… you know the VP-ish add never subtract that goes on up the chain. An warning shot to keep it clean.
February 28th, 2006 at 1:54 pm
[...] Just stumbled upon this amazing video at Robert Scobleizer’s blog. Apparently, someone claimed that this video was done by Microsoft marketing for an internal meeting with its designers. Why am I not surprised? [...]
February 28th, 2006 at 3:53 pm
I don’t believe the video came from Microsoft. If the Softies were capable of producing that video, they would not make the mistakes the video is about. No. As one sees with most of the Microsoft people who comment here, they are not about to say or do anything that would conflict with the status quo, including producing such a video.
Met’s problem is rather obvious. Despite owning Apple products, he doesn’t know much about them. I suspect that if he owned Microsoft products, he would not know much about them either.
February 28th, 2006 at 5:06 pm
[...] for the iPod? (via Scobleizer) 2/28/2006 5:06 PM | Tags: Design, Humor, Microsoft, Video | Trackback NoComments [...]
February 28th, 2006 at 5:38 pm
met,
you cannot seriously compare the command line environments of Windows and OS X and say that OS X “doesn’t allow”you to be a pro.
You cannot overlook that OS X lets you install a fully functional X11 environment, which MS doesn’t ship standard with XP, and say that OS X “doesn’t allow” you to be a pro.
Apple *GIVES AWAY* all of its dev tools, and you get them with the OS distribution. MS gives you? Keep waiting on that. But in your world, OS X “doesn’t allow” you to be a pro user?
You imply that until the Mighty Mouse, there was no support for multiple mouse buttons, which is incorrect.
You say that Apple doesn’t let you move things around, completely ignoring that you can with ease, move the dock on three sides of your screen, and with a single defaults command, put it on the top of your screen. You overlook that you can easily not have drive icons of any kind on your desk if you don’t want. you overlook dozens of ways to customize the UI that ship with the OS.
If you own a Mac, have you actually used it, or is it still in the box?
February 28th, 2006 at 8:03 pm
Criminally funny!
Proof yet again that the truth hurts! :)
March 1st, 2006 at 7:52 am
You know, I’d say that it’s not accurate enough. I think someone at MS’s design department yells out “More clutter!” the way that Saturday Night Live skit did with “More cowbell!”
Hey met, is your name an acronym for “Microsoft Educational Team?”
You sound a lot like one of my coworkers who does training: He gives way too much information, confusing and (in many cases) hurting the heads of those he teaches. (It’s a bad sign when they’re willing to pay for - or bring in their own - headache medicine, and it’s only the first week or two.) They, in turn, do sloppy and unprofessional work at a slower pace. This, in turn, I often have to help clean up.
Microsoft often does the same thing, and oftentimes I get questions from people who forget that I mainly operate a Mac. (Nothing against PC’s, but I don’t have the money or time for both, and the Macs I have are old.) There have been plenty of cases where they were confused about something on the packaging, and went to get something worse. (Yes, folks, there’s worse things than Microsoft.) When they finally realize that they still must buy said MS product, who get’s the complaints?
No folks, that video is only part of the picture. Though I wish Apple would do something new, I’m glad they’re the ones doing the iPod and not MS. MS may have did right with the XBox, but they still have a lot to learn.
March 1st, 2006 at 8:38 am
From Cy Hunter-Quick of Earth Base One
Greetings advanced beings,
I am one of those unfortunates at the bottom of the top class, so to speak. I scraped into grammar school in 1951 and into a well-known hi-IQ association in 1981. It has always been a privilege, therefore, to stand in the same room as the high-flyers. Sadly, sometimes I forget to keep my mouth shut (right now, I am risking it).
I merely wish to say that I bet I would not have understand a word of the above if I had read it. I did not understand the first line or two at the top so I pulled that thing down at the right to get to the end and am writing this.
I just want to say that I honour and respect all you guys who can do computing easily. I do not resent you one bit. Good luck to you all, bless your hearts. And when I curse at the machine with sarcasm and really rude words, it is neither any of you nor Mr Gates himself that I am getting at.
Who is it? I suppose it is myself.
Why do I still bother trying?
I expect it is my sad, pathetic attempt to get a life and bask in the periferal glory of the great ones as I lurk in the shadows, shyly hoping for, I don’t know, a thwack on the nut from a meatless bone? At least it would be attention.
Sorry to have bothered you.
Your humble borderline case, Cy
PS:
Have a look at my attempt at a web thingie. I call it ‘Earth Base One’ having thought of the title in 1989. I hoped to set up a space education centre and it seemed like a good name. (I tried in Southport, Truro, Plymouth and Hounslow West before volunteering for Space School at Brunel and crashing in flames.)
Now I see there are a whole lot of mentions of the name ‘Earth Base One’ on the Google results. I am astonished. It cannot have started from me, huh? Someone else must have thought of the name, ya?
(I bet I am contravening etiquette by advertising my web log thingie here. Let me know quickly, please, if so. Then I can stop it. Apologies in advance.)
March 1st, 2006 at 1:16 pm
Opps i have just blogged this http://akhater.wordpress.com/2006/03/01/microsoft-ipod-packaging-parody/
I thought I was the first :) should be visiting your forum more often…
If you’d like something else funny about Microsoft look at that http://akhater.wordpress.com/2006/03/01/microsoft-unsolved-mysteries/
March 1st, 2006 at 3:48 pm
[...] UPDATE Wed 1 Mar 2006 @ 4:00pm: Looks like this video was put together by a Microsoft marketing group, according to Scoble. [...]
March 1st, 2006 at 6:59 pm
As a copywriter who worked on Microsoft’s corporate marketing and design for over five years, I can attest to the fact that this video is dead-on. (In fact, I think that shot of the guy joyously listening to his headphones was downloaded directly from MS’s password-protected asset library).
Redmond is filled to the gills with way too many young, inexperienced middle-managers in charge of approving marketing and design by committee. Their only role is to spend their annual budget or else lose it the next year, so they beat every piece of marketing to death to validate their position. I can tell you 1,000 stories of their incompetence, but here’s one that comes to mind immediately: I once sat in a two hour Friday-night conference call with upwards of 10 marketing managers in Redmond who argued amongst themselves for the first 45 minutes of the call over what a brochure should be called–by their internal team. Not the headline, or concept, mind you, but what the actual initiative was going to be named. Asinine. If Bill Gates knew how much of his cash they were frittering away, he’d fire half his marketing and sales staff.
March 2nd, 2006 at 12:06 am
Funny. This is also a great allegory for how many popular web sites/pages are designed. Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, etc.
March 2nd, 2006 at 1:20 am
Oh, you mean like the back end of an ugly baby’s behind? ;)
March 2nd, 2006 at 1:38 am
The person wishing for multiple mouse buttons on a Mac laptop should check out SideTrack at http://www.ragingmenace.com/software/sidetrack/ . The software allows programming the trackpad to receive clicks at corners, for example, or to use a pad tap to accompany with the button click.
I would like to concur with previous posters that Mac OS X as an environment, including playing together with applications by third party manufacturers, is inspiringly configurable. And better yet, coherent.
J
March 2nd, 2006 at 2:03 pm
Yup. Funny video, but YouTube now says “This video has been removed by the user.”
I wonder how many teams of lawyers were responsible for that? I counted at least four different company’s trademarks being used there.
March 3rd, 2006 at 5:42 am
[...] As I mentioned in an earlier posting, the iPod box is an example of Apple’s ability to produce really nice stuff. The difference in style between Microsoft and Apple seems to be pretty fundamental (see this comparison between the presentation style of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs for example). Now someone has produced a video showing how and why Microsoft might redesign the iPod box. Even Scoble1 has admitted that honesty hurts. [...]
March 3rd, 2006 at 12:46 pm
[...] It must be difficult to run such a big company as Microsoft - but to have each division releasing their own mail client is just ridiculous. When will Microsoft get direction - who knows, but Robert Scoble recently commented on his blog that the above-mentioned video hurts, because he knows it’s true! [...]
March 3rd, 2006 at 11:00 pm
honesty is bad words, how about the dream world, it is so comfortable, what to da with believes , hopes, faith…
March 4th, 2006 at 9:47 am
[...] Auf dem Scobleizer-Blog habe ich einen Link zu dieser Seite gefunden. Es geht um ein Video, in dem Microsoft wohl ziemlich auf den Arm genommen wird. Da ich sowas hin und wieder ganz lustig finde, wollte ich mir das Video natürlich anschauen, doch leider wurde es inzwischen gelöscht. Ich habe aber eine Alternative gefunden, viel Spaß. [...]
March 8th, 2006 at 10:59 am
[...] scrive Scooble sul suo blog! [...]
March 9th, 2006 at 8:20 am
“Goebbels” you are a retard. The iPoo’s “equaliser” is a joke and of course it distorts, you’re right. However a real parametric equaliser (like the one in e.g. the Rio Karma) allows to decrease specific frequencies not just overdrive like the iPoo does. And it’s for compensating for the differences in head/earphones, it’s not an “amateur” thing. Of course the iPoo is an amateur fashion item acting like a music player that can’t even play tracks gaplessly.
March 15th, 2006 at 1:33 am
[...] Video, které pobaví (a někoho i zabolí :) [...]
March 16th, 2006 at 7:21 pm
[...] From Scoble’s blog, I got this link to this video. [...]
March 19th, 2006 at 2:29 am
[...] Amazingly, this movie was created by the Microsoft packaging team to highlight the challenges they face in the market place. Robert Scoble, the MS evangelist says “ouch.” [...]
April 9th, 2006 at 7:54 pm
[...] MS iPod box parody was made by MS [...]
April 21st, 2006 at 10:37 am
[...] Scoble links to this hillariously scathing video about what Microsoft’s packaging would have looked like if they’d made the iPod. [...]
September 1st, 2006 at 11:36 am
[...] http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/2006/02/27/ouch-what-if-microsoft-designed-the-ipod-box#comment-16896 [...]
September 16th, 2006 at 10:21 am
Marazzi
Marazzi prin Omnitechgroup
September 21st, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Haha, this is funny… but I guess:
“Jokes are really half-meant.” I wonder what that other half of the truth is?
September 28th, 2006 at 12:32 am
Medical Billing
Medical Billing
March 18th, 2007 at 9:59 am
I wonder if the reason Apple has better graphic design might be that they are smaller. A smaller company has a smaller design staff, so fewer people are there and they all know the products. With a small design team they can have a standard look to work off, which saves time for a small team, and provides a graphic cohesiveness among the products.
There is a comment about computer design regarding the Cray Supercomputers of a few decades ago: After CDC produced the CDC 6600 designed by Seymour Cray, I.B.M.’s chairman Thomas J. Watson Jr., wrote a memo to his staff noting that the 6600 team totaled only 34 people, “including the janitor,” and asked how I.B.M. had let such a small team offer the world’s most powerful computer. The answer is simply that a small team can do things in an elegant way that a large team cannot.
It is interesting that both Cray and Jobs have a design ethic to simplicity. There are volumes of information available about Cray on the Web. http://www.businessweek.com/1989-94/pre88/b31571.htm is one example. Understanding Cray’s work and design vis a vi IBM has a number of parallels to Microsoft and Apple.