Microsoft Getting Beaten Up by Unmentionable Smaller Company

Boo! Now most of us wouldn't have even blinked at that opening. But if you were a big-wig from Microsoft, you probably would have leapt through the roof. Because at Microsoft, folks are getting a touch bit jumpy about a little company that makes a few computers, media players and cell phones.

Unless you're dead - and assuming there is no internet after you're dead - you have probably heard about Microsoft's Mojave Experiment advertising. But, just in case you are dead, I will explain it again.

Microsoft is of the opinion, held only by itself, that Vista was actually pretty decent. Yes, sure it clunked along when it came out, but that wasn't Microsoft's fault - manufacturers were just slow to catch up with drivers...

So now Microsoft wants everyone to think nice thoughts about Vista, instead of thinking it's Windows ME all over again. However, having blown it's advertising budget on Vista's release - when it said some crap about seeing the difference (ironic, coz if you could see the difference you'd be buying some other company's OS) - Microsoft couldn't afford to pay actors so had to come up with one of those cheap-assed commercials where real folks tell you how much they love a product.

Problem was, MS couldn't find any real folks who loved Vista.

So instead it got a whole lot of Windows-using real folks and lied to them.

"Hello, this isn't really Vista," the MS monkeys told folks, "this is the next super duper version. Whaddya think?"

"Oooh, ahh," said the gullible folk (like what a surprise - how hard was it to find gullible Windows users then?)

After more ooohing and aahing that left Stevie B panting, the marketing guys said "Ha ha, sucked in, that is really Vista. And you love it!"

Obviously most people punched them in the face and stormed off, but a few numnuts didn't mind being made a fool of (obviously dedicated Windows users no matter how much trouble it gives them).

So those guys got turned into a commercial to show how gullible some folks are. Oh, and something about Vista's really cool if you'd just give it a chance. Kinda like sticking your head in a toilet is cool on a hot day.

And then we hear that MS is getting worried that its 25 year long marketing strategy of secretly lobotomizing anyone who looks at a Windows screen for too long, is starting to fail. It seems some folks' brains are growing back and are discovering another company (that MS won't mention so I better not either) that MS thought it had squashed into oblivion a decade or so ago is making some decent alternatives to MS's flaw-ridden software and systems.

It's a shame I can't mention who that other company is, but I'd hate to upset MS coz it really wants to keep it a secet. But I can tell you it's not Voldemort. He's a baddie anyway. I'm sure if you think about it you could guess anyway.

Even MS-droids like John Dvorak are losing faith in Microsoft. In a recent piece on the Mojave Experiment advertising, Dvorak likens this smaller company to the hare - which is rather amusing, because this smaller company is more like the tortoise. Slow and steady over 30 years has seen it become the mind share leader in technology and in some markets, the market leader.

But I suppose when you're going backwards, like Microsoft is, anything going forwards would look pretty zippy.

Microsoft's problems are best summed up by itself in its 10K submission:

"A competing vertically-integrated model, in which a single firm controls both the software and hardware elements of a product, has been successful with certain consumer products such as personal computers, mobile phones and digital music players."

Whoever that mystery company is has certainly got Microsoft jumping at shadows. Which makes for great entertainment on the web and especially for us here on Unmentionable-Smaller-Company Matters.

So anyway, Microsoft, boo! You should be scared, because that little company is kicking your butt all over the place.