Windows Gurus to infiltrate retail stores, tell you why Vista rules
By Darren Murph 
posted September 6th 2008 11:57AM
posted September 6th 2008 11:57AM
[Via Electronista, image courtesy of StarBulletin]
posted September 6th 2008 11:57AM
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I frequently visit BB after attending my favorite cineplex which is
in the same complex. Over the years, I have seen representatives
from every major printer manufacturer in BB trying to explain whey
their printer is better than the competition. Apple is not the first
to have store reps trying to extol their product vs. the competition.
Since I am a gadget geek, I purchase way too many computers etc. to
justify, and frequently purchase recertified computers. I recently
purchased 2 AMD dual core, 2GB RAM computers for < $500 each, 1
laptop, 1 desktop. Since they were recertified, both machines did
not have SP1, in fact it took a few auto updates before they were
ready for SP1. Both before, and after SP!, both machines have been
problem free with snappy performance, and no driver issues. I like
the Vista interface, and Aero.
Since the Apple rep may exaggerate a bit (like all reps), and
there is quite a bit of misinformation out there concerning the alleged
problems with Vista (including the Apple commercials) I think it is a
good move on Microsoft's part to have reps in one of the biggest
computer sales store to tell their side of the story.
I'm a mac user and even I think that this article is unfair. The Best Buy I walk into has an Apple representative on the floor at all times. With the influx of Microsoft Gurus, Best Buy will be pushed back into neutral ground, where both software parties will have to duke it out.
Don't be so harsh. Let the consumer figure out for themselves what the pros/cons of both systems are.
the point of this post was MS was.... wait for it... copying Apple.
Apple Genius......Microsoft Guru......
It's corny and pathetic. Fine, copy Apple, watch MS go down in flames, but do you have to copy it down to the last freakin' detail?
The name???
@ mike:
I have to say, "so?" I believe Apple has a secure enough grip on its market share that these Microsoft Gurus won't make anyone convert from MacOSX/Linux to Vista.
It's like this site. I've been lurking for over a month now, and I've seen trolls (who may or may not have Macs, I might add) post "get a mac" links, and the Windows users respond in kind with hate or justifications. But I doubt that either side has converted one person or made the opposition think, "hey, maybe I'm wrong." A Socratic Seminar this, the internet, is not.
No matter how many employees either company puts on site, no matter how many bells and whistles they adorn their computers with, it all comes down to the customer. The customer will try it and will or will not like it. If they don't like it, they return it and get something different.
Hmm...that would be interesting to see the Mac guys and Vista gurus fight for superiority.
It's going to be like the fight scene from Anchorman except 10X funnier.
How is this any different from HP, Epson or Creative Labs doing the same thing for years? It's not so chill.
Vista: Windows, now slower with more bugs!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52904685@N00/2146586273/
Horray! Now I know ow where to go to get my Christmas job making $15 an hour on the weekends for some e tea money. No HP job for me thor fall!!!
Let the crusades begin ... Inquisition ... it's delicious!
its...not it's.
Instead of spending all this money to convince people that Vista is "good" why don't they spend it writing an OS that is actually useful?
I'd like to interrupt one of these guys to tell the other person all about Ubuntu, just to fuck with them.
We have them at some local stores (Now that you bought your laptop with xp this lovely experts are going to talk you about the advances in Vista and Office).
My answer? Wanna go out for a movie and dinner? (Yeah i know, that's the reason why I use Linux, thanks!) :D
"it's words" --> "its words"
Hey- I wanted to be the grammar police...
It's pretty simple actually. Microsoft's problem is that they're marketing an operating system whereas Apple gets to show off all of it's fun toys (plus a cool OS). The thing is, for a LOT less money, you can do everything Apple can - problem is Microsoft doesn't make the computers. Soooo - hey, Bill - pair up with Dell or HP and start making some price bashing commercials. It's all ye got.
When are you Engadget editors going to learn the difference between "it's" and "its"?
Windows sucks, people are not stupid enough to be convinced otherwise. The best you can hope is that they don't know any better and just assume that computers are supposed to be really boring and hard to use.
Vista sucks. Windows XP and 2000 were (are) just fine.
They were good for their time I guess, especially compared to the competition, but not in 2008.
It is words, not ours!
If I buy a Honda, they don't come after me the following year to "upgrade" to the new model. Ditto for other products I buy. So why does Microsoft think it can do this? If I want their product, I'll go get it. Thank you!
"it's words, not ours" is poor, poor grammar and incorrect use of the word "it". "their words, not ours" is much more tolerable.
It's (it is) words?
How about addressing the issues with the software instead of trying to market your way out of the problem?
It's terrible. Not going to persuade me again. I already owned it once and for the first time in my life I bought a mac to get away from it. I don't regret that decision. Vista is just too chunky.
In the second line the phrase "it's words, not ours" means "it is words, not ours". It should have been "its words, not ours".
* "It's" is short for "it is".
* "Its" is possessive.
Before people starting crying about overly picky English majors, realize that those two phrases mean different things.
yet of course, unlike Apple geniuses they won't do a damn thing to help if (and you WILL) have problems with your Tvista installation. They are basically just jumped-up sales staff paid by Microserf. Avoid avoid avoid!
Well, what I would like is for Vista to stop sporadically thinking it's a fake copy. That, the initial dearth of drivers, and User Access Control were my only gripes.
I still prefer Leopard for my day to day, but there is plenty you need Windows for and Vista isn't *that* terrible an incarnation.
Viral Marketing :
1 ) Part One :Seinfield saying nothing. Done.
2 ) Part Two : sellers in disguise. Done.
3 ) Part 3 : Astroturfer. Done.
4 ) Part 4 :FUD.. work in progress.
Well, fuck them.
@ iEYE
The Mojave Experiment was not run on "really good computers". I used to work at the Fry's in WA. Both of those guys were our local "Windows Guru's" they were using average HP laptops, I forget the exact model number, to show everything off in store in almost the same way they do in the Mojave Experiments(minus the Mojave cover story). I even ran vista on my 6 year old Athlon 2800+ with a gig of RAM and had no memory issues it wasn't super fast, but It ran with no BSOD's and was still very functional(Iknow the one gig and smooth is very very rare with VISTA). I know you're all gonna doubt but those two guys in the Mojave Description video are really knowledgable and helpful. The laptops they were using were probably $800-900 a year ago, and wouldn't be anything special compared to some of the newer stuff out on the market.