Microsoft PDC video showcases boy band, worst judgment ever
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted October 7th 2008 1:28PM
posted October 7th 2008 1:28PM
posted October 7th 2008 1:28PM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
Seriously?
Even as a joke that's not funny...
Well, so what?
It's goofy and campy. Like all of the other videos MS puts on for their confabs. You would think by now that people would get that they do it on purpose, yet it seems that the same group of yahoos still loose their $hit whenever it's posted somewhere.
Gates and Seinfeld were funny even if they had no point. This was painful to watch.
Oh come on, nobody's ever heard of tongue-in-cheek?
In the last few months we have:
- Ballmer's "I'm a PC"
- Canning Bill & Jerry (which worked for me..... Gimme a little robot Bill!)
- This Boyband garbage
Are Microsoft *trying* to lose the plot?
Even as a joke, fail. Once again Microsoft proves they are absolutely clueless when it comes to advertising. The only commercial I've seen recently by them that I liked was the "I'm a PC" commercial and I even question the effectiveness of that one.
I don't know how the proliferation of Vista is going, and I do believe those who use it and say it's good. But XP is damn good too and I don't have to spend any extra money to keep using it. Upgrading to Vista is going to cost me at least $500 if not a grand because I have to build an entirely new computer. If Microsoft wants us XP users to upgrade this isn't going to do it. But, I still plan to upgrade to Windows 7 when it comes out.
I guess when you control 90+ percent of the market you don't have to worry about what kind of advertising you do.
What...the hell.....was that?
This was marginally worse than the Seinfeld/Gates garbage.
I think they’ve seen the popularity of the CERN rap and tried to do something similar. I think Microsoft are concentrating a bit too much on improving their image and not enough on improving their products.
That said, I thought it was quite entertaining and while it’s not going to make me by Windows Vista SP2 (aka Windows 7) it did make me like Microsoft a bit more.
Like others said, that is just terrible. OBVIOUSLY, it is tongue-in-cheek, I think everyone gets that. But it doesn't improve it at all.
To @Charles who said
"That said, I thought it was quite entertaining and while it’s not going to make me by Windows Vista SP2 (aka Windows 7) it did make me like Microsoft a bit more."
You like Microsoft more because of that video? Are you kidding?
Wow Fred, your Microsoft apologetics know no bounds.
You probably thought the sweaty Ballmer dance video was insignificant too.
Where is your shame?
@ fred, wouldn't it be in the interest of fairness to add your job title in the Microsoft PR department to every one of your comments?
No one but a PR person could possibly spin this video atrocity to the positive.
Face. Palm. Cry.
Plz Microsoft, just fire your entire marketing department. Even the die-hard supporters are being put off now...
And it is all edited on a MacBook Pro.
That would explain a lot.
Here is the counter-part/reply and will help clear it out of your head: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI
I do think it's funny that Microsoft needs to use Apple laptops and Mac OS X for their own commercials...
Hey, Microsoft! If you love Apple so much why don't you mergy them?!?!
Oh Engadget, why must you put a negative spin on everything Microsoft?
um, did you see the video?
Did you see the ending?
Yes, I saw the ending and its still the worst thing I've ever seen. Even as a play on being the worst thing I've ever seen.
If it was all for the ending, why would we need to sit through three minutes of that?
Also, they should try hiring ACTORS next time.
"I'll see myself out."
Please do, Microsoft. Please do.
Yes.
Maybe.
That was absolutely hideous.
"leave the coffee brian"
the cup was empty........ beeeeootch
How have we come to this?
"Leave the coffee Brian" LOL
It's funny because the cup was empty.
Maybe that's why she wanted the cup?
1 girl, 1 cup?
Why ?
its the 90's all over again. failed again just like bill and jerry ads
I liked the Bill and Jerry ads :(
We all did Toxic. Thats why Jeff will be sporting a brand new, shiny- low ranked tag.
I liked them. They were pointless (kinda like a Seinfeld episode), but I liked them.
This is ten times worse than being rickrolled!
Shame on you Engadget.
This is the new rickrolled, what would be even worse was if someone made a mashup of a rickrolled microsoft boy band video !!!
This has been added to my list of links to use :p
That was a WTF?!
Microsoft told me they intended for it to be FTW!! I guess the video choreographer must have gotten the sequence of the letters wrong :S
I just threw up a little.
i just threw up A LOT.
Too long. But I can see where the funny is. Seems like it'd be more geared towards the middle-aged.
They were going the "Saturday Night Live" route- funny idea, too long.
I'm 40 and had to skip straight to the ending to survive.
You mean middle-ages? That's where I wish to be right now so I can crucify everyone responsible for this. That hurt, physically hurt.
It just started my midlife crisis
Engadget, you do know that this is supposed to be a joke right?
Key words "supposed to be". It's painfully unfunny. Kind of like the awkward cousin who always manages to embarrass himself in spectacular fashion every year at the family BBQ. Although you feel bad for him there is nothing you can really do to help him.