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Microsoft lies to XP users—and they start to love Vista


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In about two weeks, Redmond has managed to turn a marketing idea into something that may just shock you. Microsoft blogger Ina Fried is reporting that Microsoft managed to trick XP users in San Francisco into loving Vista simply by telling them a small fib. The company told these users that they were using a new version of Windows, codenamed "Mojave." When asked about their experience with using Mojave, over 90 percent said they were impressed with what they saw. Then Microsoft told them they had been using Vista all along.

The company hasn't figured out how it will use this to market Vista (the company has video footage of users exclaiming "wow!" and so on), but the Mojave project will likely help in Microsoft's plan to tell the "real Vista story." This is some real ammo here: these are XP lovers saying they love Vista, not just more Microsoft employees giving statements to sell the software giant's latest operating system.

Bill Veghte, Microsoft's senior vice president of Online Services & Windows Business Group and the man who recently outlined the Windows roadmap, strongly believes that Vista's negative opinion by many users is due to poor perceptions created by the media, from Apple's anti-Vista ads to many journalists spewing Vista hate because it brings in the hits. Mojave is a perfect example of this—to an extent. Microsoft has time and again admitted that Vista has its problems, but has also emphasized that the majority of problems have been fixed. What's your take on the Mojave story?
Psychedelic

4 responses // Microsoft lies to XP users—and they start to love Vista

  • haha---that's so awesome. Too bad I switched to apple long ago and won't be going back.
    Kooberz
  • Switch to apple was a wise choice, the Mac OSX have been in the market since 2000 and 8 years later Microsoft come up with a poor rip off of this system.

    If there is a bad perception of Vista is not only because is a copy which doesn't offer anything new, but also because disappointed PC user who were expecting for something really new.

    That strategy is very common in marketing, when a product is not doing well they take it off the market, make some adjustments, change the package and name and relaunch it with a new image.
    mundosanto
  • Everyone should get a Mac and put M$ out of business.
    WezPyke
  • How sad it is that M$ has to trick people into believing your product is good. And really how can you gauge the reliability of an OS from several minutes with it. There is a reason why "word of mouth" is the best advertising. Finally, who hasn't seen Vista, all it takes is a walk down to your local big box electronics store.

    Stick with XP. Or buy a Mac (They Just Work)
    Journal

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