I'm a PC
When I saw the first Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates commercial, It left me wondering what we were doing. The next two helped a "bit", but still I was wondering what we were doing. Now that I've seen the "I'm a PC" commercial, I have a bigger smile on my face. The reality is that this ad "campaign" is more than just a discussion about Windows Vista, it's the bigger discussion around the computer eco-system that currently exists.
When Windows 95 shipped, there were lines of people waiting to purchase it. Why? Because it was revolutionary for the time and it allowed our customers to extend their computing experience beyond their current expectations. So what changed? What has really transpired over the last 13 years? A lot has changed, I agree. Prior to Windows 95, DOS was the prevalent OS. People were using Windows 3.x and even Windows for Workgroups, but things were pretty static up until Windows 95. Windows 95 put us all on an explosive growth curve that accelerated the business value of our desktop computers. Fast forward to 13 years later and we've a lot behind us; we are working much harder at working with our competitors, and even promoting compatibility between the Windows platform and our competitors. Look at the certification of VMWare as the Industries First Hypervisor to be validated under our new Microsoft Server Virtualization Validation Program.
I like the new commercials because they remind people of the work we've done, as well as the work we continue to do. It's not like we've rested on our Windows 95 laurels... The Mojave experiment (http://www.mojaveexperiment.com) has been pretty interesting. I've heard a number of people suggest that it reminds them of the old Coke vs. Pepsi commercials. It's not that we're trying to take on a competitor with these ads, but we are trying to ask people to look at Windows Vista for Windows Vista and not what other people want you to believe about Vista. That's the biggest thing... Check it out for yourself and make up your own mind. When has America ever allowed someone else to tell us what we should think? I've talked to a number of people that just did not like Windows Vista, and I'm ok with that, but when I'd ask why, they'd give me a quote directly from the Mac ads. I'd then drill deeper and ask if they've even used Windows Vista and too many times, they would say that they haven't even tried it! How's that for crazy. It seems all too commonplace that people are being told what to think without even doing their homework. If you've tried Windows Vista and didn't like it. Did you really give it a fair shot? Take it for a few weeks and see how it does. I'll bet it will grow on you like it has grown on me.
I'm typing this blog on a Lenovo X61 Tablet. I love the Tablet PC, and have had one for over five years. I had one of the original Toshiba tablets and continue to truly appreciate this form factor for both its size and flexibility. I moved to Windows Vista when we hit Beta 2 so I could take advantage of the improved handwriting recognition in Windows Vista. I think I can honestly say that I've "hung in there" longer than most and I'm truly glad I stuck with Windows Vista. I still use Windows XP every now and then, my only XP installation is actually a virtual machine that I use to test compatibility and functionality.
My Lenovo has 4 GB of RAM. I agree that the performance difference between 2 and 4 GB of RAM is significant, 2 GB of RAM just wasn't quite enough. My Lenovo with 4 GB of RAM has been the best performing OS I've ever had. As far as UAC? If that's really your hang up with Vista, turn it off. Or better yet, check out ATC 5.0 and how you can use shims to overcome some of the more common compatibility issues people have encountered.
Tearing down the walls... This is the message of our new commercials. Our message is pretty simple. We do not dictate what hardware you must use, we do not dictate which version of an OS you must use, and we do not limit the available applications that you can use. Our eco system is open and it's been open for a very long time. One of the things you'll see soon is the increased level of assistance we're providing to our hardware manufacturers. You'll see hardware that's not only "Vista Ready", but tuned for Vista. Drivers have always been the biggest struggle for any Operating System. The more hardware you support, the more drivers you must develop. We do not force hardware manufacturers to develop drivers, in fact, a number of my partners have complained about the fact that even some of their new hardware does not have drivers for Vista. Again, we cannot force hardware manufacturers to develop Vista drivers, but we are going to be providing more assistance to them as they bring new products to market.
Check out our new ads and think about all of the walls we continue to take down.
I'm a PC and I'm proud of it!
Until next time!
Rob