Thanks again to our friend Joe from Cnet|news.com for this entertaining read
As someone dealing with Microsoft on an almost a daily basis, I can attest that spokespeople and company marketing material too often stretch the truth. It"s not unusual during an interview for me to have to ask the same question four or five times before getting a straight answer from a Microsoft spokesperson. I"ve had numerous shouting matches (OK, I was the only one yelling) with Microsoft PR reps or spokespeople over what I call "games of semantics."
So, I get really peeved when I see Microsoft taking liberties, as I would say the company did today, with marketing material. A fresh press release explains why "Windows-based PCs can participate in movies in ways never before imagined." The press release basically explains why "Users are likely to find the DVD experience on a Windows-based PC more rewarding than that of someone using a conventional DVD player." The press release goes on for about 800 words extolling the benefit--such as access to special commentaries or hidden content--of watching DVDs on Windows PCs. It"s interesting, the press release never explicitly says people can only do all these cool things on Windows PCs, but that fact is certainly implied in the wording and emphasis of the sentences. Then there is the more basic assumption: Why would Microsoft issue a press release about DVD watching unless there is some news here?