Microsoft looks to 'Mojave' to revive Vista's image

[Lt-DavidW]

Microsoft looks to 'Mojave' to revive Vista's image

After months of searching for ways to defend its oft-maligned Windows operating system, Microsoft may just have found its best weapon: Vista's skeptics.

Spurred by an e-mail from someone deep in the marketing ranks, Microsoft last week traveled to San Francisco, rounding up Windows XP users who had negative impressions of Vista. The subjects were put on video, asked about their Vista impressions, and then shown a new operating system, code-named Mojave. More than 90 percent gave positive feedback on what they saw. Then they were told that Mojave was actually Windows Vista.

...continues at CNET

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Sounds like Microsoft should turn this little experiment into a TV show, because it sounds very similar to one that already exists. I think they should call it "How to Catch a Critic".

[Marshalus Veteran]

Nice

[kl33per]

Of course. There's an old adage that a person is smart, people are stupid. The consensus on any issue in a population is heavily influenced by what the cool/important people say. The cool/important people say Vista sucks, therefore, the populous believes. Obviously there will be sectors of that population who don't conform (you know, those people who use Vista daily and don't hate it, or the few who have a genuinely poor experience for whatever reason), but the vast majority are basing there opinion of something without having ever used that something (as clearly shown in these supposed videos).

[Hurmoth]

Very smart move on Microsoft's part, but not sure how that gets rid of everyone's impression of Vista. Microsoft can't possibly get every Vista skeptic to do this to them.

But still a smart way of show a small group though.

[medium_pimpin]

Yeah - It seems that most people who use Vista now have a positive view of it.

[Vykranth]

Very good idea from Microsoft: it's time they fight back for their products

[kazuyette]

User panel : " OMG this is better than Vista !!!1!"

M$ dude : " PWned !!1! This IS Vista !!1!"

:)

[simsie]

To me this says a lot about society, not just the Vista bashers, but a lot of others as well. I love the idea though.

I wonder if they have pictures of the people's faces when they're told they just used Vista...

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

wow... Ina is a hottie :x

wait... man or woman?

[Foub]

...continues at CNET

How long did they get to try out this OS and also what sort of equipment was it on? This sounds just like a canned news event given by the military.

[4CxbqFxVnstmA Veteran]

This is a good marketing strategy but I don't know how it addresses some of the criticisms of Vista people have made (about compatibility problems with older software and hardware, heavy resource use, etc). It seems from the article they just put ordinary newbies in front of a properly configured Vista system. Any operating system, once installed and configured, can look 'problem-free' under such conditions.

I don't know how much this strategy will change people's attitudes because the flaws in it are bound to be pointed out by those who criticised Vista in the first place in the media.

[Fourjays Veteran]

The real question IMO, isn't whether Vista does or doesn't "suck", but whether it provides benefits for each individual users needs over XP.

[Foub]

This is a good marketing strategy but I don't know how it addresses some of the criticisms of Vista people have made (about compatibility problems with older software and hardware, heavy resource use, etc). It seems from the article they just put ordinary newbies in front of a properly configured Vista system. Any operating system, once installed and configured, can look 'problem-free' under such conditions.

I don't know how much this strategy will change people's attitudes because the flaws in it are bound to be pointed out by those who criticised Vista in the first place in the media.

PR is solely about appearance, not substance. Some believe that that is is important.

[strotee]

I think their resources would be better used to, you know, actually address the technical/functional concerns people have with Vista. Yes there are people who insult Vista without actually using it, but I'm confident they'd fade away once Microsoft resolved and took care of the "real" haters of Vista.

There just seems so much of an effort from Microsoft to convince people to like Vista and that doesn't feel right to me. I'm sorry but either someone likes something or they don't. Go back to the whiteboard and address the reasons people have not migrated to Vista.

Service Pack 1 was a step in the right direction. They should try to release like a SP 1.5 to further increase performance/resolve minor issues that lessen the reasons to loathe Vista. My gut feeling tells me they are working on 7 so they don't have to get down to the core Vista problems, "sweep Vista under the rug", so-to-speak.

Why hasn't the corporate world migrated from 2000/XP? For once Microsoft, forgo the marketing spin and just do the right thing.

[Foub]

The real question IMO, isn't whether Vista does or doesn't "suck", but whether it provides benefits for each individual users needs over XP.

True. Many of the features of Vista can easily be added to XP as well. I can make XP look and act exactly like Vista. Vista was not the big change that XP was from the 9.x line. At this point I don't really care if Vista is finally working as it should have from the start. Its far too late even though at first I had actually wanted to like Vista.

[portauthority]

wow... Ina is a hottie :x

wait... man or woman?

You are sick.

Microsoft can't try this again ... cat's out of the bag.

[magik]

There's no video???

Very smart move on Microsoft's part, but not sure how that gets rid of everyone's impression of Vista. Microsoft can't possibly get every Vista skeptic to do this to them.

But still a smart way of show a small group though.

Well, the whole point is other people are supposed to learn from these skeptics. So it's not necessarily only effective for a small group.

[guru]

can they try this on Dark Knight in the opposite direction... the hype is getting a little too much

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

True. Many of the features of Vista can easily be added to XP as well. I can make XP look and act exactly like Vista. Vista was not the big change that XP was from the 9.x line. At this point I don't really care if Vista is finally working as it should have from the start. Its far too late even though at first I had actually wanted to like Vista.

Well, no you can't.

Vista has certain core changes that allow you to do things that weren't possible under previous versions of Windows.

[ViperAFK]

can they try this on Dark Knight in the opposite direction... the hype is getting a little too much

Why so serious?

[hagjohn]

LOL good for MS. It's about time they are fighting back.

[Cara Veteran]

Next week the headlines will read...

BREAKING NEWS - MICROSOFT RELEASES NEW OPERATING SYSTEM (WINDOWS MOJAVE) AHEAD OF SCHEDULE!

And people will be in love with a Redmond product once again. ;)

Honestly though, good attempt at brand recovery by Microsoft on Vista, however the question is can they turn this into something useful in marketing?

[EduardValencia]

Very smart move on Microsoft's part, but not sure how that gets rid of everyone's impression of Vista. Microsoft can't possibly get every Vista skeptic to do this to them.

But still a smart way of show a small group though.

In marketing this is called viral marketing or marketing word to word,the skeptics will tell other skeptics and the ball will rolll out that windows vista isn't slow as they percieve,this will encourage people to buy new rigs.

This marketing technique isn't fast,requires time,however it's very effective indeed.More than any commercial and magazine ad's.

If was at the global marketing department,i could take thss further,i would make demonstration stores at the mayor cities around the world,the impact could be huge huge.

[Hurmoth]

In marketing this is called viral marketing or marketing word to word,the skeptics will tell other skeptics and the ball will rolll out that windows vista isn't slow as they percieve,this will encourage people to buy new rigs.

This marketing technique isn't fast,requires time,however it's very effective indeed.More than any commercial and magazine ad's.

If was at the global marketing department,i could take thss further,i would make demonstration stores at the mayor cities around the world,the impact could be huge huge.

Exactly, and by the time that everyone is on Vista, the next operating system will be coming out.