Last Sunday, I was walking home from a trip to the store, when I noticed this billboard, just a half block from my house. I’m not sure how long it’s been up there. It’s probably been there since the launch of Windows Vista in late January.
Beauty is also in the eye of the beholder.
The first thing that struck me about the billboard was the slogan: “Beautiful on the inside, too.” Does that mean that the underlying source code is reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s drip period? I’ve never associated beautiful with any Microsoft product (or any operating system, for that matter, including Mac OS X. That's not a knock on anything; I just don't think of operating systems as beautiful).
I live in San Francisco’s Sunnyside district, a residential area a good distance south of downtown SF. Which leads me to the second thing that struck me about the Vista billboard: its location. It’s on a busy street, but it's in a location where you can see it only if you're stopped at the light, or you're walking by. I can’t imagine it has any impact. However, the billboard is located three blocks from an elementary school. Is Microsoft trying to influence today’s youth? Probably not, but you never know.
What is Windows?
March 13, 2007 at 3:54pm
I'm no Mac user, but how could OS-X not be beautiful? It's curvy, colourful, and anti-aliased like hell. Why can't I find a nice anti-aliased woman, please tell?!
Anonymous
February 16, 2007 at 7:55pm
I just saw the actual Zune market share number and it reminded me of an interview where Balmer said they are very happy with the Zune market share and recently also him saying they were very happy with the uptake of Vista. Both as we all ACTUALLY KNOW have been abysmal. The Zune market share was 0.00152 so just about one tenth of one percent. Balmer's claim (LIE) on TV for the Zune was 25% then 20% almost in the same breath. So Balmers claim was 164 time the truth. Just like Gates claim that OS-X is being breached and owned by a new threat every single day. It was first shown in March 1998 so there should be around 3250 ways to break in an own a Mac totally yet not one single Mac person amongst the tens of millions of owners has ever had this happen and there has never been a single breach executed in the wild on any one of these computers. Obviously they only exist in the Microsoft Reality Deception Zone.
This level of lying has to have a new name like quantum liar, the pathological liar label just doesn't do justice to Gates and Balmer or any of the fear based Microsoft shills and apologists.
Ted Turner
February 16, 2007 at 8:02pm
Microsoft's Gates and Balmer keep talking about Apple lying yet everything Microsoft point to as Apple lies are facts that anyone can look up for themselves. These asses are living in a fantasy land.
Wondering
February 15, 2007 at 7:00pm
I'm still trying to figure out what's beautiful about the outside - I suppose the inside could be as equally beautiful as the outside. Its good to see Microsoft's ad agency having the same sense of quality as Microsoft. Wow! - very compelling - well worth the $500 million.
frogblast
February 15, 2007 at 1:34pm
I'm disappointed no one has yet taken a spray paint can and fixed that billboard. It's just begging . . .
Anonymous
February 14, 2007 at 9:40pm
Wow. Why is everybody so upset? Who cares? Let Roman blog. The whole article just points out how pathetic Microsoft is. They don't even know where to place a good advertisment. On another note, I really like the new Vista ads, you know the "wow" ones. Microsoft is right, but they forgot to finish the sentence. It should read "Wow, this sucks."
GooGooEyes
February 14, 2007 at 6:32pm
I just saw the actual Zune market share number and it reminded me of an interview where Balmer said they are very happy with the Zune market share and recently also him saying they were very happy with the uptake of Vista. Both as we all ACTUALLY KNOW have been abysmal. The Zune market share was 0.00152 so just about one tenth of one percent. Balmer's claim (LIE) on TV for the Zune was 25% then 20% almost in the same breath. So Balmers claim was 164 time the truth. Just like Gates claim that OS-X is being breached and owned by a new threat every single day. It was first shown in March 1998 so there should be around 3250 ways to break in an own a Mac totally yet not one single Mac person amongst the tens of millions of owners has ever had this happen and there has never been a single breach executed in the wild on any one of these computers. Obviously they only exist in the Microsoft Reality Deception Zone.
This level of lying has to have a new name like quantum liar, the pathological liar label just doesn't do justice to Gates and Balmer or any of the fear based Microsoft shills and apologists.
Anonymous
February 14, 2007 at 11:39am
BTW, everyone who buys billboard space gets an approximately traffic count per day plus a listing of what's in the area - it would not surprise me that MS bought it for that reason - the wording is clear even a 4-year old understands the concept of beautiful is good - even without a real understanding of all that's involved.
rloyola
February 15, 2007 at 5:57pm
The billboard is on the wall of a small pizza joint/apartment building, and I asked the restaurant owner if he knew anything about it, because I'm interested in what deemed my neighborhood a good location for such a billboard. But he didn't. It's something the building owner is involved in, and the owner doesn't live in the neighborhood.
Thanks for the info!
Anonymous
February 14, 2007 at 11:33am
I checked out your link to Sunnyside and realized that's where my daughter and her family live. She's lived there for 2-3 years, and I never knew exactly what the neighborhood was (I thought it was the Outer Mission). Thanks for the tip.
I'll try to ignore the sign.
Anonymous
February 13, 2007 at 9:19pm
weak. very weak. very very... weak.
