Microsoft Disses Windows to Sell More Windows

mjasay writes "I stumbled across this fascinating Microsoft tutorial entitled "How to Justify a Desktop Upgrade." It's an attempt to coach IT professionals on how to sell Windows desktop upgrades internally. Apparently the value of Vista is not readily apparent, requiring detailed instructions on how to connive and cajole into an upgrade from XP. The most intriguing thing about the tutorial is its implicit rejection of Microsoft's older technology. Just a few years ago Microsoft was pitching the world on how secure and cool XP was. Now it's telling us largely the opposite, implying that XP is a security threat, costs too much to run, and so on. With Microsoft marketing against itself, perhaps the Mac and Linux camps can simply wait for Microsoft to self-destruct?"

a few years late

[gEvil (beta)]

Now it's telling us largely the opposite, implying that XP is a security threat, costs too much to run, and so on.

Hah! Now I have the evidence I need to convince my boss not to make that XP transition. Now where did I put that time machine?

Value of Vista

[Anonymous Coward]

Vista has just *tons* of value, it's totally worth the 400.00 to 'upgrade' to this OS.

For just $400.00 you get:

1. New Screensavers
2. New DRM = be treated like a criminal
3. New Product activation = be treated like a criminal
4. New Desktop 'Gadgets' - more stuff to break
5. New Windowing System
6. New Eye-Candy

for no Extra charge, you also get:

-New Support Costs
-Upgrade your applications that suddenly don't work anymore
-New Training Costs
-New Hardware - because the eye candy NEEDS 256Mb of video ram

I remember the days when all an OS had to do was manage memory, IO resources and schedule CPU time. It didn't have all this damn cruft.

Oh wait, there are still OS's that 'just work', Linux is one, if I want a fancy window manager, I have what, 10 to choose from?

Wow, what a deal!

Re:a few years late

[Slashidiot]

I think you left it on OS X Leopard...

Re:Default Administrators

[the_humeister]

Please turn in your Slashdot ID and nerd card. Also, please unholster and return your pitch fork.

Re:Value?

[Solder Fumes]

Apparently the value of Vista is not readily apparent

Neither is the value of used cat litter.

You'll find even more similarities as you dig and sift through everything, too.

Re:Value of Vista

[peragrin]

Of course you can see the security improvements in the UI.

{it looks like your posting to an insecure site. WWW.slashdot.org, would you like to continue? allow/deny}

the problem with UAC is that MSFt went straight to fine grained control of applications without having a general course grain security refined and in place to start with. It will take a while to sort out all the random issues with it. Maybe by SP2 it will be secure and useful.

then again MSFT doesn't think you own your PC or the content that's on it so maybe not.

Re:Is an old version of Linux better than the late

[Rogerborg]

Stallman? Is that you?

NT was supposedly bullet-proof too...

[TheIndifferentiate]

Nowadays, Microsoft likes to boast that they have always produced the most secure version of Windows yet. Well, whoopdidoo. You will notice how they will never say they have produced a secure version of Windows. This helps them prevent lawsuits.

Re:a few years late

[Anonymous Coward]

You have stumbled onto something interesting. The key to selling Linux as a replacement for Windows is to calculate the savings in terms of something the PHBs understand -- BMWs. A 2008 528i is about $50k, so if you can save $150k, that's 3 BMWs. Smaller companies can calculate using the 328i, larger companies can use the M5 or 745li.

Re:Slackware what?

[trolltalk.com]

"*Installs Slackware Hey look guys root is default"

... those of us who cut our teeth on slackware can work all day as root without a problem uphill, both ways, in the winter ... and when there's a power failure, we just throw some more coal into our UPS ... and ram upgrades? We don't need no stinking ram upgrades. 8 meg is more than enough on our pentium^W486^W386 on our green-screen console.

Kids nowadays! Bah!!! Humbug!!!!!

(... and merry xmas/seasons greetings/whatever floats your boat)

Re:a few years late

[dotancohen]

Every /.er knows that to err is human. To really fuck things up you need a computer.

Re:a few years late

[starnix]

Microsoft Works

Re:Wow... more rabid MS hate? On Slashdot?

[PitaBred]

Yeah, well, MY SP2 makes the firewall start BEFORE the networking is enabled. So there.

Nothing new actually...

[waa]

They used the BSOD to sell W2k back in 2001...

Back in 2001, while I was a Unix systems admin at a private boarding school, I remember cutting out and pasting on my wall an ad for W2K that Microsoft ran

It was an actual screen print of a BSOD which the user was supposed to cut out and paste to their monitor if they were missing the BSODs of Windows98, etc.

Before I realized that it was an ad FOR Microsoft, BY Microsoft I remember saying out loud "Oh boy... Someone has finally just come right out and said it, and I am sure Microsoft is gonna make them pay..."

Here's a link to a story about it. I wonder why they didn't print the ad too. (besides the obvious reasons)

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/01/17/ms_using_the_old_blue/ [theregister.co.uk]

Re:op ed on Ms Windows "security" or rather the la

[Anonymous Coward]

It's ok to capitalize the first letter in a sentence, use a period at the end, and not abuse asterisks. It really is.

Graphics Cards take the cake

[stimpleton]

Graphics Card Manufacturers take the cake with previous versions.

Version n-1 does not:

- Run these demos. They are to weak(Reality is usually a hardcode version check in the demo).
- Run this new DXn Version.
- Look as cool.

Version n-1 is:

- Embarassingly limited is this or than pipline number/bus width
- Reflective of your tiny cock size.

MS should never sell a stable operating system...

[Smid]

I worked this out years ago. It is not in Microsofts interest to sell a safe and stable operating system...

It needs the bugs. It needs the flaws. Otherwise it doesn't get to sell that same product to you over and over again.