I don’t know who this guy is, but I saw an interview with Bill Gates about Vista, and he said almost exactly the same thing. Microsoft didn’t hire an evangelist, they hired a parrot.

As for whether it’s true or not, I believe that is Microsoft’s strategy. Can they deliver? Who knows. They have an uphill battle. People tolerate Microsoft Windows on their desktop because there aren’t any decent alternatives. Yeah yeah, I know you’re one of those Apple guys but listen. For bookkeeping, spreadsheets, crap like that — who uses Macs? That’s crazy. This is what businesses need, and what a lot of people need at home as well. Gaming, again, mostly a PC thing.

But part of the new vision is having a PC type device hooked up to the television, to bring content from the Internet into your living room. Microsoft wants to own this space also. Apple will make a play for it too, and I think either of them can do a credible job of it. Personally I hope neither of them gets a lock on that. They’re both guilty of writing horrible, bloated, shitty software that I don’t want to deal with when I sit down on my couch. I go in there to get AWAY from that crap.

By jvon on Feb 17, 2007

Speaking as someone who’s not qualified to speak about it, I think Microsoft’s new motto should be: “Don’t be Microsoft.”

By Vince Williams on Feb 17, 2007

what made Scoble a success as he never said any marketing hyperbole.

Robert won the industry as he became the biggest critic of his own employer. now that’s love.

By Jeremiah Owyang on Feb 17, 2007

Jeremiah: oh, I gave plenty of marketing hyperbole. The thing I did well was give everyone a forum on which to call me on my BS when I did it. I also demonstrated some listening behavior, which, even today, is very rare in corporate life.

By Robert Scoble on Feb 17, 2007

“I also demonstrated some listening behavior, which, even today, is very rare in corporate life.”

I don’t have anything to do with corporate life, but I frequently do business with corporate types.

Most of them seem to have a constitutional aversion to my ‘telling’ them something, even if it’s something I have experience in that maybe they don’t, like making a rough passage in a sailboat across Whale Cay Channel.

I know how to handle these guys. I just tell them dirty jokes. They listen to those.

By Vince Williams on Feb 17, 2007

I don’t think it’s fair to compare him to Robert I think that situation was a little more unique. He needs a chance to find himself and get a rhythm. It was a little too Bill Gates, but it is his new job and I guess if you had to portray the company line BG wouldn’t be a bad guy to copy. Let’s give him a week and then string him up.

By Jim Turner on Feb 18, 2007

It’s not so much hyperbole as marketing hype. Microsoft has been notorious for close to 20 years for their “vaporware” approach — they claim they have a product that no one will be able to compete with, which scares people out of putting R&D into it. Then they can develop their product without (much) competition.

It’s a strategy that’s worked for them pretty well in the past.

By jvon on Feb 18, 2007

Man you need to get this pod tech player to stop playing after the video. I always minimize your site to have it blare some other video out at me 30 seconds later.

By Jared on Feb 19, 2007

>>It’s not so much hyperbole as marketing hype.

You do know that “hype” is short for hyperbole, right?

By Brian Clark on Feb 19, 2007