Microsoft launches Windows XP campaign with ad made on Apple Mac

Microsoft Corp. today kicked off a new global awareness campaign designed to “showcase how people can explore, enhance and pursue their passions with Windows XP and related technology.” It’s sort of an “ignore that Apple Mac OS X Tiger stuff” misdirection play.

Microsoft so thoughtfully posted one of the new “Start Something” ads that’s part of the new global awareness campaign for Microsoft Windows XP and invited users to click the image for high-res version.

Well, various MacDailyNews readers clicked to view the image, downloaded it and checked the file’s info by using iPhoto’s “Get Info” and other methods to view the file’s EXIF information which shows it was created with “Adobe Photoshop CS Macintosh.”

As one reader wrote, “Isn’t it ironic? A picture launching their big campaign designed to steal the thunder from Apple – was made on a Mac!”

Microsoft’s press release can be found here.

The direct link to the “Start Something” ad (7.4MB) is here.

MacDailyNews Take: Hey, they asked us to “start something,” so we did!

132 Comments

  1. YEH-HEHESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

    This is as pitiful as the Dan Rather CBS News “authentic memo’s” about Bush! Ohhh, de shame, de shame!

    I POOP on Redmond’s campaign!

  2. so what, is it better that most machines from Apple are designed/proto’d with Rhino? I once worked as an artdirector at MSN/Munich – everyone doing graphics used macs. Was no secret either. I still think it’s worse that as of CAD/CAM/Industry design, macs are close to non-existent.

  3. “Start Something”

    Yaah — start activating all the hidden viruses and spyware sitting on your $499.00 eMachines Piece of Shit Wal-Mart special.

    Stupid Patchers.

  4. 7.4 bloody Megabytes!!! For a picture of a kid who looks half-baked…

    I’m on dial-up, and I’m only 534 KB through the image! What is MS expecting us to do with that high res of a picture?!!!

  5. Does anyone have a friend in any major news service so that we can send this picture?

    And for me the “start something” is a concept very close to the old “THINK DIFFERENT” ads by Apple.

    Take care

  6. I think devnull may be onto something here:

    “Start SOMETHING

    “Something.”

    SOMETHING!

    Ferchrissakes, ANYTHING AT ALLLLLLL!

    Yah, I like it dev.

    P.S. Triumph is right in the Cobb County thread-
    Redmond blows!

  7. erich, why is that worse? MS is attempting to showcase why XP is better than Apple/Mac. To do that, someone used a Mac, which inherently disproves the point, or at least dilutes it. But Macs are designed with the tools available, including non-Macs. So what? What does that prove? Nothing. I agree it would be nice to have more CAD/CAM on the Mac, but if we don’t have it, does that mean we should stop designing Macs? And if not, what’s the point? Need more software in CAD/CAM? Sure, but what’s the point in this context?

  8. God, that ad is ugly. My 12-year-old niece could do a better job. I wouldn’t go around bragging that it was done on a Mac.

    My favorite element is probably the astronaut petting the octopus, although the hummingbird pecking at the satellite dish and the T. Rex chasing the rabbit have their charms, too. Was this designed by a Deadhead in the midst of a bad acid trip? If so, the thing you should “start” is rehab.

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