Comments on: Microsoft airs first TV ad for Surface tablet (with video)

By: G4Dualie

G4Dualie — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:17:59 +0000

I don’t care what anyone says, a billion dollars is too much money to introduce a gadget.

The Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative budget is 947,000 dollars. That is what they will spend to administer the entire 140-billion dollars VA program in 2013.

The VA will process 1.2 million claims in 2013, adding to the existing million claims in the hopper for 2012. The administrative budget represents .67% of the total 140-billion for 2013.

The IT budget is 2.47% of 140-billion!

By: rolf

rolf — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 17:46:07 +0000

nothing is new in this product?!

these MS asses can’t even think of not copying apple’s magnetic cover.

the only innovation seems clicking noise?!

how much longer can anyone take MS crap / insults?!

reason the product sucks before lunch even:
inbred!
what an incestuous firm.
they can’t think worth shit.
abominable.

MS® Another Failed Product for 10 Years Straight™

By: rolf

rolf — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 17:42:02 +0000

oops. oh no, not him in that video, it’s bad enough to see underaged girls in there, but if PedoPerve Ballmer was in there, i’m open-minded but that’s too much bad taste in one go…

By: rolf

rolf — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 17:36:49 +0000

oh, so true, so empty “inside”

all ms does is shallow-hal-like

not 1 feature of the new product is mentioned.
the biggest innovation: clicks!

flabbergasting how ms, despite failing every project in a decade, is still taking users for granted, mocking them, disrespecting their intelligence, spitting on their hard-earned money to buy ms crapware.

the click feature is insulting – F’ MS!

By: rolf

rolf — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 17:34:02 +0000

wow. what insight. u r right ; )

must be perve Ballmer’s fetish.
after all, he’s the most uncivilized ceo loudmouth monster on stage worldwide – 1 ugly mf! or is it pf?

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:33:32 +0000

Does The Surface have the blue screen of death? Do I need anti-virus? And where the hell is the floppy drive??

By: nathanhillery

nathanhillery — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 02:16:45 +0000

That’s the most Surfaces we’ll ever see in one spot.
Geez Microsoft the whole point is to work hard to not look like you’re working hard. This ad is trying way too much. It’s unusual to combine predictable with nonsensical, but you’ve succeeded.

By: qka

qka — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:52:06 +0000

Typical MS ad… all flash and no substance.

And at 60 seconds long, twice as long as an Apple ad.

By: Greg L

Greg L — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 23:33:14 +0000

Sure, a good ad if you like catchy jingles and dancing. It reminds of me of this Dr. Pepper commercial.

By: Dialtone

Dialtone — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 19:29:22 +0000

Some of the $1B was also spent on buying out all of the advertising in one (or more) of the SF BART stations. And the whole area inside the toll gates is a large pink square with the logo “Surface” in the center.

Clearly part of the target market is commuters.

By: russ

russ — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 19:10:54 +0000

Yes Microsoft ads do cost much more $$ than Apple ads but ultimately ending up selling significantly less product. A billion dollars for not even 1% of the sales that Apple typically does.

By: MacDaddyMaster

MacDaddyMaster — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:10:28 +0000

This is a bunch of stuff or malarky!

By: ConfusedCountry

ConfusedCountry — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:50:26 +0000

Very good ad! I will use my iPad at home, but when I want to dance, I will use my Surface. Expect Microsoft to score big with Dancers. I just bought tickets to the new Broadway show called “The Surface”!

By: Webmasters Apprentice

Webmasters Apprentice — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:49:56 +0000

I really like that click !
I really like that big solid marble table

everything else, meh

By: Webmasters Apprentice

Webmasters Apprentice — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:54:07 +0000

I really do like that click sound !

I also liked the thick solid marble tables !

Everything else… meh.

By: KRONOS

KRONOS — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:23:29 +0000

If he had danced in it, I think that actually would have been a very whimsical way of showing MS has sense of humor…

By: KRONOS

KRONOS — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:11:20 +0000

Are those “real” people going to be doing their “productive work” during or after they are dancing and “clicking”?

By: Zeke

Zeke — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:35:35 +0000

Actually, the elementary school girls doing the hip-hop bump and grind will lock in the pedophile segment of the market.

By: Grifterus

Grifterus — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:07:35 +0000

Granted. Now, they announced pricing today.

For what they charge, I’m sticking with Apple.
… not that I ever thought witching, though

By: AnR

AnR — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:48:13 +0000

So they’re saying it comes with a keyboard.

By: 11dparker

11dparker — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:38:10 +0000

Microsoft ads > Apple ads.

By: Applepostle

Applepostle — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:29:53 +0000

To me it looks like they are selling keyboard attachments for an iPad. And that clicky thing on the back. I think the biggest failure of the ad was in not telling exactly what they’re selling.

By: ithelpskeepthedoctoraway

ithelpskeepthedoctoraway — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:18:54 +0000

A good analysis

By: ithelpskeepthedoctoraway

ithelpskeepthedoctoraway — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:16:23 +0000

I can only imagine the mess Ballmer made when he ran round the room screaming and screaming in ecstasy after he had watched this advert.

Here in the UK back in the ’70′s we had a TV campaign for people to wear their car seat belts. It was called “Clunk, Click every trip” and it was fronted by Jimmy Savile.

Do a search on Jimmy Savile and you may realise why Microsoft may want to avoid a “Click” campaign…

By: ploogman

ploogman — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:15:44 +0000

actually a very cool Apple-like ad.
Not that I am a fan of MS – I am not and have no interest in any lame late-to-the-party tablet from them.
But, you have to admit it is a cool ad that will get a lot of positive attention. It is a page right out of Apple’s playbook.

By: GlassHollow

GlassHollow — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:14:40 +0000

Lame and way to over the top. Dancing Zunes and schoolgirls trying to be cool. I don’t think it’s cool at all.

By: Seaytro

Seaytro — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:12:38 +0000

I’d rather buy microsoft surface than android tablet.

By: althegeo

althegeo — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:08:32 +0000

It’s been years since we’ve seen him dance.

By: mxnt41

mxnt41 — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:07:32 +0000

The thing is essentially a really unstable laptop that you can’t easily use on your lap.

By: althegeo

althegeo — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:07:12 +0000

It does use a fan.

By: John

John — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:59:53 +0000

Looks cool!

Does it come in “turd” brown?

By: althegeo

althegeo — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:58:53 +0000

Yes, now that’s a good comment.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:56:14 +0000

It’s like a Kit Kat commercial. And Kit Kat’s are much tastier.

By: NHL

NHL — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:53:22 +0000

Of course we here on MDN are mainly post-Microsoft-aware Mac users, so we see through the Microsoft marketing chaff and usually find no wheat.

But I try to watch these ads through the eyes of the general public who knows only Windows.

My impression:
The very first thing I see is a laptop in separate pieces.
I’m seeing an ad for a cheap-looking laptop that requires assembly.
I think,
“I’m going to carry around a lptop, in separate pieces. I guess these pieces will rattle around in my backpack, maybe rubbing and banging against each other, getting damaged.
And then anytime I want to use my new Microsoft laptop, I am expected to pull the various parts out of my bag, find a desk or table on which to assemble them, and then use my cheap, plastic laptop the way I used to use my old laptop which did not require assembly.
Hmmm.”

By: Take To Task

Take To Task — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:44:59 +0000

Wow! A video that portrays the Surface events for what they were… People “dancing around” the product, but not actually (being) able to use it.

By: HTML5 Gordon

HTML5 Gordon — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:39:51 +0000

If this commercial says “productive” to you, then you must be the lead in an off Broadway musical. Otherwise, NOTHING about this ad says “productivity”.

By: ajendus

ajendus — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:33:43 +0000

You mean like the thousands of businesses and millions of people who use it for engineering, law, teaching, hospitality services, learning, homework, flight plans, dentistry, patient records, menus, taking orders, point of sales, storyboarding, writing, playing, video games, music, videos, taking pictures, editing videos, email, calendars, contacts, travel planning, navigation and video calls?

Oh, wait, that’s the iPad and iPhone. Never mind.

By: HTML5 Gordon

HTML5 Gordon — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:32:37 +0000

“MS is famous for grinding it out with successive iterations to any project it sets its mind to.”

Yep. They’ve been “grinding it out” with successive tablet computer failures since 2001. Why stop now?

By: ajendus

ajendus — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:27:15 +0000

Finally, the Microsoft version of a High School Musical.

By: dsect

dsect — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:22:46 +0000

Now I understand: it’s just a digital picture frame! Then why does it need a keyboard?

By: 24january1984

24january1984 — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:22:45 +0000

Flat!

By: MacRaven

MacRaven — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:18:07 +0000

Why would you want to carry a snap on keyboard around? Just isn’t necessary anymore. Wasn’t that the original point of the iPad? To eliminate the need for a keyboard.

Microsloth, always 2 steps backward with their “new” invention.

By: leakfreeroof

leakfreeroof — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:09:32 +0000

I do like the click sound, if that counts!

By: leakfreeroof

leakfreeroof — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:07:35 +0000

Dumb ad ….. Simply stupid …..

By: Since84

Since84 — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:48:36 +0000

Grandma thought this was a new “clapper”, you know “lights on, lights off”, but couldn’t understand what they were turning on and off. LOL.

Way to go Microsoft.

By: wandering Joe

wandering Joe — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:37:43 +0000

highschool musical 4?

By: Mike Stack

Mike Stack — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:34:56 +0000

Zunetastic! Well Zaid.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:25:30 +0000

MS did not create a tablet. They created a laptop in tablet form. Now what is going to happen when the surface arrives having the smart cover with built in keyboard and Apples patent for this device? http://www.zdnet.com/apple-patent-reveals-ipad-smart-cover-with-built-in-keyboard-amoled-display-7000002107/

By: John Gee

John Gee — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:13:39 +0000

How does MS choose putrid colors every time?

Their Color Wheel Operator is color blind.

By: John Gee

John Gee — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:11:50 +0000

What MDN said, plus:

How does MS come up with an ugly color each and every time? Their Color Wheel Operator might be color blind.