06.22.09
Gemini version available ♊︎Microsoft Gets Even Closer to the American Press, Promotes Vapourware
“In the face of strong competition, Evangelism’s focus may shift immediately to the next version of the same technology, however. Indeed, Phase 1 (Evangelism Starts) for version x+1 may start as soon as this Final Release of version X.”
–Microsoft, internal document [PDF]
Summary: Microsoft recaptures more influence in General Electric’s agenda-setting media outlet whilst Vista 7 gets promoted senselessly
LAST NIGHT we offered an exclusive glimpse at Microsoft's definition of vapourware. It is about announcing products ahead of their existence and hyping them up by making promises that won’t be fulfilled. In order to make vapourware effective, Microsoft must also control the press. To quote more from Microsoft’s internal documents [PDF], “Ideally, use of the competing technology becomes associated with mental deficiency, as in, “he believes in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and OS/2.” Just keep rubbing it in, via the press, analysts, newsgroups, whatever.” Microsoft understands that control of the press is crucial, which is why Microsoft is literally buying some of it.
Here is the latest deal:
GE to use Microsoft technology for ad sales: WSJ
[...]
General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal will announce Thursday that it will use technology from Microsoft Corp.
We have already warned that NBC and the likes of it will mostly deliver Microsoft's corporate propaganda and last week we offered an example where MSNBC removed parts of articles that were damaging to Microsoft.
“Later on they also lobby together for software patents in Europe.”A lot of people still fail to realise that NBC is very much a General Electric drone, so its information on energy matters will be affected accordingly. This is a recipe for disaster. Here is more coverage from MarketWatch and from Rupert Murdoch’s press. Microsoft getting closer to NBC Universal is the equivalent of Microsoft getting closer to General Electric, which recently they did directly when they announced a deal. Later on they also lobby together for software patents in Europe.
All of this domination of the press leads Microsoft to controlling the agenda-setting media. Microsoft gets to tell editors what the consensus on its products should be, so it is hardly surprising that news headlines matching “Vista” in the past week are only 3 compared to those matching “Windows 7″, of which there are 17. It’s called vapourware when the promoted product does not even exist. Fantasies supersede reality.
We could carry on talking about Dell becoming a slave of Microsoft again, but this is a topic for another day. There is money changing hands and that alone tends to define what companies — including media companies — will publicly promote [1, 2, 3]. █
Disclosure: My sister works for General Electric, so I am not biased against them.
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pcolon said,
June 22, 2009 at 8:01 am
Seems to be a heavy anti-competitiveness campaign being waged lately. We’ve been waiting on the ARM netbooks to make a splash soon, one of our lab associates forwarded me the following link:
http://www.semiaccurate.com/2009/06/12/ms-steps-snapdragon/
Speak of cutting out the competition without even getting any exposure.
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20090619161307529
Pamela Jones said it best. “Why did you shoot my horse?”
Roy Schestowitz Reply:
June 22nd, 2009 at 8:16 am
Yes, I’ve predicted that Mirosoft would play dirty against ARM. It’s cheaper than porting Windows to ARM.
Charles Oliver Reply:
June 22nd, 2009 at 8:43 am
Personally, I’m really looking forward to ARM based netbooks. Maybe MS will play dirty but they don’t have a single CPU supplier or OEM to pressure with ARM netbooks, because ARM licences to multiple companies. Even if the like of ASUS ignore the ARM market, not everyone will. This upcoming netbook looks pretty nice (apart from the Xandros Linux):
http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/06/04/arm-based-netbook-features-eight-hour-battery-weighs-under-two-pounds/
Even if it never appears some will. Even if they don’t get to bricks and mortar stores, they will be sold online and people will find them.
Roy Schestowitz Reply:
June 22nd, 2009 at 8:56 am
Microsoft knows how to handle that too.