Oh dear.... oh very dear.... I think Microsoft's 'attempt' at communication was as open as their source code is... Apple must be laughing so much that they will do another set of adds based around this very bad one... It's 4+ mins of pure crap.

I'm not at all surprised that Microsoft has decided to switch tack. I watched the ad on YouTube and it was incomprehensible, I didn't see any link to Microsoft, Vista or any kind of retaliatory anti-Mac sentiment. In fact no enlightenment about anything related to Microsoft - except that Bill Gates is a US Size 10 and eats Churros. That's not going to persuade me to try Vista even though I have a four core processor and 2Gb of very fast memory in my desktop.

I did listen to an attempt at explaining the underlying message on the This Week In Technnology podcast (for those interested download episode 159 "that's not my Churro" from twit.tv) and was franky bemused. As a degree educated, open-minded and dare I say intelligent individual I would never have got the 'message' in a thousand viewings.

The average American (who this commercial was made for) is nowhere near as well educated as their European cousins - I can only imagine that any research into the impact of this advert scored a big fat zero.

First Mojave (www.mojaveexperiment.com, you have to see it to believe it), now Seinfeld. Its a bit like Vista all over again - whatever Microsoft do they just make things worse!

It appears that we need an icon for "that was so lame it boggles the mind."

I thought the first ad was setting up some something interesting. Seems I was sadly mistaken.

If that is the metric of the person "most accomplished person in his respective field" for comedy, it sure sets a low bar for Bill G to match. Maybe that was the point.

I could use the evil Bill icon, but that wasn't evil, it was just rotten.

I thought the one with where the giraffe gets moved and the two muppets have to do some punishment by sandpapering, was quite amusing the first time I saw it.

"Hey dudez, come get our hip new OS, it's where it's at... Um... Booyaka... sha?"

I was just sick into my mouth.

...who actually thinks these ads are funny? They're enjoyable to watch. Who cares if they don't relate to anything? They're clearly building up to something. It'll be interesting to see what comes next.

Not Windows and Office then?

...hmm...

How about *that* scene from "Deliverance". The user is the fat bloke and Vista is the yokels.

It took them HOW LONG? to find out that seinfeld isnt funny......

I thought that advert was really awesome.

Paris, because her video was awesome too.

And to think that I never saw even one of the ads. There _were_ more than one, right? Or did Jer the Genius get $10 mill for just one ad?

I did not bother to look at earlier links to these adds (?) but could not resist clicking play on the one posted here. After just 40 or so seconds, I could not watch any more of it. It is embarassing.

What on earth were these people thinking (if anything at all)? Everybody in the clip sounds like the local amateur drama society at the first rehearsal (I know, I have been a member). It's the kind of hesitant way of speaking you get when the lines do not make sense to you. In good scripts, this feeling vanishes as you get into your part. In this script, I doubt it ever disappears.

I'm with Marvin: I get a headache trying to think down at THEIR level.

If you're in second place, you're allowed to mention first place. If you're in first place, never refer to the competition; you don't need to.

Microsoft's plan to "take on Apple" is admission that they no longer feel in control.

Steve Jobs must be sitting in his secret lair, cackling like Blofeld.

Like watching a drunken uncle break dancing at a wedding.

"Are there any monsters in the story?"

Yes, it's called "Vista".

"Amoeba with a blog"? Ooooh! You really feel that criticism and lack of love, don't you Bill?

Grandma apart, desperately unfunny. It's symbolic, Microsoft has nothing to say: no message, no audience, no relevance, no charisma. A creative void and utterly pointless. Thank god they're no longer spending my money on such futility.

Ah, c'mon! Those adverts were blooming brilliant! Though, reading through the comments on youtube, it seems like the masses didn't really get it... Don't worry Billy, I'm here for you.

Without question, the funniest thing about the adverts was techmuse's observation that

"although the ad does not mention Microsoft's operating system directly, it does mirror the real world experience of the company's products — appearing where not wanted, hard to remove, causing administration headaches, and finally being forced out in hopes of getting one's living space back."

<I thought the one with where the giraffe gets moved and the two muppets have to do some punishment by sandpapering, was quite amusing the first time I saw it.>

Moving giraffes is obviously core to Vista, igeddit. Hm, Maybe (confused) bunnies would have been more appropriate.

We need a bunny icon, obviously. Flames because they make bunnies tasty (after skinning). Hmm... lapin a la flamande.

Though the first one was bizarre and kinda boring, I never saw the one in this article on TV. After watching it just now I actually thought it was pretty funny.

Hilarious. Microsoft permit holders claiming that no one else gets it (again) while each offers his own interpretation.

Many did the same thing when Vista was released. One can only assume that they are suffering from a software user equivalent of Stockholm Syndrome.

just think about it....

no no no...just think.

now scream until you cannot do so.

and they ask why i do not watch tv

The Seinfeld commercials were great. The problem was, people were trying to "analyze" them, instead of enjoying the humor.

Blame the people; they just don't get comedy!

I'm sure Microsoft saw the ridiculous "analyses" that were getting posted, and decided .... "wow, they just don't get it, do they?"

If you have a good product, show the product.

If you have a good brand, show the brand.

If you have neither, show a picture of the boss.

I don't know if they were serious with this ad or not, but it's certainly got people talking. Not just here, the story's also heavily commented on several other sites.

If you make an ad which is one extreme (really great or really crap) then it gets people talking about THE COMPANY behind it. It doesn't matter what product they're trying to promote. MS have openly admitted that Vista didn't turn out the way they expected, I guess this might be to try and keep the focus on them... "we're still here and there's more to come". The way they dumped this ad will keep them in focus if people keep going to Youtube (or wherever) to see "that" MS advert. I might be completely wrong though!

..at least for a while but as time goes they are all just annoying.

I tried to like it/them, I really did. Yet I kept seeing the commercial during my favorite shows and I can't remove Vista because the vendor put some useful (Gasp!) - or at least neat - third party stuff on my laptop that I would hate to lose.

(And yes, it dual boots Linux. I built in my escape clause for those times when Vista starts being buggy and I need to get away for a while. Strangely it usually clears up on patch Tuesdays.)

I kind of thought they were funny. I know, I'm a social outcast. (I mean, I'm a social outcast even amongst geeks). I'll get my anorak.

Wasn't JS's show always about nothing? "All sound and fury, signifying nothing?"

A match made in heaven for vista then!

With an extra 10m, the comedian gets the last laugh too!

Icon: Vista ready

The problem is not in the ads.

The problem is in the value destruction instead of the value ad.

Microsoft is pouring billions into redeveloping basic operating system kernels over and over again while Apple gets theirs free.

Once Balmy is booed out the next Micro-chief needs to start with one question.

"What has the rest of the world already worked out for us that we can get cheap or free and then provide a value add on top of that?"

Until then the freetards will continue to eat away at their business as if they were a music company.

"The average American (who this commercial was made for) is nowhere near as well educated as their European cousins - I can only imagine that any research into the impact of this advert scored a big fat zero."

Not that it probably isn't true, but citation, please?

Are you counting all of Europe? Or just where you happen to be?

Bill - not funny, not entertaining, no longer productive - just rich and irrelevant

Jerry - not funny, not entertaining - never was either - just rich and irrelevant

Windows Vista - piece of SHITE out the door and still is

Windows 7 - More SHITE heaped on top of Vista

Paris - not funny, not entertaining - just rich and irrelevant

Yep, that's what I've always felt of Seinfeld.

I'll be curious to see what new funny commercials Apple responds with and then Microsoft after that and then Apple again.

This could get really entertaining! Remember the Cola wars?

Someone put to rest the whole idea of these ads. Neither ad was clever, funny, made a point, or was even marginally amusing. Much like the general windows experience the ads were just painful.