Does this tin-foil hat make my ass look big?
The Macalope’s a little concerned that he may have been spending too much time in the basement with the Lone Gunmen (boy, that’s a lame call-back…).
He was perusing this Reuters story detailing how the Zune isn’t exactly flying off the shelves and found him interest piqued by something in the lede.
Donna Murphy is no fan of the ubiquitous iPod music player so on Tuesday she became one of the first to buy Microsoft’s new rival Zune device.
“I just needed a new MP3 player to play my music and watch videos,” said Murphy, who bought a Zune at Best Buy’s midtown Manhattan store. “I’m not an Apple fan, not an iPod fan. So I wanted to try something different.”
Hmm.
Donna Murphy…
Something about those direct, derogatory references to Apple…
The Macalope tried several searches for “Donna Murphy” in relation to “Microsoft”, “New York” and “public relations” or “marketing”, but all he could come up with was this Donna Murphy, a Broadway and film actress.
Of course, there must be about 50,000 Donna Murphys in New York City.
And Microsoft would never hire an actress to go shopping for a Zune in a prominent mid-town Manhattan store about four blocks from the Reuters offices and drop several anti-iPod and anti-Apple comments.
Ha-ha!
It’s ludicrous!
Right?
It’s not like they promised the Zune would get an all-out Microsoft-style marketing blitz.
And it’s not like they’ve ever used astroturf campaigns or phony Mac-to-Windows switcher stories before.
The Macalope’s sure that once his head clears, this will all look like the paranoid rantings of some other mythical creature.
Like the Easter Bunny.
Don’t know if you’ve ever run into him, but that guy is nuts.
The sad thing is, that after reading some of Ballmer’s comments about how he’s thinking about seriously going after Linux USERS for IP infringement, (http://www.bynkii.com/archives/2006/11/once_again_microsoft_excels.html), there’s nothing physically possible that i’d put past them.
I used to think a friend’s quote about Ballmer was a bit of an exaageration, but now? I think he was being nice.
“Nothing about Microsoft’s boundless evil shocks me anymore. Ballmer could be spit-roasting Lake Sammamish High School cheerleaders while wearing a red speedo and a diamond tiara and I’d yawn. Of course the image of Monkey Boy in a teeny weenie bikini would likely add some technicolor to that yawn, but I would not be shocked at the behavior itself.”
Maybe it’s just that I’m a reformed rabid fanboy, (I still foam at the mouth, but I use a bib!) but I no longer think it’s a direct evil. Perhaps it’s because of Gates following the Robber-Baron template.
There’s a saying, “Never attribute to maliciousness that which can be better attributed to stupidity.” Will they lack style and grace? Most definitely. Will they make short-term maneuvers that negatively affect their long-term stance? But of course. Will they be full of hubris? To the top! But truely evil? No, there’s worse things out there. I honestly doubt Ballmer would spit-roast cheerleaders. Unless, of course, they use RedHat.
I think it’s only a lame call-back if you’re referring to the short-lived X-Files spin-off show of the same name.
X-Files call-backs must be retro-cool by now.
No? Another couple of years yet?
At the end of the day, the 15 people who bought a Brune on the launch-spectacular are probably now trying to work out how to get a refund, so does it really matter….
And so, with the whole Brune issue cleared up, on to more pressing matters, and I must beg forgiveness from the beloved Macalope for my naivety, but…
if the Macalope is part Mac, part man and part antelope, why in the icon in the top right of the page, do I just see Mac and antelope.
Where, and again forgive me if I offend, does the most delightful Macalope hide his, erm, ‘man parts’ for want of a better word (or collection thereof)?
In the Reuters article, it says “The world’s largest software maker hopes to capitalize on consumers who may have wearied of the iPod, which has sold nearly 70 million devices and commands about 75 percent of the portable music player market.”
How do you weary of the iPod? It’s an mp3 player that simply does what it’s supposed to do. Are these weary people looking for a challenge? Like an mp3 player that doesn’t always do what it’s designed to do? If they’re looking for an mp3 player that does other things, too, then they went to the wrong product. Zunes don’t play movies yet, or TV shows. Maybe they were looking for a product with fewer functions???
Mr Jamieson, that’s just the Macalope’s head. The rest of his body is mostly human except for these blasted hooves!