Windows 7 party packs delivered – to widespread derision
The release of Windows 7 is fast approaching. On Oct. 22, everyone who wants to will be able to head out to their local computer store and pick up a copy of Microsoft’s latest operating system. That’s surely an excuse to party hard.
At the start of September, Microsoft unveiled its latest effort to get us all excited about Windows 7 – launch parties. These aren’t just a bunch of random geeks getting together and drinking a few non-alcoholic drinks (it’s a weeknight) to celebrate the coming of Windows 7. No, these are official parties sanctioned by Microsoft itself. Which probably involve a bunch of random geeks getting together and drinking a few non-alcoholic drinks.
The reason to throw one of these promo parties is obvious. Each host is given a free copy of Windows 7 Ultimate for their trouble, a copy signed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer himself. Even if you don’t it, you’d be able to sell it on eBay for a tidy profit. Which is the only possible explanation as to why so many signed up to host a Windows 7 party that not everyone’s application to do so was successful.
By the end of September, when surely everyone who was hoping to host a Windows 7 party had already applied to, Microsoft released a video with helpful tips for hosting. It’s a truly terrible video that had me laughing at the banality of it all. Not really what Microsoft was hoping to achieve, I’m guessing.
And now, the Windows 7 party packs have started to be delivered. CrunchGear provided the ubiquitous unboxing and threw in some snarky commentary for good measure. But it was outdone by PC Pro, which delivered some scathing comments on the contents of the box. And those were only the choicest cuts of a swathe of derisory articles about the Windows 7 party packs.
While most of us can see that this Windows 7 party idea is a little lame, and the comments from around the blogosphere have proved as much, it’s an initiative that’s gaining a lot of publicity for Microsoft and Windows 7. Which, in the run up to a big product launch, is really all that’s needed. So what if it’s negative publicity?
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October 12th, 2009
Exactly the point, publicity. No matter what they had put in the party packs they would have been derided by you and the likes of those sites. You really shouldn’t let your jealousy over not being selected show through in your articles.