My boss kicked this interesting tidbit my way to share with all of you.
Microsoft Office’s online home “Office Online” has a big “Back to School” graphic up (is it that time already?). But that’s not surprising.
What is remarkable about the graphic, is that it’s quite clearly a MacBook Pro (or, at least to my eye), and in the screen shot, it appears to be running Word 2007…for Windows.
It definitely looks like Windows Office 2007, because it features the little “launch orb’ in the upper left hand corner of the UI.
I use it all day long, so I recognize it!
Which makes me wonder: Is Microsoft Windows Office team (as opposed to the Mac Business Unit Office team) getting onboard the virtualization train?
Of course we say this all the time: Mac, Windows, it doesn’t matter what OS the app was designed to run on originally.
The Mac running VMware Fusion and a copy of Windows lets you choose the best app for your needs. Do you like Mac Office 2008? Great! Prefer Windows Office 2007? That’s fine too. Do you like Omnigraffle? Wonderful. Are you a Visio pro? Run it in a VM on your Intel Mac.
So, what do you think? Snafu, shift in mindset, or VMware Fusion kool aid drinking?
Tell us in the comments!
Typical Microsoft really. I’ve seen them do similar with a Microsoft Campus advert in the UK. Its obviously cos of the outstanding hardware.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/domster83/549272177/in/set-72157603256265128/
I think its a Powerbook G4, no iSight camera on it, can anyone clarify this?
technically, that’s a 15″ Aluminum PowerBook G4. No iSight, and nicely proportioned screen bezel. My money is on stock art. Not the first time a Mac laptop has showed up on microsoft.com, either — I predict you’ll see it replaced with a PC laptop within a week or two as word gets around.
It certainly is a Macbook Pro – they may be riding on Apple’s advertising that caters heavily toward university students. Whether it’s VMWare Fusion or Bootcamp, Microsoft is still making money from the sales of their operating system and they’re still maintaining user marketshare. To show that Macs don’t need to be Windows-free – that’s some pretty crafty advertising. Whether it’ll work out in Apple’s favor or Microsoft’s (and it may not exclusively be one or the other) will be seen in the upcoming years.
It’s certainly strange to use a Mac in an advertisement and then trump up the Windows software, instead.
I do wonder whether Microsoft’s Mac division isn’t feeling a little disappointed, however
Also, apparently textbooks in the year 2008 now have the ability to hover. Spooky!
The funny part is, that’s a Powerbook G4, they could have at least found a picture with an intel mac. And I would hate to see the result of attempting to use virtual PC to run Xp and then Office 2007. Yikes!
Microsoft produces software, not computers. Does it really matter what kind of computer their software shows up on?
It’s not a big secret that most creative types use Macs, including agencies that Microsoft use to produce things such as this.
Even the agency who got the $300,000,000 contract to make Vista “cool” uses Macs.
(Crispin Porter + Bogusky)
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/126/believe-it-or-not-hes-a-pc.html
@why does it matter
Our point exactly! Just find it remarkable when other people start toeing that line.
@Mike Peter Reed
True, creative agencies use Macs, but that doesn’t mean that the product marketing person who has oversight on the graphic just takes what they give them.
It seems to indicate that this was a conscious decision, perhaps, which emphasizes @why does it matter’s point (and our’s) all the more.
My theory is that Macs look way better than windows machines tend to, and there for show up as props more often. If you want to show your software running on a good looking notebook, a Mac is the way to go.
Somebody is gonna get fired over this one!
Thanks for sharing this informative post with us.