I'm a PC and I'm 4-1/2 435
theodp writes "Microsoft's new Windows ad made its debut during the Grammy Awards on Sunday. It stars a 4-year-old cutie named Kylie (Silverlight required) showing how easy it is to use Windows Live Photo Gallery to edit and share photos. And while it's impressive that little Kylie is able to transfer a snapshot of her pet fish from her camera to a PC, color-correct it, and e-mail it to her family, what's truly amazing is that the toddler was also apparently able to read, understand, and accept Windows Live's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. (But minors can't legally execute contracts, can they?)"
OP is a condescending asshole, and it shows... (Score:1, Insightful)
You know, it's possible a 4 1/2 year old has parents... you know, the ones that have the laptop and the camera she's using to demo this?
Of course, if she was using any given version of Linux, she wouldn't be able to do anything without going through an insane amount of dialogs trying to get her digital camera recognized, her pic(s) 'fixed', and finally email them to her family/friends/whatever.
Could it be that *gasp* Windows is actually easy to use than ? Say it ain't so!
What? (Score:2, Insightful)
what's truly amazing is that the toddler was also apparently able to read, understand, and accept Windows Live's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. (But minors can't legally execute contracts, can they?)
What's with this? Seriously, who the hell takes the time to read these things every time they're presented with one? What an unnecessarily snarky summary
Monkey see, monkey do.. (Score:5, Insightful)
.. does not mean monkey understand.
This doesn't show it is easy to use, it merely demonstrates the ability of a 4 1/2 year old to follow a set of instructions.
Re:Dear God! (Score:5, Insightful)
I doubt kdawson has actually ever read a complete EULA either -- he simply needed something to bitch about..
Re:Easy to share photo's, difficult to share a mov (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:What? (Score:5, Insightful)
It seems somehow wrong to me that it is just accepted that people ignore online contracts, and yet the consequences of breaking those can be severe like with Lori Drew. Although different, it is not altogether unlike using a child in an advert for loans secured on your property "look how easy it is to get that new car, even a kid can manage it".
I always try to give him benefit of the doubt. (Score:3, Insightful)
Personally I am glad that Microsoft (might) get their photo camera integration/editing down for once, as it was always third party apps and utilities given to you, which you would have to punch a screen over. I never had issues with OS X or Linux at all, and I'm speaking about the 2.4 kernel days. gPhoto was what I loved using way more than the shit Olympus or whatever other brand name would give you for software. This was of course serial db9, not today's USB. Oh well, this is my little experience with this type of software, and it's nice hearing Microsoft will take care of things from now on. (I won't lie though, if I am ever in a situation where I need to use Windows AND manage a photo camera, I'll stay with a usb card reader and Google Picasa)
Re:OP is a condescending asshole, and it shows... (Score:4, Insightful)
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
OP is flaimbait,
but so are you.
Oh please... (Score:5, Insightful)
Really? Out of all the things you could have criticized Microsoft for, you chose the one thing that Microsoft has in common with every other software company (an insane EULA/TOS)?
That would be like me saying "And while it's impressive that little Kylie is able to transfer a snapshot of her pet fish from her camera to a PC, color-correct it, and e-mail it to her family, what's truly amazing is that someone with an @aol.com email address was able to figure out how to submit a story to /."
See what I mean? Saying something like that weakens your whole argument... Oops!
More Microsoft promotion masquerading as criticism (Score:1, Insightful)
Companies need exposure more than they need kind words - so long as those words aren't too damning. The article doesn't really criticise the software, just vaguely hints at the bad politics of the EULA. I am sure that Microsoft would rather a million people see this than nobody.
That's how advertising works. Get the subject into the punter's thoughts so that when they are in a purchasing mood, the product will be given consideration, and maybe even purchased.
By posting such an article on Slashdot exactly the right people are being targeted.
Re:Monkey see, monkey do.. (Score:1, Insightful)
I can produce instructions that a 4 year old could read to do the same tasks on Ubuntu, for example. Do you honestly think it would be as easy for her?
No. That's the point of the advertisement. :)
Grow up a little, it won't hurt
Re:Nauseating (Score:3, Insightful)
... and I don't think having a girl in an ad is "child abuse" even though she may not act natural, I doubt she feel abused from doing the ad but may even think it was funny to star in a commercial. So the reason I made the joke was to tear down some of the serious edginess of "omg it's a child in a video! porn! abuse!"
Re:Another biased, hate inspired article (Score:2, Insightful)
We don't hate Microsoft because of just any old reason, we have really good and strong arguments for hating Microsoft. I would go over the many arguments, but if you don't know them now it is only because of your own ignorance, or you are a fanboy.
We won't suddenly stop hating Microsoft because they paid some cute kid to advertise their products. We will mistrust them because they deserve out mistrust. We will come up with conspiracy theories because we know and admit to how Microsoft works (Halloween documents anyone? DrDos? etc...).
So go peddle your pro-Microsoft bullshit somewhere else.
Of course she is smart enough (Score:2, Insightful)
she has not yet entered into public education.
duh!
Re:It's already on youtube, no silverlight! (Score:5, Insightful)
Even in my travels in the real world doing work for Microsoft Shops I haven't seen to many people really that Gung-Ho about Windows (any more). Most of them really don't care what OS they use just as long as they know how to use it, or even know what Windows is as an OS really is or where the OS Starts and the computer ends.
Most people take it, it is something I need to get what I want done and thats it. I guess there could be a radical subculture that are real huge Windows fans just as they are Linux Zealots on Slashdot and Mac Fanboys. I think most of them were from the Apple vs. IBM days of the 80's Who just couldn't give up their old arguments, as an Mac Owner who back in the 80's and early 90's use to be on the IBM camp, I had to break a promise to myself to never get a Mac, as I needed to realize the Ideals I have fought for have been loss. (Speed of DOS, Shipped with development tools...). Also I think a lot of my Fear of switching went away when I went with Linux back in 1994, where I learned how I could get by without MS. Then with the Mac with OS X with a Unix prompt the last thing I was hating Macs for were gone (or at least a hopeless battle)
Re:Another biased, hate inspired article (Score:4, Insightful)
"People think it's all about misery and desperation and death and all that shite, which is not to be ignored, but what they forget is the pleasure of it. Otherwise we wouldn't do it. After all, we're not fucking stupid. At least, we're not that fucking stupid."
Mark Renton from Trainspotting on why we bash microsoft.
Re:The plot thickens (Score:3, Insightful)
Why did you uninstall it after the Olympics?
Just curious, was it running in the background? Using too many resources while you were waiting for your latte to cool?
Re:Terms of Use? (Score:3, Insightful)
You can't violate the GPL unless you are modifying and distributing. You can violate an EULA by looking sideways and sneezing.
Re:The plot thickens (Score:2, Insightful)
Because Silverlight is just Microsoft's attempt to take over the web with more proprietary garbage. There's already too much Flash on the web, and I reluctantly have to have that installed. I don't want to see Silverlight become anywhere near as popular. Besides, so far, the only sites I've come across using it are either owned by or affiliated with Microsoft, which makes having it largely unnecessary.
Re:Dear God! (Score:4, Insightful)