Microsoft has taken a page from, umm, errr, I don’t know who and unleashed the video below this past Monday. Entitled “Googlighting,” it’s a pointed attack against Google’s Google Apps suite of productivity tools, also known as Microsoft Office products wrapped Mountain View Fresh flavor. Naturally, Microsoft doesn’t want anyone – but especially corporate customers – tossing out their reliance on Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. in favor of Google’s potentially cheaper options. This piece makes some valid points about Google not being a productivity software company, forcing people to have an internet connection just to use the software, etc. But the message comes in a slightly weird (although mildly enjoyable) wrapper, and from a company people aren’t really prone to trust in any kind of argument.
In this mash-up of 80s semi-icons Leisure Suit Larry and David Addison of “Moonlighting” fame, Microsoft argues that Google basically beta tests its wares on its customers. Which is true. But the same could be said about Microsoft. Oh wait, it has been said. A billion times. Nothing like issues a “critical update” to Office or Windows every 10 minutes make folks feel like their software wasn’t fully baked when purchased. Never mind years of odd licensing terms, a dozen different versions of basically the same product and programs for which the term “bloatware” was coined.
You know what? I don’t want to use Google Apps, either. I don’t like the things Microsoft says I shouldn’t like. But does that make me a bigger fan of Microsoft? Not quite. Toss in a free Xbox 360 with a purchase of Office and we’ll talk. As I frag your noob guts in Call of Duty. Until then, maybe focus on removing the plank from your own eye.
Later,
Fox
Tip o’ the Hole to Rob Bliss (@robblissgr) for the link.
Microsoft Accuses Google of Being Kinda Like Microsoft
