uber.la

I am sure the viral nature of the mistake will make some people famous for being so stupid or so clever.

Some art director somewhere is in hot water. Maybe an entire agency will get put up for review. And maybe Songsmith will rock the world like RockBand has, but this is amazing.

In their new promo video for Songsmith, Microsoft's application is shown running on a MacBookPro. Granted the little girl has stickers all over the back of her MBP, as does my daughter, but you can even see a little bit of the Apple logo poking up above the flower sticker that takes out the bulk of the Apple.

microsoft's songsmith on a macbookpro

The music created by this beast of a karioke software system is bad enough, but who could've approved, and approved, and approved this video with a MacBookPro running Songsmith. Thousands of viewings at the agency. Hundreds of views with Microsoft staff, and NOBODY ASKED, HEY WHY IS THIS ON A MAC?

More likely, several people asked that question and were squelched. Why? Because the video had already been shot? Because the project would be over budget AND late if the creative agency were forced to reshoot the Windows program on a Windows-Compatible PeeCee. Oh, wait, perhaps the Mac IS a Windows-Compatible PeeCee. I assume it'll run Vista if you want to have some real fun. But my MBP runs XP inside a VMWare instance just fine.

There are even several screenshots of the application's screens while Songsmith is running. I will have to slow the video down and see if they are using Paralells, VM's Fusion or perhaps Apple's Bootcamp. Regardless! The Songsmith demonstration video is about 50% Apple MACBOOKPRO. The laptop that is eating everyone else's lunch.

Perhaps the creative folks thought they would be funny. Maybe they thought it should be put up against iTunes new learning tracks.

However, the most likely reason the MBP was used in the Songsmith video demonstrating Windows software is…

[drumroll please]

Because creatives are Macs not PeeCees. Get it? "I'm a Mac!" And Apple still has an advantage in graphic design, advertising, media and other creative environments.

Of the stock photography found for most "computers" either in lifestyle settings or by themselves about 70% of the images are of Macs. Apples distinct design makes them stick out like glowsticks to anyone who uses a Mac.

But how a Microsoft executive, ANY MICROSOFT EXECUTIVE, let this commercial for Songsmith get out demonstrating their software on a Apple MacBookPro should have his/her head served to them on a plate. And unfortunately the cutting should go right down to the funny guy who said, "Just put stickers on the Mac, no one will notice."

I like it. I am sure the viral nature of the mistake will make some people famous for being so stupid or so clever.

And like I have said several times in the last week, "Windows an application that I run on my Mac sometimes to get older cranky programs to run."

But Microsoft IS in the OS business. And they fumbled grandely with Vista. And the netbooks are loading XP, not Vista. So if it got out that half of Microsoft employees were using MacBooks then we'd have a BIG news story. But by golly, Microsoft is demonstrating their new wizbang application on a Macintosh MacBookPro from Apple. I am going to check the weatherunderground for temperatures in hades.

You can see for yourself here: Songsmith

@jmacofearth
permalink: http://bit.ly/mac-running-songsmith

Additional screenshots:

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It had to happen, might as well be me.

Lyrics for my Songsmith on a Mac Tune. Lyrical suggestions will be credited to their authors at the publication of the song.

Well I wonder who made this, i'd like to shake their hand
I don't know if you're working for Microsoft, but would you like to join my RockBand?
Putting Macs right under their noses, it's amazing you weren't canned
Cause now that its on YouTube its gone viral across the land

So please mister songsmith – let's write a catchy song
I'll bring my Mac-Book-Pro so Windows can play along
Please mister songsmith – …. la la la la

And when I get the Songsmith demo running on MY MacBookPro I'll upload the video. You might do the same, regardless of what computing platform you prefer.

The NYTimes reported the slip first on Saturday Jan 24:

“Microsoft, huh? So it’s pretty easy to use?” The line is delivered without an I-know-you-know wink acknowledging that Microsoft is not the company likely to come first to mind when ease of use is mentioned. Songsmith works only on Windows, but the laptop in the video running Windows is a MacBook Pro, adorned with decorative stickers that obscure the Apple icon in the center.

Tags: apple, apple humor, apple netbook, bootcamp, iphone, ipod, iTunes, macbookpro, mbp image, mbp used at microsoft, microsoft, microsoft humor, netbook os, parallels, songsmith, vmware fusion, windows humor, windows on a mac, windows os, windows vista, windows xp