Now Microsoft Wants Its Laptop Back

Microsoft and AMD sent out a pile of very expensive (yet trashy looking) laptops to a number of bloggers over the past week. We were told we could keep them – now after a day of minor outrage by some people they are emailing us back with the following request that we not keep them after all! And to think, I almost smashed mine in the middle of the street 10 minutes into trying to use it! I did figure out some of the basics after awhile, but it’s still nothing life changing. Ok, so obviously I’m being a bit snotty here and am in a position of ridiculous privilege to get one of these things for free – I just don’t think it’s anything to get your knickers in a twist about given the state of the world.

My point is: the PR backpedal here is just silly. The original email read” “you are welcome to send the machine back to us after you are done playing with it, or you can give it away to your community, or you can hold onto it for as long as you’d like.” Now this follow up:

Marshall,

No good deed goes unpunished, right? You may have seen that other bloggers got review machines as well. Some of that coverage was not factual. As you write your review I just wanted to emphasize that this is a review pc. I strongly recommend you disclose that we sent you this machine for review, and I hope you give your honest opinions. Just to make sure there is no misunderstanding of our intentions I’m going to ask that you either give the pc away or send it back when you no longer need it for product reviews.

Thanks for your understanding, and happy reviewing,

Aaron ***

Ha ha ha – the snazzy laptop I got in the mail from Microsoft yesterday was the only way I was ever going to use Vista anyway. And I’m certainly never going to take a laptop with a stupid looking Ferrari logo on the front anywhere but home and my cube at work.

The computer itself doesn’t retail for $2k plus for nothing – it’s fast. Windows is so annoying and (to me, a Mac user) so counter-intuitive, that I’d never buy a Windows machine. My partner won’t touch the thing. I’m going to set it up to look pretty, take incoming news as if it was the 2nd half of a super large monitor and work on my Mac. Not that I’m super happy with the crash-happy, Flash-hating Macbook I have either. (That said, Parallels is a great program for testing Windows only applications.) See also oops – no new podcasts caught by iTunes for a week.

Ultimately all these companies are probably a lot like cell phone providers. Which is the least ugly one in the room? I wouldn’t chose at all if I didn’t have to.

I can’t believe they are telling me not to keep it now. What kind of blogosphere reaction were they expecting?

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  • Sujit Das

    Please provide Me a laptop .

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  • Leading companies every time Microsoft ..

  • Why Second Life is considered “sharing” while Youtube is commercial???
    I think Second Life should be considered Commercial/RW, at least you must pay something even to upload a file in SL.. While in Youtube it is free….
    Maybe SL could be another good example of hybrid…. anyway..

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  • Thanks for your good website and for sharing your experiences.Thanks my friend

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  • Hi, How are you?

    Life goes on. But the Web sites, updates never stops. What’s New in new systems and services every day is present. Internet under 6 hours a day by visiting the web sites, I do self assessments.

    This site is useful to see the purpose of service. But it could have been stronger than some of the issues and services. We think that Internet users spend just a good time. This hour of fun we want to learn something new.

    A request is the administrator of this site will be the best in your hand, thinking of us. Thank you for your attention. Wishing you success in your work.

    Remember, there is a statement that failure. There are just lazy. Whatever it is, plays …

    Best Regards …

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  • This actually makes sense to me. Microsoft couldn’t give you (the writer of the blog) the laptop. If they do it could be said they gave you compensation for your review, which in turn could have biased your review. It is the same reasoning behind why Consumer Reports can not have advertising in it. Granted this does not excuses the fact that they put some junior marketing person in charge of writing the original email to you or the fact that the original email made it out the door saying what it said.

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