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Bill Invented Everything (5/29/01)
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Wow, just when we thought that Apple's branding efforts were paying off big-time, something had to come along and spoil the party. Given that it's been almost four years since its controversial debut in 1997, we figured that your average guy on the street would be able to attribute the phrase "Think different" to our lovable Mac-makers in Cupertino. Evidently that's not the case-- at least, not if a MacNN story is any indication. Reportedly no less an authority than the New York Times referred to the phrase as "the Microsoft slogan" in an article about last night's Spurs-Lakers game. (The article has since been corrected; thank Steve for small mercies.)
The thing is, we're pretty sure this isn't the first time someone's made this exact mistake in a highly public situation. We here at AtAT aren't exactly fond of Regis's little millionaire show, but at some point someone told us that one contestant was asked which company used "Think different" as its slogan-- and he blew his cash by answering "Microsoft." We don't know what it is, but apparently its endemic to the human population: when they screw it up, people think that Apple's slogan belongs to Microsoft. Who knows? Maybe the public is just so used to Microsoft stealing everything else Apple does, they subconsciously attribute even Apple's ads to Bill Gates. It's a sad commentary on the human condition, to be sure (or at least on Microsoft's mind share).
Hopefully the public is a little clearer on which company owns Apple's logo, since it's the only identifying mark on Apple's new retail stores. Otherwise, there are going to be a whole lot of people bellying up to the Genius Bar and asking for copies of Windows XP. (Actually, on second thought, that might not be such a bad thing after all; "Sure, I'll get that for you in a minute-- but first, take this iBook for a test drive..." Market share, here we come!)
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SceneLink (3081)
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 5/29/01 episode: May 29, 2001: Microsoft sinks to new lows by shipping its own software in a Mac OS X box. Meanwhile, the ghostly image of Saint Clarus miraculously appears within the Apple logo of a blessed iBook, and the New York Times mistakenly identifies "Think different" as a Redmond ad slogan...
Other scenes from that episode: 3079: Now Shipping: Mac OS XP (5/29/01) Okay, we know that there's plenty of controversy over whether or not Microsoft is trying to copy various aspects of Mac OS X with its upcoming Windows XP operating system. Many folks have looked askance at Microsoft's decision to break from its long-held protocol of naming its operating systems after the years in which they ship (or are supposed to ship) in favor of the "XP" moniker, right after Apple used an "X" in the name of its new operating system... 3080: Clarus Lives-- And Glows (5/29/01) Hands up, who misses Clarus? Granted, the lovable dogcow isn't completely missing from Mac OS X (as we've noted in a previous episode), but a resource buried eighty levels deep and an obscure text-only "Moof" Easter egg don't exactly constitute prime time placement...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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