Microsoft pulls a funny and no-one notices

It never fails – Microsoft tries to do something cool, funny or slyly sarcastic and they get hauled over the coals for their effort. Seinfeld was an expensive failure (even though I though they were funny ads). Their buying a PC ads were generally panned. Their latest “I’m a PC” while less funny or cool are for the most part ignored.

Then along comes Steve Ballmer’s keynote speech at this year’s CES with the perfect opportunity to put a new face on Microsoft. Unfortunately I have to side with my buddy at SiliconANGLE, Art Lindsey, when he says

All that being said, Microsoft and Ballmer still blew it. It was a complete trainwreck, and you better believe I will sweat the small stuff.

We all saw the weak attempt at comedy when they ran the short video done by What’s-His-Face from SNL, in which he “thanked” technology for embarrassing him in numerous ways at the speed of light. Nobody in the hall laughed, because every one of the gags hit way too close to home. All of us geeks have already done some of (if not all) of the stupid things depicted in the video, and most of us don’t like to be reminded of our occasional bouts with bad judgment. Huge fail.

Yes Ballmer’s keynote was a big case of FAIL – except…..

Take a look at the image at the top of this post.

You see it?

Look again……

I have to be honest I didn’t see it at first either and it took a post by Steve Clayton to point out what is a very sly jab at Apple.

Here take a closer look

Of all the movie posters or book covers that were available to show on the HP slate the fact that they picked one that had both an apple and the word “Twilight” in it has to be beyond coincidence.

So ya Ballmer pulled a funny and no-one noticed. Maybe it was the sweater thing.