HappySqurriel said:
Right ... If it is true that Microsoft is actually trying to avoid pre-launch negative press I certainly wouldn't call this a "smart" move. Strategies like this have been tried several times in a lot of different markets, and (more often than not) it backfires on the company. The most successful form of marketing is an honest word of mouth campaign; at the same time, the most damaging delivery of negative information is an honest word of mouth campaign. While tricking people into buying into a poor product may save some initial sales, you will lose far more sales in the long run when these people "Talk Trash" about your product whenever it comes up in conversation. |
But never underestimate MS' astroturfers army, both payed and those licking Ballmer's arse for free (the only possible explanation for this is that he secerns cocaine and they got addicted 
), MS, also with their help and relentless propaganda work, managed even to sell Win ME, or Win 2000 before SP4 or Win XP before SP2, heck, it managed to sell even Vista!
