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Microsoft "indoctrinating" Best Buy employees
Microsoft has confirmed reports that it is equipped to train Best Buy employees in the fine art of trashing Linux -- or rather, the "important differences between Linux computers and Windows computers." Less than a week ago news broke that the software giant was "indoctrinating" Best Buy workers in preparation for the launch of its much-anticipated Windows 7 operating system.
The employee who leaked the training material has joined Linux advocates in these accusations. The training material avows, "Linux does not support many common applications and online services," including iTunes, Zune, Quicken, Photoshop, and Office 2007. It also supposedly debunks the claim that Linux is safer than Windows.
Microsoft further asserts that "few" cameras, iPods, MP3 players, printers, and scanners are compatible with Linux. It also claims that video chat is not available on all major IM networks, and games like World of Warcraft are incompatible with Linux -- though many (including WoW) can be played via WINE. The list goes on, and you can view about eleven slides here.
Specific content aside, the slides are repetitious and encourage trainees to regurgitate Microsoft's message via a quiz. I'm no Joseph Goebbels but I believe both are common tactics in disseminating propaganda. No matter your stance in the Windows versus Linux debate, the training material is certainly full of half-truths.
The employee who leaked the training material has joined Linux advocates in these accusations. The training material avows, "Linux does not support many common applications and online services," including iTunes, Zune, Quicken, Photoshop, and Office 2007. It also supposedly debunks the claim that Linux is safer than Windows.
Microsoft further asserts that "few" cameras, iPods, MP3 players, printers, and scanners are compatible with Linux. It also claims that video chat is not available on all major IM networks, and games like World of Warcraft are incompatible with Linux -- though many (including WoW) can be played via WINE. The list goes on, and you can view about eleven slides here.
Specific content aside, the slides are repetitious and encourage trainees to regurgitate Microsoft's message via a quiz. I'm no Joseph Goebbels but I believe both are common tactics in disseminating propaganda. No matter your stance in the Windows versus Linux debate, the training material is certainly full of half-truths.
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User Comments (46)
Post a comment| Guest on September 10, 2009 2:16 PM | Whoever wants to define himself a desktop user or real
enterprise customer, should know which OS is better for
him/her. This Microsoft ad is just another ad in order to create a fuss around the release of Windows 7. (Windows 7 is a really good release) A Linux user who knows how to use a Linux system, should recognise automatically that most of the things said on the ad are just FUD, the first impression of somebody who just booted into, for example, Ubuntu or Fedora, and hasn't used another OS before. A desktop user's opinion shouldn't be affected by such ads without arguments, since they are biased, obviously. Linux users, just, don't care. It should be forgotten in a week or so. |
| Matthew on September 10, 2009 2:31 PM | It's not an ad. It's training material for Best Buy
employees.  Did you even read the article?
|
| tekkaraiden on September 10, 2009 3:11 PM | I'm sure most Best Buy employees don't even know what Linux is. Being fair Ubuntu and Fedora can be a lot more work to configure than Windows, but hey it's FREE. |
| Vrmithrax on September 10, 2009 3:16 PM | Does it really surprise anyone that Microsoft would spout
half-truths and skew (or conveniently leave out) facts to
support the sale of their own software? It IS Microsoft
we're talking about, here. Personally, I love how they make one of their points that Linux can't run Windows Live Essentials... Well, DUH! Besides, who wants that crap? WIndows Live Messenger regularly crashes computers here at work, we have all moved to Trillian to avoid the stupidity. And they point out that Linux can't run Office... Yah, it's too bad there's not a great office package that rivals Microsoft Office, and was programmed native to Linux... What, there is? And it's FREE you say? Why wouldn't Microsoft mention that? |
| Guest on September 10, 2009 3:25 PM | Microsoft is so full of Caca its to the point of unbelievable and beyond windows xp is forever full of holes which they continually patching dont talk bout vista someone correct me is im wrong how long has it been out and now we have this wndows 7 on the horizon, huh!? as for games, software and etc.. don't microsoft pays company to just host its OS? correct if im wrong so people like linux and mac OS cant enter the ring with them. right now i have on my machine is a dual boot XP and Ubuntu and i love it i use XP to just game and i use the Ubuntu for everyday PCing linux is all right in book and i didnt have to pay arm and leg to obtain it so as im concerned microsoft sucks |
| raybay on September 10, 2009 3:27 PM | Not the first training of Best Buy by Microsoft. They also
provided such training for CompUSA for all the good it did
them, and the Best Buy staff isn't going to be fooled. In
the long run, it is good for the average computer hardware
or software buyer. I am in favor of anything that gets those Best Buy people better trained than they are currently. |
| Guest on September 10, 2009 3:27 PM | Why is Microsoft afraid of Linux? I believe I know the answer. Watch the Penguin closely in the coming months. |
| Guest on September 10, 2009 4:16 PM | @Matthew: It IS an ad, and I've read really well what it is. |
| Guest on September 10, 2009 4:25 PM | MS is pointing out what most already know. Good for them. Nothing wrong with the points they make. All very true. |
| Badfinger on September 10, 2009 4:45 PM | M$ must be full of republicants. Is WINE for Linux free? |
| shl0791 on September 10, 2009 4:55 PM | That's the training available straight from Expertzone at microsoft. That training is not JUST for BBY employees. It was designed for retail stores who carry MS products. Please do some research before posting the wrong info and making BBY look bad. The title should read something like "Microsoft "indoctrinating" tech retail employees " |
| Rick on September 10, 2009 5:12 PM | shl0791 said: While I agree the title could be
more generalized and fair -- making this information
available to others doesn't make the existing title any less
true.
Please do some research before posting the wrong info and making BBY look bad. The title should read something like "Microsoft "indoctrinating" tech retail employees " |
| Guest on September 10, 2009 6:57 PM | To be fair Linux is usually much easier to install and configure than any version of Windows including 7. But hey! its Open! |
| captaincranky on September 10, 2009 7:35 PM | That's the training available straight
from Expertzone at microsoft. That training is not JUST for
BBY employees. It was designed for retail stores who carry
MS products. Please do some research before posting the
wrong info and making BBY look bad. The title should read
something like "Microsoft "indoctrinating" tech retail
employees " Well, Best Buy is almost the monopoly
that M$ is in the electronics retail business. Circuit City
is dead, as is CompUSA. Who else exactly does M$ have to
indoctrinate? Good luck trying to teach a Walmart employee
anything about an OS, Hi-Def TV or a computer. This is not
the fault of the employees, but rather a question of
corporate policy and focus. It does pretty much seem that
when you've reached BJ's or KMart or any such retail
establishment for a major electronics, you're expected to
know what you're doing, and if you don't, too bad, buy
something anyway. Major chain retailers realize a much
greater profit margin by selling toys, back to school
supplies, and Fruit of the Loom underwear, than they ever
will selling Blu-Ray Players
|
| tengeta on September 10, 2009 8:07 PM | So what, Best Buy was already full of BS spewing employees to begin with, now they just don't have to come up with it on the spot. |
| captaincranky on September 10, 2009 8:10 PM | So what, Best Buy was already full of
BS spewing employees to begin with, now they just don't have
to come up with it on the spot. No, Bill Gates
whispered the answer to them out of a burning
bush.So, what's wrong with a teleprompter anyway? |
| hellokitty[hk] on September 10, 2009 9:44 PM | LOL. Linux has a fraction of the consumers microsoft does, true, its getting more popular and easy, but I think showing powerpoints abroad like this will strengthen linux advertising to people who are unaware, and do nothing to the less informed group that can't tell a difference. And everyone else knows what they're talking about. |
| brucethetech on September 10, 2009 10:02 PM | ;794699']LOL. if that unaware crowd you
spoke of switched to linux theyd switch back instantly the
second they had to add a piece of hardware or wanted to play
a game. the ease of use is just not ther for the mere
inquisitive windows user
Linux has a fraction of the consumers microsoft does, true, its getting more popular and easy, but I think showing powerpoints abroad like this will strengthen linux advertising to people who are unaware, and do nothing to the less informed group that can't tell a difference. And everyone else knows what they're talking about. |
| red1776 on September 10, 2009 10:05 PM | ;794699']LOL. thats not exactly right HK,
linux has garnered somewhere between 1-4% of the market
(games get played with this. what they fail to
report,reflect,and leave out is that of the folks who try
it, most go back to windows.
Linux has a fraction of the consumers microsoft does, true, its getting more popular and easy, but I think showing powerpoints abroad like this will strengthen linux advertising to people who are unaware, and do nothing to the less informed group that can't tell a difference. And everyone else knows what they're talking about. |
| MaXtor on September 11, 2009 3:19 AM | Anyone who believes this trash has never used a modern
distro of Linux. If they have, then they never took the time
to learn to use it, they gave up when they noticed it wasn't
exactly the same as Windows. Microsoft just took any
technicality they had and worded it in a way that works to
their advantage. The best part is their reasoning for Linux
not being more secure than Windows, I actually laughed out
loud when I read that part. Something I find funny was that
I had major driver issues with Windows 7, but I didn't have
a single driver problem installing Ubuntu 9.04 on the same
computer. Linux aims to be better than Windows. Linux is NOT Windows. How could Linux be better than Windows if it's exactly the same? Of course there is a learning curve, it's an entirely different operating system. Think of it as if you were using Windows for the first time, but at least you know the fundamentals of using a mouse and keyboard. So it should actually be easier than it was to learn Windows. Read this article that explains what I'm trying to say a whole lot better: http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm Microsoft is such a sneaky company, take a look at their renamed, and relaunched search engine. They copied Google unbelievably. If you haven't noticed you must be blind, take a look at this screenshot: [link] I will however give them credit, I think the preview on videos for their video search is rather neat. I am also quite impressed with Windows 7, but there is nothing unique about it. What's new about it? The taskbar? That's a ripped off idea from Mac, I've been using a similar version in Ubuntu for almost 2 years now. Currently I have Windows 7 Ultimate x64 and Ubuntu 9.04 x64 installed on my laptop. I only have Windows 7 installed for the purpose of testing it, I'll be honest, I like it, but I'll keep Ubuntu as my main Operating System. I've never had a security issue with Ubuntu. I don't usually have security issues with Windows either, but the difference is I don't have to do anything to Ubuntu to secure it. Using Ubuntu just seems more personal. You have a huge community you can go to for help, they help out of the kindness of their hearts, you don't have to pay for tech support. There is just so much software, and it's all free. Aside from that, it's just way more customizable. I know I sort of went off topic. I guess I got a little worked up, not sure why, I should surprised by this. It was a standard Microsoft move. |
| yukka on September 11, 2009 4:13 AM | Salesman lie anyway depending on what they get commision from. So its liers training liers to lie which they do anyway. |
| Guest on September 11, 2009 4:58 AM | Obedience without question. Loyalty until Underverse come. |
| Guest on September 11, 2009 11:56 AM | Yes, that is not Best Buy specific training, nor is it mandatory training in any way. It is training for retail employees who sell Microsoft products so they can get cheap stuff from Microsoft. Not all retail employees are dumb*sses, though. I do that training garbage to get cheap and free stuff (such as a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, Microsoft Office 2007 Standard, Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, all for free). I don't even consider the stuff training. It's just spewing Microsoft propoganda. Not a word of it will come out of my mouth to a customer, ever (I always suggest free alternatives, such as Open Office, etc). |
| windmill007 on September 11, 2009 1:31 PM | Linux is like windows 3.1 Hopefully someday we'll see Linux 95 and we can finally see it start to shine. It's time they start stealing some ideas from apple and Microsoft and make there OS easier for regular folk. I'm in IT and even I thought it was way to hard without spending time learning. With windows u can play and figure it out. Ever try to install or download something for Linux...HAHA good luck. |
| Guest on September 11, 2009 1:58 PM | Really? Has the author never seen partner marketing materials? Having worked in software for many years, I can assure you that every software vendors tells their resellers and partners why their products are better. And it's all in marketing-speak, which is to say stretches the truth to put their own products in the best light. Nothing to see here... move on... |
