I loved it. Of course, I have an entire blog dedicated to shoe-related humor and trivia:

http://www.SatisfiledSole.com

The day I'll stop using Windows XP will be the day I'll start OS X or Ubuntu as my new working environment.

Vista finally showed me that Windows is Bloatware. Never has a system been that unusable. The only thing I could compare it to is Netscape 4 and later.

And this ad doesn't help in any way. If you continue the analogy, Vista is a spongecake 12 by 8 feet with so much sugar it will make you sweat like a pig when you eat it and feeling bloated when you are done, all with throwing up now and then in between the several servings it will take you to get it down.

Vista is bloatware. Stay with XP. Or get a Mac or install Ubuntu if you can. The problem I have is all my peripherals as well as gaming. But that's where virtual machines come into play. Funny enough, a simpulated XP computer under Ubuntu still feels faster than native Vista on the same machine.

I'd say this ad confirms what many people have long suspected - that Bill Gates isn't just eccentric; he's mental. Only a kook would approve such an ad. To me it suggested two aging, overweight nerds struggling with Alzheimers in a shoe store.

I'll have more to say about this anti-M$ ad campaign on my Bill Gates knol at http://knol.google.com/k/david-blomstrom/bill-gates/1i6e04re3w2kp/4#

I agree that the ad, while funny, didn't do anything to get people interested in MS products.

@dukrous: yes, the series may continue and end up being more on point, but it needed to do SOMETHING to establish the "characters" relationship to the product. Think of the John Hodgeman/Justin Long Mac ads: a long-running series, that made its point from the first spot, while still allowing us to get to know its characters.

I thought it was a dud. I didn't find it funny or clever or even a good way to promote Microsoft/Windows. Their Mojave commercials were better in fact, because they underscore that if you're using Vista correctly, you have a great OS (according to them.)

I think this commercial comes up short, especially compared to the Mac/PC series. Those ads continue to work brilliantly, IMHO.

It's amazing how many people just missed the point of the commercial. They're trying to set up the relationship of the characters and the tone of the commercials. Once you get past the fact that Seinfeld and Gates are in it and it's a self-mocking humorous ad setting, you can get into Windows and Microsoft products in general. Until the audience trusts the ad, you won't get results.

Am I the only one who has had a positive experience using Vista? Seems like everyone hates it.

The funniest part of the ad, at least as far as I was concerned, was when Gates held up his Shoe Circus frequent-buyer card with his college-era picture on it. Not because of the picture, mind you, but because it's pretty well-known around tech circles that Gates is very careful with his money, despite his billions.

Kind of reminded me of the AmEx ads that featured Seinfeld and Superman.

I predict this ad campaign will help to soften the image of Microsoft, but it probably won't help increase sales of Vista. However, it could keep Microsoft's reputation in good graces with the consumer until (whenever) the company brings out the next version of Windows.

Yea, the computer will look delectable, cost a fortune, but will sour on first bite.

Whereas Microsoft's will look like something from your supermarket discount aisle, and cost similarly, but it will feed you for a week.