Team Microsoft (?)

Let me start this post by acknowledging that 2/3 of the authorship of this blog, and god knows how much a bigger fraction of the readership are card-carrying Macphiles. Hi, Mac People. I've got no beef with your choice in OS & Hardware. Yes, it's very swanky. And yes, I do understand that it is a veritable Fort Knox of Computer Security. I have no special reason for preferring Windows other than it's what I've used the most since I was a tiny tot. Also, when I was shopping for this here laptop, I just couldn't justify the cost of a Macbook with comparable memory & whatnot.

So anyway, on to the actual beginning of this blob post…

Way back in June 2006, I took Lifehacker's cue, and jumped on the Microsoft Office 2007 Beta Venga Bus. I used it throughout the summer & fall, and sure did find it superior to previous versions of Office, and actually considered shelling out for it (once I'd gained employment, of course) (boo, continued unemployment). But alas! A few weeks ago I received an email from my friends in Redmond alerting me to the fact that my snazzy Office 2007 trial was to soon expire, and if I wanted to continue to bask in it's snazzyness, I'd better pony up OR just simply attend a Microsoft 2007 Launch Event and obtain a free full copy of the software. Huzzah!

So I clicked through that sucker straight away, and was confirmed for a Launch event right up the street in West Atlantic City (which is just a nice way of saying "Pleasantville", which contrary to the name, is not pleasant at all). I still assumed there was gonna be some sort of catch.

Today was the big day, and after four hours (yes, FOUR) of watching a guy "evangelize" MS stuff with occasionally misspelled albeit very pretty powerpoint slides, I got my Office. Plus, a nifty pen that lights up, a t-shirt, and this stylish rubber bracelet to indicate which "track" I was in.

Now, about that "track". I somehow found myself in the "Partner" track, which is for third-party licensed Microsoft dealers.

Which I totally am not, and which means that about 97% of what was being presented went way the frig over my head. Lots of talk about firewalls, Gooey -Based Environments(I know it's not spelled that way), and customized system builds depending on client verticals. (!!!)

But I will say this; Vista sure looks pretty.

Also, one good thing I learned today, by accident, and in quite a timely manner (as my pre-installed Norton Anti-Virus expired today) about something called OneCare. It's Microsoft's anti-virus thingamabob and according to a non-Microsoft-employed IT-type, it's better and less taxing on the system than Norton. Plus, I'm super-sick of Norton getting all in my face every minute to tell me that they've graciously decided to let me view a certain webpage or that things are still "Good". Bitch, just tell me when things are not so good.

Okay, I'm going to abruptly end this boring post. But, I will throw this out there if there are POSSIBLY any Microsoft users in the OEF audience. I also got a free copy of Microsoft Groove 2007 today, which I won't use and don't plan to illegally sell on eBay. So, it's free to the first bidder.