When Microsoft Corporate Vice President Panos Panay presented the new Surface 2 to the public on Monday, he was beaming with pride. Based on the device's new specs, which include a 25% increase in battery life and a thinner form factor, he had good reason to.
When a major tech company launches a product it is truly proud of, an epic video often accompanies the occasion. Often, if there’s no epic video — or at least an attempt at such — then it’s probably just an incremental release, at best. So it's no surprise that Microsoft released a high production value video to accompany the launch of the Surface 2, and its sheer drama and beauty is remarkable.
SEE ALSO: Microsoft Reveals the Surface Pro 2
The video, titled “Meet the Surface,” is mostly black-and-white and lasts one minute and 24 seconds. It begins by drawing us into a circular white room where we find a mysterious mound of what appears to be black dust — which could be metal shavings or a super compound from outer space.
Then, slowly, the Surface 2 emerges from the black dust, showing off its sleek new exterior and modified kickstand. An obsidian slab, roughly the shape of the tablet, comes into view — indicating that, yes, the Surface 2 was carved out this miracle compound.
As the classical violin music builds, the camera swoops in for dramatic color reveal of the Surface 2’s new backlit keyboard. The video also includes other brief scenes that defy explanation, including one in which a whirling apparatus blows more of the black metal fragments off a black cube suspended in air.
A Microsoft representative said that the imagery does not depict any specific manufacturing process related to the Surface 2, meaning we can chalk up the impressive imagery to high art.
Nevertheless, a quick look at the comments generated by the video on YouTube indicates that video has served its purpose; viewers are impressed. Now, we’ll just have to wait until the device hits shelves in October to see whether those sentiments translate into sales.
If only Microsoft had used this tactic for Vista, it could have meant a different reception for the much-maligned OS. Oh, and bundling in "Reversi" would definitely have helped.
This isn't so much "lost in translation" as in need of an explanation. Piano-playing-ping-pong-pants what?
This commercial is so gut-wrenchingly, bewilderingly, horrifically, shockingly bad, some assumed it was a spoof. It wasn't. And by all accounts, the software wasn't too exceptional either.
Gates and Ballmer ask, "What is Love?" We ask, "What is this shiz?"
In which Rachel and Chandler from Friends ask cheesy, scripted questions, such as whether the "task bar" is anything like a Snickers bar. Shudder.
Stranger than a David Lynch movie, but no less frightening, skip to 2:40 for disturbing footage of an overworked '80s exec clearly descending into madness, as she rushes to finish a project for her boss. Poor woman.
"In an lot of ways, you're just throwing a party with Windows 7 as an honored guest..." In a lot of ways Microsoft was tripping, imagining that the gen pop would host actual parties to celebrate the launch of its latest OS. This utterly cringey video did not help the cause.
She is puking because he's using Internet Explorer, areweright?
This promo video starts with the well-known, not at all dubious phrase "whip it on me," and it just gets better from there. Honest.
One of a series of three totally surreal Gates vs. Seinfeld slots, these were either love-'em-or-hate-'em creations. They were also mad-as-a-box-of-frogs, batsh*t bonkers.
Image: YouTube, Microsoft