Microsoft Re-Designs the iPod Packaging

Brant Walsh · 1.3M views · 2006-02-27 · 2:56

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Overview

A 2006 parody made by a Microsoft team that shows how the company would redesign iPod packaging, with a box piled with feature claims, logos and clutter in contrast to Apple's clean design.

On Hacker News

HN commenters bring it up whenever Microsoft product naming, branding or marketing is confusing, pointing to it as a long-running self-aware critique.

Recommended by 4 HN people across 4 months · HN mentions 2011–2026

Topics

Satire & parody Product & industrial design Graphic design & typography

What people said

jnaina · 2026-02 · Recommendation
It's over 19 years old, but this video is a brutal but hilarious commentary on Microsoft's inherent dysfunction when it comes to product naming and packaging. Still on point decades later. [VIDEO]
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gumby · 2022-09 · Recommendation
Many tech products are still sold on feature lists. Few people care any more. This great (short and funny) internal video from Microsoft was supposed to be a wake up call, but nothing really changed: [VIDEO] The fact that Apple doesn't really play that game seems to drive some people wild.
Read the original HN comment ↗

alisonkisk · 2021-05 · Recommendation
It's just a few lines of text complain about Windows, and some windows UI screenshots copied onto a max desktop. Not worth 2 minutes of video. The original "Microsoft iPod" video from 2006 is much better [VIDEO]
Read the original HN comment ↗

Sources

Video by Brant Walsh, played through YouTube.

HN Library · Source license

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