Microsoft, rightly so, has been much maligned for it’s overly chatty “security” features in Vista where almost any action (in the default setting) prompts the user to allow or deny the action.  Yes, you gearheads, I know this is somewhat configurable but even Apple jumped on the mocking with one of their “I’m a PC and I’m a Mac” ads (which completely amused GorT).

If Microsoft and Apple were in a political battle, the negative ad that Microsoft should fire back with would unfold like this.  PC guy and Mac guy start a dialog.  Light hearted quips are exchanged and then right in the middle of a Mac guy sentence, a big “Buy SnowLeopard Now!” sticker appears over his face as the remainder of his sentence is muffled by the sticker.  Fifteen seconds later, a “Click here to continue” button appears on the sticker.  PC guy reaches over and clicks the button which causes the sticker to disappear.  Mac guy looks confused, pauses, but continues with the previous banter about the ease of which some girl can save Christmas.  Another 15 seconds pass and a streetwalking billboard appears slung over the Mac guy’s shoulders.  On the front it reads: “FinalCut Pro: Become the Director you always wanted to be”.  Mac guy is confused again, spins halfway around and the audience sees the back billboard that shows the FC Pro box with a bright star with text reading, “In Apple Stores on….”  Mac guy tries to speak but now his voice is totally muted.  PC guy is distracted but upon refocusing on the Mac guy’s quandary, the ad disappears and we hear the Mac guy’s voice again.  Etc. etc.

Think this is far-fetched?  Well, Apple has filed for a U.S. patent on “showing advertisements within an operating system”.  Steve Jobs is listed as the first inventor.  Of course, the situation I outlined above is only the start.  Imagine seeing this on your iPhone…or iPod as both have “operating systems”.  In the middle of your run while listening to the Black Eye Peas, all goes quiet and then you get forced to listen to an advertisement.  We’ll have to wait and see if Apple is bold enough to go there.  This could be a savvy move to stake a claim to this kind of behavior in order to reap royalties but hide behind the outrage surely to follow by having the licensee company be the implementer that takes the heat.

GorT

GorT is an eight-foot-tall robot from the 51ˢᵗ Century who routinely time-travels to steal expensive technology from the future and return it to the past for retroinvention. The profits from this pay all the Gormogons’ bills, including subsidizing this website. Some of the products he has introduced from the future include oven mitts, the Guinness widget, Oxy-Clean, and Dr. Pepper. Due to his immense cybernetic brain, GorT is able to produce a post in 0.023 seconds and research it in even less time. Only ’Puter spends less time on research. GorT speaks entirely in zeros and ones, but occasionally throws in a ڭ to annoy the Volgi. He is a massive proponent of science, technology, and energy development, and enjoys nothing more than taking the Czar’s more interesting scientific theories, going into the past, publishing them as his own, and then returning to take credit for them. He is the only Gormogon who is capable of doing math. Possessed of incredible strength, he understands the awesome responsibility that follows and only uses it to hurt people.