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Story: Novell Linux Mocks “I’m a Mac” TV AdvertsTotal Replies: 15
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ravenhawk

Mar 26, 2007
9:34 PM EDT
WOW, thats all I can say about these commercials. I sort of liked the MAC vs Windows commercials, they were kind of funny. But deep down I was hoping there would be someone who could come up with a variation that would include Linux. Novel has done an amazing job, and I love that they used a woman for the Linux character. It really sets her apart from the other two. I even liked it when she upgraded her OS and put on the pretty jacket and sunglasses. That was exactly how I was hoping they would portray Linux. Just like real life fashion, Linux keeps up with the seasonal trends. A female character was the perfect representation of how dynamic Linux can be.

That last commercial, where showing that Linux can perform on both platforms, that was awesome.

Sincerely; Ravenhawk
Sander_Marechal

Mar 26, 2007
10:13 PM EDT
I just hope that Novell will shel out the money to get these ads on TV.
Bob_Robertson

Mar 27, 2007
6:27 AM EDT
Youtube has several parodies with Linux in addition to Mac and Windows, but he's a geek with a backpack.

Go look them up, they're much funnier than the Novell versions.
Sander_Marechal

Mar 27, 2007
7:05 AM EDT
You mean like the 4th video in the article? Yeah, they're funny but unsuitable as a TV commercial.
tracyanne

Mar 27, 2007
3:10 PM EDT
The Novell videos are much better than any of the other parodies, not the least because they are entirely suitable for use as TV commercials, but also because the the geek with a backpack doesn't really capture the reality of Linux for me, he doesn't remind me of the bloke who introduced me to Linux, nor any of the people I know who actually use Linux, be they Blokes or Sheilas.

The people I know who use Linux are by and large bright people who are interested in new things, who, metaphorically, are always moving forward, who, whether they are young or old, have a flexible mental attitude, who are in mnay ways a lot like Linux in personality.

By the way, you do realise what Linux's first name is.
Sander_Marechal

Mar 27, 2007
3:17 PM EDT
Quoting:By the way, you do realise what Linux's first name is.


Eh, no?
jezuch

Mar 27, 2007
3:54 PM EDT
I don't really like the pronunciation of "Linux" in these videos... It's so... non-Finnish ;) [I don't speak Finnish, but I know the phonology is similar to my mother tongue's] There's a page somewhere where Linus explains how that should be said [Wikipedia says it's /ˈlɪnʊks/]. But I'm just a nit-picker, as usual ;)
Scott_Ruecker

Mar 27, 2007
4:11 PM EDT
The forth one is AWESOME!!! Not kid friendly but funny as all get out!!

I like the first three too, nice that Linux is a cute girl, I'm down with that.

"I am Root!"
tracyanne

Mar 27, 2007
8:13 PM EDT
quote:: By the way, you do realise what Linux's first name is.

Eh, no? ::quote

The company doing the videos is Novell. Which would make Linux's First name Susie.
azerthoth

Mar 27, 2007
8:39 PM EDT
/me holds nose and runs screaming from the room.

I don't think even Doc Webster would have dropped that one.
ravenhawk

Mar 27, 2007
9:25 PM EDT
Seriously though, the reason I like the Novell ads is like Sander says they are suitable for TV. The other reason I would rather have a fashionable, articulate woman representing Linux then some stereotypical geek character with a backpack. For me it is about making people realize that Linux is better than MAC and Windows, and not to tell inside jokes that only people in the industry will get.

That has always been the biggest problem with the Linux community, we don't know how to market ourselves properly. These Novell ads are a perfect demonstration of how to do it right, and even more than that, using a woman as the voice of Linux to show how truly dynamic we are.

I want the whole world to embrace Linux, and that means that the community needs to show that we are good place for the whole world to be. I used to post on forums more often until I just got weary of all the snarkiness and religious ferver that seems to crop up in Linux debates. If we want the world to respect us and our opinion we need to show that we deserve respect.

Thats why Novell using a woman as the spokesperson is so perfect, because it shows that Linux is a dynamic new voice. In the commercials PC and MAC both represented by guys, both stereotypes in their own way, the anal businessman and the geeky slacker guy. Then walks in the woman, more professional than MAC, more laid back then PC, and who is better than both of them. To me it is exactly that kind of voice and advertising that should be used in Linux, we are new, fresh, and innovative, and we do things differently and better than the old boys.

Sincerely; Ravenhawk
Sander_Marechal

Mar 27, 2007
9:54 PM EDT
And here's another thing I like about the ads: They promote Linux as a whole as a brand and not any specific distribution. Any distributor could have made these ads. They're not pushing SLES/SLED or a specific product but simply increase Linux mindshare.
jdixon

Mar 28, 2007
5:22 AM EDT
> The company doing the videos is Novell. Which would make Linux's First name Susie.

Your logic is impeccable. Susie it is.
number6x

Mar 28, 2007
7:06 AM EDT
I thought Linux's first name was GNU.
SFN

Mar 28, 2007
7:09 AM EDT
Now that would be a funny commercial.

"Hi. I'm a Mac" "I'm a PC." "And I'm Linux." "That's 'GNU/Linux'." "Stop stalking me, Richard!"
dcparris

Mar 28, 2007
10:13 AM EDT
You need a James Bond intro for the GNU/Linux version:

"The name's Linux - GNU/Linux."

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