Oooh! My NAUGHTY SKIRT keeps riding up! Hello, INTERNET EXPLORER Microsoft has come up with a new way to market Internet Explorer to Asian customers, and it's a major departure from the kinds of ad campaigns we're used to seeing from Redmond here in the West. Inori Aizawa, the 'personification of IE' Here she is, Miss Internet Explorer Meet Inori Aizawa, Microsoft's latest spokeswoman. …
And why would one need mascots? Especially for a browser?
It is a harsh thing to say, but both FF and IE are trying to do everything except web browsing. FF used to be good...alas, those days are gone. Playing around with cute mascots instead of quality programming.
Umm. The new IE 11 is faster, more stable, and more secure than both Chrome and FF. Sounds like quality programming to me. But don't take my word for it. Plenty of 3rd parties have verified it. Or, you could download it and see for yourself. Don't get me wrong, I am a Chrome fan. But IE 11 has (as the video so obviously pointed out) become a serious contender. It will be interesting to see how Chrome and FF respond.
Ah. You saw me lambasting Firefox, and helpfully offered IE?
Too bad, IE 11 is still not a browser, it's trying to be a bloody platform (or a lifestyle, judging by the current article). It also comes with unacceptable prerequisites, hooks, lines and sinkers. Well, maybe acceptable to someone, but certainly not to this old geezer, who cannot even accept some later trends in FF development. Should really check what the IceWeasel / IceCat guys are up to.
As for security & quality, this just in
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/11/ie_0day_menace/
Remains to be seen if IE 11 has better magic beans in it.
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I'm surprised I've never seen a suit of the Firefox fox at any furcon. Yes, there's anthro foxes at every Anthrocon (and every other furcon for that matter), no getting away from them especially for us wolves :3
My roommate has a photo of it. I'll try and find them. Pretty sure if was FF, given the globe. There's also this lady, of course:
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/124/b/5/firefox_cosplay_hd_by_enjinight-d4yj6hm.jpg
This is what I keep telling people! IE has snuck up and become the fastest, most stable, and most secure browser. Chrome and FF are sitting on a glass floor. If they don't start to take IE seriously, they may find thier floor soon crashing; leaving them with the hurdle of recapturing lost users. FF i can kinda understand. But Chrome should know better. Let's just hope Chrome can catch up. :\
...because "In her wordless debut teaser video that was released to the web on Thursday, a cloaked Inori is seen running through a decrepit cityscape while being chased by malevolent robots. Just when we think they've gotten the better of her and..." <Windows Update engages, disrupting said video, to download a number of "pre-zap" and "zero-day-flaw" patches and to force a restart after installation - The viewer logs in and re-launches the video URL then, after wading through the pre-amble> "..., she transforms into her magical IE form and sets them straight with a few zaps." - Reality bites mystique.
Actually, the history of the OS-tan is long. There are -tans for systems as old as MS-DOS 3, and the whole thing isn't tied only to Microsoft's output, although their first trip into this sort of thing was Nanami Madobe, the mascot of Windows 7.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OS-tan
What, despair that you don't like MS or that you somehow feel superior to culture in other countries?
Look at Japan there is this sort of thing all over the place - Anime characters representing products up ten story buildings. When I went even the 500 series shinkansen had anime robots on them.
"What, despair that you don't like MS or that you somehow feel superior to culture in other countries?
Look at Japan there is this sort of thing all over the place - Anime characters representing products up ten story buildings."
Okay. We can relax then, as long as you'll stay cool the next time footage of some Islamic men herding a flock of burkha wearing women into their part of the mosque hits the airwaves. After all, what we're talking about is someone else's culture, no? And that's off-limits, discussion-wise, no?
Are you seriously equating being snobby about western perceptions of childish anime characters in Japan with oppression of women in unspecified countries ending in -stan? Because if you are, you are mixing up culture in terms of art with culture in terms of "we've always done it like this and see no reason to change" and "our religion says this is how we do things" (it doesn't) as an excuse for oppression and control of others. They are very different things and to equiate the two lessens the seriousness of the oppression.
Get a fucking grip.
"Are you seriously equating being snobby about western perceptions of childish anime characters in Japan with oppression of women in unspecified countries ending in -stan?"
Who says anyone is being "repressed" in the scene I described, or that I envisaged it happening anywhere in Asia?
I think you are the one with a loose grip.
> Anime characters representing products up ten story buildings. When I went even the 500 series shinkansen had anime robots on them.
The 500 series shinkansen had nothing on this train: http://youtu.be/GJdkD2GZRfU
As a huge anime fan. I can see teh line "Or spokes ... cartoon?" irking many anime fans (if any visit here) for some reason a lot of anime fans have a weird hatred of calling anime cartoons, even though they are just japanese cartoons technically.
Anyway IE-tan already existed. Microsoft have just taken a fan concept (used to describe the relationships of the browsers) and claimed it as their own, not the first time tbh.
"a lot of anime fans have a weird hatred of calling anime cartoons"
I appreciate your point. I'll be the first to say, as a former print graphic designer, that every frame of a top-flight anime is a work of art. But hey, we're blunt about everything. El Reg is an equal opportunities sneerer ;-)
C.
I've always assumed that is mostly a 'Merkin thing.
"Cartoons" on this side of the pond has usually meant Hanna-Barbera type morning kiddie shows. They want "Anime" to reflect that the artwork is more detailed (generally) and that the story lines aren't necessarily for kids. In fact "child friendly" is the last label you'd want to put on a fair amount of it.
I see their point but like you think they overdue it a bit.
Even that has changed over time. Stuff like Popeye was watched by everybody. (Some of them are never reshown as they are racist). The propaganda episodes of it wouldn't have been much use if only children watched them. (e.g Spinach fer Britain).
Yeah, damn Microsoft for tailoring their advertising to the cultural interests of the countries that they're advertising in.
I personally hate it when we get generic badly dubbed American or European adverts in the UK, it's utterly transparent and alienates me from the product being sold.
I hate it more when people somehow think that their way of doing things is better or more proper than other countries. I was in Japan recently and I found it refreshing that you'd be on the underground at rush hour and you'd see 40-50 something businessmen with little Maga characters hung as decorations off their phones. If you saw that in the UK, you'd think something was wrong with them for wanting to do that, but it's normal there. You see everyone reading Manga from 8 to 80, it's something like 50% of book sales.
Why not add a little bit of nipple too.........( fnaar fnaar)
Depending on ones cultural background I presume that the image would be acceptable in Japan but unacceptable in Britain. Theresa May would have it classifed as Porn/PaedoBearImagery.
(Pun coming up) : Just how does one draw the line between the two ?
How long before someone (4chan? looking at you) comes up with hentai images making malware-tans having their way with IE-tan....
Of course, Rule 34 being Rule 34, if someone has thought about the possibility, it means someone else already has and if the images don't already exist, they're well on their way to existing.
Forum page that is itself bland, but the topics listed are certainly NSFW.
Wikipedia says that "OS-tans" have existed for a while now.
"hentai images making malware-tans having their way with IE-tan...."
Better make them look dated then....These days IE is the best browser at blocking malware and phishing attempts....
http://vr-zone.com/articles/tests-conclude-internet-exlporer-blocks-99-6-malware/40367.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tests-conclude-internet-exlporer-blocks-99-6-malware
.These days IE is the best browser at blocking malware and phishing attempts....
So why is it then that all the machines I see that've had a "web based" infection (including the likes of "drive by downloads") are all from IE-only households, and nothing for FF/Chrome/Safari then? If it's so much more secure than other browsers it should be performing so much better.
Or maybe the performance in all areas is poor because the product is poor? IME (which is gained from currently working at the front lines of IT repair for the last few years and a couple of decades largely in IT elsewhere) IE is still much (and noticeably) slower than anything else and security is still such an afterthought that it has yet to actually appear on IE.
How many Asians have blue eyes?
And this is bordering on hebephilia and is more than a little 'Creepy' coming from a corporate hive mind like MS.
Did they specifically desire a sexually provocative 13 year old with budding breasts and a short skirt to be their mascot?
What next? Will she be doing Money Shots if you buy VS13?
> If you have a passing familiarity with Asian culture, you'll know that in context this is completely unremarkable.
Yes, that is true: two of the ugliest sides of Japanese and Korean culture are the outdated 50's gender roles and their bizarre blind spot for pedophilia, both of which are prominently featured in anime.
Everyone, especially in Europe, always jumps on the Microsoft sucks train. I guess you all prefer your European born OS and browsers that have found such success in the World. I am even surprised MS has survived in Europe with all the socialist, anti-competitive measures(massive fines) they have been attacked with. But I guess someone has to help support the economies over here, since the locals have become so unproductive.
The animation characters are used throughout Asia, with great success, to promote most software products. If Opera used the Simpsons, would that be terrible? No. Asia is a much more important and larger market, with people that actually have money, not credit. So why not adapt marketing to what our market responds to?
You mean Linux and Android with the Europe born OS?
Yeah, I do prefer them to Windows generally.
The advert is specifically Japanese though, it would raise eyebrows across vast swathes of Asia, especially Southern and South Eastern. Well, maybe not in the Phillipines. It'll work well in Japan and probably South Korea though. South Korea's weird about IE.
But hey, what do I know, I'm just a Brit who used to live in Beijing and happens to be ethnically Chinese. Not an American or Japanese.
You won't hear any of those comments from me. In fact; I'm a happy Win7 and Office 2010 user and I consider these two products to be quite solid. In fact; I even don't hate Microsoft Explorer all that much (although I commonly use SeaMonkey myself). Their "In-Private navigation" option for example is something I consider to be quite slick.
It's not so much hating, but some of the things MS does seem hypocrite. Take this, not too shabby, Anime. You see that the old "RGBY" Windows logo is strongly visible there. But wasn't it Microsoft themselves which recently told us that this logo is now obsolete and that we should focus our love and attention on a new, mono coloured, logo?
It's stuff like that which doesn't add up. "We now have a new Windows logo", "And here we promote our product with the logo which we recently called old and obsolete". It doesn't add up.
And being an Anime fan myself I can't help notice that story-wise Microsoft are now flaunting with the storyline of another product. I mean; looking at this video I'd say the girl more personalizes Netscape than Explorer. Think about it: shot down by Microsoft on numerous occasions (trying to twist the web by changing standards into non-disclosed standards) and although Netscape was heavily wounded (which is a nice touch in this video IMO) they sure knew how to defend themselves from the onslaught which was Microsoft.
THAT is an accurate look at history. Yet as Microsoft has done so many times they now seem to be trying and rewrite history. Worse yet: using the storyline of their "victim" to promote their own goods, how sick is that?
This isn't hating, this is Microsoft pulling yet another odd move.
Hmmmm. I think the Taliban come out with a similar statement to this subject title, as do countries that have young girls marrying old men, and other places with laws we perceive as 'archaic' at best.
Ok, I used extremes to prove the point (I'm not comparing Japanese to the Taliban etc.) but it shows that such a line of 'reasoning' is bogus.
That transformation sequence (including the music!) awfully reminds me of the "Anime" episode which can be seen in Grant Theft Auto IV :-)
In case you're wondering what this is all about then check out this page on the Rockstargames website (click "videos" at the bottom and you can see what I'm referring to).
@ShelLuser: "Well, there isn't anything directly explicit to be seen there but yeah; I wouldn't watch that while being at work."
You do realize that 'Princess Robot Bubblegum' is taking the piss out of Anime?
"Only a hypersexualized nerds fantasy can save humanity, by sleeping with it"
http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/#?page=videos&content=princessrobot
--
re: the comments on this regarticle, I haven't laughed so much in ages ...
When I was younger, I used to be a clumsy, slow and awkward girl.
However, just like the story of ugly duckling, people told me that I have really matured and changed over the years. I feel confident in my abilities now, and I'm eager to show you what I can do.
Pass the sick-bag, Alice.
I suppose this is some kind of confession, and it should read:
When I was younger I was a crap browser that didn't comply with standards and I caused the proliferation of invalid HTML pages.
However, just like the story of ugly duckling, people told me that I have really matured and changed over the years. Unfortunately, it's too late. By the time I became a swan there were lots of other swans, and many people liked penguins more, so nobody cared.
I've used IE for years and years!
Why do I never experience the problems so may claim to experience? (it's just MS bashing so they can claim to be superior)
I've tried others, but they always have their faults that I just can't get away with.
IE for me please.
Let the "BLA BLA BLA" begin!
I've used IE for years and years!
I don't think IE is vilified for the user experience it offers. The earlier versions, especially IE6, were a source of numerous problems for web developers and designers because they failed to adhere to HTML standards in some quite important ways. This has nothing to do with "MS bashing", unless you think that whatever Microsoft does is the de-facto standard.
MS must have noted the general reaction to "Emasculating Smartphomes" and thought since they can'd be emasculating there must be reason. I'm calling my MS-Phone cousin to ask how's life.
That will definitely attract more ladies into STEM careers.
MS got it right this time, eh Googlers?
Is that a Microsoft ergonomic keyboard she's using?
BTW, this sort of thing is called Moe anthropomorphism.
Anime: An English word derived from a Japanese word derived from a French word derived from an English word derived from another English word derived from a Latin word.
At this point, I'm surprised there are still two syllables left in common with the starting point.
The weird this is that, for all the sexploitation, dirty old/single Japanese men and the vending-machine dispensed school-girl panties, my 22-year-old daughter (no victim type, to be sure) (but who swoons over Gerard Butler) absolutely loves this stuff. So do all her friends. She even has the figurines on her bookshelves, right next to the dozens of manga containing more of the same. And her favorite among them is written by a woman (?!).
Anyone who thinks this is about men needs to rethink their position. Even my wife joins my daughter in LOVING that movie, Sucker Punch.
Whiskey Tango Hotel, over?
It's not as bad as it was.
The looming issue is audio and video codecs. Microsoft will only support codecs they hold the patents on, not wanting to lend aid to their competitors. While other browsers (Safari excluded) are unable to support the codecs Microsoft does hold patents on, either because they can't afford the license of because the license terms are not compatible with the open-source model.
Right now, if you want to use the new HTML5 video (Which is in every possible way an improvement over the horrors of flash) you need to have two different versions encoded and uploaded, at least: The IE one (mp3 and h264 in an mp4 container) and the everyone-else one (Webm with vorbis, usually). It gets a lot worse if you want to deal with device profiles too - you can mange without, but only by sacrificing either file size or compatibility.
"Microsoft will only support codecs they hold the patents on, not wanting to lend aid to their competitors. While other browsers (Safari excluded) are unable to support the codecs Microsoft does hold patents on"
That's just rubbish. Microsoft video CODECs are in FRAND patent pools and can be licensed for relatively peanuts. They are also included in standards such as BluRay.
"The IE one (mp3 and h264 in an mp4 container) and the everyone-else one (Webm with vorbis, usually)."
So a commercial standard that pretty much everyone uses, versus freeware that has a questionable patent position that hardly anyone uses....
I have to admit, looks like they've noted the market they want and actually tailored the marketing... and a quick deconstruction of the visuals shows that they've got a nice set of automated assumptions that should attract the attention of purchasers in japan - we have the inevitable "nekkid flash" but the (aiui) cultural context for japan would indicate M$ has said "the product is pure and decent and you love this (you don't get naked transforms without purity. weird I know) it's neatly encapsulated that their product multitabs massively and simply, (and people are still using ie6...) it automatically protects against virii and other attacks, and is a product for everyone (secret identity)
it's not a bad piece of marketing, and as people have said repeatedly, os-tan's are far from new.
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