Microsoft Corp. has had some recent problems with customer relations. Some are rather amusing, others not as much (as in, they're very illegal).
First off, the somewhat amusing predicament Microsoft had found themselves in:
At the recent Comdex showcase in Las Vegas, a Bill Gates look-alike was seen handing out buttons and information for the company he worked for: Parroty, the humor department of Palladium that parodies already existing software, including Pyst (Myst), X-Fools (X-Files), and Star Warped (Star Wars Trilogy). It seems like they were promoting a new product of theirs, Microshaft Winblows 98, set to ship early 1998. This rip-off of Windows 95 contains games and activities that in one way or another bash Microsoft, including Billgotchi (a virtual pet that needs to be fed money to stop his tantrums), and Windows Exploder (you must get rid of terrible computer bugs lurking about in this fast-paced action game). This promotion was quickly dispatched, though. After two days, security shutdown the operation and kicked out the Gates look-alike for the remainder of the show.
Second, and much more serious:
About a month ago, four masked robbers broke into Microsoft's Scotland manufacturing plant, stealing more than $16 million in software and computers at gun point. Among the goods that were stolen were more than 100,000 CD-ROMs of Windows 95, Office 97 and Windows NT plus 200,000 certificates of authenticity that prove the Microsoft software you buy is legitimate. These products are expected to be sold on the black market as discounted mail-order software. Three employees were present at the heist, but they were uninjured, only gagged and tied up.
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