I have a ton of documents to work on today in preparation for a design review this afternoon. Most of the documents are Visio documents (for those not familiar with Visio, it’s a Microsoft tool for creating specific types of drawings, database diagrams, flowcharts, UML, etc.). Several documents are in Word and a few are in Excel. Whenever I open these documents, I feel dismally antiquated. I feel like one of those fellows still using a TV remote control that’s connected to the TV by a wire. Why?
Because each time I open Word or Excel or Visio, I see the following flash on my screen:
Visio 2003
Word 2003
Excel 2003
Yes, I am using a product that is nearly 5 years old to develop plans for cutting-edge software. Sure, it’s just a naming convention, but it’s a brilliant naming convention on Microsoft’s part. Each time I see that 2003 flash on the screen, I am reminded just how far behind the curve I really am. It’s like making fun of an ad for Cialis while knowing full well that you take the drug every day. It reminds you of the technological impotency with which you are forced to live because the company is slow to upgrade to Office 2007.
But why do I feel I have to be on the latest and greatest? Because Microsoft was genius enough to label their software the same way model year cars are labeled, so that I would feel compelled to have the newest model the moment it arrived on the showroom floor.
That I don’t have the latest and greatest makes me feel like I’m not keeping up with the Jones’, that I’m not with it, that I’m a dinosaur.
God bless Microsoft and their brilliant marketing scheme!
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