Microsoft Charged by FTC over 'Palm' Ads

The Federal Trade Commission has accused Microsoft of false and deceptive advertising in its 'Can Your Palm Do That?' campaign. The FTC found that Microsoft's ads last year deceptively claimed features that were unavailable unless buyers spent more for wireless capability. Microsoft is already negotiating to settle the charges.

They recently stopped the campaign without mentioning the FTC's involvement.

Hewlett-Packard, which participated with Microsoft in the anti-Palm ad campaign, is also negotiating with the FTC to settle a false advertising charge.

Five months ago, the FTC found that Microsoft’s WebTV service falsely and deceptively understated its cost by failing to disclose additional telephone charges and deceived customers by claiming that the service would give them access to the entire Internet. Microsoft settled without admitting or denying the claims.

This story appears in this morning's Wall Street Journal.

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Bravo!

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/26/2001 9:34:04 AM #
Kudos to FTC... Can your Palm do that? :)

On a more serious note - I felt the ad campaign actually fueled the feud between Palms & WinCE more than ever.

Palm reigns supreme!

Palmplan

RE: Bravo!
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/26/2001 4:47:02 PM #
My Palm *DEFINITELY* can't do what FTC does... :) Would love to have one that can sue the hell outta Microsoft and win a pile of cash tho... :)

:)

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/26/2001 10:24:51 AM #
Yes, my Palm CAN do that!

JBH

RE: :)
palmania @ 2/27/2001 2:42:46 PM #
Infact, my palm does much more...

Palm is all you need

Woo Hoo!

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/26/2001 10:50:43 AM #


RE: Woo Hoo!
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/26/2001 11:06:15 AM #

Long live to FTC!

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/26/2001 12:24:29 PM #
Can FTC Do That? jajajajajaja :)

M$ is anti competitive?

RoofusPennymore @ 2/26/2001 12:52:30 PM #
I'm shocked at such allegations! What right do they have to pick on poor little 'ol Microsoft. Why their reputation should speak for itself.

RE: M$ is anti competitive?
Lucky Dragon @ 2/26/2001 5:18:05 PM #
Hmmm.... actually, their reputation DOES speak for itslef. ;-)

Palm Ads

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/26/2001 3:07:01 PM #
Hey Bill, can your lawyers "Do That", get you out of this one?

RE: Palm Ads
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/26/2001 9:21:03 PM #
What are you using to get online with the palm. I need advice on what browser to use to surf the web with more than just web clippings.

RE: Palm Ads
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/26/2001 9:26:42 PM #
This is a reply to the guy who asked to browse the web on his Palm. For offline browsing (no handheld modem needed) you should use Pendragon Browser (www.pendragonsoftware.com) and for online browsing (you need OmniSky or YadaYada or another network service) you should use Blazer (www.bluelark.com) so there you go.

If you like software that sucks, you can use AvantGo.

ahead of the game?

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/26/2001 3:31:56 PM #
Read this...

http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_Story.asp?ID=1593&MODE=FLAT

do you think the FTC was on their A$$ that far back and we're only hearing about this now? Or did MS suspect something was up before FTC comments??

I'm sure this won't cause Bill to lose any sleep...
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/26/2001 3:38:55 PM #
After all, paying fines is merely a cost of doing business for a dirty-tricks outfit like Microsloth.

RE: ahead of the game?
GregGaub @ 2/26/2001 5:21:56 PM #
No kidding!
The misinformation they spread about Palm's not having the same functions as PPCs is worth WAYY more than the fines MS will have to pay to settle the claim. Too bad the FTC will just settle out of court, instead of making an example of them. When things come down to money, MS will always win.

yeah !

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/26/2001 7:17:15 PM #
Yeah ! burn the buggers ...

uhnnn... I mean ahhh poor.. bill.

I knew it! :)

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/26/2001 8:40:48 PM #
i told you palm shoudln't cross their arms and let m$ say lies about them, because my palm CAN browse the web in full color, it isn't limited to web clippinsg and it CAN use email :)

**message by ROD*

RE: I knew it! :)
CKMOOSE @ 2/26/2001 10:58:32 PM #
My Palm can also play AVI files (Teal Movie)and with a little help it'll do MP3 as well... And will you look at that, it's still less expensive and doesn't crash as often.

RE: I knew it! :)
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/27/2001 12:33:52 PM #
How do you do that? :)

Any websites telling me how 2 or your coment can help :)

RE: I knew it! :)
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2001 10:48:17 AM #
CKMOOSE:
You are in serious denial. A palm playing an avi file is a far cry from a PPC playing a video file. Heres why: Sound, Video quality, and video resolution. All of which is fairly important for playing video files. Also you claim you can play MP3 files. Only the Visor can and if you added that cost to a COLOR visor (again a good requirement for video) you are way over the cost of a Pocket PC. As far as crashing I dont agree or disagree I havent used a Pocket PC much and wouldnt offer an opinion based on my hatred of the device. You are being just as deceptive if not more so than MS is/was.

I know I'd be disappointed if you sold me a Palm that you claimed did video/mp3 for less money than a PocketPC and with the same quality.


There's a Surprise!

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/27/2001 10:02:01 AM #
So, Microsoft, rather than going through the heavy lifting needed to create a compelling competitive product, simply puts up piles of ads that consist of nothing but lies.

Whooda thunk it?


So whats your point?

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/27/2001 4:36:42 PM #

So Microsofts ad campain is bad. And they use dirty Tactics towards their competitors. You're all right. That is wrongs and dirty. But what the heck does that have to do with the better PDA?

Yeah so Palm can play AVIs and 8tracks played music...They both really sucked. So Palm can do everything anyone could ever want in a PDA. That is TRUE! It is one of the BEST PIM devices I have EVER used. But that is where the Glorified Calculator and Gameboy we call the Palm ends!

I have spent the last few weeks seriously looking at Palm and PPC devices. The Palm is great at what it does, but it is limited because of the hardware and its OS. Yeah, there are work arounds to the limititions, but who really wants to always make left turns, going in a circle to end up facing in the same direction if they could of just turned right at the beginning? It's sad to see the pride of Palm and it's users that keep Palm comfortable and not trying to make new inovations. Those which Palm does make and call inovative is week and a poor excuse.

Yeah Palm is a great PIM device that can do a bit more, but there are other PDAs out there that make Palm look like a big dumb joke.

RE: So whats your point?
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/27/2001 6:12:12 PM #
"Yeah so Palm can play AVIs and 8tracks played music...They both really sucked. So Palm can do everything anyone could ever want in a PDA. That is TRUE! It is one of the BEST PIM devices I have EVER used. But that is where the Glorified Calculator and Gameboy we call the Palm ends!"

My response:

"Yeah, so pocket pc can play mp3's..they really suck, because your battery will last hours less with it and you can't use other features in some pp's. So PP can do everything everyone ever wanted in a laptop (not) TRUE! It is THE BEST PIM wannabe I have EVER seen. But that is where the laptop in disgrace and third frustrated MS attempt to take on palm we call the pocket pc ends!.

"Yeah Palm is a great PIM device that can do a bit more, but there are other PDAs out there that make Palm look like a big dumb joke."

My response:

Yeah, pocket pc can "do everything", but they are big, bulky, churn batteries like water and their OS sucks.
And by the way, what other PDA'S make the palm looks like a joke? Handspring and clie = palms. Rex? psion' newtwon? (HAHAHAHA OR ROYAL DA VINCI! ;) )

We palm'ers don't go to www.notapalm.com to post sillyness, so you m$ kids don't come here and say more stuff.



RE: So whats your point?
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/1/2001 1:22:26 AM #
It will be another year or so before there are any real innovations in this market - both Palm and CE still have about 18 months until they catch up to the stuff the Newton OS could do in 1997. (Although we have hardware advances today they didn't have then). In the meantime, MS should stop wasting their investors' money and stick to what they know - fattening Windows into a bloated, unmanageable, Frankenstein monster or an operating system torn from the corpses of real innovators. Want innovation? Look at a Visor Prism with a VisorPhone.

Fat lies

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2001 6:29:57 AM #
Another fat lie from M$. Don't these people learn? Obviously not. That is why Palm is still way ahead of them. I just can't trust M$. My Palm is faster, cleaner, and I almost never experience a crash with it. Can't you learn, M$?
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