Seinfeld ads only part of Microsoft push

REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Microsoft Corp. says it's banking on a new U.S. marketing campaign to fix the image problems of its Vista Windows operating system and connect with customers.

New television ads featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld are only one aspect of a massive push that will see Microsoft, of Redmond, Wash., dispatch hundreds of "Windows gurus" to computer stores around the country offering training and advice to customers, The New York Times reported Saturday.

In charge of the new operation is Bill Veghte, senior vice president for Windows strategy and marketing. He told the newspaper that his job will be to get the word out that Microsoft has largely corrected the technical glitches that marred the roll-out of Vista last year and gave it a bad reputation as being crash-prone.

"We are in a very different position with Vista than we were even six months ago," Veghte said. "And there are a lot of people holding forth with criticism of Windows Vista that have not used Vista, or not recently."

Even though Windows still holds more than 90 percent of the personal computer market, analysts say alternatives like Apple's Macintosh system are steadily gaining ground.