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Microsoft Re-Designs the iPod Packaging

Brant Walsh · comedy · Watch on YouTube

Satire & parodyProduct & industrial designGraphic design & typography

What it is

A 2006 parody made by a Microsoft team that shows how the company would redesign iPod packaging, with a box piled with feature claims, logos and clutter in contrast to Apple's clean design.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN commenters bring it up whenever Microsoft product naming, branding or marketing is confusing, pointing to it as a long-running self-aware critique.

  • 4 people recommended it
  • 4 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2011, last 2026

What HN commenters said

  1. “is still worth a laugh”

    Old MS-produced parody of its own marketing.

    untog, 2013-01 · Recommendation · in “Microsoft hires designer behind "The Next Microsoft", Andrew Kim”

  2. “The original "Microsoft iPod" video from 2006 is much better”

    Original 2006 Microsoft iPod packaging video, better than the concept video.

    alisonkisk, 2021-05 · Recommendation · in “If Microsoft Designed macOS (Concept)”

  3. “This great (short and funny) internal video from Microsoft was supposed to be a wake up call”

    Short funny internal Microsoft video on feature-list marketing.

    gumby, 2022-09 · Recommendation · in “iPhone 14 Pro comes with dual-frequency GPS”

  4. “brutal but hilarious commentary on Microsoft's inherent dysfunction when it comes to product naming and packaging”

    Brutal, hilarious take on Microsoft's product naming and packaging dysfunction.

    jnaina, 2026-02 · Recommendation · in “Claude Code is suddenly everywhere inside Microsoft”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: microsoft, ipod, branding, design parody, marketing

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