Microsoft buries Clippy in blockbuster Office 2010 ad

by Dan Leahul, revolutionmagazine.com 10-Jul-09, 15:35

LONDON - Microsoft has killed off its oft-mocked mascot Clippy - the well-to-do paperclip - in a new blockbuster themed ad for Office 2010, paving the way for a large announcement expected next week.

The over the top ad features Matrix style agents trying to track down an international spy who holds the key to a Microsoft Office product.

One scene shows an agent weeping over the grave of Clippy, who has been absent from Microsoft's latest office platforms and apparently died in 2004.

The ad was rolled online at the end of the week that belonged Google's, which made waves in the tech industry by announcing it was developing its own operating system to rival Microsoft's Windows.

The Google announcement was seemingly timed to steal some of Microsoft's thunder, which is expected to reveal plans for Office 2010 next week.

Analysts are predicting Office 2010, its 14^th instalment, to be fully integratable with 'cloud' software, meaning that its suite of products, including Word and Excel, will be based out of the web, instead of the desktop.

A technical preview of Office 2010 will be rolled out this month, which will be offered on an invite only basis, from the Office 2010: The Movie website.