Unfortunately, journalists, bloggers rushed to Tokyo to try the burger. The ensuing pictures and videos show that the has all the characteristics Microsoft says Windows 7 itself doesn't have. The burger is big, bloated, ugly, hard to "use" and slow (to eat). The promotion just gave people another reason to laugh at Microsoft's marketing ineptitude.

The Family Guy cartoon is usually hilarious. But a Windows 7 tie-in did nothing but damage the reputations of both Microsoft and Family Guy. The Windows 7 segment -- which isn't a commercial, but actually part of the show -- was meant to go viral, and it did. Unfortunately, all the online chatter about the video was about , and how shameful it was for the Family Guy producers to sell out like that.

As part of its broad set of Windows 7 launch initiatives, Microsoft contracted with a company called House Party to organize Windows 7 launch parties around the country. Selected party hosts got copies of Windows 7 signed by Steve Ballmer (uh, that increases its value by approximately nothing), plus "" you would expect to see at the birthday of a 6-year-old.