Image War

The power of images in persuasion is amusingly demonstrated in this story. It is a face-off between Apple and Microsoft over the future of tablets. Apple believes a tablet is its own device and is unrelated to other technology. Microsoft sees the tablet as an extension of its operating system for PCs and laptops. Apple took a visual shot at Microsoft with a street sign image showing a tangled road. Microsoft returned the blow with another street sign showing one road branching in two directions. The image war wasn’t lost on the audience, and it was good publicity for Microsoft, whether or not one agrees with its product direction. Microsoft used Apple’s imagery against it. Now Apple will have to find something else to make its point.