Sometimes they just get it right IMO. Microsoft kicked off work on packaging for Vista and Office over a year ago (I know the person(s) who did it) and it shows. No, it doesn’t take a full year to get it right, but combined with other deliverables and a strong desire to incorporate feedback from many sources, the result is a new type of packaging that will extend to other MS products in the future. Remember how Windows 95 and Office packaging just “felt” like they fit together? Vista and Office are going for more of the same here. From Nick on the Vista blog:
The packaging has been completely revised and, we hope, foreshadows the great experience that awaits you once you open it.
Designed to be user-friendly, the new packaging is a small, hard, plastic container that’s designed to protect the software inside for life-long use. It provides a convenient and attractive place for you to permanently store both discs and documentation.
The new design will provide the strength, dimensional stability and impact resistance required when packaging software today. Our plan is to extend this packaging style to other Microsoft products after the launch of Windows Vista and 2007 Office system.
Nice work. Now MacOffice isn’t the only MS software product with cool packaging that screams, “pick me up”.