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CNN Money: Microsoft is a Dying Consumer Brand

money.cnn.com

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Re: CNN Money: Microsoft is a Dying Consumer Brand

#51

Post by points »

face wrote: post #35
points wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agree. The fact the xBox gaming console has the power of a supercomputer, as evident from its fans and overheating problems, but doesn't even have a simple webbrowser is all the evidence we need. MS has never understood or indeed wanted the www to happen. They were able to hold back www development for 5 years+ with their IE6 shenanigans, but the cats out of the bag now.

An Xbox 360 has a 3.2GHz Xenon (three cores) and 512Mbs of ram [1]. Saying that it has the power of a supercomputer is a bit of a stretch (by about three orders of magnitude, #500 on the top500 list has five thousand cores [2]). [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360 [2] http://www.top500.org * edit: formatting

You don't find it absolutely bizarre that it doesn't even have a web browser? Even when a tiny DSi has a very capable browser, smart phones have browsers. And a big gaming console from a supposed software company doesn't even have a web browser?

Re: CNN Money: Microsoft is a Dying Consumer Brand

#52

Post by brentb »

lkrubner wrote: post #30
cryptoz wrote: post #3

I firmly believe that most of Microsoft's failings in the consumer market come from their fear of the World Wide Web. Microsoft does everything they can to hide their users from the real power of the web, since everyone - including Microsoft - knows that a ubiquitous Web means fewer sales of Windows and Office. Their logic in locking users to Windows-based experiences is old, tired, and not going to work anymore. Peo…

"since everyone - including Microsoft - knows that a ubiquitous Web means fewer sales of Windows and Office" I would think that the real problem is Microsoft's unwillingness to become something completely new, something other than Windows and Office. Apple was a computer company, then it became a cell phone company, a music company, a lot of other things. Microsoft now sort of reminds me of Sun circa 1999: yes, they…

"I would think that the real problem is Microsoft's unwillingness to become something completely new, something other than Windows and Office."

Inability, perhaps. Unwillingness? You're out of your mind.

Microsoft has had their fingers in smartphones, music players, search engines, touch computing, web mail, [you name it] for YEARS. And they are not just dabbling... they have poured billions into these areas, trying to come up with something that gains traction.

Microsoft doesn't make "the occasional try" at innovation, they are a veritable firehose of attempts to innovate. Microsoft Research is HUGE (and well respected within the research/academic community) and as I mentioned above they spend billions every year trying to develop new products and break into new markets.

The fact that Microsoft's efforts in this area have been largely unsuccessful over the past decade doesn't mean they aren't trying or aren't willing.

Re: CNN Money: Microsoft is a Dying Consumer Brand

#53

Post by [deleted] »

brudgers wrote: post #28

Saying "Microsoft is a Dying Consumer Brand" is somewhat analogous to saying "Mitsubishi is a Dying Consumer Brand." Though the structures are different, consumer products are only a part of their portfolio. Both have successful industrial lines, and both have flagship consumer lines that often draw flack. Importantly, both own highly successful consumer brands e.g Xbox and Nikon, respectively. What the article misse…

[deleted]

Re: CNN Money: Microsoft is a Dying Consumer Brand

#54

Post by hkuo »

cryptoz wrote: post #3

I firmly believe that most of Microsoft's failings in the consumer market come from their fear of the World Wide Web. Microsoft does everything they can to hide their users from the real power of the web, since everyone - including Microsoft - knows that a ubiquitous Web means fewer sales of Windows and Office. Their logic in locking users to Windows-based experiences is old, tired, and not going to work anymore. Peo…

Moreover, their version of "the cloud" is taking multiple bad photos of your family sitting on a couch and magically turning it into a photo where everyone is smiling. Every time I see that commercial, I just have this look of utter confusion thinking about who produced that idiotic ad. I mean the tech behind it is cool, but what the hell does it mean "to the cloud!"???

Re: CNN Money: Microsoft is a Dying Consumer Brand

#55

Post by scrrr »

maukdaddy wrote: post #48
scrrr wrote: post #18

Was Microsoft ever such a big brand? Google is, Apple is, Dell is, but with Microsoft it is more like many Brands: Windows, XBox, Zune.. I think the main things that people immediately associate with the actual word "Microsoft" might be mice and keyboards. But, (at least in my perception) they are slowly beginning to address the problem of decreasing user numbers. See their marketing at "Colbert Report" and, recently…

I don't know how young you are, but I'm guessing under 20. There was a time when IBM was synonymous with computing. That gave way to Microsoft. During the late 80s and all of the 90s, Microsoft WAS the computer.

I'm much older than that (but English is not my mother language..) and I remember it was called an IBM-PC (with DOS or Windows). Not a Microsoft-Box or anything. I'm just saying: Windows is the bigger brand name than Microsoft. That does not mean I ignore how huge, wealthy and influential the Microsoft empire once was and still is.

Re: CNN Money: Microsoft is a Dying Consumer Brand

#56

Post by johnohara »

As one of the largest software developers on the planet, MS has access to more cool stuff than anyone can imagine. With all that cash, I'm sure it comes across they're radar all the time -- and they do make purchases and investments.

The problem is the minute they implement new technology it gets some committee-driven marketing name that's so completely disconnected from what it does that it takes million$ to explain what should be obvious from the name.

Examples: IIS, COM, COM+, Visual Studio, .Net, BizTalk, SharePoint, MultiPoint, Windows Live, SilverLight, Zune, Bing, and now the latest -- Windows Phone 7 (dyslexic a fully name).

Re: CNN Money: Microsoft is a Dying Consumer Brand

#57

Post by DavidBishop »

sprout wrote: post #21
cryptoz wrote: post #3

I firmly believe that most of Microsoft's failings in the consumer market come from their fear of the World Wide Web. Microsoft does everything they can to hide their users from the real power of the web, since everyone - including Microsoft - knows that a ubiquitous Web means fewer sales of Windows and Office. Their logic in locking users to Windows-based experiences is old, tired, and not going to work anymore. Peo…

I stopped reading the article after they wrote that the browser is almost more important than the OS, and then in the next paragraph said that Windows Phone 7 shows promise.

The browser IS deeply important. When people think about what devices they get, how they browse is one of the most critical things they decide on. Remember, we aren't talking just computers: we are talking about smart phones and tablets too.

And as to Windows Phone 7, although a recent ChangeWave survey of potential smartphone buyers pegged interest in a Microsoft phone at 1%, the reviews have been pretty positive:

ars technica: "Microsoft doesn't often get version one releases right, but this time, it has got the release very right indeed. Windows Phone 7 looks great, works well, and is a treat to use."

Engadget: "With terrific Zune and Xbox Live integration, a fast and smart method of getting around the OS, great Office and email experiences, and a genuinely beautiful and useful user interface, Microsoft has definitely laid the foundation for the next several years of its mobile play. Now it's time to get the upper floors finished."

Unfortunately for Microsoft, though, the data shows that they are going to have a major uphill battle with the Windows Phone 7, a battle which they have dedicated half a billion dollars in marketing toward.

Re: CNN Money: Microsoft is a Dying Consumer Brand

#58

Post by [deleted] »

cryptoz wrote: post #34
rubinelli wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my experience, the first thing consumers ask once they turn on the computer is "Where's Word?" I think how well Chrome OS machines answer this question will make or break them.

Chrome OS defaults to opening Office files with Office Live, whch is a pretty good answer I think.

[deleted]

Re: CNN Money: Microsoft is a Dying Consumer Brand

#59

Post by points »

Tyrannosaurs wrote: post #20
points wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agree. The fact the xBox gaming console has the power of a supercomputer, as evident from its fans and overheating problems, but doesn't even have a simple webbrowser is all the evidence we need. MS has never understood or indeed wanted the www to happen. They were able to hold back www development for 5 years+ with their IE6 shenanigans, but the cats out of the bag now.

Really? The XBox uses the web in the best way possible for a games console - on-line gaming. Maybe it's just me but I find a console a rubbish browsing platform - I've got browsers on my PS3, PSP and Wii and never use them. It is possible that Microsoft just don't have a browser in the 360 because it's not a great place to put a browser. Microsoft own Hotmail, they've ported Office on-line, XBox supports on-line gami…

FWIW, I disagree.

When MS announced support for facebook on the xBox, I thought "hmm why not just give users a browser". Then they announced twitter integration... "Umm how about just stuff a browser on there".

It's farcical. But OTOH, it fits right with MS's plan - they detest the www. It's open. It's free. It's not a walled garden they can monetize.

Last time I heard the web division at MS still makes a huge loss. Which leads me to believe they're not in it to make money. They're in it to mess it up, stifle progress, and keep people buying their installable software. They did an absolutely fantastic job of that for 5 years or so.

Re: CNN Money: Microsoft is a Dying Consumer Brand

#60

Post by contextfree »

Tyrannosaurs wrote: post #25
contentvoid wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm more inclined to think the phone will fail for the same reasons the Zune did, too little too late. But then the media player market was much broader and more saturated in 2006 than the smartphone market is now so maybe it won't play out in the same way...

The worst mistake they could make is to kill it the way they killed the Zune. They're never going to launch a day one, version one product which will displace the iPhone or Android, it's going to take time and investment. The real target should be that they've got 25%+ market share in three years time. That should be what they're aiming for rather than a success this year. People replace phones every 12 - 24 months a…

They didn't kill the Zune. WP7 is basically a superset of Zune - same service for music/video, same client software, (evolution/derivative of the) same UI. There're rumored to be phoneless WP7s in the works too.
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