Is Microsoft Really a Dying Consumer Brand?

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I think Microsoft have billion of cash on hand, and they are doing well. The answer is NO. Who is the retarded writing this article?
 
[citation][nom]Yuka[/nom]The only thing that MS has going on, barely, is the X-Box 360. The rest is just making copycats on similar products.If we talk about "making technology", I don't remember anything in the last decade made by MS being something actually "new" to the consumers. Not in bling bling, not in functionality.Even in OS (business+desktop+mobile) share they're staggering quite fast. They can't even position their new OS'es quite well because they DO NOT BRING ANYTHING NEW to the table. Win7 has seen the light thanks to loads of cash in marketing and being better than Vista. But like 99% of the needs are pretty much covered by XP and the much "humble" (no gaming thanks to DirectX) Linux distros out there, where Ubuntu shines and excels in user experience (ease of use, features, UI, etc).Hope MS takes this as a wake up call FAST. They're not a bad company, but they're not making anything amazing these days either.Cheers![/citation]
Of course you get thumbed down...but I agree with you!
 
[citation][nom]eatmeimadanish[/nom]I'll make it more complicated: Yes.1) No web browser or the ability to play most media files on the xbox360?2) Didnt bother to come out with a touchscreen OS for phones until 2 other options were fimrly established3) They still use NTFS for a file system... holy crap.4) Who owns a zune? oh wait why would you, your not allowed to do anything on it.5) Windows 7/ excellent OS. Windows VISTA just another way to steal your money on something that just doesn't work. End result, people don't trust microsoft. 6) Hey microsoft, your web browser sucks... for the eighth time...7) Why can't we just boot windows off of a flash drive again? Why did XP require a floppy disk for raid drivers?I have more but... those are good enough for now.[/citation]

Your wrong (to be appropriate) and here's why:

1. Your complaining about things you don't like about the features of a product or lack thereof, not the brand nature.
2. Thats called waiting for market acceptance before investing.
3. And? Works fine for 90 percent of the market (sure power users see its flaws and want something better - whom also use a linux distro to meet this need.
4. You must be mistake, i think you meant ipod (non touch)
5.Thats why 90% of the market share runs microsoft OSs
6. So what? Pick your favorite car manufacturer: They all have a lame duck.
7. Because until now it would have been too slow a process, and the blame here would be the technologies fault, not microsofts (although you can - have you even googled it). Why would they make this mainstream if there isn't much of a market for it.
8. Bring it (lol)
 
I think the article is a pretty fair assessment of Microsoft as a consumer brand. The smartphone/tablet world seems to be dominated by iOS and Android devices. In the desktop arena, Microsoft seems to dominate pretty well. But in the laptop area Apple has seen good growth. Laptops have already eclipsed desktops in the past few years so I see Apple market share continuing to grow. Just go to any airport or coffee shop and see how many non-Microsoft based devices you see.

But as the article also points out, Microsoft is very firmly entrenched in the enterprise market and I can't see their brand dying in the business world any time soon. There is no better OS than Windows for enterprise deployment and management. But in the consumer space, Microsoft is definitely weakening. Google, IBM, and Apple all ranked higher in 2010 in brand recognition.
 
[citation][nom]karebear[/nom]I think its interesting how fast a relevant and coherent post gets rated down here on Toms just because it has something negative about MS or something positive about Apple.Even if Jobs is a dou*** canoe, you would think that techies would be the first to realize that apple has provided a lot of inspiration for companies like MS and Google. Look at what it as done to improve the ease of use/interface for smartphones and MP3 (or now 'media') players.Done ranting though. I don't think MS is on it's way out. As long as it can manage the software monopoly that it has over other OS (Especially in the gaming department), it will still be in a very good position. If anything they are on an upswing at the moment; lets just hope they can keep their momentum.[/citation]

Unfortunately, people only up-vote comments that cater to the popular opinion. I always see flippant and trite comments get voted to the top. I don't understand why comments that don't actually contribute to the discussion actually get voted up. Yet, ideas that are coherent and logical get down-voted if people don't agree with it.

I don't think we all have to agree on everything but I wish people would show more maturity with regards to up-votes and down-votes. If someone post something insightful, up-vote it, even if you don't agree. Why is that so hard?

Edit: My other comment is already down-voted despite making a valid point with evidence to back it up. Once again, my faith in Tom's has been destroyed. I guess I'll go back to Anandtech. *sigh*
 
Apple is doing well with Consumer products... which I think is great (I like having one or two consumer products that don't have Japanese names). Microsoft however still owns the PC... and while I'd agree with them that browsers are important, I disagree that they're anywhere near as important as the OS, and they're a lot easier to switch. I run a different browser almost at a whim, but I don't change OS very often at all.
 
[citation][nom]TEAMSWITCHER[/nom]PC makers need to start selling better laptops and tablets like the MacBook Pro and the iPad. These devices are far more than fashion statements. Apple's hardware is very appealing to consumers. The high prices give Apple more R&D dollars to design the next generation of exciting products. PC competition has produced low-cost designs and shrunken margins with low R&D budgets, now PC laptops look old, because they are old. PC makers are selling the same old notebook designs they did 8 years ago, and consumers know it.Bottom line - PC makers need to raise prices to produce premium products with premium margins to fund new R&D to complete against Apple.[/citation]

You realize Apple doesn't manufacture computers, right? Your only argument is that Apple charges more because of "additional R&D" that goes into their products. Aside from shiny cases and unique designs (fashion statements...), the internal hardware is the same (albeit OLDER) than equivalent and cheaper priced PC equivalents. Dell, Acer, Apple... It's all made in Taiwan by a few manufacturing companies anyway.

[citation][nom]TEAMSWITCHER[/nom]better laptops and tablets like the MacBook Pro and the iPad. These devices are far more than fashion statements[/citation]

[citation][nom]TEAMSWITCHER[/nom]now PC laptops look old, because they are old[/citation]

You are putting quite a premium on the looks of the device rather than the internal components. Apple owes its success to the "ooo shiny" consumers like yourself, and more power to them if it works.
 
[citation][nom]TEAMSWITCHER[/nom]But it's not crap and that's my point, that PC makers and fanboys like you look at Apple and scoff, but you've got nothing to back that up. With the iPad Apple is now the largest computer company in the US. PC makers need to take the threat seriously, or start down-sizing.[/citation]
the ipad isn't a computer it's a toy for babbies

and look at the price of a crapple laptop compared to any other

crap specs for the price
 
[citation][nom]fellskrazykayaker[/nom]I think the article is a pretty fair assessment of Microsoft as a consumer brand. The smartphone/tablet world seems to be dominated by iOS and Android devices. In the desktop arena, Microsoft seems to dominate pretty well. But in the laptop area Apple has seen good growth. Laptops have already eclipsed desktops in the past few years so I see Apple market share continuing to grow. Just go to any airport or coffee shop and see how many non-Microsoft based devices you see. But as the article also points out, Microsoft is very firmly entrenched in the enterprise market and I can't see their brand dying in the business world any time soon. There is no better OS than Windows for enterprise deployment and management. But in the consumer space, Microsoft is definitely weakening. Google, IBM, and Apple all ranked higher in 2010 in brand recognition.[/citation]

Apple is not doing that well in the laptop arena... last reports I've seen (first half '10) show their share eroding not growing. Add to that that a fair number of Mac's are running Windows (but virtually zero PC's are running OSX), and the strength of Windows 7 (both from a design standpoint and sales strength) and you get a slowly strengthening position for Microsoft when it comes to Desktop/Laptop Operating Systems.

Apple is a far more diverse company than Microsoft (which seems to have trouble translating OS dominance into competitive adjacent markets), but MS has not dropped the OS ball in their attempts to break out... which is a good thing.

On the Enterprise front Microsoft is playing in areas (like Cloud computing and virtualization) that Apple isn't. In a lot of ways the two companies are diverging to the point that they're barely comparable anymore. I think it's great that we have two strong Global Players... dog knows the US has few enough wins on the Global Stage these days. Beating up one or the other is silly if you ask me.
 
Apple is the top Consumer Tech Brand at the moment with great momentum. Will be interesting to see if Apple will make efforts to push into the Enterprise realm. I am hearing they are making plans but will be a long uphill road since MS will do what it can to make sure it does not happen.

For the longest time MS gained ground in the Business sector mainly due to its Office and Server OS software. Pushing out Lotus and other business apps aside or basically taking their ideas and making it better. A seedy aspect to MS dominance is the fact that they program their software to work better with MS than any other software maker to maintain its foot hold.

Just like other once dominant Tech companies, if you do not stay relevant and remain innovative then you will disappear...
 
M$ has no worry's. Microsoft's DirectX is the second most important piece of software to any OS they create. I think if MS went after the browser market they would be stretched to thin. The OS today is more complicated than years past. Focusing on other things could make windows 8 a replay of vista.

You got Apple with OSX, Iphone, Ipad, apps store, and Macs. Sure Apple has a browser safari but its no more popular than IE. Comparing this to Microsoft with Windows 7, MS Office, DirectX, few game titles they own, and Xbox360/Xbox live. I'm surprised they work on so much at one time. Without question M$ R&D is working on a new Xbox. Bungie just released halo reach and may be working on porting it to windows 7.

CNN is to out of touch in IMO.
 
[citation][nom]megamanx00[/nom]As long as they have Windows, XBox, and the Visual Studio that developers are over dependent on (but it makes some things so easy) they aren't going anywhere. Yeah MS is an evil empire and yes CNN is right that it's sucked at more than a few things, but saying it's gonna crumble because it failed at a few things like the Zune is like saying Google is gonna collapse because Buzz was a failure. What a bunch of bull.[/citation]

To add the fact that Apple is being innovative and all other Tech companies are copying Apples ideas and designs to stay competitive. Tablets are nothing new but Apple designed/engineered the iPad that makes it extremely user friendly. Is it perfect, no, but I do not see MS or Sony coming out with anything that has the impact of Apples hardware on the market.

Hell even the iPhone revolutionized the Smart Phone market and would not be close to what it is today if Apple did not develop the iPhone. iPod is another good example.

Apple is the new Consumer Tech King and I know its not cool to like the dominant tech company just like geeks did when MS was on top. But there is no denying that it is great to see a US of A company being innovative and not having all the cool toys be developed somewhere else! Apple TVs and Home Stereos anyone??? 😎
 
[citation][nom]TEAMSWITCHER[/nom]I think this is a accurate assessment. Apple and Google are the major tech players in the consumer space right now. I doubt the new WinPhone will be able to compete against the iPhone (or Android). Blackberry should be worried though.The problem isn't all Microsoft's. PC makers need to start selling better laptops and tablets like the MacBook Pro and the iPad. These devices are far more than fashion statements. Apple's hardware is very appealing to consumers. The high prices give Apple more R&D dollars to design the next generation of exciting products. PC competition has produced low-cost designs and shrunken margins with low R&D budgets, now PC laptops look old, because they are old. PC makers are selling the same old notebook designs they did 8 years ago, and consumers know it.Bottom line - PC makers need to raise prices to produce premium products with premium margins to fund new R&D to complete against Apple. If they just wait for Microsoft to solve their Apple problem, it will be too late, and they too will suffer Microsoft's fate.[/citation]

WTF is wrong with you, windows boxes/laptops have far far more powerful hardware, Mac's are prettier and the software is simpler I would much rather manufacturers spend their R&D on power and performance(for much less $) than sleek looks that serve as nothing more than a status symbol. By any measure imaginable windows PC's are still crushing Mac's in sales so I'm not seeing this magical "incredible strength with consumers" All of my friends and family have at least one or two windows computers but not one single mac and only two lonely Ipods to be found. You're saying that PC's need to be more expensive? Seriously? Smells like blind Mactard fanboyism to me.
 
mber than own Windows PCs.[/citation]

Perhaps in very limited regions but not in general. When anyone can go out and get a Win7 Netbook for $240 at the local Walmart (or a laptop for less than $500) you're going to sell a lot more Win7 machines than Mac's, which cost 4x (2x) more at a minumum.

On the other hand, there is outside pressure on the PC Market in general... and it's coming from the handheld market where Apple is strong. It won't help Microsoft much to own the PC OS market if everyone is using handhelds (and them with no viable player in the market).
 
post I was responding to: "Not exactly true. However, the number of people I know that own Macs or are buying a Mac soon vastly outnumber the number than own Windows PCs."
 
I actually make the same claim for several years.
The last thing keeping Windows alive is DirectX, for everything else there are decent alternatives.
I believe that ultimately MS will be forced to migrate to Linux, and move to SAS model.
It worked well for IBM (and still does) and I'll be surprised if MS are not already preparing for this day.
 
I actually make the same claim for several years.
The last thing keeping Windows alive is DirectX, for everything else there are decent alternatives.
I believe that ultimately MS will be forced to migrate to Linux, and move to SAS model.
It worked well for IBM (and still does) and I'll be surprised if MS are not already preparing for this day.
 
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