Is Microsoft Really a Dying Consumer Brand?

[pip_seeker]

profits up 52%... I hardly thinks that is dying. LOL.

 

[vancouverboy]

I remembered in many years ago, a lot of saying that IBM was a dying brand... while they had huge pile of cash on hand and in process of finding new direction for the company, we all know how good IBM today's doing...

Maybe MSFT is in little mess of finding what's next killer product/service but definitely isn't dying. In contrast, personally, I won't miss CNN a bit.

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[thegreathuntingdolphin]

These devices are far more than fashion statements. Apple's hardware is very appealing to consumers.

Ya like that one time where Apple was 6 months behind Dell in releasing Core i hardware? Or how about their chronically late ram and hardware upgrades?

The hardware is the same between Macs and PCs - both use Intel and most of their components come from the same factories in China. It is about Software and not hardware.

This article is dumb. Apple does not want to get into the corporate world and the corporate world is where the real money is. If they did, they would have to release their OS to other vendors and the quality of Mac would decline overnight. Why do you think they sue any mac clone company out of existence?

It is funny this article is written as Microsoft posts excellent quarter revenues and profit. Something like 240 million Windows 7 copies were sold in the last year.

 

[JOSHSKORN]

Wow, people will say just about anything for ratings regardless if it's true or not.

 

[TheDuke]

they're more of a consumer brand more than ever now
as a consumer brand compared to Apple. maybe not but they sure are more mainstream friendly then ever

 

[jalek]

They've been taking advantage or the low interest rates and selling bonds as well as streamlining to get rid of excess employees. They, like many corporations, are sitting on a lot of cash to buy relevancy whenever they decide to do something with their money.

 

[redgarl]

When I will see a really open OS able to be as compatible as Windows, that's when Microsoft will sink.

 

[boogalooelectric]

How can it be a failing brand when they have sold almost a quarter of a billion Win 7 licenses?

And whats with all the conservadouche political posts?

 

[wotan31]

Microsoft is indeed a dying brand. I don't have a single Microsoft branded piece of hardware or software in my home. No xbox, no Windows, no Kin. Not one piece. My office tells a similar story, we've migrated many desktops to Linux, and we're in the process of migrating our mail services off of Exchange, and onto a more robust UNIX-based mail solution. Sorry Microsoft, you've had your fun, but you are on the way down and out.

 

[wotan31]

[citation][nom]redgarl[/nom]When I will see a really open OS able to be as compatible as Windows, that's when Microsoft will sink.[/citation]
Lol what? Microsoft is a closed proprietary system, compatible only with itself, locking you in to a single proprietary vendor. It is everything else that is open and standards compliant: Linux, AIX, HP-UX, OSX, FreeBSD, QNX, etc. they are all POSIX compliant, interoperable, and adhere strictly to all open standards. Microsoft doesn't, and isn't.

 

[wotan31]

[citation][nom]boogalooelectric[/nom]And whats with all the conservadouche political posts?[/citation]
Probably it's to balance out the typical libdouche political posts.

 

[davewolfgang]

So what, until this was posted here, maybe 100 people saw that report?

 

[rantoc]

Steve's hardware strikes again, please if you don't have anything useful to write about.. dont write at all!

 

[captjack5169]

[citation][nom]wotan31[/nom]Lol what? Microsoft is a closed proprietary system, compatible only with itself, locking you in to a single proprietary vendor. It is everything else that is open and standards compliant: Linux, AIX, HP-UX, OSX, FreeBSD, QNX, etc. they are all POSIX compliant, interoperable, and adhere strictly to all open standards. Microsoft doesn't, and isn't.[/citation]

Here let me help, although Im not aloud to write this in crayon for you to understand. I think what he meant by compatible was the hardware side of the coin. We all know Linux, UNIX and so are more stable, but on the hardware side not so much from my experience. Microsoft is also easier to deal with in terms of cost management for IT labor issues. You have to look at the big picture, because believe me MS is not perfect by any stretch. I think Linux well get some of the market share in the future, competition is good for business and I would to see more competition.

 

[boogalooelectric]

[citation][nom]wotan31[/nom]Probably it's to balance out the typical libdouche political posts.[/citation]

You sure told me didn't you?

 

[suoeno]

They're not dying but they could do a hell a lot better.They need to.The last time I commented about Win 8's risks I got a few thumbs down lol ;p but here I'll go:-

At last update MS scored 5bill give or take on profits.Congrats.Now let's talk about what we can do with that...

1. For the flagship meal ticket and yet again I'll repeat; For Win 8,do away with useless SKUs down to just 2 and if you can't kill the 32 bit monster then keep it alongside x86_64 but again not more than just in 2 SKUs.Optical media are becoming dino dung.Provide installer or live USB flash drives/sticks option.Enough with the $10 extra for system DVD crap likw wtf aren't we paying the sticker price already?Easy pay options for net installs.Better yet branch that approach out for all other software products outside the OS.For the love of God quit with strangling OEM PC makers on licensing and fucking fix the retail front properly to effectively eliminate piracy.

2. XBox...You're doing great on console games, brand recognition-wise and demographics lock in but that doesn't mean that you can sit back.There's enough resources for a complete hardware revision so do exactly that.No I don't mean Kinect.Quit with the ridiculous proprietary parts that alienates the customers from upgrading (read:- at least design a HDD slider/toolless chassis that can support 3rd party HDDs) to higher capacities.Don't be that evil part of Sony.Do away with backward thinking platform lock-in and be just a bit more open.Dual bootable with full Windows or even Linux.CHOICE adds value.If people are doing media centers with XBox,they sure as hell would want a proper PC running on that.Translation:- Witness absolute ensured domination in gaming consoles for 5 years to come.

[/b]3. I don't have to elaborate but really...do something and do something FAST to add the missing features of Windows Phone 7.It's painfully absurd and not a minute excusable.Already late in the game and came back with a beta?Not good.

4. Just in case..Design principles.NO we don't need you to be like Apple or Mac OS X or iOS.Do remember why or how you're the behemoth in this game.BECAUSE function equals to form and no unicorn dust + fairy glitters + NONE of this BS "you can't run this on anything else" crap ethos.That's what counts.The minute you try to play a game you suck at that's it game over.

5.Remember Kin? How the hell did that happen? What happened to real innovative stuff like surface computing? Put real push on real ideas and put those out FAST after proof of concept.If something takes more than a year to decide on before beta then it's worth killing off.Redirect resources.That simple.

It's TLDR and probably didn't cut through the way it should but I only comment on MS products that concerns me.All this talk about cloud computing and b2b are off the table.

 

[kelemvor4]

Microsoft looks to be doing well and growing o me...

http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/story/10903566/1/microsoft-reports-growth-across-all-sectors.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA

Profits up, sales up in ALL sectors. Maybe CNN didn't get the memo even though some website I've never heard of "the street" did.

 

[Conner Macleod]

[citation][nom]moricon[/nom]MS has given more to personal computing than any other software company out there, every other company only exists because of MS, yes Apple, Linux Community, every company!.. Because MS brought Computing to the masses through its windows OS!MS is no dying brand, you would need to completely change the face of Personal computing in an instant to kill MS, because this steady march of progress will be met by MS.Think of it as a Massive Ship, takes longer to turn around than a smaller vessel, but sure as hell less sinkable in a storm than the smaller vessel![/citation]

Correction, MS has stolen/plagiarized more for the public than any other company. If you look at their OS they've all been stolen or bought from other companies. MS-DOS was not theirs, Bill simply bought QDOS from a Seattle company, slapped the MS label on it, then turned around and sold it to IBM. Windows 1.0 was based on Xerox's OS, same goes for Apple. MS didn't invent it. Then Windows 95 came out, which was co-developed with IBM, although MS breached contract and released their own version without IBM's involvement, then IBM sued them, but it was too late 'cause they had created a monopoly of OS by then and had plenty of resources to settle the lawsuit. Another major one was how MS made an exact copy (stole) of Netscape's first browser. I remember when MSIE 1.0 came out, it was identical to Netscape which had been out for a year or two. Then eventually MS incorporated it into their OS, thereby creating a monopoly of it, driving Netscape out of business, and Netscape sued them for this.

With Vista, MS simply copied Apple's OSX search engine, their Apps which MS called "Gadgets", the transparent, 3D windows and the associated aesthetics. Believe it or not but the vast majority of MS's products have either been bought or copied from other, better innovators, MS very rarely innovates anything, ever. MS is primarily very good at marketing and selling products made by other companies, which they've slightly modified so they can call it their own.

MS's Office suite is another one, they simply copied Word Perfect and made Word, Excel, etc. were all copies of Lotus Notes. For those who know the advanced keyboard combos for Word will recognize that these are the very same ones that Word Perfect had since the 80s. The list goes on and on.

I don't hate MS, I use all of their products on a daily basis, primarily because it's the universal standard, but I'm not delusional about what it is or how it got to where it is, off the blood, sweat and innovation of countless other individuals.

People are either ignorant about how MS became the top dog, or they turn a blind eye to it because of how powerful and influential they are.

Whether you hate Apple or not, they've been at the forefront of ingenuity and making products highly user friendly and ergonomic, and contrary to us PC enthusiasts, it's what the average joe prefers because they're not techies. Apple's innovations have been and are the ones to beat, and the proof is in the pudding. If this wasn't true then you wouldn't see MS coming out with the Zune to beat the iPod, the Windows 7 phone to beat the iPhone or the Windows 7 tablets to beat the iPad.

On topic, the answer's no, it's not dying, far from it, their X-Box console market is huge and growing all the time, their Windows 7 is a gargantuan success, as is their Office products, servers, e-mail and databases.

Even though they don't have a good answer to facebook, I say so what, just because they dominate the OS market that doesn't mean that they have to compete in let alone dominate every other tech market, and if they don't that doesn't mean that they're a failure by any stretch of the imagination.

Microsoft and Apple appeal to different demographics, and competition is good, it forces each company to put their best foot forward and continue to outdo themselves, and who wins in the end? We the consumers.

 

[drakennz]

[citation][nom]cptnjarhead[/nom]Just because you work at CNN... and you and your retard buddies have apple products.. that automatically means everyone has apple products?.by the way.. who or what is CNN?... I thought they were a dying brand.. doesn't everyone just watch fox?[/citation]

Look I'm not arguing that CNN is a dying brand - and MS blatantly is not a dying brand!!! They're a part of our everyday lives.

Having said all that - for the LOVE OF GOD - don't watch fox!!!!!!! They're not a news channel, don't ever let them fool you into thinking they are. I have never seen as much bias in "reporting" as is available for viewing on fox (and I've heard msnbc is similar for the left).

 

[soundping]

[citation][nom]Drakennz[/nom]for the LOVE OF GOD - don't watch fox!!!!!!! They're not a news channel, don't ever let them fool you into thinking they are. I have never seen as much bias in "reporting" as is available for viewing on fox (and I've heard msnbc is similar for the left).[/citation]
100% Agreed.

 

[damasvara]

Reality distortion field through TV? Good *cough*Steve*cough* Job(s)! :lol:

 

[TEAMSWITCHER]

[citation][nom]joe gamer[/nom]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.[/citation]

First of all PC's are not crushing Macs in sales. In fact, when you look at $1000+ computers sold at retail, Apple has the majority of the market. That's very bad for PC sellers, Apple is taking all the high margin dollars.

PC makers don't spend squat on R&D. Microsoft handles the software, Intel and AMD handle the processors and chipsets. AMD, nvidia, and Intel do graphics (too much of Intel actually). And PC makers do colored plastic shells and stickers.

The current MacBook Pro's uni-body design is three generations ahead of anything in the PC world. Have you seen the new MacBook Air? Held one in your hands? Apple has cracked the DNA code for thin, light, and completely ridgid designs. It's not just a design statement, it's a testament to Apple's commitment to quality.

And that's my argument. High quality products sell well at any price. PC makers need to "Man Up" and show they care about quality too, or my next notebook will be another Mac.

 

[TEAMSWITCHER]

[citation][nom]mikewong[/nom]Just try imagine a world without MS Office, Windows and VS Studio...[/citation]

Imagine It? I live in one!

 

[waffle911]

[citation][nom]TEAMSWITCHER[/nom]It's not just a design statement, it's a testament to Apple's commitment to quality. And that's my argument. High quality products sell well at any price. PC makers need to "Man Up" and show they care about quality too, or my next notebook will be another Mac.[/citation]
This I find to be a valid assessment of the situation. They may be expensive, they may not have the absolute top-of-the-line hardware, but they do have indisputable leads in the quality department. The price markup, while higher than average, is not even close to as high as people think it is. One of the reasons Apple does not do everything it can to "keep up with the Joneses" is to iron out any potential bugs before letting it into the wild, and some still get through and cause a big commotion. But above all, the reason they don't go for out-and-out performance is because they believe in compromising performance for overall form AND function. Their notebooks may not be the fastest, but they do perform more than adequately for complex or heavy tasks while still returning good battery life. They may be expensive, but they are very durable and often outlast contemporary notebooks by other manufacturers (I've known several people who continue to use 4-5-year old Apple hardware because it still works reliably and adequately quickly for their needs); you'll even see some so-called "underpowered" examples of older Apple hardware reselling 2-3 years down the line for at least 40% of it's initial cost, something I've rarely seen from other computer makers.

Not to sound like a fanboy or anything, but Apple really knows their market, and believe it or not, their in-house R&D does have more than a passing influence on the design and performance of the actual hardware that goes into their products. Just because they don't make the chips or the hardware itself doesn't mean they don't utilize hardware that is different from anybody elses. While it may just be a Foxconn logic board in their MacBooks, it is by no means a "run-of-the-mill" part that gets used in half a dozen other notebooks in various specs and guises. And that does add cost, but the result is the svelte, space-efficient form factor that it allows their hardware to take.
As an aside, the new MacBook Air now actually has the performance to take on notebooks more than half it's cost (it actually outperforms the regular MacBook), which also are twice its size and have half its battery life, despite the fact that at least 2/3 of the inside is taken up by batteries.

TL;DR
Apple hardware is far from being over-priced run-of-the-mill hardware in a nice package, despite its average performance stats; people pay for its quality, which it does have plenty of.

For my money, about the only manufacturer of laptops I can think of that can even come close to Apple's quality standards and performance ideals is Lenovo. They're not quite as good, but they have many more hardware features that make it worthwhile if you're only comparing hardware.

That said, Steve Jobs is a complete prick and I disagree with a great deal of Apple's business practices; but there's no denying he's a smart prick, and that he managed to rescue Apple from floundering about when it tried to do what Microsoft did with Windows and put Apple OS on generic, third-party hardware for mass use in business markets (remember Office Space? Mac clones!). But as a whole, I hate Steve Balmer more for what he's letting happen to Microsoft. But in the end, you have two evil mega-corporations telling people how to use their products (Apple more with hardware, Microsoft more with software) and using questionable business practices to line their pockets with extra dough.

 

[yang]

gotta say steve balmer just doesn't look like a person that would fit the role of microsoft ceo