Actually, Microsoft's biggest problem is not their development, it's their marketing. While everyone applauds Apple for their development, it is actually their marketing where they excel. Their marketing drives their development. They find out what people want, then make a great device that hsa some innovation and deliver.
Microsoft develops innovative products, but seems very bad at finding the market for their products. Tablet PCs are a perfect example of that. Everyone I know (including myself) who uses a tablet would never go without one again. But Microsoft just hasn't found a way to market Tablets for mass appeal.
The surface computer is another perfect example. Commercial uses aside, this device has huge potential to revolutionize the way you interact with your home network. But Microsoft is failing to market it properly. To be truthful, I'm not even sure what approach they could take. It has a wide range of uses, but all of them are completely different than people traditional view using a computer. Most "killer apps" take something that everyone is already doing and making it much easier (see all Apple products). But we aren't talking about that with the surface computer.
Now you are trying to sell the mass market on doing things they never thought of doing in the first place! Not an easy sell.
The best part is that despite Microsoft's marketing problems, third party application writers will come in and solve te problem. They will fill the nitches and exploit the surface computer for all its power.
Microsoft's philosophy can be summed up in a great quote from a great movie:
Scientist 1: "Yea, but what is it used for?" Scientist 2: "I don't care. That's for the engineers to figure out."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
GeneMack @ Feb 5th 2008 5:38PM
Timmahh:
Actually, Microsoft's biggest problem is not their development, it's their marketing. While everyone applauds Apple for their development, it is actually their marketing where they excel. Their marketing drives their development. They find out what people want, then make a great device that hsa some innovation and deliver.
Microsoft develops innovative products, but seems very bad at finding the market for their products. Tablet PCs are a perfect example of that. Everyone I know (including myself) who uses a tablet would never go without one again. But Microsoft just hasn't found a way to market Tablets for mass appeal.
The surface computer is another perfect example. Commercial uses aside, this device has huge potential to revolutionize the way you interact with your home network. But Microsoft is failing to market it properly. To be truthful, I'm not even sure what approach they could take. It has a wide range of uses, but all of them are completely different than people traditional view using a computer. Most "killer apps" take something that everyone is already doing and making it much easier (see all Apple products). But we aren't talking about that with the surface computer.
Now you are trying to sell the mass market on doing things they never thought of doing in the first place! Not an easy sell.
The best part is that despite Microsoft's marketing problems, third party application writers will come in and solve te problem. They will fill the nitches and exploit the surface computer for all its power.
Microsoft's philosophy can be summed up in a great quote from a great movie:
Scientist 1: "Yea, but what is it used for?"
Scientist 2: "I don't care. That's for the engineers to figure out."