Why Do People Still Buy Microsoft?

[AppleMacTheBest]

I am surprised by how many people still buy products from Microsoft. They make bad software and even worse hardware. Don't get me started on Windows. Their hardware is a joke. Xbox 360 RROD anyone? Zune leap year debacle anyone? PS3 and iPods are far superior.

So why do the consumers still keep going back to MS after being constantly burnt by them again and again. When will people learn never to buy MS?

 

[DJ567]

Thats your opinion and you're welcome to it but it doesnt mean you are right

i have owned an xbox premium which i sold after 2 years never had a single issue with it, i now own a xbox elite, which only has a slight issue with hdmi but i use component hd which is almost as good, and again no other problems.

where as i bought a ps3 and the very next day it stopped working and i had to get it replaced.

also the best wireless mouse i have ever owned and still own is a standard 2 button microsoft RF laser mouse, solid piece of hardware that has worked perfectly for years, the same cant be said about both a logitech and the 3 apple mighty mice/mouses i have owned (currently on my third).

I agree with you about windows but again thats my opinion does not make it right. I did buy oem vista ultimate and have it installed on bootcamp, i dont use it for anything i can use os x, or xp via vmware, but i dont see that it is that bad an OS just not to my liking.

 

[Eidorian]

I've been more than happy with Microsoft's offerings in software and hardware over the years. If someone else sells what I think is a better product I'll research it and then decide my purchase accordingly.

 

[garnaby]

I have had some ups and downs with Microsoft, like my first xbox 360 had one red light the first time i switched it from new. But i had it replaced and its been fine since. I also have found Microsoft's hardware to be good as said before the Wireless mice and keyboards are far better than anything else apart from my mac keyboard and mighty mouse.

 

[mogzieee]

You have to remember Microsoft has a huge marketshare and the majority of people will follow that trend,

They make bad software and even worse hardware.

Thats you opinion. Many people think their hardware is pretty good (the keyboards & mice are pretty decent, apparently)

Don't get me started on Windows.

Windows is a market leader. People follow the trend. When people think 'computer' they think if a machine running Windows, generally. Windows has that market share because not everyone cares about performance from an Apple computer - take businesses for example. 10 base level iMac's would cost the company $11,990. However, a company would probably rather spend less on a whole bunch of Dell systems with windows at $399 a pop, $3,990 in total.

Xbox 360 RROD anyone?

The original Xbox was never a big hit, but the 360 holds probably 40% of the gaming market (i'm guessing... PS3 at 40% and Wii at 20%). People get it because it is cheaper than the PS3 - it was released earlier than the PS3, too. Plus, why get a PS3 when much the same games released for PS3 are also released for Xbox 360. Plus, if you want competition - compare the successes of Xbox Live and Playstation Home... who's superior there?

Zune leap year debacle anyone?

That was a big cock up, yes... but what about the iPod mini battery issues back in 2004ish? Bigger cock up if you ask me.

PS3 and iPods are far superior.

Quite. But there are people that choose differently, going for the different features. The Zune has bluetooth, does the iPod touch? No.

 

[Melrose]

I am surprised by how many people still buy products from Microsoft.

Don't get confused between the consumer who actually chooses to buy a Windows computer and the consumer who needs a new computer so he goes to BestBuy and makes an impulse purchase that happens to come with Windows.

Most of Windows sales and distribution comes simply from being the 'default' OS available in the store. I agree that Leopard is a far, far superior system (due to my consistently crummy experiences with all flavours of Windows) but it's not the OS that's so readily available an widely distributed as it's competitor.

As far as other stuff goes you don't have to look very far to see how successful (</sarcastic>) the Zune has been (eg: Not many people buy it at all) and the 360 I can't say since I've never used one.

And the Windows Business Software division is wrapped pretty tight - the very nature of that market either hardly ever updates or would be very reluctant to make any major switch at all for cost.

I won't turn into a needles rant on how I view Windows (you know that already...)

 

[sharp65]

Troll alert, troll alert.

 

[SkyBell]

FWIW, Microsoft makes some of the best mouse's and keyboards out there.

For software, most people come back to Microsoft because it's what they are used to. They may not necessarily like it, but it's basically all they know. And, most of their software is pretty decent if you know how to use it right. As far as hardware goes, they have some issues with the 360 and the Zune, but overall they're also decent products.

but the 360 holds probably 40% of the gaming market (i'm guessing... PS3 at 40% and Wii at 20%).

...Not sure what you could be basing this off of, but last time I checked, the Wii was the leader in the market and the PS3 was dead last (Could have changed by now though, I suppose.)

 

[mogzieee]

...Not sure what you could be basing this off of, but last time I checked, the Wii was the leader in the market and the PS3 was dead last (Could have changed by now though, I suppose.)

Total guess. Just from the friends around me as to what people are getting.

 

[isethx]

i love my 360. i have never been a fan of the playstation controller

 

[boonlar]

The fact is that microsoft currently controls gaming. Xbox 360 is the best console currently out at least in terms of software selection. The same can be said about windows. PS3 and Macs are good but your software selection is too limited so people go for the microsoft stuff.

 

[DiamondMac]

Because they make some great products

I am Apple through and through but when Microsoft makes a better product, I will buy it.

When Apple makes a better product, I do buy it

 

[Project Alice]

i do get very mad at microsoft, but i have been BETA testing Windows 7, and it is already better than windows XP, vista and Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger

I have an xbox and an xbox 360 arcade, the xbox have a bad dvd drive (but its not MS's fault its the crappy thompson drive)
my 360 has had no problems after about 1-2 months.

my ps3 had to be replased after 2 months, and again a few days after i got it back the 1st time.
the 1st time it shut off and wouldnt turn back on, and the second time it wouldnt read any Discs.

 

[Doctorzongo]

Because Micro$oft has their software bundled with many computers, and the computer manufacturers don't seem to care that Micro$oft has profited off of open source developers (who aren't in the credits) and Chinese oppression.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

please people do not feed this troll.

The poster is nothing less than a troll.

 

[yg17]

This thread=fail.

I have a Microsoft BlueTrack mouse which so far has been better than any Logitech piece of garbage I've owned over the years (their mice are great at first, but they never last more than a year) and my 360 is almost 3 years old with out a single problem.

Windows is garbage, but that's really their only bad product. I use Office 2007 at work and it's pretty good, and Outlook beats the crap out of Apple Mail by a longshot.

Doctorzongo, hate to break it to you, but Apple benefits off Chinese opression as well. Where do you think Apple products are made? Yup. Some factory in China where workers are paid slave wages in terrible working conditions, just like virtually every other factory in China. And the entire UNIX core of OSX is open source that Apple has turned around and sold for a profit.

 

[MisterMe]

I am surprised by how many people still buy products from Microsoft. ...

Newbie, I believe that you asked a honest question. I do not believe that you are a troll.

To your question: Wintel PCs are sold virtually everywhere that computers are sold. Comsumers who buy Microsoft do so because that is what ships with their computers. It is possible to install and use other operating systems. Whether they be opensource and free or commercial and fee-based, however, installing something other than Windows is the stuff of buffs, nerds, and geeks. 99.999% of consumers don't fall into these categories so Windows it is.

Third party productivity software is dominated by Microsoft because Microsoft leveraged Windows to drive the competition into the ground. It benefits from the old mantra "The job isn't done until Lotus doesn't run." WordPerfect used to dominate the wordprocessor market. Now, WordPerfect receives a subsidy from Microsoft.

You can never forget this fact--most software and hardware purchases are not made by private citizens. They are made by businesses. Big businesses employ people who make these kinds of purchases. They buy the hardware and software that will keep them employed. There are many reports of businesses--both governments and private--converting from Macs to Windows. Virtually every one of these reports included the fact that the business hired a much larger staff to support its new Windows computers. Small businesses rely on salespeople to perform the duties of dedicated staff.

For a large fraction of business customers see themselves as not really having a choice. Their computer purchases must be compatible with their customers, vendors, and peers. That means buying what everyone else buys and using what everyone else uses.

 

[Denholm]

I think many people buy Microsoft software because they don't know better.

The Xbox is a fine console, but it is flawed by poor design. It's working out expensive to Microsoft - but that's their problem.

Windows is an average product at best, considering the company behind it and the billions of dollars invested. IMO Microsoft needs to go through the Windows Team and slash the chaff - lots of chaff in that group.

 

[hexonxonx]

I happen to think Microsoft makes some pretty impressive software. I used to be a huge fan in the 90s and would buy all kinds of Microsoft software releases. I'm even typing this on a six month old HP running Vista.

They just happened to make a bad move with Vista and possibly with the next version as well. They can save themselves by making only two versions of the nexy release and making them solid performers.

 

[chagla]

I am surprised by how many people still buy products from Microsoft. They make bad software and even worse hardware. Don't get me started on Windows. Their hardware is a joke. Xbox 360 RROD anyone? Zune leap year debacle anyone? PS3 and iPods are far superior.

So why do the consumers still keep going back to MS after being constantly burnt by them again and again. When will people learn never to buy MS?

Yah, I don't understand this either. Why don't people pay 3 times more to Apple and ditch PC/Microsoft. People are just stupid I think. Everyone must have been brainwashed and forced to use Windows even though there's the best operating system that was ever made (and will ever be) OS X? It just works! Though usually with the limited set of hardware and software it's tightly integrated to of course.

The world would be a better place if all of us were using Mac OS.

 

[opeter]

Yah, I don't understand this either. Why don't people pay 3 times more to Apple and ditch PC/Microsoft. People are just stupid I think. Everyone must have been brainwashed and forced to use Windows even though there's the best operating system that was ever made (and will ever be) OS X? It just works! Though usually with the limited set of hardware and software it's tightly integrated to of course.

The world would be a better place if all of us were using Mac OS.

Hope not. Apple is almost as bad, as MS. Think of closed-source, the iPhone apps-store, the power to control everything.

 

[zap2]

My 360 has yet to RROD, and its been a great console! Also loved my Xbox 1

Software for my netbook is currently running XP, which is a very small OS. I could put Ubuntu on it, but XP is working well(although I need to Nlite sound drivers back into it!)


And the Windows 7 beta for a try, its decent

 

[zap2]

Total guess. Just from the friends around me as to what people are getting.

You'd be mistaken....worldwide the Wii is ahead, and PS3 and Xbox 360 are closer, but I think the Xbox 360 might have a lead.

Then within the US Xbox beats PS3 by more, but Wii is still ahead

(Although they are all great systems)

 

[TSE]

FWIW, Microsoft makes some of the best mouse's and keyboards out there.

For software, most people come back to Microsoft because it's what they are used to. They may not necessarily like it, but it's basically all they know. And, most of their software is pretty decent if you know how to use it right. As far as hardware goes, they have some issues with the 360 and the Zune, but overall they're also decent products.


...Not sure what you could be basing this off of, but last time I checked, the Wii was the leader in the market and the PS3 was dead last (Could have changed by now though, I suppose.)

Wii has 55%, 360 has 35%, and PS3 has 10% is what I read from Game Informer last month.

 

[Eidorian]

Yah, I don't understand this either. Why don't people pay 3 times more to Apple and ditch PC/Microsoft. People are just stupid I think. Everyone must have been brainwashed and forced to use Windows even though there's the best operating system that was ever made (and will ever be) OS X? It just works! Though usually with the limited set of hardware and software it's tightly integrated to of course.

The world would be a better place if all of us were using Mac OS.

I see what you did there.