Why Do People Still Buy Microsoft?

[steve2112]

Yeah like Microsoft doesn't hype their products but yet they still get a pass.

Actually, Microsoft doesn't hype their products. Their marketing is generally terrible. Witness the whole thing with Jerry Seinfield and Bill Gates. What were they thinking?

The sad part is that Microsoft actually has some cool stuff they have developed, but nobody knows about them, because of this sorry marketing.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Of course Microsoft hypes their products. They just do it rather poorly.

 

[Goona]

Actually, Microsoft doesn't hype their products. Their marketing is generally terrible. Witness the whole thing with Jerry Seinfield and Bill Gates. What were they thinking?

The sad part is that Microsoft actually has some cool stuff they have developed, but nobody knows about them, because of this sorry marketing.

Don't make me laugh, so because they are horrible at marketing, it means they don't hype their products? I mean come on.

 

[IJ Reilly]

I wonder what we're supposed to call the $300 million advertising campaign for Vista?

 

[iNikon]

This thread is so funny I may not even sleep tonight. I've never seen more fanboys in my life in one thread. Bravo.

 

[jeremybuff]

You know, in my opion, Microsoft products and Apple products are entirely different. Even down to the keyboards. I understand Microsoft keyboards/mice are very good, though I do not currently use them. On my PC, I use an Apple keyboard and a Logictech MX revolution mouse. To me, that is the best combination in the market. However, microsoft's hardware has served me excellently over the years.

The 360 is an all-around great gaming device. Though the PS3 is better as far as specs, games cannot even be made yet to fully take advantage of the PS3's power. In due time, my friends, in due time. The bottom line, as others have pointed out, is that windows computers (price wise) are more economical for businesses, most people know how to use a windows computer, and they are "known". Even Windows is not that bad, depending on what you're doing. Though I experience the BSOD at least once a month, (vista/win7) the OS is solid otherwise- for normal internet/photos, etc.

Win7 also has a few nice features, and I'm not even going to lie, the new taskbar is better than the OSX Dock. More functionality, and just as easy to use. I'm thoroughly shocked MS churned out something I like more than the dock.

 

[Goona]

This thread is so funny I may not even sleep tonight. I've never seen more fanboys in my life in one thread. Bravo.

Yes and what are you supposed to be, a "hater"?

 

[steve2112]

Don't make me laugh, so because they are horrible at marketing, it means they don't hype their products? I mean come on.

They don't hype the right ones. The Vista marketing campaign was a failure. And they didn't even really start that campaign until well after it launched.

An example of a good product not hyped or advertised at all: Did you know you can get 25GB of storage online, for free? Most people don't. It's called Microsoft SkyDrive, and they have never really promoted it anywhere. This is exactly the type of thing they should be hyping to fight against Google, but yet it seems nobody has heard of it. They have a few other useful services and such that nobody has heard of.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Yes and what are you supposed to be, a "hater"?

I believe the t-word applies.

They don't hype the right ones. The Vista marketing campaign was a failure. And they didn't even really start that campaign until well after it launched.

So, what's the difference? A few recent posters have touched on an issue which I've felt has been an important one for a long time: Microsoft spends heavily on marketing, they just don't seem to spend very effectively. This goes a long way towards disproving the theory that Microsoft succeeds because of their "great marketing." In reality they've succeed in spite of their terrible marketing, mainly because their products have been more about what people feel they need than what they want.

 

[MatLane]

I dont have any faith in Microsoft any more.

I'm hoping Windows 7 is a success.

The only Microsoft software i will purchase is Office.

 

[steve2112]

I believe the t-word applies.



So, what's the difference? A few recent posters have touched on an issue which I've felt has been an important one for a long time: Microsoft spends heavily on marketing, they just don't seem to spend very effectively. This goes a long way towards disproving the theory that Microsoft succeeds because of their "great marketing." In reality they've succeed in spite of their terrible marketing, mainly because their products have been more about what people feel they need than what they want.

You know, I actually agree with you 100% on that. They have succeeded in spite of themselves. To be honest, the got their foot in the door long ago with the IBM/DOS deal, and have been building on that. They took advantage of some blunders by their rivals (Apple III, Wordperfect) and built their base in business, and have been living on that ever since.

For example, at my office, we have 2000+ workstations, and 50 or so severs. To try to convert that from Microsoft to anything else would be a huge undertaking, and it just isn't going to happen. And then there are the policymakers far above my head who only know Microsoft because that is what we have always used, and they see no reason to change. Oh yeah, and they are distrustful of anything open source.

 

[IJ Reilly]

This goes back to some of the points I made earlier. If Microsoft released a crate of manure as a product, a lot of people would be digging around in the crate looking for the pony. If Apple released a pony as a product, just as many would be lifting the pony's tail, looking for the manure. Before anyone tries to dispute me on this point, I suggest they spend some time looking through the recent thread on the new iPod shuffle, if they can stand reading the comments of hundreds of pony tail lifters.

 

[nplima]

This goes back to some of the points I made earlier. If Microsoft released a crate of manure as a product, a lot of people would be digging around in the crate looking for the pony. If Apple released a pony as a product, just as many would be lifting the pony's tail, looking for the manure. Before anyone tries to dispute me on this point, I suggest they spend some time looking through the recent thread on the new iPod shuffle, if they can stand reading the comments of hundreds of pony tail lifters.

man, that easily applies the other way around, depending on people's preference and experience...

 

[Nojja]

Its like all products. Lets say you buy butter brand every time you go to the store. You never think about buying that bit more expensive butter, you do not even reflect over it. Of course the people who knows a lot of butter also knows that expensive butter is the best, they of course tries to let everybody knows that,but seriously who cares, you probably do not, its just butter you think. So do i think the majority of the people think when they are a bout to buy a new computer.


Also, when large parts of the third world gets computer it will definitely not be macs.

 

[IJ Reilly]

man, that easily applies the other way around, depending on people's preference and experience...

Sure, it can be, but I'm thinking broadly over the last 15 years or so. Especially if you exclude the last few years when Apple has become resurgent, you'll see that it has been a consistent, conventional expectation that Microsoft succeeds and Apple fails.

Not that this vibe has disappeared entirely during recent years. Just this morning I read a newspaper article about the iPhone 3.0 update, spun entirely towards how it is intended to fix mistakes and cure user headaches. If you didn't know better, you'd think the iPhone had been a failure to this point.

Truth is, Apple is still the subject of a lot of deeply-entrenched bad will, and expectations that any success they experience will be temporary. OTOH, you'll find hardly anyone expressing the sentiment that Microsoft isn't safe and permanent, a point of view that doesn't change an iota no matter how badly they may screw up.

 

[nplima]

Sure, it can be, but I'm thinking broadly over the last 15 years or so.

I think that in broad enough terms, media make more money selling stories about how bad things are and not that much time is spent praising people and good products. I understand where you're getting, but it does not take much effort to realise that blogs and newspapers tend to behave like a "whinge-fest".

 

[IJ Reilly]

I may be feeding off my own biases, but for years I've been hearing the expectation that Apple must deliver perfection or be seen as having failed, while Microsoft can deliver just good enough, and be seen as having done as much as can be expected. We hear that sentiment expressed in this forum every day -- and we're supposed to be Apple fans around here. And yet, every new Apple release is greeted by this crowd with waves of disappointment, anger, fury, resentment, and predictions of failure. At the same time, it's no problem at all to obtain hundreds of recommendations for buying Microsoft Office. Even among Apple fans, Microsoft is still good enough no matter how little they try, and Apple apparently never is, no matter how hard they try. It's weird, but it is consistent.

 

[RBRat3]

Well im the kind of person that looks up numbers and scores and the only thing a ps3 had over the 360 is a higher floating point, 360 has a higher 3d capability 300-500M triangles (depending on what pipelines used) and a meger 250M triangles for the ps3. I think the only advantage a ps3 has over a 360 is being able to handle a physics engine better due to its floating point.
Now for quality i gotta hand it to microsoft, the original xbox is the most heavly modded console of all time and being able to make it into a decent media center. As for the 360 ive had a RROD sent it out for FREE and got it back for FREE with an extended 3 yr warrenty and a FREE 1 month of xbox live. Now I cant complain any company that can back up their hardware and keeps money in my pocket has my respect for them and i havent had a problem with the console since. Its not about specs speed or what it looks like its the quality of the games and what you do with it. 360 is ahead because of the big price diffrence 360 at $300 and ps3 at $700.
people are going to buy the cheaper console and when more people buy the console more people own the colsole. Developers look at this cause they want to make some serious cash so their going to choose what the mass majority bought. I belive each to their own its not like im dedicated to microsoft its just that sony made a misteak in the begining and i so lost my hard on. I love sony i perfer their controllers over the xbox and i hope sony can fix this.