Can Microsoft survive in the consumer market?

[Andrew Z]

I agree. Every store I've visited (especially local grocery stores) had iTunes and Amazon gift cards near the registers. I've picked up these cards and given them to family/friends as holiday/birthday gifts frequently. I've never seen a Microsoft gift card.

but at the same time, look at the google success without gift cards. And to previous post, I agree, totally stupid how we can't use MS points on our WP's. They need to keep things in one format...

 

[Laura Knotek]

but at the same time, look at the google success without gift cards. And to previous post, I agree, totally stupid how we can't use MS points on our WP's. They need to keep things in one format...

Apple and Microsoft do not make nearly as much money on advertising
as Google. Apple doesn't even have its own search engine, and Bing does not make as much money as Google search; not to mention all of Google's other sources of advertising revenue from its products other than search.

 

[crystal_planet]

I agree. Every store I've visited (especially local grocery stores) had iTunes and Amazon gift cards near the registers. I've picked up these cards and given them to family/friends as holiday/birthday gifts frequently. I've never seen a Microsoft gift card.

Microsoft needs to get their basic infrastructure firmly in place before it can add this component. If they released gift cards right now, they would only sit on store's end caps gathering dust. Most people wouldn't even know what they could use a Microsoft gift card for.

 

[psurob55]

Microsoft needs to get their basic infrastructure firmly in place before it can add this component. If they released gift cards right now, they would only sit on store's end caps gathering dust. Most people wouldn't even know what they could use a Microsoft gift card for.

Aren't they trying to consolidate xbox live points, bing rewards, and gift cards into one entity?

 

[koolrosh]

I see more Blackberries than Windows Phones.

 

[JamesDax]

I see more Blackberries than Windows Phones.

I see more Androids then Blackberries. So what's your point?

 

[koolrosh]

I see more Androids then Blackberries. So what's your point?

I see more Androids than iPhones, Blackberries and Windows Phones combined.

But I still see more Blackberries than Windows Phones.

 

[JamesDax]

I see more Androids than iPhones, Blackberries and Windows Phones combined.

But I still see more Blackberries than Windows Phones.

I don't know. Might have something to do with Blackberries being on the market longer then Windows Phone. Like 7 years longer.

smdh

 

[brmiller1976]

I doubt that the BBs you see in public are eight-year-old ones. They're most likely relatively recent Curves, Bolds and Torches.

 

[Simon Tupper]

I doubt that the BBs you see in public are eight-year-old ones. They're most likely relatively recent Curves, Bolds and Torches.

It's more about the time BB had over Windows Phone to build market share.

 

[tiziano27]

Microsoft's first serious attempt to enter the consumer market started two months ago with the launch of Windows 8, WP8 and Surface. It's too early to know if it's going to be successful, but clearly is not being easy.
I think the products need another iteration to reach the quality needed to compete at the same level with iOS and Android, but hopefully this breed of products is good enough to grab respectable market share.

Microsoft has to change a lot to be successful in the consumer market, for example, product cycles are too long, good thing for the corporate market but frustrating for consumers that always want the latest and greatest thing.
Another problem is the price of the products, historical margins of the pc industry are high compared to the mobile. But if Microsoft and partners prices lower the tablets, these will cannibalize the more profitable laptop and PC market.

A big advantage for Google and Apple is that they don't have this big asset to protect, they are free to be agressive and innovate, sort of, and the former more than the latter.

 

[trainplane]

I don't really care if MS fails on Surface and RT but I do want Windows to continue to dominate. It is the best OS for controlled openess. I don't like the direction they are going with Windows 8 and locking things down but what is the alternative? Does Apple let you install your own GPU or build your own system? But what about Linux? That is uncontrolled openess. I've tried Ubuntu and there are a lot of things that just don't work. It's getting better and hopefully in a few years they could be a real desktop alternative but until they get things as plug and play as Windows, they are not viable. So I don't know where MS will be in 10 years, but if they are not the top OS then, consumers, who tend to be very short sited, might regret the alternatives of closed ecosystems and high prices.