It's cool to hate Microsoft - and it drives me crazy

GoodThings2Life

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I've been hesitating to engage on this thread, because my agreement with the OP is (I hope) evident in every post I make.

However, something occurred to me over the past few months that I didn't really consider until recently... it's not that Microsoft is hated by any sort of majority, it's that they're seen as boring.

Think of it this way. Apple is like the bombshell supermodel that shows up at a party. Everyone stops what they're doing, stares at them, and then caters to their whims... for a while. But the time comes, for some sooner and some later, when a majority sees that person as empty at their core.

Meanwhile, the nerds work tirelessly day in and day out to keep things moving forward. The rest of the world... including that pretty little snob... turns back to the nerds for inspiration and sometimes even salvation.
 

anon(5348535)

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The thing is that tablet sales are soaking up extra demand for PC's, while PC sales decline. If you add together iPad and Mac sales, I think you'd see a different story.

Nothing to do with hate, I think. It is simply that number of people have so basic needs they really don't need fully blown PC. Some of them also find PC too complex.

Before iPad, tablets were basically touch-screen keyboardless PCs, which wasn't that much different... so there was really no choice. Apple, like them or not, did launch new fool-proof category of light Internet and media ready devices.

There is another thing; PCs have reached certain level of saturation that is not related with raise of the tablets. Level of performance that negates necessity for upgrade/replacement. I am reasonably advanced user and gamer, editing RAW photos and full HD videos, playing games. My current desktop is almost 4 years old Core 2 Quad with 2 years old graphics card, ATI 6870, 8GB of RAM. It is far cry from top of the line today, but it still plays Battlefield 3 in full details on 1080 screen. Lightroom still does great job on RAW images, though my new camera is 20MP and I am expecting to see a dip in performance when LR gets support for that camera. Pinnacle Studio's performance is also perfectly acceptable. I'd like to build new box, but I cannot justify it yet, and I do want to prioritize Windows Phone and maybe Windows Tablet before replacing my PC. My brother, with much basic needs, is ecstatic with Core 2 Duo laptop I gave him last year - it does much more than he needs (and much more than he was getting from his old XP machine), and I cannot see him replacing it before it dies (as I don't expect his needs to change much, if at all).

Tablets will have same path - at some point, maybe already, performance will reach level where replacing tablet will not make much sense, and sales will slow down. I want Windows tablet because I like Windows 8/Phone/Tablet GUI, but my 1st gen Asus Transformer still does fine what I need from tablet.
 

Mitlov

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Apple is cool to hate among tech-heads; Microsoft is cool to hate among the general public. It started in the 1990s when, honestly, Microsoft deserved to be hated. They don't anymore--they arguably have much cleaner hands than the other two tech giants right now (Apple and Google)--but there's a certain inertia to these things.

I think Ars Technica is one of the worst--their headlines themselves are often dripping with sarcasm. Engadget and The Verge I think are generally fair, even if there's an unfair quip buried in the middle of an article from time to time.
 

EvanKr

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it's not that Microsoft is hated by any sort of majority, it's that they're seen as boring.

That's an interesting thought. I do have to agree with you that people don't exactly hate Microsoft per se, but they're just a neutral brand. MS hasn't created a hype for themselves the way that Apple has; people don't line up hours in advance for the latest Windows Phone (yet), people don't call Windows laptops "sexy" like the latest Macbook Air, nor is the newest release of Windows the coolest piece of tech to have. To many, Microsoft is Microsoft, the company that makes software for affordable computers and businesses. I'm almost 100% sure that if the PC market weren't as saturated as it currently is, and Apple started selling their computers around $500, they could very well exceed MS PCs in market share.
 

sinime

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However, something occurred to me over the past few months that I didn't really consider until recently... it's not that Microsoft is hated by any sort of majority, it's that they're seen as boring.

They are working to change that. Take the IE9 commercial for example. They make IE9 look cool and are playing music that catches your attention. Most people hate IE... Not sure if the commercial will change that perception, but it's a step in the right direction. Will be interesting to see what happens with WP8... Will MS make commercials similar to the IE9 one that grab attention? Or will they leave it to carriers/OEMs to advertise?

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
 

dogfish54

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They can't. Microsoft is selling the ecosystem - not just the phone.
Microsoft does need to do a better job of promoting the ecosystem. From an outsider perspective, they have been a TERRIBLE partner for anyone trying to make WP7 more than a hobby. With the news (leak) today of the Microsoft branded smartphone and the uncertainty that raises, I think Microsoft needs to show consumers and enterprises that it's serious about Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.
 

crystal_planet

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It absolutely does. They should start promoting the ecosystem now with short blurbs and slight teases - referring to the release date. On release date go for an all out blitz with different ads for different components (WP8, Windows Phone, Surface Tablets, even Xbox integration)

Many people would think they are halfway there with a Windows computer.
 

Dr. Impossible

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You remember the tablet PC...? It failed badly at creating a buzz...

It was supposed to be "The revolution in mobile computing" but a little after Apple came in with the iPad and people called it a "Revolution in mobile computing"... I simply hope that Microsoft will push their tablet as much as Apple do... There are HUGE iPad ads everywhere in every city and it's not rare to see it in the newspapers, on TV and even the weather guy have an iPad once in a while...

This. A little off topic, but if there is one thing I have always thought that MS(and I think everyone thinks this) needed to do better was put a lot more cash and muscle into adverts.

Thanks

-Doc
 

dogfish54

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@Doc

I think the reason they haven't is that they haven't done advertising well is because they are not used to having to sell to consumers. They do an outstanding job of supporting the enterprise through a number of different channels. Where they suck is consumers.

I don't know the full story on this surface phone thing, but I'd have to say they are doing a poor job at working with their Windows Phone partners.

Elop at Nokia has been so pro-Microsoft, so incredibly supportive of 'the ecosystem' to the point where people question where his allegiance lie. It seems that while Nokia is trying to grow the ecosystem, Microsoft is trying to do whatever is best for Microsoft.

It's a big bad world we live in, and business is business, but this SEEMS like bad form fro Microsoft.
 

GoodThings2Life

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That's an interesting thought. I do have to agree with you that people don't exactly hate Microsoft per se, but they're just a neutral brand. MS hasn't created a hype for themselves the way that Apple has; people don't line up hours in advance for the latest Windows Phone (yet), people don't call Windows laptops "sexy" like the latest Macbook Air, nor is the newest release of Windows the coolest piece of tech to have. To many, Microsoft is Microsoft, the company that makes software for affordable computers and businesses. I'm almost 100% sure that if the PC market weren't as saturated as it currently is, and Apple started selling their computers around $500, they could very well exceed MS PCs in market share.

Exactly. I remember the last time there were people lined up for Windows... it was Windows 95. Ironically, that was the last MAJOR overhaul to Windows too. I don't know if we'll get that level of excitement for Windows 8, but I DO expect to see big crowds at all the Microsoft stores this fall. Certainly on Black Friday in the US.

Also, Apple will NEVER lower their price or open their platform in any meaningful way to achieve mass adoption for Mac. I was actually surprised there was mass adoption of the iPhone or iPad given their pricing, but then I think it's because there's not been any good options either. As Google came along, people started changing their tune and adopting the alternative... just as they did with Mac vs. PC in the 80's and 90's.

They are working to change that. Take the IE9 commercial for example. They make IE9 look cool and are playing music that catches your attention. Most people hate IE... Not sure if the commercial will change that perception, but it's a step in the right direction. Will be interesting to see what happens with WP8... Will MS make commercials similar to the IE9 one that grab attention? Or will they leave it to carriers/OEMs to advertise?

I agree. Honestly, I LOVE the IE9 ad... that song is one of my favorite songs right now! :)

At work, I force IE9 as the default browser and Bing as the home page, and I've blocked installation of Chrome and Firefox and Safari for security reasons. It wasn't an easy decision, but a series of the fake anti-malware viruses a couple years ago forced me to make the decision since most of it was coming from Google searches.

The irony is that people actually ENJOY seeing the Bing image every day and while most don't know any better about IE vs. others... the few that were savvy have come to appreciate it. Oh, and those infections? Not a single one has been effective since upgrading, thanks to SmartScreen.
 

Laura Knotek

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I still don't like IE. I actually submitted a request to Opera to create Opera Mobile / Opera Mini for Windows Phone. There was a version of Opera available for Windows Mobile.

I use Firefox as my default browser in Windows and Linux. I never liked proprietary browsers much, and I run Linux about 70% of the time and only run Windows 30% of the time.

I do like Opera, since it is cross-platform, despite being proprietary. However, if Facebook were to acquire Opera, I'd never use Opera again. Facebook is one company I truly do despise.


IE used to be the worst browser in terms of meeting W3C standards. It's gotten better, but it's only for Windows. I do like open source. I also still remember Microsoft putting Netscape out of business unfairly, and the folks at Mozilla are some of the folks who had been at Netscape.
 
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pjs37

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I have never hated MS since as long as I have care for technology. I do think they make stupid mistakes that anyone can see coming a mile away that will be a disaster and I feel like they adapt as well as a turtle does to oncoming traffic but I do not hate them. In fact I have always preferred them over Windows mainly because I can't stand Apple fans at all because most of the time I have known them they have been irrational and only like Apple because it was different and not for any useful reason. Though I try to be platform agnostic now and have machines running all major's OS's and my hatred of Apple tapered for a bit until their ego's got the best of them. I will recognize the fact that they have done some impressive things like changed the face of the cell phone world practically overnight.
 

gsquared

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Don't get your boxers in a knot. Eleven years ago Microsoft had to give up on their planned World domination of all things tech. They had to give others a chance to catch up thanks to some judges rulings. They have learned a lot since then, and developed a top notch legal team to fend off future attacks.

Now they are beginning to take back what is rightfully theirs while riding that fine line between monopoly and free enterprise. Google and Apple have helped prove that owning 90%+ of a particular market segment is A-Ok. Don't think Microsoft won't use that for reference a few years from now.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express Pro
Well put...
 

1jaxstate1

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Neither Google nor Apple owns 90% of any market.

IE9 sucks compared to Chrome or FF. I've moved and I'm trying to like IE10, but Chrome is the best of the bunch right now [Haven't tried Opera since they tried to charge to use it].

As a Windows, Mac, Linux user. I think Windows is the #1 options. When I was using OS X, the first thing I did was load Windows XP on it. I'm just not into linux that much, but I have to use it for work.
 
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