Apple's roadmap not golden for Microsoft

As I plowed through my Monday morning readings today I noticed a couple of articles about how Apple's Ipads destroyed every other tablet, including Microsoft's surface, during the huge US sales weekend that was. I'm not entirely surprised that there were images floating around of empty Microsoft stores, while people no doubt lined up to save 5% on the latest iPad or iPhone, because they haven't really given the general consumer something to get excited about.

Microsoft has always been associated as a business-y brand, so their addition of a touch pad keyboard to their good looking tablet will probably skew more towards corporate partners and small-business owners rather than the app loving market that eats up anything Apple craps out.

But where I think Microsoft has really failed is in giving people something new and different to experience which is really how Apple has built themselves to their current dominance. They have an opening because Apple is clearly running out of ways to wow people and have reached the point where they are not innovating as much. Whoever comes up with the next big thing - think iPod 7-10 years ago - will turn into the next Apple, and I think that could have been Microsoft. They have the money and the brain-power to get there, but they lack the creativity to push them over the edge. Instead of taking a leap and trying something extraordinary they just bought a copy of the map that Apple created for being a funky tech company and followed it.

Touchscreen phone? Check. Cool tablet? Check. Stores? Check.

Everything exactly as Apple did. Their marketing has always been pretty suspect, so though it's not all that surprising to see their distribution/penetration model be less-than-inspiring, it is disappointing. I still hold out hope for them as I am definitely not an Apple-lover like the majority of people, but what they really need to beat Apple is innovation. Innovative ideas for products AND full-scale-marketing.

If they really want to beat Apple they have to be the first one to launch the product that replaces peoples phones, tablets and laptops all in one.

Microsoft using their customers for more than feedback

Over the past couple of years Microsoft has launched a number of different advertising campaigns and some of them have been incredibly successful, thanks in large part to the use of an adorable little girl


However, none of their advertising ever seems to live up to the stylish, cool Apple advertising. So, most recently they have been using the "We listen to you" sales tactic in their advertisements. Not a bad idea. Let your customers know that you listen to them and value their feedback. Good concept, but as I kept seeing these customer-centric ads I could'nt help but feel like something just wasn't quite right.




Then it hit me.....they are using their customers as scapegoats! "Windows 7 was my idea". So when Windows 7 goes wrong like so many of its predecessors (Vista, XP, etc) then Bill can just point right back at the people complaining and blame it on them. It's pure evil genius! No wonder he is much richer than I am.

What is Bing bringing to the table?

The search engine wars have heated up recently with Microsoft's Bing joining the game. Make no mistake, Microsoft is trying to take Google down and is putting some major money and resources behind it, ie. the creative team that basically stole the Google "concept" of using a distinct sounding, simple name for a search engine. Can you imagine if they named it Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious? Anyways, Microsoft seems to be pleased with the early results and are calling it a success so far.

As we all know, humans are creatures of habit and the habit for most humans the past number of years has been to log onto Google when needing to find anything online. How is Bing going to change people's habits? One way would be to make their search engine different, and I know that Microsoft probably has different bots that run behind the scenes and filter results, etc., etc. But 90% of people don't really know how a search engine works, or really care to find out. They want something that that provides value to them that they can see/use. Now in their latest advertisements (which are actually pretty good) Bing makes itself seem like it is different, calling itself a decision engine and adding an airplane, shopping cart, buildings, and medical symbol next to its logo........ohhhhkay. Don't really understand the significance of those but i'll let you run with it. Here's one of the commercials


What does a decision engine get me? Let's go to Bing to check it out. Okay i'll type in Hawaii Tickets as per their commercial. Bing! Make my decision for me decision engine.......oh. The results are pretty typical of Google's. Hmmm. Thats not really following through on your promise, or maybe you just haven't explained well enough what makes your search engine a "Decision" engine. Might want to think about that, or at least explain it somewhere on your page. Just a thought.

I wonder what "Decision Engine" even means, I think i'll Google it.

Microsoft vs. Apple

One of the most interesting business battles going on is the PC vs. Mac feud. PC was dominating until Steve Jobs came back and turned Apple into the current powerhouse it is, making it the hip and trendy company with teens, young adults, hipsters and artsy style people. PC continues to dominate the workplace computer landscape with no real signs of Apple breaking in.

But PC isn't happy with the big chunk of personal use sales that Mac has grabbed from it thanks to their amazingly effective television advertising campaigns including these:





Microsoft/Windows waited a couple of years and then countered with this:



Which led apple to easily come back with this:



But now Microsoft seems to have taken a different approach, one that I think is quite brilliant and well thought out. They continue to plug away softly at the young adult market, but are now focusing on the young child market and seemingly trying to create lifelong PC enthusiasts from a young age. Also they probably casted the cutest little girl in the world.



Who knows whats coming next but this advertising battle is definately one of the most entertaining in the world. Apple was dominating, but PC has started to put more money in and is making it a closer race.