I hadn't played around with WIndows 7, since I haven't even touched a Windows computer in several years. I don't know what the Windows users are thinking, but that was the just the most horrific experience I had in a long time. I helping a friend "fix" their laptop. It just gave me one more reason to stick with Apple. And the owner of the laptop wants to replace it with an Apple.
Microsoft can put up all the retail stores in the world, it's not going to change the fact that WIndows is just a COMPLETE bad OS. It's just not friendly at all. It's like a bunch of computer geeks trying to figure out can they can confuse the user as much as possible. It's just a joke.
There were a couple of small features I thought were cool, but the rest of the OS, is junk.
Wow, M$ is going to add 11 retail stores? REALLY? Well, by the time they get 11 more stores, Apple will also have more stores. At the rate M$ is adding stores, it will take them 40 years to catch up.
Pouring money into stores that no one is visiting - just to copy Apple - doesn't seem smart. I have been to an MS store in a popular mall in LA and it was empty except for a couple of employees walking around and a couple of employees obviously forced to play with the XBOX Kinect near the front window to attract customers.
There is something not quite right about this wording ..
"Microsoft still taking Apple on head-to-head in continued retail expansion"
I think it's the 'still taking Apple on' .... perhaps 'wanting to, or hoping to' would be better?
Agreed! Lets see Microsoft had 13 million visitors over three years. Apple had 813 million visitor last quarter. Even if you just took 20 of Apples stores to compare. 17000 visitors per store, per week times 20 stores for three years is 43 million visitors. Keep in mind Apple has 372 stores.
This seems to be the strategy MS used in the Xbox release... release a product, market the product, market the marketing, absorb huge losses until it's making money, and ignore the sunk costs, and claim victory.
All in all, the MS store is like the 'Surface' It's a 'reference platform' for MS to shove in front of it's partners, and say "This is how we want our stuff marketed... if you can't do this, we'll take over your spot in the MS food chain." Problem is... MS working the ends (delivery to consumer/ OS and requirements engineering), and ignoring the middle (UX engineering [apple would hate that term], HW/SW integration, end to end experience, HW/SW support, online store, integration of retail to user experience (my appleID and my storeID are the same), etc etc.
MS is selling product by maximizing expertise in experience.
MS selling Dell or Samsung hardware no better than BestBuy. Once you get to a problem, MS doesn't own it. Dell, HP, Nvidia, Sony own the problem.
Hence, the MS store is a walk in experience marketing campaign. The problem is, MS only controls about 20% of the experience.
Apple is selling experience, by maximizing expertise in the product. Any problem with your Mac or iPhone, is pretty much Apple's (or yours) to solve, because they are the ones who specced every piece and shipped it to you.
MS' key mistake, is that they think people want a product. No. People want experience, preferably one that is enjoyable, and 'gets the job done'. The concept of "Windows Ready" or "Intel Inside" have been replaced with a single silver Apple logo, like a Mercedes or BMW logo... MS thinks people wants Windows (Windows EVERYWHERE), no people want a device that solves a problem for them... it's the difference between a hammer, a nail and some wood, and a finished picture frame.
the MS store is antithetical to how MS's DNA runs... They supply SW to others and others do stuff with it (OEM's, corporations) The store is to sell solutions. but as I said, in MS's business model, they don't own the solution, therefore in the end, they can't sell solutions... they sell product. And like BestBuy, they will fail.
Head-to-head competition is more likely to help Apple than Microsoft, since Apple's products are better, and Microsoft is bringing Windows users within sight of Apple stores. Go figure.
Do the Microsoft stores sell the Mac version of Office?
No, they don't really sell much of anything in their stores. Its basically like a big advertisement for Microsoft products and 3rd party PCs. At least, this is how I felt at the Microsoft Store inside Tyson's Corner in VA.
Good call on the count genovelle. Over the past three years, you are comparing a total visitor registry for M/soft of 13 million, to a three year Apple visitor registry of 1,245,816,000 or 1.245 billion. Any further analysis of this disparity only deepens the embarrassing nature of the Microsoft Store concept and delivery.
Once again Mr. Ballmer demonstrates that ihe s fixated to the detriment of his company on Apple.
Neil, can you really call this "head to head" when the numbers are so badly unbalanced?
The Microsoft Store in the mall closest to me is always dead. The Apple Store in the same mall is packed as hell at all hours.
That's my experience too. I was in Tampa last week for an Apple Care covered battery replacement from my 2010 MBP and it was literally packed. Yet in the hour I sat there everyone was happy, smiling and the atmosphere was amazing. I got into conversations with several folk around me while waiting for my turn and several were switchers who couldn't stop from gushing about how much they loved the whole Apple experience.
I would love to listen to the conversation in the Windows Store .... "You thinking of switching?" ... "Hell yes!" /smile
There is something not quite right about this wording ..
"Microsoft still taking Apple on head-to-head in continued retail expansion"
I think it's the 'still taking Apple on' .... perhaps 'wanting to, or hoping to' would be better?
I agree. The term "head-to-head" suggests that Microsoft is almost equal to Apple with its retail presence. 20 Microsoft Stores to Apple's 363 Stores does not even come close to "head-to-head".
This seems to be the strategy MS used in the Xbox release... release a product, market the product, market the marketing, absorb huge losses until it's making money, and ignore the sunk costs, and claim victory.
All in all, the MS store is like the 'Surface' It's a 'reference platform' for MS to shove in front of it's partners, and say "This is how we want our stuff marketed... if you can't do this, we'll take over your spot in the MS food chain." Problem is... MS working the ends (delivery to consumer/ OS and requirements engineering), and ignoring the middle (UX engineering [apple would hate that term], HW/SW integration, end to end experience, HW/SW support, online store, integration of retail to user experience (my appleID and my storeID are the same), etc etc.
MS is selling product by maximizing expertise in experience.
MS selling Dell or Samsung hardware no better than BestBuy. Once you get to a problem, MS doesn't own it. Dell, HP, Nvidia, Sony own the problem.
Hence, the MS store is a walk in experience marketing campaign. The problem is, MS only controls about 20% of the experience.
Apple is selling experience, by maximizing expertise in the product. Any problem with your Mac or iPhone, is pretty much Apple's (or yours) to solve, because they are the ones who specced every piece and shipped it to you.
MS' key mistake, is that they think people want a product. No. People want experience, preferably one that is enjoyable, and 'gets the job done'. The concept of "Windows Ready" or "Intel Inside" have been replaced with a single silver Apple logo, like a Mercedes or BMW logo... MS thinks people wants Windows (Windows EVERYWHERE), no people want a device that solves a problem for them... it's the difference between a hammer, a nail and some wood, and a finished picture frame.
the MS store is antithetical to how MS's DNA runs... They supply SW to others and others do stuff with it (OEM's, corporations) The store is to sell solutions. but as I said, in MS's business model, they don't own the solution, therefore in the end, they can't sell solutions... they sell product. And like BestBuy, they will fail.
McD's did extensive research about where to locate their restaurants.
Burger King's business plan was just, 'build one near ever single McD's.'
Doing it this has advantages and disadvantages...
You save money and lead-time for site selection...
But you pay more in rent/acquisition costs because the market leader presence causes prices to go up.
...Then, to compete successfullly, you must offer something the market leader doesn't have -- or something of equal quality at competitive prices.
In the case of Apple Stores, Apple is selling end-to-end solutions, after sale service and support and customer satisfaction -- the competition is just movin' the meat!
Customer walks into a MS store:
MS Rep: "What do you want with your fries... er, ah... with your XBox?"
I wonder If MS Stores offer a service to move customers' files across from an Apple computer to a Windows computer.
Comments
Microsoft just move from one embarrassment to another.
Always good for a chuckle though.
I hadn't played around with WIndows 7, since I haven't even touched a Windows computer in several years. I don't know what the Windows users are thinking, but that was the just the most horrific experience I had in a long time. I helping a friend "fix" their laptop. It just gave me one more reason to stick with Apple. And the owner of the laptop wants to replace it with an Apple.
Microsoft can put up all the retail stores in the world, it's not going to change the fact that WIndows is just a COMPLETE bad OS. It's just not friendly at all. It's like a bunch of computer geeks trying to figure out can they can confuse the user as much as possible. It's just a joke.
There were a couple of small features I thought were cool, but the rest of the OS, is junk.
Wow, M$ is going to add 11 retail stores? REALLY? Well, by the time they get 11 more stores, Apple will also have more stores. At the rate M$ is adding stores, it will take them 40 years to catch up.
Yeah, 40 years? That sounds about right.
Microsoft's new store at the Westchester Mall in White Plains, N.Y., is set to open soon ... With Zune!!!
Do the Microsoft stores sell the Mac version of Office?
The Microsoft Store in the mall closest to me is always dead. The Apple Store in the same mall is packed as hell at all hours.
Only a company incapable of embarrassment could do this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalclips
There is something not quite right about this wording ..
"Microsoft still taking Apple on head-to-head in continued retail expansion"
I think it's the 'still taking Apple on' .... perhaps 'wanting to, or hoping to' would be better?
Agreed! Lets see Microsoft had 13 million visitors over three years. Apple had 813 million visitor last quarter. Even if you just took 20 of Apples stores to compare. 17000 visitors per store, per week times 20 stores for three years is 43 million visitors. Keep in mind Apple has 372 stores.
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
This seems to be the strategy MS used in the Xbox release... release a product, market the product, market the marketing, absorb huge losses until it's making money, and ignore the sunk costs, and claim victory.
All in all, the MS store is like the 'Surface' It's a 'reference platform' for MS to shove in front of it's partners, and say "This is how we want our stuff marketed... if you can't do this, we'll take over your spot in the MS food chain." Problem is... MS working the ends (delivery to consumer/ OS and requirements engineering), and ignoring the middle (UX engineering [apple would hate that term], HW/SW integration, end to end experience, HW/SW support, online store, integration of retail to user experience (my appleID and my storeID are the same), etc etc.
MS is selling product by maximizing expertise in experience.
MS selling Dell or Samsung hardware no better than BestBuy. Once you get to a problem, MS doesn't own it. Dell, HP, Nvidia, Sony own the problem.
Hence, the MS store is a walk in experience marketing campaign. The problem is, MS only controls about 20% of the experience.
Apple is selling experience, by maximizing expertise in the product. Any problem with your Mac or iPhone, is pretty much Apple's (or yours) to solve, because they are the ones who specced every piece and shipped it to you.
MS' key mistake, is that they think people want a product. No. People want experience, preferably one that is enjoyable, and 'gets the job done'. The concept of "Windows Ready" or "Intel Inside" have been replaced with a single silver Apple logo, like a Mercedes or BMW logo... MS thinks people wants Windows (Windows EVERYWHERE), no people want a device that solves a problem for them... it's the difference between a hammer, a nail and some wood, and a finished picture frame.
the MS store is antithetical to how MS's DNA runs... They supply SW to others and others do stuff with it (OEM's, corporations) The store is to sell solutions. but as I said, in MS's business model, they don't own the solution, therefore in the end, they can't sell solutions... they sell product. And like BestBuy, they will fail.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Harbinger
Do the Microsoft stores sell the Mac version of Office?
No, they don't really sell much of anything in their stores. Its basically like a big advertisement for Microsoft products and 3rd party PCs. At least, this is how I felt at the Microsoft Store inside Tyson's Corner in VA.
Once again Mr. Ballmer demonstrates that ihe s fixated to the detriment of his company on Apple.
Neil, can you really call this "head to head" when the numbers are so badly unbalanced?
That's my experience too. I was in Tampa last week for an Apple Care covered battery replacement from my 2010 MBP and it was literally packed. Yet in the hour I sat there everyone was happy, smiling and the atmosphere was amazing. I got into conversations with several folk around me while waiting for my turn and several were switchers who couldn't stop from gushing about how much they loved the whole Apple experience.
I would love to listen to the conversation in the Windows Store .... "You thinking of switching?" ... "Hell yes!" /smile
For this strategy to work, they need to make more of their own stuff.
In other words, do what Apple is doing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
"For the past few decades, they've only seen the butt… and the bald."
"The Butt and the Bald"... sounds like a good name for a TV series.
... maybe they could get Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfield...
Didn't Burger King do this?
McD's did extensive research about where to locate their restaurants.
Burger King's business plan was just, 'build one near ever single McD's.'
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalclips
There is something not quite right about this wording ..
"Microsoft still taking Apple on head-to-head in continued retail expansion"
I think it's the 'still taking Apple on' .... perhaps 'wanting to, or hoping to' would be better?
I agree. The term "head-to-head" suggests that Microsoft is almost equal to Apple with its retail presence. 20 Microsoft Stores to Apple's 363 Stores does not even come close to "head-to-head".
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOtherGeoff
This seems to be the strategy MS used in the Xbox release... release a product, market the product, market the marketing, absorb huge losses until it's making money, and ignore the sunk costs, and claim victory.
All in all, the MS store is like the 'Surface' It's a 'reference platform' for MS to shove in front of it's partners, and say "This is how we want our stuff marketed... if you can't do this, we'll take over your spot in the MS food chain." Problem is... MS working the ends (delivery to consumer/ OS and requirements engineering), and ignoring the middle (UX engineering [apple would hate that term], HW/SW integration, end to end experience, HW/SW support, online store, integration of retail to user experience (my appleID and my storeID are the same), etc etc.
MS is selling product by maximizing expertise in experience.
MS selling Dell or Samsung hardware no better than BestBuy. Once you get to a problem, MS doesn't own it. Dell, HP, Nvidia, Sony own the problem.
Hence, the MS store is a walk in experience marketing campaign. The problem is, MS only controls about 20% of the experience.
Apple is selling experience, by maximizing expertise in the product. Any problem with your Mac or iPhone, is pretty much Apple's (or yours) to solve, because they are the ones who specced every piece and shipped it to you.
MS' key mistake, is that they think people want a product. No. People want experience, preferably one that is enjoyable, and 'gets the job done'. The concept of "Windows Ready" or "Intel Inside" have been replaced with a single silver Apple logo, like a Mercedes or BMW logo... MS thinks people wants Windows (Windows EVERYWHERE), no people want a device that solves a problem for them... it's the difference between a hammer, a nail and some wood, and a finished picture frame.
the MS store is antithetical to how MS's DNA runs... They supply SW to others and others do stuff with it (OEM's, corporations) The store is to sell solutions. but as I said, in MS's business model, they don't own the solution, therefore in the end, they can't sell solutions... they sell product. And like BestBuy, they will fail.
Very well said!
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum
"The Butt and the Bald"... sounds like a good name for a TV series.
Tagline: "Daytime soaps have never stooped so low."
Click for larger, since Huddler…
Quote:
Originally Posted by 512ke
Didn't Burger King do this?
McD's did extensive research about where to locate their restaurants.
Burger King's business plan was just, 'build one near ever single McD's.'
Doing it this has advantages and disadvantages...
You save money and lead-time for site selection...
But you pay more in rent/acquisition costs because the market leader presence causes prices to go up.
...Then, to compete successfullly, you must offer something the market leader doesn't have -- or something of equal quality at competitive prices.
In the case of Apple Stores, Apple is selling end-to-end solutions, after sale service and support and customer satisfaction -- the competition is just movin' the meat!
Customer walks into a MS store:
MS Rep: "What do you want with your fries... er, ah... with your XBox?"
I wonder If MS Stores offer a service to move customers' files across from an Apple computer to a Windows computer.