Microsoft's attempt at retransformation has been interesting to watch. I was traveling on business this week and stopped at the Stanford Mall, a trendy outdoor mall in Menlo Park, CA. There is a Microsoft Store there, the first I'd ever seen in person. It was a good sized store with big glass windows. Inside were a layout completely reminiscent of an Apple store....study light colored wood tables, attractive displays and lots and lots of Surface products on display, as well as Windows 8 machines and Xboxes.
Problem: there were literally no customers. Only the five or so employees trying to make their time waiting for someone to walk in the door.
Two doors down was the mall's Apple Store. This store was tiny...about a third of the size of the Microsoft store and easily one of the smallest Apple Stores I'd ever seen. And yet there had to have been about 20 customers in there shopping (this was a weekday afternoon).
I'm not sure how Microsoft turns this ship around, but whatever they are doing isn't working. I cannot see how the retail store strategy is turning a profit right now.
I honestly don't think those numbers are that bad. Let's remember that MS is selling against the iPad and with prices that are in the MBA range for the Intel-based model. Now consider that MS isn't just getting a Windows license but is the HW vendor I think this is a much better take than I originally expected they would get. Excluding the iPad, what other tablet priced as high sells more than 1.5 million units? I don't think there are any.
well, it's the old "sold" vs. "shipped" question again. MS refuses to tell us. sales to users could be far less. half that total could be unsold inventory. no one has reported hard evidence of any substantial number of RT tablets in use at all.
MS may stubbornly try a last gasp 7" RT, yes, but it's plainly dead as a dodo. a classic total fail.
and jamming Windows 8 into a 7" Pro? you have to be kidding.
You forget the personal biography released as a follow up ... , "How I ripped off others' technology, retired early and cleared my conscience with self aggrandizing philanthropy using my ill gotten gains"
As I understand it Apple legally licensed the Mac GUI elements to MS in the early days and it came back to haunt them. Courts later upheld that license.
Once again, Microsoft has waited for Apple to demonstrate in the marketplace that a device or interface design will make money, before themselves embarking upon "inspired replication".
Thursday's report reiterated claims that Microsoft only achieved sales of 1.5 million total Surface units to date, with a million of those being ARM-based Surface RT devices, and the remaining 500,000 being Intel-based Surface Pro units.
As I understand it Apple legally licensed the Mac GUI elements to MS in the early days and it came back to haunt them. Courts later upheld that license.
Not to mention the fact that MS bailed Apple out in the dark days.
Do you think Xbox profits will make up for declining legacy Windows revenue?
Will it keep Microsoft relevant in the post-PC era?
Or is the legacy "gaming console" also a dying genre?
This is completely irrelevant. Xbox was (and remains) a huge success, though it did not look like one in the beginning (MS went into a market completely dominated by Sony). So, some of their diversification efforts are successful, and they should not be discounted.
Microsoft's attempt at retransformation has been interesting to watch. I was traveling on business this week and stopped at the Stanford Mall, a trendy outdoor mall in Menlo Park, CA. There is a Microsoft Store there, the first I'd ever seen in person. It was a good sized store with big glass windows. Inside were a layout completely reminiscent of an Apple store....study light colored wood tables, attractive displays and lots and lots of Surface products on display, as well as Windows 8 machines and Xboxes.
Problem: there were literally no customers. Only the five or so employees trying to make their time waiting for someone to walk in the door.
Two doors down was the mall's Apple Store. This store was tiny...about a third of the size of the Microsoft store and easily one of the smallest Apple Stores I'd ever seen. And yet there had to have been about 20 customers in there shopping (this was a weekday afternoon).
I'm not sure how Microsoft turns this ship around, but whatever they are doing isn't working. I cannot see how the retail store strategy is turning a profit right now.
Don't forget, MS is competing against its own OEMs. I am sure if you went to Fry's electronics or BestBuy there were quite a lot of people looking at hardware running windows.
I do, because it's in such bad taste. Starting with the open-wound logo. Microsoft has the ability to make even an "X" ugly.
I am sure Steve Ballmer is very sad that they don't like their product. Xbox is a huge success, like it or not (and, by the way, the Kinect technology is very cool).
Well, certainly failed when looking at their launch with its failed PSU's. Successful as a product.... but they didn't try to pry Windows into it, unlike their WindowsCE... for phones ¡
Well, certainly failed when looking at their launch with its failed PSU's. Successful as a product.... but they didn't try to pry Windows into it, unlike their WindowsCE... for phones ¡
Windows CE was very successful for several years, as a product, though it was fairly ghastly.
You forget the personal biography released as a follow up ... , "How I ripped off others' technology, retired early and cleared my conscience with self aggrandizing philanthropy using my ill gotten gains"
People will always try to tear down other's good works. :rolleyes:
As I understand it Apple legally licensed the Mac GUI elements to MS in the early days and it came back to haunt them. Courts later upheld that license.
As I recall things like that happened well after the fact and the horse had already left the stable. No putting the genie back in the bottle the damage was done. KInd of the oldf 'forgiveness is easier to get than permission' theory my lawyers always expound!
Comments
I do, because it's in such bad taste. Starting with the open-wound logo. Microsoft has the ability to make even an "X" ugly.
Originally Posted by igriv
Do you consider the Xbox a failed product?
60% hardware failure rate, so yeah.
I know I also remeber the crappy Hyundai Accents and Excel of the 90's tin can with wheels. But today is a different story.
Microsoft's attempt at retransformation has been interesting to watch. I was traveling on business this week and stopped at the Stanford Mall, a trendy outdoor mall in Menlo Park, CA. There is a Microsoft Store there, the first I'd ever seen in person. It was a good sized store with big glass windows. Inside were a layout completely reminiscent of an Apple store....study light colored wood tables, attractive displays and lots and lots of Surface products on display, as well as Windows 8 machines and Xboxes.
Problem: there were literally no customers. Only the five or so employees trying to make their time waiting for someone to walk in the door.
Two doors down was the mall's Apple Store. This store was tiny...about a third of the size of the Microsoft store and easily one of the smallest Apple Stores I'd ever seen. And yet there had to have been about 20 customers in there shopping (this was a weekday afternoon).
I'm not sure how Microsoft turns this ship around, but whatever they are doing isn't working. I cannot see how the retail store strategy is turning a profit right now.
well, it's the old "sold" vs. "shipped" question again. MS refuses to tell us. sales to users could be far less. half that total could be unsold inventory. no one has reported hard evidence of any substantial number of RT tablets in use at all.
MS may stubbornly try a last gasp 7" RT, yes, but it's plainly dead as a dodo. a classic total fail.
and jamming Windows 8 into a 7" Pro? you have to be kidding.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
60% hardware failure rate, so yeah.
Where did you read that? The xbox cost them quite a lot as sony started years earlier.
As I understand it Apple legally licensed the Mac GUI elements to MS in the early days and it came back to haunt them. Courts later upheld that license.
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Thursday's report reiterated claims that Microsoft only achieved sales of 1.5 million total Surface units to date, with a million of those being ARM-based Surface RT devices, and the remaining 500,000 being Intel-based Surface Pro units.
One word: "unsustainable."
Originally Posted by igriv
Do you consider the Xbox a failed product?
Do you think Xbox profits will make up for declining legacy Windows revenue?
Will it keep Microsoft relevant in the post-PC era?
Or is the legacy "gaming console" also a dying genre?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jd_in_sb
As I understand it Apple legally licensed the Mac GUI elements to MS in the early days and it came back to haunt them. Courts later upheld that license.
Not to mention the fact that MS bailed Apple out in the dark days.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SockRolid
Do you think Xbox profits will make up for declining legacy Windows revenue?
Will it keep Microsoft relevant in the post-PC era?
Or is the legacy "gaming console" also a dying genre?
This is completely irrelevant. Xbox was (and remains) a huge success, though it did not look like one in the beginning (MS went into a market completely dominated by Sony). So, some of their diversification efforts are successful, and they should not be discounted.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sevenfeet
Microsoft's attempt at retransformation has been interesting to watch. I was traveling on business this week and stopped at the Stanford Mall, a trendy outdoor mall in Menlo Park, CA. There is a Microsoft Store there, the first I'd ever seen in person. It was a good sized store with big glass windows. Inside were a layout completely reminiscent of an Apple store....study light colored wood tables, attractive displays and lots and lots of Surface products on display, as well as Windows 8 machines and Xboxes.
Problem: there were literally no customers. Only the five or so employees trying to make their time waiting for someone to walk in the door.
Two doors down was the mall's Apple Store. This store was tiny...about a third of the size of the Microsoft store and easily one of the smallest Apple Stores I'd ever seen. And yet there had to have been about 20 customers in there shopping (this was a weekday afternoon).
I'm not sure how Microsoft turns this ship around, but whatever they are doing isn't working. I cannot see how the retail store strategy is turning a profit right now.
Don't forget, MS is competing against its own OEMs. I am sure if you went to Fry's electronics or BestBuy there were quite a lot of people looking at hardware running windows.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flaneur
I do, because it's in such bad taste. Starting with the open-wound logo. Microsoft has the ability to make even an "X" ugly.
I am sure Steve Ballmer is very sad that they don't like their product. Xbox is a huge success, like it or not (and, by the way, the Kinect technology is very cool).
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalclips
That's a nice positive though, two shares of AAPL would buy a car in 10 years ...
Yes, a '95 Civic.
Well, certainly failed when looking at their launch with its failed PSU's. Successful as a product.... but they didn't try to pry Windows into it, unlike their WindowsCE... for phones ¡
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilBoogie
Well, certainly failed when looking at their launch with its failed PSU's. Successful as a product.... but they didn't try to pry Windows into it, unlike their WindowsCE... for phones ¡
Windows CE was very successful for several years, as a product, though it was fairly ghastly.
People will always try to tear down other's good works. :rolleyes:
Originally Posted by igriv
Not to mention the fact that MS bailed Apple out in the dark days.
/s
You're too smart to be saying this seriously.
As I recall things like that happened well after the fact and the horse had already left the stable. No putting the genie back in the bottle the damage was done. KInd of the oldf 'forgiveness is easier to get than permission' theory my lawyers always expound!