Microsoft marketing never ceases to amaze. The last time they played the “we’re cheaper” card against Apple, they were still the world’s most valuable tech company. They aren’t now and the “cheaper” card won’t work any better.
Geek site Electronista nails the silliness of Microsoft’s comparisons to Macs. But including the imploding netbook market in the comparison - while ignoring the iPad - is even dumber.
Netbooks are losing against tablets because the text/tweet generation doesn’t need a keyboard. They’re sharing links, videos, music and short text snippets.
Write a complete sentence? Whoa!
And if you do need a keyboard, you probably need more performance and a larger screen.
So it isn’t that the ad’s dishonesty - the legal term of art is puffery - it’s that they’re ignoring the biggest new market in years - because they aren’t in it.
Oops.
The Storage Bits take
Microsoft needs to find its reason for being again. They’ve spent decades chasing the enterprise market and have built a strong position with their server, Office, Exchange and other business products.
In the process they’ve lost their consumer mojo: the focus on the individual’s experience that is central to Apple’s appeal. And Window’s profits force them to keep trying to shore up the traditional PC as the preferred consumer device when its clear that smartphones and tablets are where the market is moving.
The focus on price is ultimately self-defeating (see Wintel’s blue light special) because, obviously, many are willing to pay more to get more: netbooks are 30%-40% cheaper than iPads. How’s that working out?
Prediction: as long as Ballmer is CEO Microsoft will continue its long drift to irrelevance. The sad thing is that Microsoft has the talent and market position to do almost anything. What a waste.
Comments welcome, of course. My favorite “comparison” from the MS page: calling the HP Pavilion DM3 “unbelievably light” when it weighs over a pound more than MacBook Air. That would make the MBA “supernaturally light”?
