What Happened to Microsoft?

[Nathan3219 113]

It seems that the Microsoft corporation is getting worse and worse in the aspects of quality.

 

First off, I have had three or more Xbox 360s, because it seems that about every year or so, it becomes fault to the imfamous red ring of death. It is quite disappointing of the very low quality in the Xbox 360, because my original Xbox still works.

 

Second off, Skype for android has a known issue for skype completely forgetting all of your user information, making you have to completely reset your password via your computer. This is especially frustrating, because I am on vacation in D.C. and I can't even Skype with my friends due to the inability to access a PC. Worse yet, Microsoft still hasn't even tried to fix this problem.

 

Third off is Windows 8. It sounds so disappointing, and has so many problems that I didn't even consider buying it. It seems as though every other Windows program is diaappointing. (Windows XP was decent, Vista was bad, 7 was decent, and 8 is not so great.)

 

Lastly is the imfamous discontinuity of the flight simulator franchise, but I needn't explain that, since we all are fully aware of that issue.

 

So, what is the big problem with Microsoft? Is it Balmer, or has Microsoft always been a shoddy corporation?

 

My regards,

Nathan3219

[jetsflier 87]

Throughout most companies, specifically tech companies, quality is decreasing.

 

A lot of Apple fans agree that Apple has been starting to put out products that aren't the best. I personally don't see anything wrong, but their stock seem to be reflecting this common opinion, from what I can see at least.

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

I think it is time for a revolution. I would like for Steam to produce a gaming O/S that would work on any custom PC build. Instead of a Console, just build a PC, install your free Steam O/S and download and play any games you want. 

 

This gets rid of the Windows O/S and the Console concept which is flawed in my POV due to no customizing or upgrading.

 

I want to build my own Gaming machine instead and have a very basic O/S to launch games from and some internet capabilities. 

[goates 576]

Here's some food for thought.

 

http://www.vanityfair.com/business/2012/08/microsoft-lost-mojo-steve-ballmer

 

 

From that article and others over the past few years, it sounds very much as if Microsoft has become too big and bureaucratic to compete in the fast paced tech industry. They've been riding the existing Windows and Office product lines, and haven't done well moving into new markets. Most computers still run Windows, but for how much longer? On the consumer side, at least, people are finding that they don't need a PC for everything anymore. Which is at least part of why PC sales are dropping, and it's now being predicted that tablets will outsell PCs by 2015, if not sooner. And most tablets being sold run iOS or Android, not Windows. On top of which Microsoft just took a $900 million dollar hit because they made too many Surface RT tablets that they couldn't sell. In contrast, Apple often has a shortage of iPads when a new model is released because they simply can't make them fast enough.

 

From the Vanity fair article:

 

 

Cool is what tech consumers want. Exhibit A: today the iPhone brings in more revenue than the entirety of Microsoft.

 

No, really.

 

One Apple product, something that didn’t exist five years ago, has higher sales than everything Microsoft has to offer. More than Windows, Office, Xbox, Bing, Windows Phone, and every other product that Microsoft has created since 1975. In the quarter ended March 31, 2012, iPhone had sales of $22.7 billion; Microsoft Corporation, $17.4 billion.

 

PC vs tablet sales:

 

http://money.msn.com/technology-investment/post.aspx?post=72c61e2b-735e-45e0-9319-203245d57aab

[GundamWZero 8]

Put this into context and I hope you will understand:

It only cost .10 cents to make a Big Mac.... and that isn't really done correctly.

To mass produce a product, you have to find a cheaper way to produce them quickly; that is why you see so many recalls on Fords, Toyotas, Nissans, Chevys, and Dodges (standard autos), but none on exotic automobiles. It only takes a few hands to build a high quality product, but it is going to cost you.

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

 

 

iPhone had sales of $22.7 billion; Microsoft Corporation, $17.4 billion.

 

And what was it that Steve Balmer said about the iPhone again???

[goates 576]

Instead of a Console, just build a PC, install your free Steam O/S and download and play any games you want.

 

Ubuntu Linux, or one of the Ubuntu based distros, with Steam running on top is getting pretty close to this.

And what was it that Steve Balmer said about the iPhone again???

 

 

:lol:

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

 

 

Ubuntu Linux, or one of the Ubuntu based distros, with Steam running on top is getting pretty close to this.

 

Yes it is, it just has to get to the point now where any 13 year old out there can save up $500, buy some PC parts for a build and have a Steam O/S readily available that installs in minutes to get you running and into the Steam Store. This would be a game changer.

[goates 576]

I don't think that Ballmer is necessarily a terrible CEO, just the wrong one if Microsoft wants to compete against Apple, Google, Facebook and the dozens of new startups appearing all the time (Apple and Google also need to be wary of the new guys on the block too). Microsoft is doing well in the enterprise market with Exchange, Windows Server and Office. If they want to compete on the consumer side, however, I think they should split the consumer and enterprise parts into separate divisions at the very least, if not companies. Ballmer could take the enterprise side, and they could find someone better suited to the consumer market. They also need to get over their fear of cannibalizing their own products. If Apple had the same attitude, the iPhone wouldn't be able to play music because the iPod already did that. Instead Apple kept music playback as part of the iPhone, but also kept producing the iPod. If and when the iPod eventually dies, so be it (and iPod sales are declining).

[Mean Aerodynamic Chord 269]

BBB!

 

Bring Bill Back!

 

Enough with this idiot. 

 

Poor Microsoft. Everything they've been doing so far is horrible. No one wants the new Office 2013 because it only licenses ONE computer and it's extremely expensive. No one wants the new Office 365 because it's cloud based (People still use CDs, you know). No one wants Windows 8. No one wants Windows RT (Windows RT caused Microsoft lots of money... http://www.afterdawn.com/news/article.cfm/2013/07/19/microsoft_takes_900_million_loss_due_to_windows_rt_devices).

 

You see what I mean?

Edited July 31, 2013 by linux731

[Dillon 2,197]

It seems that the Microsoft corporation is getting worse and worse in the aspects of quality.

 

First off, I have had three or more Xbox 360s, because it seems that about every year or so, it becomes fault to the imfamous red ring of death. It is quite disappointing of the very low quality in the Xbox 360, because my original Xbox still works.

 

Second off, Skype for android has a known issue for skype completely forgetting all of your user information, making you have to completely reset your password via your computer. This is especially frustrating, because I am on vacation in D.C. and I can't even Skype with my friends due to the inability to access a PC. Worse yet, Microsoft still hasn't even tried to fix this problem.

 

Third off is Windows 8. It sounds so disappointing, and has so many problems that I didn't even consider buying it. It seems as though every other Windows program is diaappointing. (Windows XP was decent, Vista was bad, 7 was decent, and 8 is not so great.)

 

Lastly is the imfamous discontinuity of the flight simulator franchise, but I needn't explain that, since we all are fully aware of that issue.

 

So, what is the big problem with Microsoft? Is it Balmer, or has Microsoft always been a shoddy corporation?

 

My regards,

Nathan3219

 

If we use Disney or Apple as examples when the founder and visionary steps down or dies the company suffers. When Bill left Microsoft the decline started. Steve B. had a fall out with Bill stating Bill could advise him but he didn't need Bill. The Board marginalized Bill and put full support behind Steve (even though Bill was the chairman). We see the result of these actions. Steve unraveled the internal structure Bill had in place. First Bill maintained his technical position in the company and after that he completely stepped aside. That was about the time Aces was dismantled. When Steve got control of the technical side of MS things went down hill fast. I liken it to what Walt had in mind with EPCOT before he died and what it turned out to be today. The only difference is Disney's board has had more success in staying viable and profitable than Steve and his ilk has had. Disney is not in the image Walt would have wanted but nevertheless their a successful money grabbing corporation unlike Microsoft who's products are getting worse by the day. Steve is no innovator yet he's trying to be like Bill and failing on every front. Disney just did what worked with the theme parks and swallowed up as many companies (Lucas Films) as possible to stay viable. They produce good products with movies and merchandise. Microsoft on the other hand is dismantling what Bill put in place that actually worked and the products are either discontinued or poorly executed. Steve would rather lock everything down, control content, and move the market in his direction instead of adjusting to the flow the market takes on it's own.

 

Steve Ballmer is a huge liability for Microsoft and the sooner they see it the better. So to answer the question as to what's going on with Microsoft is 'Steve Ballmer'...

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

 

 

The only difference is Disney's board has had more success in staying viable and profitable than Steve and his ilk has had.

 

You should read a little more about what Michael Eisner did in his time as CEO of Disney. In many ways he is kind of like a Steve Balmer. 

 

Steve Jobs was never like any other CEO the way he ran Apple or Pixar, he didn't do things the conventional way. Impressive that prior to his death Jobs became the largest shareholder of Disney Corporation due to the fallout of Michael Eisner. Michael Eisner just didn't get it. 

 

Eisner and Balmer are the sort of CEO's that just make you want to bang your head against the wall.

[gizmosellsbunnys 106]

mircosoft bloated and bureaucratic, and nothing will change until ballmer is gone.

[cmpbellsjc 2,960]

Imho, MS is too slow to react to the changing market place. They've become followers rather than innovators and when they try to innovate, they get it wrong.

 

Bill was an innovator and likely the culture around MS was much different in his days, much like how Apple is/was when Steve Jobs was at Apple.

 

Feels like MS has lost their way and is now on their heels trying to react to what Apple and to some extent what Google does.

[lostinthe619 23]

Microsoft has no vision or focus at this point.  Windows 8 received ghastly reviews while it was in beta and Microsoft seemed unresponsive or uncaring about the whole thing and had the attitude of this is the new OS that will ship with PC's/Tablets/Laptops and the end user will just have to get used to it.

 

The other thing that annoys me is their commercials where instead of just talking about their products and what they can do for users, they launch their whiney smear campaigns against Google (Scroogled ad's) and Apple (Anti-Siri ads).  It reminds me of the election type commercials from candidates where instead of telling us about their values and what they can do for us, they just point out what the other guy did wrong.