Perspective On Microsoft

Posted by Joseph_Phoenix on February 20, 2012 02:02 pm 1

I've noticed a lot of chatter about Microsoft lately, especially when they unveiled their new Windows 8 logo. I was sort of surprised about how many people actually thought Microsoft should have done something different with their logo.

First of, it's a logo. It's not too shiny, not too animated. It's simple. Why the focus on the logo, I have no idea. But I haven't seen so many people try to change a simple logo into something entirely different. It reminds of the famous saying of management: "A camel is a horse designed by committee". Basically Microsoft put out a design and we all want to change it to fit how "WE" want to see it. We all think we know what is right for a multi-billion corporation to design.

There are times when it's obvious that a company needs to change a design aspect in a product/software but I don't think the new Windows 8 logo is something that needs to be changed.

I've noticed from many tech sites/blogs that when a company does something successful, everybody wants another company to do the same thing. When Apple does something, I hear something like:"Why doesn't Microsoft do this?" or "Why doesn't Google do this?" It seems that people have forgotten that every company has it's own vision of what it wants to create and sell to consumers and businesses. Apple does disruptive things in the tech industries. Other companies who are working on their own projects can't just drop what they are doing and change in the blink of an eye. They have to stop first, make changes and then go in another direction. Those changes tend to take months.

Granted, it would help the company if their leaders could have Plan Bs and Plan Cs ready in case. When the iPhone came out, Windows Mobile died. Now we have Windows Phone. The transition took a while and Microsoft got late into the game but they are in the game.

Microsoft is a software company. They've always been software. They have branched into areas some people didn't expect (Xbox 360). I posted about how interesting it would be in Microsoft got into the hardware business (Microsoft branded laptops etc) but that's a pipe dream because they have deals with OEMs and they don't want to soil those business deals. Microsoft does sell computer mice and keyboards but that's limited.

Many in the tech community have said Microsoft needs to change some of the things they do: Spin off Xbox/Entertainment division into another company, fire Ballmer etc.. but sometimes it's best to leave things alone. I can't call for the firing of a CEO or call for the changing of how a company works because I have no idea how things are run in a big corporation like Microsoft. There's a lot of moving parts.

Microsoft has a perspective problem. Most people look at Microsoft as old and Google/Apple as new and shiny. Internet Explorer is seen as something as a browser that old people use. People still make "Blue Screen of Death" jokes. Hotmail is rarely talked about while people talk a lot more about Gmail.

What can Microsoft do to change those views? Don't really know. They can run a marketing blitz saying they've changed a lot. But frankly, I don't have the answer to that.

It doesn't really help when Joshua Topolsky says stuff like he thinks Windows is "poison". Bad choice of words. Difference of opinion is fine but there doesn't need to be a downplay of Microsoft in the tech community. A lot of people I talk to (some Microsoft fans) think there's a particular media bias against Microsoft.

Criticism is fine but when you don't really know what you're talking about/didn't really research what you're talking about, your criticism of a company/product comes out as ignorant.

I could go on and on but here's my main point. Every company does it's own thing and has its own vision. Apple has it's vision. Microsoft has it's vision and Google has it's vision. We as consumers tend to think short term while these companies think 5 years down the road.

All this noise and criticism of Windows 8 seem shortsighted sometimes because the final product is a long way off (September/October). Many things can change. Let's wait for the Consumer Preview.

It's funny sometimes because we are all ready to pile on a company and their faults and sometimes don't give enough credit where credit is due. It goes for all tech companies.

Maybe I'll write a part 2 for this because there's a lot more I would could talk about....

Till then, Mass Effect 3 time....