Microsoft finally going to strike back against Vista FUD from Apple?
I see over on CNET News that Microsoft is working on a "Mojave" Experiment to show real people about Microsoft’s secret new operating system.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-9998336-56.html?tag=nefd.lede
Update – Here’s the link for the campaign: http://www.mojaveexperiment.com
Microsoft met with a bunch of XP lovers/Vista haters in San Francisco last week and captured video of them playing with this new "Mojave" operating system. "Oh, WOW!" one of them said… But "Mojave" isn’t Windows 7 or SP2 of Vista – it’s Vista right now. Apple has done such a great job with their "I’m a Mac" campaign, and planted so much FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt), that users really believe that Vista is terrible. I’m excited that Microsoft is finally going to fight back, and not with lame campaigns like the one aimed at a special phone number for business upgraders. Vista is a great incremental upgrade from XP. The way that search is integrated (and includes application names, not just files and email) is fantastic. Security is improved, though I wish that UAC was password driven like it is on OS X. It’s solid and stable, and yes it requires modern hardware – shocker! With modern hardware and a modern amount of RAM it’s smoking fast and I really like it. I find that typical users who upgrade to a new machine don’t even notice the change except for the addition of Search in the Windows Menu. So, go Microsoft! Bring on a response to Apple and to the critics. This concept of showing real Vista haters impressed with Vista is brilliant, and don’t stop there. Be AGGRESSIVE!
Second interesting thing that is happening right now is Apple is having serious problems with MobileMe. MobileMe is "Exchange for the rest of us" – according to Apple. Well… I love Apple hardware/software (typing this on a 24" iMac running Vista Ultimate) but Apple isn’t perfect. And Microsoft has just a few more years doing Exchange and especially Synching mobile devices than Apple. In a business environment where mobility and seamless integration is business critical, Windows Mobile just works. Mobile Me is new and appears to have significant problems. I think it’s good for Apple to stumble once in awhile, and if I was the WM team at MS, I’d leap on this opportunity and do some WM/iPhone commercials oriented around the Power of Exchange… (and I’d partner with the Exchange Team for those commercials) It’s bad enough that Walt Mossberg, who champions all Apple products over at the Wall Street Journal, uncharacteristically says that "Apple’s MobileMe is far too flawed to be reliable". Here he is on video talking about MobileMe.
http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20080723/apples-mobileme-is-far-too-flawed-to-be-reliable/
Note – Walt is getting personal handholding from Apple, and still can’t make it work. In the real world, believe me, users are floundering around and are frustrated and aren’t getting that level of support.
*Full disclosure – I’ve been an Apple user (ex FanBoy) since 1986. I worked at and then managed an Apple Specialist retail storefront from 1996 to 2000. I am currently an Apple Consultant Network member and a Microsoft Small Business Specialist and Certified Partner. (I hold certs on both platforms) My business has 10 Macs (iMacs, MacMini, MacBook Pro). I run both operating systems every day and consider each OS to be great blades in the swiss army knife of technology.
Dave Sobel
You’re right, and I’ve been saying this for a while. You and I are very much on the same page.
I’ve been trying to use the iDisk now, and see the same problems you do — it’s not reliable, particularly in terms of sync. Apple has proven they work through issues like this, but they are not issue free.
However, their marketing is fantastic — and thus, they often appear problem free. Microsoft, not so much with the marketing.
Messaging is key — you have to deliver the right message to the customer, or it doesn’t matter what you say.
Vlad Mazek
Aaron,
I think you (and Dave to an extent) hit the nail on the head of the quentesential Microsoft problem – terrible marketing execution. Microsoft sucks, to the extent that they even make fun of themselves in spots that look much better than any of Microsoft’s marketing – remember that “If iPod packaging was designed by Microsoft” skit a few years back.
But is Microsoft just terrible at marketing, or is the problem far deeper than that? In my opinion, it is. Microsoft has not been able to define who its target audience is. Apple has been able to identify target audience across their brand, and even unite the messaging across virtually every product they have (sans maybe Final Cut Pro)
Microsoft’s problem is that they are trying to be all things to all people and in that they fail all over the place because there is no leadership at Microsoft. Each group seems to drag in its own direction, use and license components and technologies it can, or just come up with them. Then every few years they rebrand (MSN to Live) or abandon (bCentral) or mess up (Vista) or outright go skitzo with their portfolio.
No wonder Apple can pick them apart. I don’t know that Microsoft can fight back with better marketing alone, they need to have some strategy to figure out what it is they do. Because if they are the Walmart of technology…….
-Vlad