3 ms·
I feel like there should be a case study in every MBA program in the country using Microsoft as an example of what happens when you let a partner control the 'l
by bkjelden 11y ago
I feel like there should be a case study in every MBA program in the country using Microsoft as an example of what happens when you let a partner control the 'last mile' of your user experience - and consequently, your brand.
For years the Windows experience was completely ruined by hardware manufacturers pre-loading laptops with a ton of very poorly developed software. It's a night and day difference.
- atomicUpdate 11y agoThere's also Android and what the cell carriers are doing it with regards to bloatware and security updates to use as another source of material.
- bkjelden 11y agogood point - they are facing a similar problem. in some ways, android has it worse, because they have to deal with hardware vendors and carriers
- wvenable 11y agoThen there is something like this too: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8546702 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8546702
- kevin_morrill 11y agoThey did not willfully let their partners control the last mile. They demanded this right in their original OEM agreements, and used it to define the out of box experience for Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. Circa 1999, the Department of Justice took it away from them as a result of an antitrust litigation settlement.