Some people viewed a series of actions and statements from Microsoft as showing contempt. Simply changing a business model to one more acceptable to consumers d

Some people viewed a series of actions and statements from Microsoft as showing contempt. Simply changing a business model to one more acceptable to consumers does not remove people's emotional reactions and suspicions about motives. Time (assuming no other mis-steps in the immediate future) can cure a lot of this, but, as you may have noticed, an awful lot of people's personal identity gets caught up in their consumer electronics purchases. Microsoft messed up so badly that many people themselves as being on the xBox side of the "holy wars" that swirl around consoles "converted" to Sony. A brand is a powerful tool. It might not be logical, but people do build emotional connections with brands. As with any power tool, you want to be careful and avoid cutting off your arm.