12 ms·

Although this may seem like a massive mistake, that's because we all associate Microsoft as a negative brand, I think you're forgetting that it's associated wit

by Jake232 12y ago

Although this may seem like a massive mistake, that's because we all associate Microsoft as a negative brand, I think you're forgetting that it's associated with negativity in tech circles only. 95%+ of consumers see Microsoft as a huge corporation they can trust. If you asked your parent whether they think Microsoft is a good brand, the answer would likely be "Yes".

cmarschner 12y ago
This might be true for countries like the US or China, but definitely not for Europe.
- Jake232 12y ago
  How so? I'm from the UK and most of the people I know would say MS are a reputable brand for sure.
thesimpsons1022 12y ago
And if I ask my parents about apple they'll say their computers are "overpriced ripoffs"
dredmorbius 12y ago
I've long had a negative view of Microsoft, yes. But beginning in the ~2005 period, I started hearing some strongly critical views of the company in non-technical contexts -- one of the most notable was an aside made on NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me". Notable because 1) it was apparently spontaneous, 2) it was from a non-technical panelist, and 3) the specific comment was to the effect that Microsoft had a negative brand equity. If anything, that's a trend that's accelerated and increased since then. Microsoft was the brand you had to use, not the one you wanted to use. It was familiar, but that can, as is said, breed contempt. Microsoft's direct consumers since the late 1980s have largely been OEMs and corporate CTOs / CIOs, not its end-users, and when it's tried direct mass-market products, it's failed hugely. It's last significant unalloyed mass-market success was really Windows 95, and even that benefited largely from the utter unsuitability of alternatives: Windows 3.11, Apple (at its nadir and very nearly dead), Linux (far too techy). BeOS, Amiga, or OS/2 might have presented a preferable alternative, but Microsoft fought extremely hard to ensure that could not happen. No, it's not just the techies. Outside of gaming and partisans, Microsoft has really lost its brand.

by Jake232 12y ago

cmarschner 12y ago

This might be true for countries like the US or China, but definitely not for Europe.

Jake232 12y ago
How so? I'm from the UK and most of the people I know would say MS are a reputable brand for sure.

thesimpsons1022 12y ago

And if I ask my parents about apple they'll say their computers are "overpriced ripoffs"

dredmorbius 12y ago

I've long had a negative view of Microsoft, yes. But beginning in the ~2005 period, I started hearing some strongly critical views of the company in non-technical contexts -- one of the most notable was an aside made on NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me". Notable because 1) it was apparently spontaneous, 2) it was from a non-technical panelist, and 3) the specific comment was to the effect that Microsoft had a negative brand equity. If anything, that's a trend that's accelerated and increased since then. Microsoft was the brand you had to use, not the one you wanted to use. It was familiar, but that can, as is said, breed contempt. Microsoft's direct consumers since the late 1980s have largely been OEMs and corporate CTOs / CIOs, not its end-users, and when it's tried direct mass-market products, it's failed hugely. It's last significant unalloyed mass-market success was really Windows 95, and even that benefited largely from the utter unsuitability of alternatives: Windows 3.11, Apple (at its nadir and very nearly dead), Linux (far too techy). BeOS, Amiga, or OS/2 might have presented a preferable alternative, but Microsoft fought extremely hard to ensure that could not happen. No, it's not just the techies. Outside of gaming and partisans, Microsoft has really lost its brand.