This article presents a very intriguing idea about a marketing strategy for Windows new OS, Windows 7. It is obvious to most people that Windows previous OS was a complete failure in Vista. There are many things that led to its poor public perception from the system having too many bugs to Apple's clever commercials poking fun at it, however Windows can redeem itself.
As the article points out, everyone that has seen Windows 7 has proclaimed that it is heads and shoulders above Vista. For Windows that is the first step. They can have all of the clever marketing in the world, but without a good product none of it will matter. If Windows 7 lives up to its expectations than the writer of this article has a great idea - give it away for FREE. When you think about it it makes a lot of sense. There is no denying the popularity of Apple not just in notebooks, but in desktops and obviously in mp3 players. I do not have the exact numbers, but I would imagine that the amount of users switching from PCs to Apples grows everyday. I would even go as far as to say that if it were not for the dominance that PC created in the business world and many people simply needing the Windows only software there would be many more switchers.
So, how then does giving away Windows 7 revive Windows? Simple, it brings people back. From an economic standpoint there is not way that Microsoft could give away every copy of Windows 7, however they could offer it to current users of Vista for free. The writer of the article suggests that Microsoft allow Vista users to upgrade for $49 or less. That is a good idea, but why not just give it away. Here is the thing, PC was dominant. Until the past 10 years or so no one used anything but Windows. I think that a lot of people still want to believe in Windows, but Vista hurt that. So , by giving away Windows 7 to Vista users (the people who are still loyal) you restore their confidence in Windows. In business there is a rule called the 80/20 rule where 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients. This rule is based on the fact that it is 5 times more expensive to go out and get a new customer than it is to keep an old one. Therefore, Microsoft needs to do everything it can to keep its current Vista users and giving away Windows 7 will not only fix Vista, but will also restore, in their minds, some faith in Microsoft.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Blu-ray discs and their future
My article this week is about Blu-Ray and its success of failure in the immediate future. Being a poor college student I do not have the money for the an HD TV or a Blu-Ray player, but I have watched numerous television programs in HD. That being said, my opinion is, once you watch HD tv you will never want to watch regular tv again.
After reading this article it appears that there are several reasons why the author belives that Blu-Ray will succeed and I agree. The majority of the reasons that critics say that it will fail is becasue of all the new downloadable movie services such as Netflix and Hulu and so on. However, the author sites several reasons why these sites will not succeed and the largest one being the poor bandwidth of local cable providers. These sites require the user to have a steady bandwidth at a very high rate in order to download the and view the movie without interuptions while streaming. The fact is that cable internet just is not fast enough yet.
In addition to the lack of bandwidth I also think that the downloadable services will fail because people still like discs and there are more and more programs out there that allow people to burn their discs to a hard drive. Additionaly many of the dvds and blu-rays now come with a digital copy which people can put on their computer to play on their digital player, essentialy eliminating the only advantage that downloadable movies had.
The author also points out that Sony (the creator) of Blu-Ray has put a Blu-Ray player in each of their PS3 gaming systems. Due to the lack of sales over the holiday season the price of these gaming systems is going down, which will make owning a blu-ray player much more affordable. Besides the gameing consules many other devices are starting to incorporate blu-ray players as part of their components such as laptops. This integration of the new technology not only strengthens the appeal of blu-ray amongst consumers but also solidifies blu-ray as a product that will be around for years to come.
Personally, I have never watched a blu-ray movie, but if it is anything like HD TV I know that I will want to watch one soon. Like everything else the price on new technology is dropping everyday. By next year blu-ray players will be under $100. Just look at HD TVs. Sets that cost $1000 a year ago are now selling for half that. For all the skeptics out there, you are probably the same people that thought HD TV, or even digital cable, was not a big deal and would not make it.... well look at it now.
After reading this article it appears that there are several reasons why the author belives that Blu-Ray will succeed and I agree. The majority of the reasons that critics say that it will fail is becasue of all the new downloadable movie services such as Netflix and Hulu and so on. However, the author sites several reasons why these sites will not succeed and the largest one being the poor bandwidth of local cable providers. These sites require the user to have a steady bandwidth at a very high rate in order to download the and view the movie without interuptions while streaming. The fact is that cable internet just is not fast enough yet.
In addition to the lack of bandwidth I also think that the downloadable services will fail because people still like discs and there are more and more programs out there that allow people to burn their discs to a hard drive. Additionaly many of the dvds and blu-rays now come with a digital copy which people can put on their computer to play on their digital player, essentialy eliminating the only advantage that downloadable movies had.
The author also points out that Sony (the creator) of Blu-Ray has put a Blu-Ray player in each of their PS3 gaming systems. Due to the lack of sales over the holiday season the price of these gaming systems is going down, which will make owning a blu-ray player much more affordable. Besides the gameing consules many other devices are starting to incorporate blu-ray players as part of their components such as laptops. This integration of the new technology not only strengthens the appeal of blu-ray amongst consumers but also solidifies blu-ray as a product that will be around for years to come.
Personally, I have never watched a blu-ray movie, but if it is anything like HD TV I know that I will want to watch one soon. Like everything else the price on new technology is dropping everyday. By next year blu-ray players will be under $100. Just look at HD TVs. Sets that cost $1000 a year ago are now selling for half that. For all the skeptics out there, you are probably the same people that thought HD TV, or even digital cable, was not a big deal and would not make it.... well look at it now.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
iPods and cell phones: together as one.
In looking around the internet for my first article I came across this one about how mp3 players are soon going to be obsolete because of the capabilities of the newest cell phones. Cell phones have been able to play music for a few years now but have always been limited by the amount of space in their memory. However, technologies are changing and now phones have the capabilities of connecting to the internet and playing live streaming music from anyone of the numerous sites, such as Pandora.
The author suggests that because of the ability for people to now have unlimited music at their finger tips with these digital music sites their is no longer going to be a need for the traditional mp3 player. Perhaps the most interesting point that the author makes is that people are moving away from wanting to be in control. Consumers no longer want to choose their own music, but want it to be chosen for them and at the same time have it meet their needs.
To me this is the most insightful and intriguing part of the article. I, as well as many others, have always looked at the iPod as one of the most ingenius products in recent memory. The iPod came out at a time when consumers desired control and choice. The iPod is perfect in that it is a geneic product that anyone in the world can buy and the one bought in New York will be the same as the one bought in Tokyo. But the genius part is that it is totaly personal and no two iPods are the same because of the content that the person puts on it.
What is remarkable to me is that there is now a shift from consumer choice in music to having it choosen for you based on your tastes. This change in the market is the reason that sites like Pandora work. The basic premise of music sites like these is that a person will enter a song or genre of music and then the website will play music (like a radio station) that fits the intrests on the consumer. These sites have become so popular because consumers no longer have to think and choose the right song, a program will do it for them. In addition to the automatic playing of music the person often also has the control to choose whether or not they like the song and to play more like it or never to play it again. So in a sense it is really the best of both worlds.
What surprises me the most is that the whole premise behind the iPod is changing and I am curious how Apple will respond. They have adapted somewhat with the iPhone and the iTouch now being able to coneect to the internet and take advntage of these music websites. However, I myself will often listen to my iPod on shuffle rather than scrolling through a choosing a particular song because it is just easier. Apple has been very strong lately in staying a head of the curve, lets see what happens next.
The author suggests that because of the ability for people to now have unlimited music at their finger tips with these digital music sites their is no longer going to be a need for the traditional mp3 player. Perhaps the most interesting point that the author makes is that people are moving away from wanting to be in control. Consumers no longer want to choose their own music, but want it to be chosen for them and at the same time have it meet their needs.
To me this is the most insightful and intriguing part of the article. I, as well as many others, have always looked at the iPod as one of the most ingenius products in recent memory. The iPod came out at a time when consumers desired control and choice. The iPod is perfect in that it is a geneic product that anyone in the world can buy and the one bought in New York will be the same as the one bought in Tokyo. But the genius part is that it is totaly personal and no two iPods are the same because of the content that the person puts on it.
What is remarkable to me is that there is now a shift from consumer choice in music to having it choosen for you based on your tastes. This change in the market is the reason that sites like Pandora work. The basic premise of music sites like these is that a person will enter a song or genre of music and then the website will play music (like a radio station) that fits the intrests on the consumer. These sites have become so popular because consumers no longer have to think and choose the right song, a program will do it for them. In addition to the automatic playing of music the person often also has the control to choose whether or not they like the song and to play more like it or never to play it again. So in a sense it is really the best of both worlds.
What surprises me the most is that the whole premise behind the iPod is changing and I am curious how Apple will respond. They have adapted somewhat with the iPhone and the iTouch now being able to coneect to the internet and take advntage of these music websites. However, I myself will often listen to my iPod on shuffle rather than scrolling through a choosing a particular song because it is just easier. Apple has been very strong lately in staying a head of the curve, lets see what happens next.
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