It amazes me when people ooh! and aah! over various upgrades to the Windows operating system. Why? Because most of the items have already been in the Mac OS X system for quite a while or years and Windows is just trying to copy them and, usually, poorly so.
Many people especially under 35 or so don’t recall that Apple was using a Graphical User Interface since at least 1987 under Mac System 6! I bought my first Apple computer in 1991 (with Mac OS 7) after I was literally blown away by the ease-of-use and fun of the Mac that a client of mine carried around with him (no, it was not a laptop). So, it still sticks in my craw when Microsoft is credited with creating a “Windows” in 1995 when the Mac was using “windows” by that time for at least 8 years or more. So much for innovation on the part of Mr. Softy.
The latest impending blunder is that Microsoft is trying to copy the Apple Store model. Whereas Apple is both a hardware and software company, Microsoft is only software in terms of computers. They’ve completely copied the Apple store layout and even created areas analogous to the “Genius Bar”, etc. But have they added anything new? Whose hardware is going to be running all of the software in their stores? How is Microsoft going to thread that needle with so many PC manufacturers who buy their products. Are the Microsoft “experts” going promote certain PC manufacturers over others? Are they going to provide support for all of the PC brands?
The inherent problem with Microsoft and a Microsoft store is the lack of a “coolness” factor. People like Apple products not only because they work well and are fun to use (even if Mom and Grandma are also using them), but also because they are “cool”. Nobody buys Microsoft products to be cool. They buy them because of familiarity (years of use) and historic business adopted (though that is starting to change) and because of unfamiliarity with Apple’s array of products. But, even so, many Windows users are converting to the Apple/Mac ecosystem every day. And a significant percentage of iPod, iTunes and iPhone users came from the Microsoft environment. Oh, yes, in that regard, Apple literally created the model for digital music, photography organization and editing and now mobile phones, among others.
Finally, take the Apple v. PC commercials. That says it all. The Apple guys is hip and the PC guy is a nerd and so it will always be that way.
Got to give credit to Gates though for being the first guy to mass-market a computer operating system successfully, but given the likes of Apple, Google, Twitter, Facebook and a whole host of other technology companies, the user experience is going the opposite direction from a “Windows-enclosed” environment. No one can say for sure but I think Microsoft’s days of dominance are well over. Their biggest advantage, still, is a large installed user-base, but as more and more alternatives arise such as cloud computing, it just doesn’t make any sense for the majority of people to pay for second-rate technology that can virtually be replicated for free on the internet.
