Microsoft Strikes Back
From InformationWeek, via MacRumors:
Speaking at a keynote address at Microsoft’s annual Worldwide Partner Conference, Brooks signified that Microsoft was ready to admit mistakes and reposition itself to tell a better story about Windows Vista, to counter attacks by rival Apple and let customers know that Vista is finally stable and ready.
Some choice quotes from Brad Brooks, VP of Windows Vista Consumer Marketing:
“We broke a lot of things. We know that, and we know it caused you a lot of pain. It got customers thinking, hey, is Windows Vista a generation we want to get invested in?”
And the answer was decidedly “no.”
“You thought the sleeping giant was still sleeping, well we woke it up and it’s time to take our message forward,” Brooks said.
We didn’t think you were sleeping. We thought you were incompetent.
“We’ve faced these challenges before, and we’re going to solve them again.”
You solved them before?
“There’s a conversation going on in the marketplace today and it’s just plain awful. We’ve got to get back on the front foot.”
Oh no, not a conversation! That’s when customers get to say things back instead of just listening to whatever we tell them! It’s “just plain awful” for Microsoft because they have no idea what to do about it. It’s pretty great for everyone else.
“We’ve got a pretty noisy competitor out there,” Brooks said of Apple whose “I’m a Mac… and I’m a PC,” commercials criticize Windows Vista. “You know it. I know it. It’s caused some impact. We’re going to start countering it.”
Translation: “Their marketing is better than ours, so obviously what we need is better marketing.”
“They tell us it’s the iWay or the highway. We think that’s a sad message. Software out there is made to be compatible with your whole life.”
I’m not really sure what he’s saying here. What software? Apple’s? We already know. And we don’t consider it to be a problem.
“Windows Vista is an investment in the long term”
Until Windows 7 is released in a year or two.
“When you make the investment into Windows Vista, it’s going to pay it forward into the operating system we call Windows 7.”
Translation: “We know Vista sucks, but we really want to sell it to you twice.”
Vista isn’t a problem that can be solved with more marketing. Make a better product, and we’ll talk.