Shhh! Cool Tech…
Sony Vaio L-Series
Microsoft is making a big mistake. They have a great deal of amazing technology, but they are keeping it all a secret from the public. It's not just Microsoft. Many tech companies are failing to market their products effectively. It's not that they don't advertise, but they don't produce the right type of advertising, and in some cases, not enough.
Last week, two friends and I took a trip to the mall for lunch. After a quick bite at the food court, we strolled the mall and hit the usual spots. We stopped in the Apple store, browsed the over-priced gadget stores, and popped our heads into SonyStyle. Among the huge and brilliant LCDs sat an all-in-one Sony Vaio desktop computer, similar in function to an iMac but with a industrial look.
The Sony Vaio L-Series computer is an all-in-one desktop computer with a multi-touch touchscreen display and Windows 7. Prices range from $1200 to $2000, but the one we played with had these specs:
- 24 inch HD touchscreen monitor
- Quad-core processor
- 6 GBs of RAM
- Wireless Keyboard & Mouse
- 1/2 TB Hard drive
- BluRay
- Windows 7 64-bit
- TV Tuner with Remote
We explored the outstanding Windows 7 multi-touch features and admired the sleek hardware. Then we happened upon an application called Microsoft Surface Globe. We were blown away. We carried on like kids in a candy store as we tilted and rotated the globe, zoomed down to street level, and viewed New York then Orlando then the Mall in which we were standing all in 3D and all without a mouse. The multi-touch display and software worked effortlessly. All the while, we kept asking each other why we didn't know about this. Why didn't Sony and Microsoft produce a simple commercial demonstrating this computer and software? And then one of said it. "You know, sort of like Apple does."
Apple will someday release a multi-touch iMac and MacBook, and the world will gasp! Apple will flood the airwaves with straight-forward advertising in which the super-cool iMac Touch is put through its paces. The New York Times and CNN.com will run the story on their homepages. The general public will assume that Apple invented the multi-touch computer. And God bless them! Why shouldn't they push their products?
The multi-touch computer is but one example. Below is a very incomplete list of products that I almost never see advertised. I guess I'll have to spread the word for Microsoft, et al., since they are too busy making high-concept "I'm a PC" adverts.
This is just a small sampling of products off the top of my head that deserve better marketing. I have a passion for tech, so I will be on the tech blogs reading about these and other products, but why would major tech firms not want to be in the public's mind with Apple? Speaking of Apple, I can't wait for Apple to release its long-rumored 'slate' computer. I hear they invented a new type of computer called the 'tablet'! Why didn't Microsoft and the PC OEMs think of something like this years ago? Kinda makes you wonder...
January 16th, 2010 - 05:07
The reason why no one knows about this technology could be many or one. My guess is Apple takes a more rigid, linear and disciplined approach to marketing its products while MS adopts the spaghetti approach: throw it against the wall and see what sticks. Apple has a lot of products but with clarity along the product lines. We know Apple makes iPods, computers and software. It’s clear. MS, meanwhile, only makes software (OK, and the ZUNE) but can’t seem to get out of its own way. My guess is that Apple knows its customers better than MS. Having only a small percentage of the market enables Apple to really look at who they sell to and who buys and they can target their ads to suit the segment. Conversly, MS is a slave to a vast ocean of businesses (large and small), individuals, and families, in many different countries. I’m sure they understand who buys what but that $80-$100 million they spend on marketing will dry up fast if they try to please and inform everyone. The question is: Does MS even NEED the consumer market? Can’t they remain the dominant force they are if they simply focus on Enterprise/Business software only? If MS shifts from a B2B/B2C to a B2B-only model, will they thrive, survive or die?
January 16th, 2010 - 13:49
Matt, you make some very valid points. Should MS even be in the consumer market? I think the consumer market is key to their long-term success. I will opine on this subject in an upcoming post. I will also touch on the genius of Apple’s approach to niche marketing and why I admire their restraint to not grow too big too fast. It is a very exciting time for technology. Lots of change and lots of competition.
January 18th, 2010 - 22:32
Thanks for the kudos. I’d like to see MSFT take the IBM and now Kodak approach and simply shift away from the consumer markets to focus on business. The consumer market is too iffy, too fickle, too dynamic and definitely favors the small and nimble companies out there. That ain’t MSFT. Sure, they could do basic research and sell it on to other companies (like Xerox does) but that’s the extent.
Besides, what would AAPL do if they now found themselves in the consumer market if MSFT bowed out?
What would their commercials look like?
D