Can Negative Vista Perceptions Disappear?
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News Commentary. In the film "Philadelphia Experiment," scientists attempt to render destroyer USS Eldridge invisible. In the "Mojave Experiment" Microsoft will seek to make negative Windows Vista perceptions invisible. |
Microsoft offered details about the "Mojave Experiment" last week during its annual Financial Analysts Meeting. A Web site touting the experiment's results goes live tomorrow.
Bill Veghte, senior veep for the Online Services and Windows Business Group, explained:
"We took a camera crew down and we did some focus groups where we recruited a set of XP users—think of it as just going down and calling—doing a random-digit dial, generating a bunch of XP users, and the qualification was they had to be using XP, and they had to have a negative perception relative to Windows Vista. They're not using it, but they are predisposed to think about it in a negative way."
Bill then showed a rough-cut video from the focus group and people's very positive reactions to what they thought was the next version of Windows, codename "Mojave." But what Microsoft showed them was Windows Vista.
"That's our opportunity. Perception versus reality, that's a conversation that we've got to go have with our customers," Bill said. Tomorrow, perception meets reality, kind of, when the "Mojave Experiment" site goes live.
I say kind of because it will really be perception versus perception. These users had negative perceptions about Windows Vista perhaps because of product reviews, blogs, forum posts and reactions of friends, family or associates. But their sudden positive perceptions would be based on about a 10-minute demo rather than using Vista and experiencing the kind of problems that led to negative reviews, blogs, forum posts or dissatisfied friends, family or associates.
Microsoft is right to want to change negative Vista perceptions. Bill was wrong to call the opportunity "perception versus reality." There's nothing real about it. Not that it really matters. Marketing is all about perception; reality has little to do with selling products. Men, will you really get a pretty girl because in the ad there is a hot babe standing next to that hot rod? And why is that sports car called a hot rod anyway? Because of the stick shift? The connotations are sexually loaded to create perceptions about the product's benefits.
Cigarette ads: In real life is the Marlboro Man a tough cowboy or some wheezer with emphysema? The connotations are smoking makes you a real man.
Microsoft is selling perception for a reason. But there's more to it. Microsoft isn't trying to create positive perceptions but making negative ones disappear. That's a tough challenge. Perceptions cling to products like lint.
Microsoft is going to try to dispel what it perceives to be an urban legend. The movie "Philadelphia Experiment" is based on an urban legend about the USS Eldridge. Folklore lingers, worse on the InterWeb than by any other medium before it. Microsoft won't find Vista conspiracies easy to dispel, just like the U.S. government with the "Philadelphia Experiment."
What Microsoft needs is for the "Mojave Experiment" to do for Vista what the movie "Philadelphia Experiment" did for the two sailor main characters: Travel in time. The sailors went forward in time. Microsoft needs someone to go back and fix the Vista perception problem before it started. Microsoft executives made a series of mistakes that led Vista to debacle.
What I find funny is how Microsoft blames its mistakes on others. A couple speeches ahead of Bill Veghte, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had this to say about Vista's sorry state of perception:
"We're kind of being attacked from a single competitor with a point of view that is much more closed, that offers much less choice, that's much more narrow, and yet we have to tell our story, and you'll hear more about that versus kind of where Apple is coming from, and make sure that the Windows PC doesn't just offer more choice, but it offers every choice that you can get on a Mac or other machine."
Puny Apple is whacking Windows Vista? Steve should get a life. Apple is telling a better story about its computing lifestyle. It's dual-perception strategy: Why Mac is better and how Vista sucks. I'm not saying Vista sucks but that Apple's marketing suggests so. Apple's doing what good companies are supposed to: Advertise. If Apple has been the sole marketing voice on Vista, it's because Microsoft chose to be silent. There hasn't been any real advertising for Vista since around April 2007.
For nearly 15 months, Microsoft stood by and let just any so-and-so bitch about just how bad is Windows Vista. Of course, there are negative perceptions about Vista because other than a few Microsoft loyalists, nobody has told a Vista story with a happy ending. Vista's story is, for now, one of those French movies where the main characters come to bitter ends.
Microsoft execs crack me up when they start babbling about choice. People don't want more choice, they want the right choices. Microsoft's more choice philosophy is fundamentally flawed. Vista isn't the choice most people are making—and it's not Mac either. Windows XP is the choice of many consumers and most businesses, or it was until June 30.
How curious that Microsoft chose to begin big Vista marketing after Windows XP largely exited the PC marketplace. Vista is the only Windows choice except for buyers exercising XP downgrade rights. They can choose Windows XP but only after getting Vista on that shiny new PC first. What kind of choice is that, Steve?
Could it be that some Microsoft execs fretted about Windows XP competition while trying to tell everybody how great is Vista? Regardless, Microsoft has got a tough marketing message to tell. Negative product perceptions don't just up and disappear, like the USS Eldridge supposedly did. I sincerely wish Microsoft the best of luck. The company is going to really need it.
[Please send your tips or rumors to watchtips at live.com].
Comments (17)
Quote: "The users in question had not attempted to install software and not received the annoying "Do you want to do this Dave?" comments. Nor did they have to suffer those stupid shut down messages where Vista claims it is trying to fix a problem but doesn't."
Microsoft tricks sceptics over Mojave Vista
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/24/vole-tricks-sceptics-mojave
Also you can bet that Vista Mojave came on high powered machines pre-installed with hardware that all worked. Not like you would likely get if you tried to install it on your home pc. And then there's the printers and other hardware you are likely to not have support or drivers for.
Just looking at Vista and navigating through the menu's, its very impressive, with the eye candy, at first look, I admit that. But when you look under the hood, and try to install some of your old xp software, or find stuff on the menu's that were in XP in certain places, is where the reality starts to set in, that Vista is a Pig with lipstick on it.
@Joe Willcox, still waiting on your answer about the impersonations.
Posted by chips (the real one) | July 28, 2008 12:26 AM
chips, what are you talking about?
Other operating systems ask for your root password anytime you try to do anything. Vista just asks for a button press. Admittedly that's more clicks than in XP but far less than in other operating systems.
And regarding hardware requirements, Vista works absolutely fine on my very modest configuration, all I have more than when I bought the PC is an extra Gig of ram now totaling 2 GBs (2 Gigs is now cheaper than 1 GB was when I bought the PC).
I like the interface of Vista way more and it really is faster and easier to use than the one of XP after a short adjustment period.
The compatibility of Vista is just fine, I haven't encountered a single issue that can't be solved with either "Run as Administrator" or choosing a compatibility mode, and I run a great variety of applications from many vendors including games, photo editing, web development tools, database servers, web servers, 3D applications, and many more.
You sound just like everyone that didn't used Vista but read allot of blogs and articles and got a negative impression of Vista before even using it. Why I'm saying that? because the issues you are talking about are almost not existent in real world.
Posted by Pop Catalin | July 28, 2008 5:06 AM
Customers would rather have lower prices than a choice of products. 20 years ago there was a whole lot more choice in the DOS/Windows world, in categories such as word processors, databases and so on, than there is today. But as software prices went down, most of them went to the wall, and in most cases it happened to be Microsoft left standing.
But the economics of Open Source are a little different from Closed Source. Development costs are more distributed, and support costs are more scalable. So as the prices drop further, it may now be Microsoft's turn to go to the wall.
Posted by Lawrence D'Oliveiro | July 28, 2008 6:12 AM
Hey Pop Catalin
How about a real life experience then hey, How about the windows explorer crashing every time i save a file with open office hey. And dont give me that bull about its open office's fault hey. I know its microsoft trying to get me to buy a copy of his poxy office for idiots that have too much money version 6.
What about making the stupid click for almost every thing that runs hey. Almost everything now say that slowly and realise the problem, almost everything that runs on vista generates a stupid opportunity to click an allow button just to run and boy do lots of things run in the background. geez.
On linux only admin oriented tasks need to put in a password and thats only when you install a program or change a setting, not when you run a pdf file etc. not when you send an email. come on mate get a brain.
Conclusion:: Vista still sucks bad.
Posted by verne | July 28, 2008 8:32 AM
"Just looking at Vista and navigating through the menu's, its very impressive, with the eye candy, at first look, I admit that. But when you look under the hood, and try to install some of your old xp software, or find stuff on the menu's that were in XP in certain places, is where the reality starts to set in, that Vista is a Pig with lipstick on it."
"chips" you are entitled to your rambling and all, but my Ubuntu 8.04 x64 does the same thing and "Pop Catlin" is exactly right. I read through the other posts so I am not sure who you really are, the real one, the fake one, or the other one. Regardless, I tend to agree, you probably have no clue on Vista first hand and listening to you rail and whine constantly proves something that I always believed in and that is, "The empty can rattles the most."
I also get the impression that you are not an American, but perhaps from the United Kingdom, am I right?
Don't they have Vista there?
Do you REALLY work on Microsoft computers, and are you REALLY running Linux, if so, it's not Ubuntu is it, because if you do, then you obviously see the parallels with the comparisions right?
I realize that I may be speculating a bit on my behalf. But Linux by everything I read certainly has its faults. Heaven sakes alive man, I had three application faults this morning while booting up and trying to open Thunderbird and Open Office and both are the latest version. Doesn't Linux test this crap out?
Also, "chips" you do realize that there is a big difference between XP and Vista, two different and completely independent kernels. Also XP x64 is not even the same kernel as XP Home or Professional. I guess MS has as many different flavors of Windows as nearly as Linux does.
Linux Mint also sucks too, tried that feeble and inadequate operating system. I know, for me, if I hated Microsoft so much, maybe I would go with the "other" operating system, maybe Snow Leopard or something.
No operating system is perfect and everyone has their choice, even in today's day and age.
Posted by DamianThorne (The Real one) | July 28, 2008 8:42 AM
They can trick as many people as they want, soon enough people will catch on. Yes I would love to see how this "Mojave Experiment" would work on my "Vista Capable" laptop with 512 MB RAM with the eye candy...and how well my three year old printer will work with "Mojave".
So MSFT occasionally wonders why some of their customers don't trust them...gee I wonder why.
Somebody at Redmond needs to talk to the computer repair shops who are still doing a bang up business replacing XP over Vista machines.
I needed a part for a older laptop I was installing Linux on, I went to a couple of computer refurb shops and ask some questions about XP and Vista. Also I looked around and saw no Vista machines in both shops, all were XP, a few were without a OS.
I asked them, well whats going to happen when their source of XP dries up. They said it isn't drying up for awhile and one of the stores has access to many corporate computers whose lease expired and they do a fresh reinstall XP on the machines using the license sticker (perfectly legal).
I went on and asked what about Linux, that would be their next choice. Probably as a dual boot so the customers get higher performance from their slower running Vista machines.
Oh about wireless on laptop? No problem with Linux and wireless...anyone ever hear of the madwifi project? Also Atheros is releasing drivers for Linux in their recent press release. So the nonsense spewing from the Redmond machine about wireless and laptops is getting rather old.
I have a addlogix Wireless -G USB Network adapter that works great for my iMac Tiger and my Ubuntu 8.04 laptop....as well as Windows...but of course.
So MSFT takes XP off the market, when XP is no longer available ... Linux would be a second choice according to the shop.
Nice going MSFT....so you take XP off the market...customers will go to Linux...nice. Then again, some soon to be former MSFT users will continue to jump to Apple...already Mac is around 8% and climbing ...with some industry insiders agree it will be around 10% + by next year.
So one question remains... how well will the investors and stockholders will respond to all of this.
Posted by Ralph | July 28, 2008 9:07 AM
I know Apple's commercials are considered to be "successful" for Apple (though they are highly trashed as untruthy by many), but I'm trying to think of any successful campaign similar to Microsoft's.
Tylenol (people died from taking poisoned Tylenol and the president of the company told the audience that nothing was wrong with Tylenol and steps were being taken to prevent the product from being tampered with)? No. The product didn't have a bad rep -- Tylenol was a victim, just like those who died.
Pizza Hut pasta (people think they are in a fine Italian restaurant only to be told the pasta is by Pizza Hut)? No. Because Pizza Hut pasta didn't have a negative history to overcome.
Aside from political campaigns, can anyone think of an effective campaign to turn around a product's bad image?
I sure can't.
Posted by Chip | July 28, 2008 9:28 AM
Chip says (not the real chips);
"Aside from political campaigns, can anyone think of an effective campaign to turn around a product's bad image?
I sure can't."
----------------------------------------------------
HINT: Its not the marketing, its the product (Vi$ta) that people have a problem with. Their best hope is to get Windows Seven out sooner, and that it will be a better product. But it will still be base entirely on Vista, and too expensive.
distrowatch.com it will set you free
Posted by chips (the real one) | July 28, 2008 2:50 PM
Pop Catalin doesn't know what he's talking about, really.
In most of those "other OS" systems, you change UserID to get more permissions *ONCE*, and you can proceed to do everything you need as that UID with no further interference. Furthermore, permissions are much more fine-grained to begin with.
With Vista, you get the "Sorry Dave, I can't do that" pop-up over and over and over. "Run as Administrator" only applies to a single application.
The "Emperor" of Vista has no clothes, and everyone I know who's involved with building or maintaining a Network hates it.
Posted by rickst29 | July 28, 2008 3:08 PM
chips, (whatever)
"Not like you would likely get if you tried to install it on your home pc. And then there's the printers and other hardware you are likely to not have support or drivers for."
After reading some of the other articles and posts that I know that you've said that you fix Microsoft computers. I also realize that you say that you only remove viruses and such.
I build my own computers and been doing this since 1989 or 1990. I am 59 years old and a widowed grandmother. I pay strick attention when I build computers for friends and family members. I research what works with what, what goes good with what, and then I consider price and the company reputations of each components I use.
I also know UNIX systems to a degree, since my early days in data processing. My point is this sir, Linux is terrible for support in drivers and the new type of equipment such as printers, scanners, and the like. I am also aware that you are a Linux proponent. How ironic that you would be complaining about obtaining the lack of drivers for Microsoft.
After reading some of your comments, I strongly wonder if you should comment, or give anyone advise based upon your statement.
I am sorry that I may seem a little harsh, but if I can figure these things out, and I am not a professional, and you claim that you are, well?
Linux is, as my nephew says, and to quote, "Linux is too hard for anyone needing to get things done easily." He's 27 years old.
The thing about Linux is, especially for folks my age, it is impossible to get good help, period.
Posted by Karen_Cox | July 28, 2008 5:46 PM
The Mojave trick is one of the oldest advertising techniques in the book. "99% of housewives can't tell the difference between Stork and butter!" "This shirt was washed in Brand X and this one was washed in Tide (?)"
Ads such as these provided inspiration for countless comedy sketches, from Benny Hill to Monty Python. I guess we have that to look for.
The whole thing seems like a "drowning man clutching at straws!"
Keep treading water, Microsoft, it might never happen!
John Davis
Posted by John Davis | July 28, 2008 7:03 PM
Vista ,It's hard to save a turd thats gone so far down the toilet.
Posted by TCY | July 28, 2008 8:34 PM
The experiment proves a lot that the open source hot air was just that and the negative perceptions were inconclusive. I wouldn't consider Vista to have anything to do with excrement since its on 180 million PCs being used everyday, compared to 25 million Mac OS X users and 1 % Linux installations, thats a lot for an OS that is just on the market for just nearly 2 years. Mac - 1984, Linux 1992 and not growing strong.
With more people using Vista, more confidence will increase in the OS and people will continue to embrace the rich capabilities and opportunities Vista will bring to their PC on a daily basis.
Posted by Andre Da Costa | July 28, 2008 8:46 PM
Karen Cox wrote:
"Linux is terrible for support in drivers and the new type of equipment such as printers, scanners, and the like. I am also aware that you are a Linux proponent. How ironic that you would be complaining about obtaining the lack of drivers for Microsoft.
Linux is, as my nephew says, and to quote, "Linux is too hard for anyone needing to get things done easily." He's 27 years old.
The thing about Linux is, especially for folks my age, it is impossible to get good help, period."
-------------------------------------------------
A recent re-install of Windows XP Home on a modern computer with 1 GB RAM , 2 Ghz and. Windows XP could not find the audio driver and controller driver for the LAN (no internet :-( ).
Swapped out the hard drive on the same computer, installed Linux Mint 4.0, not only were the drivers for the audio instantly found, so was the LAN card (internet!).
I have Linux Ubuntu 8.04 on my laptop that used to contain Vista. I enabled wireless by doing a simple "cut and past" command..restarted the computer and wireless worked effortlessly.
My older printer works fine with it, where Vista could not run it, Ubuntu did. I use about 165 to 300 MB Ram on average as opposed to double that for Vista. The computer runs faster and doesn't hang up on applications.
We have the Ubuntu Forums with 67,320 ACTIVE members worldwide who are there to help practically day or night...for free. In addition there are "You-Tube" step by step installation videos, and countless Linux podcasts and self help videos.
There are local Linux user groups spread out world wide that can assist will installation or applications questions. There are good crossover programs such as code weavers, wine and Win4Lin which can enable one to run some Windows programs.
A number of long time Windows users have begun installing Linux on their Windows machines and using both operating systems on their computer in the form of dual boot.
Some Windows users will never completely switch over to Linux, some use 50% Windows 50% Linux. Some play games in Windows and use Linux for surfing the web in confidence with peace of mind from viruses and malware. There are some who completely switched over to Linux...years ago. Then there are some (like me) who use Linux, Windows and Mac.
Some major companies like Lowes Home Improvement use Linux on their work stations to save the company from huge licensing fees which could be better spent elsewhere such as hiring new people or lowering costs. Then again switching to Linux is the cost factor, there is none...except maybe some time putting in a installation disc in and click the install prompts.
In most cases, consumers get Windows when they buy a new computer. Consumers get Linux by installing it themselves. That accounts for the 1% that Linux is said to have...(though I disagree and think it is much higher than that).
If Windows users had to install Windows on the computers themselves, chances are the Windows market would be much lower.
Posted by Ralph | July 28, 2008 10:23 PM
@DamianThorne (The Real one): "Heaven sakes alive man, I had three application faults this morning while booting up and trying to open Thunderbird and Open Office and both are the latest version. Doesn't Linux test this crap out?"
Question: What does Linux have to do with either Open Office or Thunderbird?
Answer: Exactly the same thing as Windows-whatever or Mac OS-X. Neither application is part of, or developed by, Linux, any more than Windows or Mac.
You did qualify your statement with, "But Linux by everything I read . . . ." By everything I read, you have read next to nothing about Linux.
Posted by Pinball | July 28, 2008 10:28 PM
I'm taolly with Pop Catalin.. Vista is just like when Windows 95 came out. It will need multiple versions of improvement. This is the way microsoft works. They have a great idea, they use cosmetics to make it look like their idea, but eventually, the truth comes out.
Everything works if you buy it out of the box for the first couple of weeks. The second you try to customize it, or install a third party application, it's game over.
For the working office environment, Vista doesn't come close to XP Pro. (Mind you, that XP Pr it's on it's third service pack, and it's been out for about 7 years!) And for the home user, I would recommend people to use a mac before vista. I'm so sick and tired of my wife and her vague Vista issues on her NEW DELL XPS out of the BOX top of the line laptop. If you're not a computer administrator, you will not know what to do. If you are a network administrator, you won't like vista anayways. Basically, my wife has to adapt to using her computer the way that vista wants to work, not the other way around. It takes the Personal, out of Computer.
Vista SUCKS.
Posted by Giancarlo the Engineer | August 22, 2008 9:42 AM
I'm stuck in the middle of this road between "Good Vista" and "Bad Vista." Personally, I have never had a real problem with Vista. The occasional hiccup, but nothing big. Of course, this is probably due to the fact that I built my own computer. My mother, and 4 of my friends are perfectly fine with Vista, but then again, I built those too. In my honest opinion, I think that Windows Vista (or any Windows version, for that matter) does not work when it comes from a manufacturer. They cram in all of their junk in there that you don't want, and it screws everything up. I have never had a problem with my computers, and I have had nothing BUT problems with manufacturered computers. I think that if Microsoft wants to pick themselves up, they need to fix the broken link in their chain,and that is the agreements they have with manufacturers.
Posted by Sean Frisbey | September 19, 2008 1:53 PM