Seriously: Has Microsoft ever pioneered anything?
There’s a small part of me that feels bad about picking on Microsoft. It’s like picking on a middle-aged man who’s boastful, but mediocre. Yet, Microsoft’s potential, and the genius of many of its employees, somehow slips through the cracks.
Here is a quick review of the parade of mediocre, me-too Microsoft products.
Apple started the cell phone revolution with the iPhone. Google has the Nexus One and the Motorola Droid. Now, nearly three years after the iPhone came out, Microsoft has its me-too KIN phone. No revolution there.
Nintendo, Sega, and Sony had gaming consoles long before Microsoft introduced the XBox. Granted, the XBox is phenomenally successful, but it’s not original.
Apple made the portable MP3 player hip with the iPod. They’ve improved upon it greatly. Yet Microsoft comes out years later with its cheap-looking Zune.
Google corners the Internet search market with it’s search engine. Microsoft fumbles with MSN, then Windows Live, and now Bing.
Sun develops the Java programming language for the Internet. Microsoft counters with C#.
Apple pioneers the desktop GUI in 1984. Microsoft takes 11 years to come up with something similar with Windows 95. It then takes 15 years to perfect that operating system with Windows 7 — which is still generations behind what Mac’s OS X can do.
Speaking of the Mac/Windows thing, the Mac pioneers the Dashboard with widgets for Mac OS X Tiger in 2005. Microsoft creates Sidebar with Gadgets in Windows Vista in 2006.
Netscape makes the worlds most popular web browser, dominating the market in the early 1990s. Back then, Bill Gates couldn’t even be convinced that Microsoft needed to develop an email program. By 1995, however, most of his company is working on Internet.everything, including adding Internet services into every Microsoft program whether it was relevant to the program’s purpose or not.
On and on, year after year, Microsoft is the imitator, not the innovator.
I think we deserve better, and I’ll guarantee you that there are smart people working at Microsoft right now willing to give us that innovative software, but they’re efforts are somehow sadly being squelched.
I have to admit that your right, even though I prefer Windows to Mac any day. The thing about Microsoft is that they know whats been successful for them so far, so they want to stick with it (which is never a good idea for any company in which it’s market is always evolving). And most creative and fresh ideas are most likely squashed by their less creative superiors. While Microsoft isn’t very good at innovating, they are very successful at 1up-ing other companies. (Almost) All of Microsoft’s attempts to catch up with other companies have been just as successful if not more successful than the Original. (With the exception of Bing, which sucks). You mentioned the XBox as being sort of a catch-up gaming console, but really PC is the original gaming console. And DOS and Windows, which were innovations from Microsoft, basically invented gaming. Microsoft REALLY needs some new ideas or it could very well tank in the near future. But Windows 7 is a big step towards a new innovative OS from Microsoft.
Comment by gamerguy473 — April 19, 2010 @ 7:52 am
I seriously believe, and based on things I’ve read from former employees, that Microsoft has the talent and could well establish itself as a market leader. It doesn’t. Blame management. Blame an emphasis on sales over engineering.
Comment by admin — April 19, 2010 @ 10:13 am
Another issue is their persistence… Their version 1 of anything has been crappy. However, they have enough money to throw at the problem to keep up with it. Version 3 or 4 often becomes better than the competition.
Comment by sriksrid — April 21, 2010 @ 7:55 am
If only every developer were that tolerant!
Comment by admin — April 21, 2010 @ 8:26 am