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Subject:Re: Platform of choice From:Matt Ion <soundy -at- NEXTLEVEL -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 13 Feb 1997 11:20:08 -0800
On Thu, 13 Feb 1997 08:14:22 -0600, Wing, Michael J wrote:
>>>Yet for some unfathomable reason neither NeXtStep, nor OS/2, nor MacOS
>>>has had nearly the success, market share, or acceptance that Windows has
>>>had (and still has). This despite their HUGE head start. Please
>>>explain.
>>
>>Would you like to see the figures for the Windows 95 advertising
>>budget? Remember the giant Windows 95 banner hanging from the CN
>>Tower?
>
>Are you saying that IBM, Apple and others were precluded from running a
>heavy ad campaign?
I'm not "saying" anything; I'm answering your question. You wonder why
Windows has flourished while the (allegedly superior) competing
products haven't. The answer is simple: a billion-dollar advertising
campaign.
>>(Funny how they never ran pictures of some 60% of those being returned
>>to the stores).
>
>First I've heard of this number. I suppose you have some verification
>of this percentage or did it just sound like an impressive figure to
>toss about?
50-60% were the numbers reported anecdotally by talking directly to the
retailers, not only by myself but by others around North America.
>>>If Sun's been doing it for years, shouldn't they be dictating
>>>the 'de facto' OS standard?
>>
>>Problem is, for four years it was almost impossible to buy a PC without
>>DOS and Windows 3.x preloaded.
>
>How hard was for the user to reformat the PC and load in their own OS?
For the majority of PC users, who were not as computer-literate as you
and I? How hard do you think?
>C:\format
>A:\install.exe
That doesn't even work to install MS-DOS.
>>>Pioneering a technology is one thing. Developing it and bringing it
>>>successfully to market is another.
>>
>>Advertising it is another matter altogether.
>
>Where's the dividing line between bring a product to market and
>advertising? Or are you agreeing with me?
What do you define as "bringing a product to market" then? Any product
that is boxed, shrink-wrapped, and sent to distributors and on to
retailers' shelves has been "brought to market". SELLING that product
-- convincing people to buy it -- is not the same thing.
Your friend and mine,
Matt
<insert standard disclaimer here>
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