Microsoft Needs To Do Better

Striving to become relevant in the so-called post-PC age, Microsoft has embraced the idea of making its own hardware. Torpedoes, or unhappy and crappy OEM partners, be damned, the software giant seems to be all gung ho this time.

Forget what used to be an on-again, off-again hardware adventure, this time, Ballmer and company seem serious enough to take their biggest stab yet at the hardware market.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveils the Surface family of PCs for 

Windows during an event in Hollywood, California.

Of course, Microsoft isn’t exactly a complete newbie in the hardware segment. It has had its share of wins and losses. While the Kin smartphone and the Zune media player bring too many cringe-worthy moments even for the most die-hard Microsoft fans, the Xbox gaming platform demonstrates how a determined and focused Microsoft can eventually rule even the most unwelcoming market.

There are, however, some obstacles that lie ahead of Microsoft's path to the hardware promised land. Chief among these issues is something that borders hatred, a deep-seated one, too many consumers and IT media people and commentators seem to harbor against the software company.

Consumers who are old enough to have experienced the Wintel homogeny or been using Windows operating systems for far too long, perhaps, may be forgiven for the apathy or distrust they have for the software maker. After having to spend too much of their computing time on Windows-flavored systems, they deserve the various opportunities to try other platforms and formats. 

Sales of computers running Windows 8 are not as strong as Microsoft had hoped for.

Meanwhile, even a cursory look at the recent headlines of both the tech and mainstream media's coverage of anything related to Microsoft and its products would easily convince anyone, even those who never have the slightest conspiracy theory tendencies, of the existence of a universal prejudice among media commentators against the software company.

What then should Microsoft do in the face of seemingly impossible to overcome apathy, distrust, even hatred? How should the company proceed from here?

Xbox Lessons

Perhaps, the quickest lesson would be gleaned from the company's experience with the Xbox gaming platform.

Microsoft had more than its fair share of ridicule when it announced the original Xbox console. Several software and hardware issues, of which the Red Ring of Death was the most notorious, did not help the company win new friends in the very competitive market.

Microsoft, however, persisted. The company pushed itself and its engineers and designers to come up with a better product.

Today, the Xbox 360 is one of the world's bestselling gaming systems ever, with compatible game titles outselling even Hollywood's heaviest-hitting releases at the box office.

Problems Surface

In the long term, however, Microsoft just needs to accept the market reputation it currently has.

One sure way the company can convince consumers and everybody else that it deserves to be in the market, and be among its significant participants, is coming up with products that are well built and well designed. Everything else follows.

There are reports of consumer complaints about the Surface's keyboard/cover and Wi-Fi connectivity.

A consistently enjoyable user experience, one that puts equal emphasis on ease of use and productivity, would certainly bring the company much closer to hardware success.

Hence, for example, Microsoft needs to deal as soon as possible and the best way it can with some quality issues that its Windows RT-running Surface tablets reportedly come with. The more infamous of which has to do with its keyboard cover tearing up and spitting out its wires.

The company should be commended for the prompt upgrade that resolved some software-related issues, such as the lag in launching apps. Then again, better manufacturing processes, even product design, should have ensured none of such issues and problems emerged in the first place.

Clearly, Microsoft needs to do better next time. After all, Microsoft has to deal with hurdles much higher than other tech companies have to.