Proof that Microsoft can get consumer electronics right

When it comes to generating consumer lust, Microsoft often comes up short.

Windows 8 sales seem to be falling shy of analyst expectations. And despite its best design and engineering efforts, Microsoft continues to struggle to get anything more than a toehold in the smartphone market.

And yet Microsoft's success with the Xbox continues to undermine any argument that the company is preternaturally unable to understand consumer desires. The Xbox 360 has performed so strongly in its seven-year run that Microsoft is in the enviable position of being able to wait for rivals Nintendo and Sony to unveil their next-generation game consoles before disclosing its own plans.

[Godmars290]

"But its top spot in console gaming in the United States shows it can understand consumers."

And that sub-text, that MS's "success" has to be quantified, suggests otherwise.

@Hingle_Mcringleberry:
And because it only a segment of the overall market, has been achieved by means in excess of methods not used by the competition and doesn't account for things like an earlier release, a diminishing rather than growing lead over the competition, that success is quantified.

Or to simplify: if it wasn't for the money made from XBL subscriptions, there would likely be no success.

[Hingle_Mcringleberry]

Tripling your market share and making an actual overall profit for the current generation not enough success for you??
North Americ is actually part of the world, you do realize that right? Their success may be in a large part due to one part of the world, but it is success nonetheless.

[iNathan]

WP grew 52% last month and its the 3rd major mobile platform.

If i go to a shop every single Pc is bundled with Windows 8, Pcs sales are at +350m a year.

Kinect already sold more than GameCube and Xbox 1.

Xbox 360 is nearing 80m, thats almot 3x more than original Xbox, while Live boasts over 46m members.

Office is a major hit among consumers, used by over a bilion people every single day.

You dont ger journalism right, i´ll tell you that.

Have you even tried Outlook ? The Email Service is amazing, i dont see how people can be hating on MS when they are doing amazing job with their services.

As for Xbox, well i dont like the rumours they are bad but lets wait and see.

As for tablets just LOL only dumb people will buy a Tablet that is not Ipad because Ipad is the only worth Tablet out thereand the rest is just useless junk. There are some Windows 8 Tablets but Ipad is king, Android is terrible.

[NukaCola]

PCs come with Windows as a standard. You cant really use that as a point. As for Win8, its a garbage OS that only works well on touchscreen devices.

OUTLOOK is nothing amazing. Its a simple server and doesn't hold any compatibility outside the Windows domain of software.

Truthfully MS can sell a product but at the end if the day MS has done very little to further the gaming industry they on other hand have worked off statistics and marketing so deeply that they have stolen the very heart of what gaming is about and twisted for profit and profit alone.

[dcbronco]

One thing only a Sony fanboy could argue against is that Microsoft has brought better tools and developer support to gaming. That will benefit all gamers on every platform.

[Arai]

Just a friendly reminder, CNet is pro Microsoft.
So take whatever they say with a grain of salt (just like other pro Nintendo/Sony sites).

[MariaHelFutura]

I'm pretty sure Cnet is owned by MS. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure.

[Alos88]

It seems to be CBS
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/W...

[1OddWorld]

A lot of people forget that all news is not fair and unbiased.

I hope that nextbox doesn't do to bad this next generation because competition breads innovation and helps keep prices competitive.

I will not be buying one myself for the same reason I never have bought one. Stupid fat deformed thing they call a controller.

Dualshock 4 is going to be sweet.

[dcbronco]

It depend on which writer at Cnet. David Carnoy used to be a Sony shill. He once wrote an article saying he badly wanted a PS3 just after launch but couldn't find one even though there was an article on Cnet showing pallets of PS3s in stores. The article was all about the slow initial sales.

[CEOSteveBallmer]

How about "Keep calm and Play PS4"? that's a better title picture. They could be biased. MS has tons of money you cannot tell. They could always have under the table talks with anyone. They paid large money to make GTA and Final fantasy Multiplat. Microsoft has so many investors and stockholders. They will do everything in their power to gain more money

[dcbronco]

I will say it is known that stock prices will go up when companies make money. But Microsoft is the only company trying to make money.