You may not have found out, because in Appleland we often live unaware of the [boring] reality that all those who dislike the festival of iPhone, iPad, AirPods, Apple TV and the endless wonders that the live Cupertino venue prepares year after year for the our tasting and the erosion of our wallets.
I said you may not have found out, but there have been some big changes at Microsoft this February, with the potential to cause an earthquake that will forever change the face of computing.
This change was that they merged the hardware and software divisions, to work together on the development of new products.
Of course, everyone at Microsoft knows Windows and Office, present in 95% of the world's computers and the engine of entire segments of the economy, such as virus and antivirus creators, comprehensive protection programs, hacking, hijacking and data theft professionals, etc. Also, of course, a major influence in creating a software development market at all levels.
But if you ask people what hardware they know about Microsoft, some will remember the Xbox (if they are addicted to games) and very few will know how to articulate the Surface simply as a product, much less as Microsoft did.
The weight of history
The point is that Microsoft relies on two lucky strokes (or perhaps the expert eye of an unscrupulous Bill Gates):
The first was that IBM hired him to develop an operating system - DOS, which Bill Gates did not have and which he had to buy there - but exclusivity was not assured, so that once he started selling it to IBM he could continue to sell it to anyone who wanted.
The second stroke of luck was the tour Steve Jobs offered him from Apple to teach him the operating system they were working on (MacOS) so that Gates could develop Word, PowerPoint and Excel applications for that operating system.
Once he understood where computer science was supposed to go, thanks to Apple, he went back to Microsoft and started developing Windows.
I'll tell you here briefly. If you want to know more about this story, you can read Wikipedia or the Computer History blog.
The fact is that Microsoft made its fortune by licensing software to anyone who wanted to buy it and has continued to this day.
This has placed two huge burdens on Microsoft, which can only be understood by its overwhelming dominance of the market.
On the one hand, it has continually worked to make "everything" compatible with Windows (more or less). Although drivers have caused users huge nightmares, the truth is that there are computers of all prices that contain a copy of Windows.
On the other hand, that universality has caused innovation to stagnate, making the operating system (is) increasingly heavier and more complex.
This allowed Apple's proposal with OS X to quickly acquire a high level presenting itself as the opposite of Microsoft Windows: fast, reliable, without driver installation, safe, stable… eye-catching.
The Apple model
Apple has always argued that it functions like a startup, despite its size. They allow new ideas to flourish and work is done in an agile and cooperative way, with teams talking to each other to achieve the set goal.
Media and analysts got tired of repeating that Apple's success, choose the product you want, was temporary and that it was only a matter of time before Microsoft first and Google after, nullifying any competitive advantage thanks to the Good Enough philosophy. for him in the Bill Gates phase: making a product that is good enough for almost everyone and at a low price.
Unfortunately for them, no music players, no mobile phones, no tablets, etc. they managed to replicate that first Microsoft success. Even the purchase of other established companies in the market, such as Nokia or Motorola, have not managed to leave a notch in Apple's armor.
Microsoft has already thrown in the towel on cell phones, and the failure of Chrome OS and Pixel doesn't bode well for Google either.
And it is that Apple's machinery is very well oiled and trained to execute a vision that knows perfectly well what the customer wants… that he continues to buy even if the prices rise.
The joint work of all areas, hardware, software, production design, etc. achieving goals is unmatched in the industry.
A new era for Microsoft
These days its server division or cloud services is more important to Microsoft. According to Engadget, Windows accounts for about 15% of Microsoft's revenue, while Surface devices account for only 6%.
Sales of personal computers are stagnant or declining, and the race to the bottom in prices means that the sale of hardware has pyrrhic margins, very similar to what happened with mobile devices.
But that doesn't mean the personal computer market isn't profitable if Microsoft begins to concentrate hardware and software sales under its own brand.
According to Statista, they sold more than 2019 million computers in 261. The market is increasingly concentrated with the HP, Lenovo, Dell, Asus and Acer brands concentrating more and more market shares.
If Microsoft decides to develop compatibility with certain graphics cards - following Apple's lead - and abandon the development of others, it has the potential to put many manufacturers out of business.
Only a slight increase in the conditions for accessing the Windows license could put brands that do not have a sufficient presence out of the market.
If Microsoft decides to start developing its own personal computers, focusing on integration and optimization, thousands of companies that already use Microsoft servers and services - not to mention software like Windows and Office itself - could find a great incentive. to remain within the same brand, taking advantage of technical service contracts, support, customer service, etc.
If Microsoft's entry into hardware with the presentation of the Surface line did not make OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers), that is, assemblers of parts, which assemble to form a computer, this merger of divisions to enhance the development of added values must made them very nervous ...
Why the Apple model works… if they know how to do it.
