The Problem With Microsoft…
While discussing a few projects today we were discussing this notion of an ‘iPhone Killer’, and I kept coming back to the success of the iPhone hinging on ‘winning’. Every step of the way, as the iPhone and similar Apple products were created, the design of the product won out, over other demands and constraints. I’m sure there were executives pushing to add more features, marketing folks wanted a bigger logo, etc. But in the end the product and the vision of the designers won. Now that’s not to say it was exactly the product they set out to make or that there weren’t concessions, but all done to serve the product and its users.
So why is that not the case with the Zune, Vista or any number of Microsoft products? It’s not because their people aren’t talented or capable or inspired. Let Steve Jobs tell you why in this famous piece:
If you’ve ever asked a friend or colleague why they use a Mac this is why. They amy not be able to articulate it with the same vigor and confidence, but at the end of the day this is the ‘it’.

