Friday, January 7, 2011

Hey Microsoft – How About Free Windows 7 in 2011? It’s Not Really That Crazy


Microsoft was probably glad to see 2010 in the rearview mirror. Apple and Google grabbed most of the headlines, and almost everything Microsoft attempted sort of died on the vine. Its announced attempt at introducing an electronic tablet to compete with Apple’s iPad never appeared. Its KIN social networking phones died a quick death as well.
Meanwhile, Apple iPad and Google’s entry into “cloud” technology with the Chrome OS stole a lot of the headlines and most of the sales last year.

In fact, the only thing that seemed to work for Microsoft in the last 12 months or so is Windows 7, which was actually released in 2009.

Its success must be giving Microsoft some relief; Windows 7 has generated nearly $13 billion in sales so far. However, industry experts say it isn’t going to last. What’s more, one commentator has gone so far as to suggest that maybe Microsoft should think about simply dropping the price on Windows 7, or even start offering it for free.

Sounds crazy, right? Well, hang on a minute. Currently, Microsoft retails Windows 7 for about $300. Preinstalled versions are sold to computer companies for up to $100 per unit.

It’s good money if you can make it, but indications are that Microsoft may not be making that kind of money for long.

Google recently began offering its Chrome operating system free to OEMs. With more people jumping to Smartphones for their business procedures, having computers that can connect with phones is a big must-have. Installing the free Chrome OS means computer manufacturers can charge less for Chrome-based computers than they can for Windows-based computers.

Google is doing this because it understands that the money isn’t in operating systems anymore. Instead, it’s in the services that the operating system offers while serving as a gateway. These include search services, geo-location, advertising and social media.

So it stand to reason that within these new parameters, Microsoft will not be able to get away much longer with offering Windows for $300 and up. If the company wants to stay competitive, it needs to play with the same rules as the competition. It needs to offer reasonable alternatives to the products offered by everyone else.

That, however has never been one of Microsoft’s strong suits. But it’s a struggle that Microsoft must overcome if it doesn’t want to be seen as an also-ran in the near future.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Are You Wishing Your Customers the Wrong Thing During the Holidays? New Evidence Could Make You “Merry” Next Year


You hear a lot of salutations during the holiday season. However, the two that get the most use are, of course, “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays.” Some people say the latter is more preferred because it encompasses everyone and their various beliefs, traditions and customs during the season.

But is “Happy Holidays” necessarily that best thing to say if you’re trying to run a business this time of year? A recent article in a New York Times blog says “Merry Christmas” is infinitely more popular than “Happy Holidays,” at least as far as printed media goes. What’s more, it’s been that way since at least 1800.

Does that trend continue when the merry wishing is meant for commercial purposes? The folks at Conversion Voodoo decided to find out. Using a 100,000+ customer list for one of their clients, they tested three different Email headlines on December 21. Each subject headline was sent to an equal number of people on the mailing list:

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

The Results:

“Merry Christmas” was far and away the front runner, garnering over 1800 clicks. That’s nearly twice what “Happy Holidays” or the combination greeting was able to generate.

Why “Merry Christmas” is so much more popular is open to conjecture. It could be that it simply sounds more exciting to be wished a happy single even rather than a pleasant group of days. Regardless, make a note now. If you used “Happy Holidays” this year, you missed out on sales. And if you used “Merry Christmas,” don’t change it. It’s been working like a charm for at least 200 years.