Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has instructed the Windows marketing team to recreate the golden era of Windows 95 with Windows Vista.
Back then, customers had to queue for a long time to get their hands on the “cutting-edge” operating system Windows 95, and they were thrilled to own it, even if they sometimes didn’t know exactly what it was for…
The financial details for this campaign have not been fully disclosed; however, according to a spokesperson, Microsoft aims to launch a “Windows Vista” that will be as impactful as “Windows 95” was over a decade ago.
The main goal of this promotional campaign is to convince businesses and customers to transition to the latest version of Windows Vista. Microsoft announced there are a total of six versions of this operating system, targeting various customer demographics with specific usage purposes.
Microsoft hopes this promotional campaign will attract over 400 million users to Windows Vista within 24 months, according to Mr. Block, a spokesperson for Microsoft at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF).
What users can expect from Vista…
 |
A new, attractive, and user-friendly interface |
Ultimately, the key point remains to persuade customers to switch to the “expensive” Vista operating system. Microsoft focuses on demonstrating the superior capabilities of Windows Vista in managing and executing several tasks that are considered weaknesses of current systems.
For end users, Microsoft emphasizes features such as TV and movie integration, gaming, music, and communication connectivity, with a promise of a powerful and impressive experience.
For Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs), Microsoft presents Vista as an optimal operating system for backup and recovery, enhancing management capabilities, mobility, and situational analysis for business and financial tasks.
For large enterprises, Vista stands out with its capabilities in computer system management, workstations, security, database management, and information retrieval.
Windows Vista, however, promises to deliver a level of professionalism and experience akin to that of a seasoned worker.”
Mr. Block emphasized: “Computers can perform tasks without Microsoft Windows Vista, but Vista will provide you with the professionalism and experience of a seasoned worker.”
Challenges
 |
Showcasing media management capabilities |
During his speech at the IDF, Mr. Block stated:
“The digital world today is fragmented across many devices ‘beyond’ computers, such as digital cameras and iPods, etc. However, we hope that PCs will be an all-in-one device. A PC can be everything at your fingertips.”
Since its inception, Microsoft has adhered to the principle of turning complex products into something so simple that even someone with no experience can easily use them. However, some opinions suggest that Vista may struggle to meet this criterion.
To compete against giants like Apple and Sony, the only solution is to develop both hardware and software in tandem. This is why devices such as portable media players using the Windows operating system and Xbox have emerged… Windows Vista promises to help Microsoft advance further along this path.
Another significant challenge for Microsoft is that some computers may be capable of running Windows Vista but lack the necessary hardware power to fully utilize Vista’s features, possibly due to insufficient memory or low graphics capabilities.
Microsoft will also face considerable effort convincing computer manufacturers to adopt and use Windows Vista in their systems. Many reports suggest that the price of Windows Vista may be slightly higher than that of Windows XP.
Office 2007 will also be released this year; however, many are concerned that it may become too diluted. Will its impact be as significant as Microsoft hopes? Only time will tell.
TRAN HUY
