Sony More Trustworthy Than Microsoft 410
DesertBlade writes "Forrester Research examined the trust that American households place in PC and consumer electronics. Sony, Dell and Bose all recieved a ranking of A+ while Microsoft recieved a C (I know most of you would say it is closer to a F). "Microsoft faces big consumer defection risk. One measure of consumers' dissatisfaction with Microsoft is seen in the 5.4 million households that give it a brand trust score of 1 [distrust a lot] or 2 [distrust a bit]. Compared with all Microsoft users, these at-risk users have higher income, are much more likely to be male, and are bigger online spenders.(see endnote 7) These households know they run Microsoft software but would be just as happy to leave it behind -- if they could." Does Microsoft face that big of a risk?"
Dell received an A+? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Dell received an A+? (Score:2, Insightful)
LK
Re:Dell received an A+? (Score:2)
Re:Dell received an A+? (Score:2)
Therefore, many people percieve Dell as good quality, even though the customer service stinks.
Re:Dell received an A+? (Score:3, Interesting)
Not in my experience. It's better than service for home users but not by much.
Dell's award winning service *cough*bullshit*cough* is what got me into building my own PC's. I think the only reason Dell got an A is that service from other vendors like cellular providers, phone, cable companies, Best Buy and car dealerships has gotten so hideously, horribly bad that Dell seems good by comparison.
Re:Dell received an A+? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Dell received an A+? (Score:3, Insightful)
Trusting Sony (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Trusting Sony (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Trusting Sony (Score:5, Insightful)
The thinking of the "Joe Sixpack doesn't care about things like that" is dying out. More and more people, young AND old are getting computer literate. Yes yes, there are still people out there that will never be comfortable with computers and there are people that really don't care...but the majority is changing.
If people really didn't care, then Sony would have kept up with the Root-kit shenanigans to this day. But they got a huge black-eye from it and have to now build back their customer confidence.
Re:Trusting Sony (Score:4, Insightful)
-Eric
Re:Trusting Sony (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Trusting Sony (Score:4, Insightful)
Seriously, the rootkit, which statistics say I probably didn't buy, is going to make me forget about my PS2, my last CD player and my camera, which all function pretty darn well?
I'm not saying Sony is the best company or has the best products. I am saying that people who felt strongly enough about them to give them an A+ before the rootkit are not going to suddenly abandon them now.
Re:Trusting Sony (Score:2)
Re:Trusting Sony (Score:2)
Well, they are right, aren't they?
My Linux desktop runs better than Windows does on faster hardware. I imagine Sony laptops would run better without Windows clogging up the works.
Windows - when only the most mediocre will do!
Brand awareness/popularity != Well-placed trust (Score:3, Interesting)
Microsoft on the other hand freakin gets slammed every 5 minutes by a different media source, small and large. For crying out loud, Slash
Re:Trusting Sony (Score:2)
Why is Apple's "brand potential" so low? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Why is Apple's "brand potential" so low? (Score:2)
Every report I've seen the last couple years lists apple as having one of the strongest brands in the country - not just in computers, but overall.
Re:Why is Apple's "brand potential" so low? (Score:2, Interesting)
Smaller.
Dont attempt to lock users into Apples music format and the iTunes store.
Have battery lives that match vendors claims.
Dont cost $50 to replace the failing battery.
Dont scratch.
Have integrated FM radios.
Allow music to be uploaded from any PC, without having install special software to do so.
All iPods have going for them is a nice interface and the ability to view a film on a really small screen
Re:Why is Apple's "brand potential" so low? (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/product_i nfo.php?products_id=477 [advancedmp3players.co.uk]
Apple Nano £109, 1Gb, MP3/AAC and not much else. (2Gb £139, 4Gb £179).
http://www.apple-shop.co.uk/ipod/?src=gg-ld-qu-app lenano [apple-shop.co.uk]
Cowon, 1Gb, £119, more codecs, replacable battery, no drivers to install, no fucking about with iTunes to load music onto it,
http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/product_i nfo.php?cPath=1&products_id=465 [advancedmp3players.co.uk]
Cowon iAudio 5, 1Gb £130, Sma
Re:Why is Apple's "brand potential" so low? (Score:3, Insightful)
As to Dell and Gateway, well, just goes to show you that most people are idiots.
Re:Why is Apple's "brand potential" so low? (Score:3, Interesting)
Apple brand potential is huge, percentage-wise, in the computer area. Right now Apple sells relatively low volumes of its laptops and desktops, it could easily double but would still not represent very big numbers, compared to Dell.
On the other hand, in the iPod arena, this study probably recognizes that so far Apple has had a field day selling mp3/aac players and that the trend is unlikely to continue.
Trust is one thing... (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't much care for Sony nor Microsoft, but that distrust sort of falls by the wayside whenever the next Halo* comes out (or whatever your franchise of choice is). We tend to go with the evil we know and purchase as if we had no choice, even those of us that really ought to know better.
*Mock away. I like what I like. And more importantly, my wife likes it.
Re:Trust is one thing... (Score:2)
I'll be the first to admit it's not always possible to apply this method in all areas, but I consider it the only form of democracy I can exercise daily.
But it's not hard to do, beyond the checking (and there are websites to do that), because of a
Re:Trust is one thing... (Score:2)
Re:Trust is one thing... (Score:2)
Biased summary (Score:4, Insightful)
Anyway, its all 'Brand Potential' and 'Brand Trust' so its all tainted with the marketing veneer of bullshit. I've never worked out how marketeers can get away with 'statistics' that have so many holes they look like a lace dress - but a scientist delivers statistically valid climate data and 'there is too much uncertainty'.
We have a sick society
Re:Biased summary (Score:2)
Perhaps, but by "sick" I think you mean ignorant or apathetic. My partner is finishing her Phd in marketing, even less people understand marketing than understand "hard" science. Sure it has something to do with surveys, brands and even advertising but they are all tools, they are not "marketing". It would be like me saying that C and SQL are computer science, ( why yes IAACS ), clearly that is a nonsensical statement, well maybe someone in the HR dept would belive it.
I'm not s
Re:Biased summary (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Biased summary (Score:2)
That's because marketeers are in the bussiness of whoring brands. As such, a lace dress fits perfectly.
i and e (OT) (Score:2)
Sony & Dell? (Score:5, Interesting)
Sony is obvious, but Dell, besides the lack of quality in certain parts (which could be directly correlated to cheap prices), loads their new computers with tons of bloatware - you have to sit there and remove programs for an hour to get the speed you expect from your new computer and then still, remnants are left.
This might be standard among the big boys in the PC industry, but last time I got a Mac - I was pretty amazed by the lack of crap (wonders if that will change with Jobs being part-owner of Disney)....
It Won't Change... (Score:2)
Re:It Won't Change... (Score:2)
Re:Sony & Dell? (Score:3, Interesting)
A friend of mine told me about a hardware review site that was reviewing a new Dell PC and tried to play a game on it. The game wouldn't run at all, because the machine was loaded with so much cr
Re:Sony & Dell? (Score:2)
World of hurt (Score:3, Insightful)
I have considered building and selling my own PCs, so that when clients tell me they're looking for a new PC and ask me who I recommend, I can offer to sell them something good, because I really haven't seen a major OEM I can recommend in good faith.
Go for it. In fact, I strongly recommend that you do so! Put together PCs from OEM parts. (hint: MA Labs is a GREAT distributor) It takes a $1 screwdriver, a power outlet, about 15 Sq Ft of counter space, and a 3-day prepay for parts. In the US, give yourself a
Re:World of hurt (Score:2)
Have fun with the plane!
Re:Sony & Dell? (Score:2)
Oh if only (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Oh if only (Score:2)
The key is "if they could" (Score:3)
Your beliefs are about eight years old. (Score:2)
Some of that might have been true in 1998. Linux today offers speed, games, compatibility and system stability Bill Gates can only envy.
Linux desktops have always been faster on the same hardware than Microsoft but this is much more true today. Shared code really does make a difference in memory
Re:The key is "if they could" (Score:3, Insightful)
The perfect C (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft is the ultimate 'C'. They have built an empire on being just good enough. I mean, a *lot* of very useful work is done on windows the world over, it can't be classified as an abject failure.... but man, it sure is lackluster.
Yup. The very pinnacle of mediocrity. That's the microsoft way.
The little cynical's rewording of that headline... (Score:3, Insightful)
Microsoft isn't going away yet... (Score:5, Insightful)
On the other hand, businesses tend to hold onto computers and custom/favorite apps much longer than individuals do. Apple may have a shot of displacing Windows from household computers, as many people become more savvy about what they need a computer for, which can usually be covered by web browsing, email, document reading, picture viewing, video watching, and music listening, and are willing to pay a bit so they don't have to constantly tinker with their systems. I think replacing Microsoft in the enterprise world will be much harder.
Bose is for yuppies (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Bose is for yuppies (Score:5, Insightful)
What's the problem? And who modded you up?
Re:Bose is for yuppies (Score:2)
She went to a computer shop and asked for the brand "Hajdú"* because she said she trusts real quality.
*Hajdú was a washing machine brand in the 70s in the communist era, in Hungary.
Re:Bose is for yuppies (Score:2)
I know a retired railroad worker who has had a Bose wave radio for years.
LK
Re:Bose is for yuppies (Score:2)
Difference: you may trust something but decide you cannot or will not spend the money asked.
I trust Rolls Royce to heve the best customer service any car manufacturer will offer. Still, I drive a '87 VW Golf with no chance of customer service whatsoever.
Re:Bose is for yuppies (Score:2)
Re:Bose is for yuppies (Score:4, Insightful)
Risk? (Score:5, Funny)
Not as long as most people are poor and stupid!
Re:Risk? (Score:2)
M$ has always thought of their users that way. That's part of their poor reputation.
Don't worry, people with money and education have a tendency to lead and those without follow eventually. The tipping point has passed, it's all downhill from here.
Anyone else notice the oddness of the /. heading? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Anyone else notice the oddness of the /. headin (Score:4, Insightful)
Depends Who You Ask (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Depends Who You Ask (Score:2)
Thing with linux is it really does inflate peoples sense of self superiority because it makes you jump through hoops to do the simplest tasks.
Sure I use linux for servers a lot but I do all my actual work on a windows machine.
Re:Depends Who You Ask (Score:2)
That might be because I'm smart enough not to click on popup ads that say "Click Here To Optimize Your Internet Speed!" and so on, and also do not download and run files from pirate/porn sites.
Also I sit behind a $25 Belkin NAT 802.11b router. Other than that, just the simple precautions outlined above kept my XP humming along dandy for 2 years.
XP gets a solid B from me. BTW I dual boot SuSe 9.2 and I am no
The Business Model keeps them Safe (Score:5, Interesting)
They don't even have to fuck up the technology that much. I mean look at the delayed Vista, its been five years and no one has been able to touch them. Microsoft knows that. That is why their software really only has to *just* work and *just* be useable enough. Their domination is based on that amazing business model they are in, nothing else.
The question is what are YOU going to do about it ? Are you going to keep paying the fee ? If you're an OS maker, are you going to work, not only on the technology, but on the all important business relationships, including working on disrupting MS's relationships ?
Bah (Score:3, Funny)
Microsoft's Monopoly (Score:2)
As big a risk as Microsoft losing it's monopoly anytime soon.
I trust Microsoft brand stuff... (Score:2, Interesting)
But as new versions came out, the interfaces got clunky and bloated, with features I didn't need, and the software felt less rel
Re:I trust Microsoft brand stuff... (Score:2)
Careful there. If ever Microsoft leverages its WinCE technology and manufacturers a cell phone, you may end up in jail [cnn.com].
Sony, Dell, and Bose? (Score:5, Informative)
Sony more trustworthy than MS (Score:2)
The comparative degree is a wonderful construct in language. Because it only compares 2 items and measures them relative to each other but doesn't say anything about their absolute values. And not always, if even often, the comparative degree is "better" than the positiv degree.
Example:
How're you feeling?
Well, I'm doing better.
Would you consider this information that he's doing "better" to be superior to
Spin it a different way (Score:4, Insightful)
What about hardware? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:What about hardware? (Score:2)
Notable thing.. (Score:2)
I suspect the fact that people never had to choose for themselves to buy a Microsoft product is a big part of why they aren't inclined to say they trust them.
I think people are more likely to say they trust something after they made the conscious decision to go with it so that t
Problem with the survey (Score:2)
1. All companies except MS is there for thier hardware products.
2. How many people know that MS makes hardware? Wouldn't this automatically align his/her mind to think in terms of quality of hardware? (Oh... Microsoft, I don't have any MS gadget. They should suck, I dont even know them!)
3. If the trust is so low, why did MS still have the most profitable quarter ever last month?
4. MS hardware tend to be of very high qual
Qualify "Trust"? (Score:2)
Trust to produce a quality product?
Trust with your details?
Trust with your life?
Microsoft makes much more visible, complicated products. If you have a bad experience (for instance with a Netgear router) you may say you don't trust that company again and never buy any DIFFERENT products even though faults are unrelated.
Windows is obviously more prone to failure than a pair of noise-cancelling headphones or a MiniDisc player.
Amazing...after rootkitgate? (Score:2)
Secondly, this confirms to me what I've been thinking for a while; now is the time for application and games devs to quit windows and go linux.
The only thing holding most people back from switching is games and that single application which they must use (well, in my case it's maple, matlab and 3dsmax
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Interesting quote in the article: (Score:5, Funny)
Well, they haven't exactly blown away the home computer market.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Interesting quote in the article: (Score:2)
That depends on how you define what 'blowing away a market' means. If you mean 'blow away'='monopolize' then no, they haven't. If, however, you also include factors like product quality and innovation then things look somewhat different. The Ohhhs and Ahhhs coming from the computer press every time Microsoft releases a new iteration of Windows are usually quite modest compared to the headlines you get when Apple does the same. I wonder if the sp
Re:Interesting quote in the article: (Score:3, Insightful)
Which is utterly irrelevant - unless you're in the habit of judging a product by the size of its hype cloud. By your measuring stick, for instance, OpenBSD has zero quality and innovation, since there are no '
Re:Interesting quote in the article: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Interesting quote in the article: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Interesting quote in the article: (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Interesting quote in the article: (Score:2)
Re:Interesting quote in the article: (Score:5, Insightful)
To put this another way:
Apple chooses to enter only those markets it can blow away.
Re:Interesting quote in the article: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Interesting quote in the article: (Score:2)
Chance of success != blowing away the market. Most companies entering most markets have a rather long-winded battleplan going from a foothold to being a market player. Dominance is somewhere on the tail end that I call "wishful thinking". Certainly this apply to all markets where you're competing on commodity items or technical merits.
Apple's battleplan is quite simple. Find a budding market where the
Re:Interesting quote in the article: (Score:4, Funny)
Or did I enter a weird alternate reality where there's a Pippin in every living room?
Re:Except on slashdot (Score:3, Interesting)
I think it would be useful to provide our views on various companies, as a sort-of Slashdot corporate barometer:
Companies that can do no wrong:
Companines that can do no right:
Companies that are currently back in the fold:
Companies where there's a question-mark over our allegience:
I can't think of any
Re:Except on slashdot (Score:2, Funny)
J.
Re:Except on slashdot (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Except on slashdot (Score:4, Funny)
Does it count as a boycott if you use a product without paying for it?
LK
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Except on slashdot (Score:3, Insightful)
To Microsoft, using their products without paying is better than not using their products at all. One less Apple or Linux user is a win to them, even if they don't get money directly from you. Because you are a still helping create the "everyone needs windows/office/... to communicate" preassure, and some of those using Microsoft products because of that preassure WILL pay for them. Especially companies. Often a company will give "it's wh
Re:GeekMind Reader DEMO (Score:2)
** User happy level += 200
** User sees beginning of article title: "Sony More Trustworthy
** User ROTFL level += 400
Re:Personally. (Score:4, Interesting)
a) Quality, they centralized their support structures with desastrous results. In the past a vendor network was making the support, and they got high ratings in quality (just like apple still does) The centralized support saved them money but they now have a lousy support reputation which kills off their sales. The vendors are not very eager to push their stuff as well, due to low margins, while sony still has high prices so no incentive to buy their stuff over the price point either.
b) Sony media slowly kills sony electronics while small companies take over. Most of the idiocy hitting sony electronics came from sony media (DRM, strongly enforced region codes while chines play all under the sky players were sold for 50 bucks next), rootkits etc... This is all stuff coming from the movie division and is hitting the electronics division hard, really hard. The current event showint this is that their UMD disk now is partially declared dead as movie format, the UMD never could take over due to strongly enforced DRM and the price hike coming with it (Speaking of endless greed) which made it significantly more expensive than DVDs.
Re:Personally. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Windows main selling point (Score:2)
A Mac should be more of a success than Windows because it is more friendly for non-geeks than Windows, particularly when it comes to ease of installing devices.
B Linux should be more of a success than Windows because computer makers can gain more profit when they sell a Linux box than they can for a Windows box. Less money going to the OS vendor means more money in the computer maker's pocket.
(This is setting aside that your point B is invalid be
Sony rootkit is nothing compared with MS crimes (Score:4, Insightful)
But, how can people complain so much about this horrible idea by Sony, when it the end it probably caused no damage as opposed to the mess that we have out there of virus and spyware riddled computers infected because Windows is not robust enough? At the end of the day, this rootkit is nothing compared to what Microsoft has allowed to happen to all the infected PCs out there in the world.