Microsoft reportedly teaming up with others for major PC hardware ad campaign

IT consultants. From the end user why would one buy windows when the guy selling it uses a Mac.

You'd be surprised. I work at HP and some of our people have mac books, supplied by HP. Many run around with iPads. Drives me nuts..

HP supplies macbooks?

Don't worry. They will all have surfacebook on the companies funds when it releases. Macbooks will become yesterdays news very quickly.

and does it better!!!

"PC beats Mac and does it better!" Yeah, not bad... :P Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

How about Microsoft employees marketing the new Microsoft store in NYC, all taking photos and videos on iPhones and Android phones = Marketing Fail.........the girl holding the Surface Pro 4 barely knew anything about it either......

When asked if they will have this type of advertising support for the Lumia line of smartphones, they responded,  "The Lumia what?" /s

Their vague campaigns about productivity won't do shit. What they need to realize is that the lifespan of pcs is so incredibly long that that is the simple cause why pcs don't sell. They are not unpopular, they are simply not needed. My PC from 2008 with SSD is still lightning fast. The times where you needed a new and faster pc for every new game or OS are gone. The opposite is true. The PC gets faster with the new windows and cheap upgrades like an SSD or extra RAM.
They simply need to make less models, stop wasting resources on useless models and streamline their lineups and be satisfied with less sales.
Oh and less bloatware.

Agreed.  The only group that's in need of constant upgrades is the gaming group.  But they would rather build PC's rather than buy them from an OEM.

Thats true for high end PC's, but 95% of population doesn't know how to replace a HDD with a SSD, also 2008 CPU's used too much power, I'm sure you would pay 1/5 of electricity bill on a Broadwell or Skylake device with same performance.

At first, I wasn't inclined to agree with you, but as I read this, I can't help but agree. I *really* really want a Surface Pro 4, but... I have a Surface Pro 3 already. It runs flawlessly aside from a crappy Intel display driver right now, but it's crazy fast, and Windows 10 runs smoothly on it. Why do I feel compelled to upgrade right away? I got this day one, so about 18 months ago, and I feel it has plenty of life left in it! So here I am saying, well I'll get a new pen and a new Type Cover, and that gives me tangible benefits that I don't have today, and I'll be good. Maybe next year I can upgrade, or better yet, I'll spend my money on the 950XL and Continuum dock instead. That's still about $1000 spent this fall... why add another $12-1800? And I consider myself fortunate to have that funding at all. Most people don't, which is why they only pay $500 every 3-4 years, if that.

Well, by PC they palso mean tablets and laptops and those do still sell.in significant volumes. But I agree in part and is also why all OEMS are desperate to try out all kinds of former factors to see what sticks. Surface seems to have stuck, but even there the best thing about SP4 is that it makes SP3 more affordable and arguably the better buy. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

I disagree. Do people really need a new phone every year or two? No, but they have been marketed that way so people upgrade more frequently. The new MS is about making devices and software people want to use and marketing MS products like other companies do with phones is an important part of that equation. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

They do need new phones every couple of years, because most OEMs, including iPhones, Androids and *some* Lumia Windows devices, have sealed in batteries. Once the lithium ion battery starts to go, it's only a matter of time. Many Windows OEMs have also emulated Apple in including sealed batteries on Windows consumer laptops and ultrabooks as well.   Walk into any Best Buy and you'll be hard pressed to find a slim laptop with a removable battery.   I don't think any currently exists.

Exactly! PCs have a very long use-span and are not meant to be some disposable yearly device. I kept my 2008 13" HP Pavilion dv3510nr Laptop for over 6 years until I upgraded to the Surface Pro 2, and it's still running fine today (as a friend's college computer) with Windows 10. There have been loads of Improvements from the Pro 2 to Pro 3, and Pro 3 to Pro 4, but I'm in no rush to upgrade, my Pro 2 is still working flawlessly and handling my computing needs...

Crappy hardware between 2012 and 2014 from Compaq, Acer, Lenovo is what caused Windows popularity to go down on consumers.  I purchased my mom a Compaq laptop in Q2 2012 with Windows 7 starter edition, single core APU, 2GB of RAM and machine takes 5 minutes to boot, lags on Netflix and youtube videos.  My mom doesn't use her laptop anymore, she uses her Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone which is always turned on, she uses same apps/services she used on her laptop.  This is a true story, I'm done with crappy hardware laptops and is time for Microsoft to ask OEMs to put good specs on laptops so people like my mom will start using these devices again.

OEMs have always had good hardware but the majority of users get the cheap computer. You get what you pay for.

FYI , I live in a third world country, not sure if US consumers could get a crappy device like my mom did back in 2012.  WIth that said, I think OEMs made a huge difference in 2014 with Atom Bay Trail, this IMO was a really huge accomplishment from Intel, BayTrail CPU costs $17 per chip but it lets my $56 WIndows 8.1 tablet boot in less than 12 seconds, has Miracast and has about 3 times the graphics power of first atom CPU's. My tablet just has 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage and is far more usable than my mom's laptop for which she paid for $380.  My mom would be much happier with my Windows $56 tablet than what she was with here $380 Windows 7 starter device, unfortunately, she is now in love with here fast Samsung Galaxy S5 device.  It would be nice if OEMs learn the moral of this story.

This shows Microsoft must take Windows Mobile seriously.

Your mom probely paid close to $700 for the S5 when she purchased it. How can you compare this to something that is half the price?

exactly. I always hear this from freinds. "my windows laptop is so slow but my wife,gf,brother etc macbook pro never feezes and is so fast. Well you are compareing your $399 laptop to a $1500 macbook

I just laugh at them because they really think it's the brand that makes it better...slol Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

I give the same response and try to explain them the reason but some people, you know never understand..

That was kind of your fault for buying a cheap laptop with crappy specs though, consumers need to be better informed (not only in this market, but in any market) before making a purchasing decision.

I think a $56 Windows 8.1 windows tablet with Atom BayTrail is far better experience than that crappy Compaq tablet. What I mean to say is that Intel with BayTrail CPU and tablets allowed Microsoft to enter the competition with ARM devices that are sold in emerging markets.  My $56 tablet with Bay Trail runs as fast as a Snapdragon 800 of a Lumia 1520 (see noteboockcheck for details), so I think ttech changed dramatically before 2014 and after 2014 14

Dude, upgrade that thing to W10, it will run the apps just fine.

Your fault for buying an AMD single core APU computer. Those things are slow

Don't listen to everyone piling on. Your comment is correct. OEMs putting out shoddy hardware and Intel's netbook-processors combined with the heavier footprint of Vista & Win 7 after a much less hardware intensive Win XP, caused that "lag" experience. I've worked as an IT Manager/Network Admin for over 10 yrs. Even some high-spec'ed laptops from Dell (XPS, Latitude) costing around $1500 have had to be replaced after a year or two due to sluggishness even after BIOS & driver updates (which OEMs discontinue after the 1st yr or so). Oh, and not everyone has $2K throw down on a new PC. My Dell XPS running Win 7 purchased in 2006 burned out before hitting 3 yrs old. My $220 3 yr old Asus is running like a champ still after going from 7 to 8 to 8.1 to 10

Thanks for proving my point.  ASUS makes excelent hardware even on low price devices, as an example the Transformer T100 2 in 1. I had an Acer Iconia W510, it was faster than my mom's Compaq but it was too expensive, and that Acer Iconia W5 died after 3 years of use. Today I have 2 devices, an amazing Dell Inspiron 5548 for which I paid $800 and a $56 Windows 8.1 BayTrail tablet. Both are smooth and work for what they were designed. Thanks again, your comment made my day.

Dude, how do you except a single core APU with 2GB of RAM to run smooth?

I've always thought something like this had to be done. Create a cohesive image for the PC world
All PC manufacturers need to agree on some guidelines that will encourage PC growth, starting with:
- no freaking complicated names for the products that no one can remember. You can't create a solid brand in these times with names people can't remember (Acer hdhsvddbevd, Asus cialahrhdudjwb, hp pavilion d-hsg272h, etc)
- fewer models, easier choices
- an general overarching strategy that is consistent across the board
- attention to design because that's what makes many people buy. Some PCs are butt-ass ugly (even though I admit, they've started to look better and better)
- etc
Simple stuff that can do a lot of good for the PC world

Why would PCs sell when people would buy things like iPad Pro for which Microsoft themselves have released Office 365 and even promoted in on stage in an Apple event!

I'm just piggy-backing to illustrate...see everybody? THIS is the kind of person they need to try to market to...those who need a reason that makes sense despite what they've seen. Now back to you, I would just say that one of the writers here had a pretty articulated reason for Microsoft being at that Apple event. It's not as simple as it seems, they are simply positioning themselves as a software company but by no means should anyone simply capitulate to Apple just because they perfected their me-too iteration of one of their best-sellers. (Understand that I'm not calling the iPad a clone, but the Pro version which is clearly borrowing from a lot of features from the Surface.) Everyone uses what works, but everyone is different and there is always a place for everyone. Be good. =p

Nicely articulated!

Ipad pro 128g with keyboard is over $1100. There are millions of customers who want a nice laptp in the $700 range.
 

Total PC sales still dwarf iPad sales.

Well sure, that includes all enterprise desktop sales.   Those will obviously dwarf the number of iPads sold to consumers.

Because an iPad Pro doesn't do multitasking well, handle x86 software, or have a reasonable price tag.

Win-does what App-don't!

Haha. Naaice!

Eeeee flashback right there.

Terrible slogan. C'mon, MS -- get your advertising in gear.

Nice. Please put a lot of money into marketing Lumias as well. Heh, even I myself chuckled at the hilariousness of that wish. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

I think it's been confirmed by Thurrott and Mary Jo Foley and others, that Microsoft won't be pouring many, if at all, marketing and advertising resources behind the Lumia devices.   That ship has pretty much sailed with the whole Nokia Devices write down. You certainly won't be getting any Apple-like, full page New York Times and Wall Street Journal ads or network TV prime time ad placement.

Mastermind. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

Nice move

That doesn't seem very specific; seems like a vague and ineffective ad campaign, whenever you have multiple companies involved. It needs a coherent message, a simple brand...and availability.   Otherwise, what are you doing, other than lining the pockets of some Madison Avenue ad firm?

Cool.