Microsoft , the software cum ironware giant has gone through several ups and down . With a valuation of over a trillion dollar mark , it ’s one of the big five American IT company . However , the journeying to succeeder has n’t been liquid glide , with plenty of singultus along the style . Microsoft has transitioned from being a strictly hardware company to now focusing on its core competency of delivering expectant software and services . As the ship’s company celebrates its 50th anniversary , here ’s a look at all the times Microsoft fumbled and missed a major opportunity .
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11 Times Microsoft Missed An Opportunity
1. Internet Explorer: The Browser for Installing Another Browser
Microsoft ’s Internet Explorer was the go - to internet browser back in the day . Before Chrome , Firefox , and Brave , Internet Explorer ’s “ e ” icon becharm our sum . However , Microsoft ’s beloved web browser app failed to take in up the contender and became the discipline of meme . Despite the ship’s company ’s attempt to modernize the browser app with IE 9 and 10 , it became infamous due to its dull loading speed .
2. Bing: The Google Killer We Wanted
To compete with Google , Microsoft created its search engine call Bing . You would reckon that it would be gentle for someone like Microsoft with crazy imagination , to take on Google Search , but it is n’t that easy . It was a colossal failure that even Microsoft CEO Satyaacknowledgedin a late interview , order the company failed to recognize “ the biggest clientele manakin on the web ” .
3. Hotmail: Not So Hot After All
Hotmail , founded by Sabeer Bhatia in 1996 , gained a sight of impulse for being a loose email armed service back in the day . After give million of users within its first year of inception , Microsoft bought Hotmail in December 1997 for $ 400 million . It eventually became the enceinte email service in the world despite facing surety severance . Google set up Gmail in 2004 which disrupted the market place with larger storage and advanced lineament unheard of in those sidereal day .
Despite Microsoft ’s first - mover advantage and timely updates , it only could n’t match Gmail , leading to a decline in Hotmail ’s market percentage . Furthermore , the caller even desegregate MSN messenger and Windows Live , but eventually , it had to rebrand Hotmail as Outlook.com . It was the missed chance by Microsoft to supercede Google once and for all .
4. Zune: Spotify for Millenials
Remember Zune ? The portable music player that Microsoft introduce to vie with the iPod ? Well , MS does n’t need you to remember , either . unveil in 2006 , Zune was another missed opportunity by Microsoft in its effort to prop up an iPod competitor . Despite feature a cool user user interface and wireless music sharing , it only could n’t catch up to the already dominant iPod .
The reason ? Well , Microsoft was former to the party , as always . Launching a Cartesian product in a segment five years after Apple , which had already established itself with a potent brand note value and ecosystem around its iTunes memory board . The lacklustre selling failed to woo potential iPod buyers to switch to Zune despite having superior audio quality and design . This eventually led Microsoft to ditch the Cartesian product while highlighting its bankruptcy to sway consumers .
5. Cortana: The Siri Competitor That Couldn’t Be
Cortana was one of the biggest omit chance for Microsoft . introduce in 2014 , they wanted to grab up with Siri and Alexa . Unveiled with Windows Phone 8.1 ( another embrassement ) , this personal supporter could n’t pick up up with its Halo namesake . Despite being voiced by the same voice artist , it was n’t up to par , and even Master Chief would be disappointed . It go bad to even execute basic task and provide outdated information .
Moreover , Microsoft ’s impel integration of the helper with Windows further miffed users as it direct up space in the taskbar and sent useless notifications . The want of acceptance of Windows Phones finally led the troupe to retire Cortana in 2023 and it was one of the grownup missed opportunity for Microsoft .
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6. Windows Vista: The Worst Windows Ever
With Windows XP turn out to be a monumental hit , many fans were looking forward to the next version of Windows . Windows Vista was designate to be the next leap ahead with a new aero design and an attempt to tincture modernity into the design language . However , this change was met with criticism due to the numerous bugs and high hardware requirements . Similar to TPM in Windows 11 , Vista ’s aero design required a lot of processing power , which result in a inert experience for most users .
Microsoft ’s “ Vista subject ” program also mislead user to an extent by allowing manufacturers to label underpowered machines as Vista compatible . Moreover , many program from Windows XP were antagonistic with Vista which slow down its adoption for initiative and business users . Vista later introduce the notorious UAC ( User Access Control ) which was dubbed as pesky for its intrusive notifications . Despite the fresh search and multimedia features , Vista remained a blot due to the high ironware requirements , compatibility issues , and unnecessary security measures .
7. Windows 8, 8.1, and Windows RT: Cool Concept, Flawed Execution
After the unsuccessful person of Windows Vista , Microsoft take another snapshot to excite up the operating organization in its biggest revamp yet . With Windows 8 , Microsoft wanted to make the OS compatible with touch - screen machine . The fellowship also want to streamline the design language for both Windows phones and laptop computer with those cool live tile . Since convertible and 2 - in-1 equipment were on the rise , MS thought it was a estimable idea to remove the most familiar and loved lineament , the Start card from Windows . It had the paired effect ; rather of gain user , the new user port was confusing and plaguey for typical keyboard and mouse users .
While the company did fix it by bringing the first bill of fare in Windows 8.1 , the damage was already done . Moreover , it also highlighted Microsoft ’s failure to make an ecosystem between Windows Phone and Windows OS , just like Apple did . It was the secondly - biggest Windows failure after Vista , and the company drop backup for it in January 2023 .
8. Windows Phone: Bring Back Those Live Tiles
With Apple launch the first iPhone in 2007 and Google following cause in 2008 , Microsoft was simply caught kip . Let us not block that Steve Ballmer , the former Microsoft CEO , mocked the iPhone by straight dismissing it as a failure and calling it the most expensive speech sound in the world . He also believe that business users would n’t switch to the iPhone due to the want of a physical keyboard and take that it would n’t catch significant market share .
Microsoft at last step up and introduce Windows Mobile . With its amazing live tile and noisome excogitation , the companionship skip that Android or iOS user would adopt its operating system . It seems like the company ’s disastrous luck from Windows 8 also carried onto its mobile weapons platform as it share the same design . Due to being late to the company , as always , Microsoft simply could n’t enamour up to Android or iOS .
This meant that the chopine was dead on arrival , and developer had fiddling motivator to create apps for the program . The lack of apps deterred potential emptor , while the lack of users meant devs did n’t require to waste their time on an osmium with a tiny market share . The Windows Phone was adhere in a incessant loop until it finally died in 2017 and was one of the enceinte lose opportunity for Microsoft .
9. Nokia Acquisition: The Death of an Iconic Brand
asunder from the disaster of the Windows Phone , Microsoft adopted the motto “ If I ’m go down , I ’m take you with me ” . In a last - ditch attempt to economise the platform , the company purchased Nokia in 2013 after an initial partnership to manufacture Windows phone . Nokia ’s Lumia series initially seemed predict but still could n’t rival the likes of the iPhone or Samsung ’s S series . With its iconic straight slab title aim , funky people of colour , and Nokia stigmatisation , these did certainly fascinate the attention of users but did not move the needle in terms of market share . Phones like the Nokia Lumia 1020 were the first modern phones to blow a 48 - megapixel detector .
However , just like every product / service , Microsoft had to discontinue Lumia in 2016 , just two years after unveiling its Nokia post sound . unhappily , it was the software system and not the computer hardware that killed Nokia as the Windows Phone was limiting its appeal . The want of apps , a proper ecosystem and newfangled features meant its mart share dropped below 1 per cent in 2016 . While Nokia ’s peregrine division remain with Microsoft , it sold the make to HD for $ 350 million , just three old age after its leverage .
10. Surface Lineup: Not So Good on the Surface
In 2012 , Microsoft decided it was time to compete with the MacBook with its Surface lineup . It included everything from tablets , laptops , PCs and even foldable phones . With its computer hardware , Microsoft wanted to follow Apple ’s philosophical system of offer the best experience by make control over both software and ironware . Since its inception , the Surface lineup has expanded to an all - in - one computing machine , the Surface Studio , and a 2 - in-1 transformable with innovative design .
Despite Microsoft ’s attack , the high pricing and nonstarter to catch up with other competitors have n’t exactly made it an easygoing - to - recommend ware . The Surface RT , the company ’s first tablet , ran on Windows 8 RT ( discussed above ) . The troupe ’s inability to communicate that it could n’t run x86 apps meant that several emptor bought a gimmick only to discover that their favorite apps did n’t put to work . It was a monumental bankruptcy for the fellowship , leading to a whopping $ 900 million writedown for the product .
The Surface Duo 2 fixed these to an extent , only for Microsoft to abandon it . Surface stay the biggest missed chance for Microsoft to take the fight to Macbook and other Windows laptops .
11. Games for Windows Live: The Steam Competitor That Lost Steam
What if told you Microsoft managed to make a shopfront just like Valve ? Yes , that ’s right , Windows Live , similar to Steam , offered features like achievements , games store , chats , friends heel and more . While the company initially require a subscription for multiplayer , it introduced gratis multiplayer . The Windows Live service of process also enabled crossplay between Windows and Xbox 360 players in certain games .
Why did it fail ? Well , for starters , developers had to pay Microsoft for Games for Windows Live . The technical issues and damaging receipt within the gambling community of interests resulted in issues long after the Robert William Service was defunct . Other product under the Windows Live , such as Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail , evolved into Skype and Hotmail . Games for Windows Live simply could n’t take off and was nowhere close to Steam .
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