WI: Microsoft buys VAIO from Sony

[kasumigenx]

From what I have seen the current Surface line of Devices are really based on VAIO's in 00s and its achievements, is there a possibility of Microsoft buying VAIO and turning it to their flagship brand?

Both Apple and Microsoft wanted a deal with Sony from what I have heard in OTL, which means the predecessor of Surface and Intel Macs is the 90's-00s VAIO.

 

[Nivek]

MS might not want it, the Main reason MS is as popular is because was cheap to assembler, here now MS is a PC maker,meaning other Will not be happy with MS and we might see a push for an alternate OS.

That is the Main reason why Microsoft Nokia failed, Android is free and nobody cared about Windows phone

 

[Chris Triangle]

MS might not want it, the Main reason MS is as popular is because was cheap to assembler, here now MS is a PC maker,meaning other Will not be happy with MS and we might see a push for an alternate OS.

That is the Main reason why Microsoft Nokia failed, Android is free and nobody cared about Windows phone

I'm always willing to try a device that's a little different from the more popular stuff. When I expressed interest in the new Windows phones, the guy at the Verizon store sarcastically dismissed it, practically mocked me for even considering it and pushed Samsung VERY aggressively (so much so that I wondered if he was getting a kickback). I never even got to test it since they didn't even stock it locally.

If that's the experience other people had, then it's no wonder the Windows phone never had a chance.

 

[Nivek]

I'm always willing to try a device that's a little different from the more popular stuff. When I expressed interest in the new Windows phones, the guy at the Verizon store sarcastically dismissed it, practically mocked me for even considering it and pushed Samsung VERY aggressively (so much so that I wondered if he was getting a kickback). In the end, they didn't even stock it locally.

If that's the experience other people had, then it's no wonder the Windows phone never had a chance.

Yeah the free marketing(i would say brainwashing) apple and samsung got is brutal...Apple is a nice OS but don't worth the price tag...and samsung is decent..but a little fragile at times.

Maybe VAIO could work? maybe early, maybe if MS and Sony work since 90's and later just MS take it(or opposite, Sony help to push windows phone with Xpreria)

 

[Chris Triangle]

Yeah the free marketing(i would say brainwashing) apple and samsung got is brutal...Apple is a nice OS but don't worth the price tag...and samsung is decent..but a little fragile at times.

Maybe VAIO could work? maybe early, maybe if MS and Sony work since 90's and later just MS take it(or opposite, Sony help to push windows phone with Xpreria)

Definitely. With Apple, the hype was absolutely everywhere. In the media, on the net by word of mouth... Its almost comical. With Samsung however, I think a lot of their success actually came from in-store recommendations. This is true for both phoes and televisions. Every time I've been to Best Buy or Sears or wherever they sell electronics, I've basically had to argue with the staff just to buy a TV that wasn't a Samsung because they always came up to me with their unsolicited sales pitches and refuse to accept that I might not agree. In the case of Best Buy, sometimes it seems as if they work for Samsung and not the actual store. Most people go in with no idea what they want to buy sk they probably take this crap at face value. I really think we tend to forget the importance of in-store recommendations as a driver for product success. For whatever reason, some companies are far better at this than others.

With regards to the Vaio, even if we forget Microsoft, Vaio really should have been successful under Sony IMO. That it's not still around seems more like a result of Sony's failures as a company in the 21st century.

With the exception perhaps of the video game business, Sony has not really able to produce the kind of hype that it's competitors regularly achieve. It does not appear to have made much effort to do so eitherand has more often preferred to cling to the notion that a good product will speak for itself and that the Sony name is as big a built in advantage now as it was in the late 20th century.

Microsoft has been more successful at marketing but their brand has certain baggage that works against it even now. That is one reason why the Zune was a punchline even though it was a very good device.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

From what I have seen the current Surface line of Devices are really based on VAIO's in 00s and its achievements, is there a possibility of Microsoft buying VAIO and turning it to their flagship brand?

Both Apple and Microsoft wanted a deal with VAIO and Sony from what I have heard in OTL, which means the predecessor of Surface and Intel Macs is the 90's-00s VAIO.

Vaio included desktops and laptops. What makes you think there was any Surface connection?

 

[simssss]

Vaio included desktops and laptops. What makes you think there was any Surface connection?

They had stylish notebook and also some ultra portable which back then was rare.

 

[kasumigenx]

Vaio included desktops and laptops. What makes you think there was any Surface connection?

They were the forefront of the Tablet PC's which was promoted by MS then before the Surface line existed and they were the ones who risked everything to make a Tablet PC and Steve Jobs wanted to create Intel Macs made by VAIO, so Intel Macs and Surfaces were influenced by VAIO before its demise.

 

[Nivek]

They were the forefront of the Tablet PC's which was promoted by MS then before the Surface line existed and they were the ones who risked everything to make a Tablet PC and Steve Jobs wanted to create Intel Macs made by VAIO, so Intel Macs and Surfaces were influenced by VAIO before its demise.

Still Wonder If MS could pull it or VAIO just become a japanese Nokia..a waste investment....

 

[kasumigenx]

Still Wonder If MS could pull it or VAIO just become a japanese Nokia..a waste investment....

Nokia of course would fail because of Android, Microsoft buying VAIO would mean the focus would be on Touch based computers, Tablet PC's and AIO.

 

[Electric Monk]

The Microsoft of the era is not capable of running a hardware division, nor would OEMs take kindly to MS getting in on the only part of the business that makes money—the high end. Nor would Sony sell Vaio, they considered it a central factor in their quest to dominate the living room and what not.

 

[Nivek]

Nokia of course would fail because of Android, Microsoft buying VAIO would mean the focus would be on Touch based computers, Tablet PC's and AIO.

Still wonder if that might not angry PC developers but well much were already in the post-pc bandwagon and is something might even be profitable for MS but i'm still having my reserves, of course is not nokia...but still MS might not pull it, they're a software company..have MS pushed their own android early...that is a killer app

The Microsoft of the era is not capable of running a hardware division, nor would OEMs take kindly to MS getting in on the only part of the business that makes money—the high end. Nor would Sony sell Vaio, they considered it a central factor in their quest to dominate the living room and what not.

This

 

[kasumigenx]

Still wonder if that might not angry PC developers but well much were already in the post-pc bandwagon and is something might even be profitable for MS but i'm still having my reserves, of course is not nokia...but still MS might not pull it, they're a software company..have MS pushed their own android early...that is a killer app

This

The Microsoft of the era is not capable of running a hardware division, nor would OEMs take kindly to MS getting in on the only part of the business that makes money—the high end. Nor would Sony sell Vaio, they considered it a central factor in their quest to dominate the living room and what not.

What I am trying imply here is MS moving on to purchase VAIO from Sony in the time they bought Nokia in 2010-2014 instead of creating the Surface line, I think a Microsoft acquired VAIO in 2012-2014 would fare better than OTL.

 

[Nivek]

What I am trying imply here is MS moving on to purchase VAIO from Sony in the time they bought Nokia in 2010-2014 instead of creating the Surface line, I think a Microsoft acquired VAIO in 2012-2014 would fare better than OTL.

Maybe...still people moved of tablet to ironically phones now...depends...

@Kalvan your two cents on it?

 

[Kalvan]

Well, the biggest strength for Microsoft as a company is as supplier to other companies who actually make and/or market big ticket hardware. Almost without exception, when they moved out of that market, be it with the Zune, Surface (Pro), or Microsoft Phone, they turned potential customers into competitors. Compare this to Google, who did and does do phones and tablets under the Nexus line, but contracts out construction of them to the likes of Motorola, Foxconn, Huawei, Samsung, and Onkyo, and the phones' specifications are always midrange at best, so that even when Google wins, the low bidding contractor wins, too. The sole exception is the X-Box, and only because 3DO and Steamboxes proved the traditional Microsoft business model wouldn't work with consoles.

If Microsoft bought the VAIO name and the factory floorspace to build them, and if Sony was willing to sell them to Microsoft at a price that wouldn't break the bank at a time when hard feelings over the X-Box 360/ PlayStation 3 wars were at their hieght, then even if they didn't specifically market any part of the line as gaming laptops, it would utterly poison Microsoft's relations with the likes of Acer, Asus, AOC, Gigabyte, Razer, Cyberpower PC, IBuyPower, Digital Storm, AVA Direct, and Sager, let alone business and lifestyle computer companies like Dell, Compaq, Lenovo, and EMachines. This will probably push them to make bigger-up front financial commitments to the AMD K15 architecture (so that it actually happens alongside Zen) and a stable, standardized P.C. Linux distribution.

 

[Nivek]

This will probably push them to make bigger-up front financial commitments to the AMD K15 architecture (so that it actually happens alongside Zen) and a stable, standardized P.C. Linux distribution.

I doubt it, Linux is still overrated and very mesy at times, plus they don't want to develop what other could benefit

And seems my point still stand...MS have nothing to win with VAIO at all, at worst will be another nokia..a waste of money

 

[kasumigenx]

Well, the biggest strength for Microsoft as a company is as supplier to other companies who actually make and/or market big ticket hardware. Almost without exception, when they moved out of that market, be it with the Zune, Surface (Pro), or Microsoft Phone, they turned potential customers into competitors. Compare this to Google, who did and does do phones and tablets under the Nexus line, but contracts out construction of them to the likes of Motorola, Foxconn, Huawei, Samsung, and Onkyo, and the phones' specifications are always midrange at best, so that even when Google wins, the low bidding contractor wins, too. The sole exception is the X-Box, and only because 3DO and Steamboxes proved the traditional Microsoft business model wouldn't work with consoles.

If Microsoft bought the VAIO name and the factory floorspace to build them, and if Sony was willing to sell them to Microsoft at a price that wouldn't break the bank at a time when hard feelings over the X-Box 360/ PlayStation 3 wars were at their hieght, then even if they didn't specifically market any part of the line as gaming laptops, it would utterly poison Microsoft's relations with the likes of Acer, Asus, AOC, Gigabyte, Razer, Cyberpower PC, IBuyPower, Digital Storm, AVA Direct, and Sager, let alone business and lifestyle computer companies like Dell, Compaq, Lenovo, and EMachines. This will probably push them to make bigger-up front financial commitments to the AMD K15 architecture (so that it actually happens alongside Zen) and a stable, standardized P.C. Linux distribution.

The Surface line did not alienate the OEM's of Microsoft, or perhaps if they do to VAIO what they are doing to Surface only that it is VAIO in name....VAIO and Surface have the same Market that is why I am asking, why not just buy a company instead of creating a brand that is similar.

 

[kasumigenx]

I think MS buying VAIO would look less Alienating if MS created the Courier.

 

[Histor32]

Definitely. With Apple, the hype was absolutely everywhere. In the media, on the net by word of mouth... Its almost comical. With Samsung however, I think a lot of their success actually came from in-store recommendations. This is true for both phoes and televisions. Every time I've been to Best Buy or Sears or wherever they sell electronics, I've basically had to argue with the staff just to buy a TV that wasn't a Samsung because they always came up to me with their unsolicited sales pitches and refuse to accept that I might not agree. In the case of Best Buy, sometimes it seems as if they work for Samsung and not the actual store. Most people go in with no idea what they want to buy sk they probably take this crap at face value. I really think we tend to forget the importance of in-store recommendations as a driver for product success. For whatever reason, some companies are far better at this than others.

With regards to the Vaio, even if we forget Microsoft, Vaio really should have been successful under Sony IMO. That it's not still around seems more like a result of Sony's failures as a company in the 21st century.

With the exception perhaps of the video game business, Sony has not really able to produce the kind of hype that it's competitors regularly achieve. It does not appear to have made much effort to do so eitherand has more often preferred to cling to the notion that a good product will speak for itself and that the Sony name is as big a built in advantage now as it was in the late 20th century.

Microsoft has been more successful at marketing but their brand has certain baggage that works against it even now. That is one reason why the Zune was a punchline even though it was a very good device.

You have been inside a sears?!

 

[Histor32]

BTW I loved windows phone...
I also loved my commodore Amigas and Sony betamax.. Well past there EOL

Microsoft still isn't trying to trample on others ground in the pc market and honestly if the bought viao I think it would tank.

Surface did well because of what it was.. A reference build.. They hey.. Look at this. AND HELL IT DIDN'T really get going till the surface pro 3.

Same with the rest of the surface line, it's not meant to take on dell or hp, but it also let's Microsoft bend some hardware like apple to go with its OS