#marketing #bing #microsoft #surface #kinect #microsoftstore
There are a number of things that are impressing me about Microsoft lately. The first was my experience early last year in buying a couple of computers from the Microsoft store. I got a great deal as they were having a sale and the fact they had removed all the bloatware from the product meant I got them both home and ready to roll immediately out of the box. They probably ran faster and more smoothly than any PC I've purchased in the last 10 years.
One was a Samsung laptop and the other a Dell Zino. The Zino hasn't held up to well to everyday use from a couple of small boys but my wife loves her laptop.
Compare that to buying a similar specification laptop on black friday from Best Buy (who I should be boycotting on principal but they sometimes have deals the bargain hounds in me drag me along for). It is so loaded with garbage I've put it aside until I have a half day to clean it up and get it working. Completely disappointing experience compared to buying from the MS Store.
The Windows 7 phone has been quietly consuming market share and getting a lot of positive reviews, they've brought out the commercial version of their surface products, they are bringing out a PC version of the minority report interface using the Kincet, and now they created this kind of cool Bing Xmas calendar.
Keep it up Microsoft. Might be time to invest in some stock.
Bing Calendar
Gizmag article on Windows 7 Minority Report
Microsoft Surface
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Gamification
#gamification
For those of you who aren't familiar with the topic, Gamification is the act of applying game mechanics to non game arena's. Examples include Nike+ (fitness), Mint (finance), and Chore Wares (relationship / household chores).
Loyalty schemes have been around for ages and are crude examples of gamification. If you google Sebastian Deterding, Jane McGonigal, Bigdoor, Bunchball, Gamify, Gabe Zichermann, or just gamification itself you will be overwhelmed by how much content is out there for such a new topic.
We now have an annual Gamification Summit organized by Gabe Zichermann. I have attended the last couple of years through ForaTV although the last one had technical issues and I had to just watch the recorded elements when they were available.
We also have the first Gamification MBA course run by Kevin Werbech and Dan Hunter. They also organized a symposium of gamification back in August of this year. They have been kind enough to publish the course notes etc online for anyone who is interested.
Coursekit from Gamification MBA course
The reason I am so excited for the gamified future is that I see a huge potential to engage people in big issues using gamified solutions. If we can get people to focus on some of the challenges that we face as a species by using game mechanics then I am all for the concept.
I am working on a platform to give people the tools to bring game mechanics to the areas of their life that they think need improving. Until I get it built we'll have to just pretend it is all a game.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the topic, Gamification is the act of applying game mechanics to non game arena's. Examples include Nike+ (fitness), Mint (finance), and Chore Wares (relationship / household chores).
Loyalty schemes have been around for ages and are crude examples of gamification. If you google Sebastian Deterding, Jane McGonigal, Bigdoor, Bunchball, Gamify, Gabe Zichermann, or just gamification itself you will be overwhelmed by how much content is out there for such a new topic.
We now have an annual Gamification Summit organized by Gabe Zichermann. I have attended the last couple of years through ForaTV although the last one had technical issues and I had to just watch the recorded elements when they were available.
We also have the first Gamification MBA course run by Kevin Werbech and Dan Hunter. They also organized a symposium of gamification back in August of this year. They have been kind enough to publish the course notes etc online for anyone who is interested.
Coursekit from Gamification MBA course
The reason I am so excited for the gamified future is that I see a huge potential to engage people in big issues using gamified solutions. If we can get people to focus on some of the challenges that we face as a species by using game mechanics then I am all for the concept.
I am working on a platform to give people the tools to bring game mechanics to the areas of their life that they think need improving. Until I get it built we'll have to just pretend it is all a game.
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