10 January 2009

Microsoft and Artificial Scarcity

One of the themes of this blog is the relationship between scarcity and abundance. Here's a good example of how you make something artifically valuable by making it scarce:

Due to very heavy traffic we’re seeing as a result of interest in the Windows 7 Beta, we are adding some additional infrastructure support to the Microsoft.com properties before we post the public beta. We want to ensure customers have the best possible experience when downloading the beta, and I’ll be posting here again soon once the beta goes live. Stay tuned! We are excited that you are excited!

So either they're saying that they didn't expect Windows 7 beta to be popular and their infrastructure doesn't scale, or they've let this happen on purpose to generate a little buzz. In other words, in order to make Windows 7 desirable, first you make it unobtainable....

3 comments:

kozmcrae said...

They're cannibalizing what's left of Vista, codewise and marketwise.

Glyn Moody said...

Indeed: dressing up mutton as lamb...

Anonymous said...

in order to make Windows 7 desirable, first you make it unobtainable....
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I think Microsoft is actively doing this very thing by "strongly" encouraging OEMs to pull their XP drivers from their support sites ASAP. Ironic that the Vista beast gave XP a second life!