i don't think anyone mentioned Sony's current efforts to weld together an ecosystem around its "internet TV" and other products that copies much of Apple's. it's worth checking out to inform the discussion.
and then there's also the PS3-based Playstation Network/Suite, including the PSP and Xperia/Android phones/tablets too (but i can't find a good webpage to describe all this).
it's all very impressively conceptually when you add them all up, second only to Apple in breadth and depth of hardware integration. even the new unified Remote app on the Tablet S is a big improvement over all the clunky Sony remotes of the past.
but except for gaming, the companion software is not there to go with it. there is no iLife or iCloud, let alone a unifying iOS or OS X. so Sony gets you half the way with its stuff, but to finish it all with the other half, you're on your own and still have to mix and match other companies' software/services. that's just not good enough to sell high-end products with decent profit margins.
OK, Mr. Hirai, you want to improve Sony? You want to integrate software and hardware? Start with a redesign of the PS3 UX. Seriously, everything you need to get started you already own. Start with a great designer instead of a group of engineers and a focus group. Get back to me when you've made some progress...
Please give some suggestions how you would improve it? the UI on the PS3 is easy to navigate, fast to move around (except when quitting a game) and consistent.
Sony used to be great because its co-founder, Akio Morita, was a lot like Jobs. He had the courage of his convictions. The Walkman was supposedly created because Morita wanted one for himself. That's the kind of design leadership Sony needs.
True that. Without a visionary leader Sony will eventually fail. Of course Morita was a founder and founders have that extra juice that mere promoted leaders never manage to extract.
I really like Sony's Tablet S. I thought the folded-over magazine design would be awkward to hold when in portrait mode but it's actually quite nice. That design also makes for single hand holding nicer than the iPad because it's curved, with the weight in your hand as the far end of the tablet only houses the display.
THe biggest drawback was Android Honeycomb but as far as HW goes it's great and shows you don't need to copy Apple to make great HW. Now if they can only get a decent OS they could have something, but I'm afraid that seems unlikely as the iPad's growth rate is putting it in iPod-esque market domination in record time.
Against better knowledge, I bought a Sony LVD TV after moving to India last year (the only other brand they had was Samsung, and I do not buy from Samsung as a principle). This $3,500 piece of #@$* needs minutes to turn on and become responsive (up to two minutes to accept the change of an input, e.g. from set top box to the DVD player or Apple TV). Sometimes it does not react to the remote control at all (despite the confirmation light blinking) and then, 10-20 seconds later it seems to process all buffered keystrokes at once (usually resulting in something as convenient as 100% volume).
Two little questions
1. What do you have against Samsung?
2. Why didn't you take the TV back? It sounds like there was a fault with it
2. Why didn't you take the TV back? It sounds like there was a fault with it
1. a) My company had an encounter with their support in 2001, where they have proven to be a complete and utter waste of space; b) I avoid buying from thieves as long as I have an option.
2. I did went back and checked out two other sets (same model), they were behaving more or less identical. I also sent an email to Sony's support, to which I have received a canned response almost 6 months ago, but nothing after that. As I work 10-12 hours six days a week (and spend another 3-4 hours in traffic jams every day), I can't invest any time in this, as long as it does work somehow.
1. a) My company had an encounter with their support in 2001, where they have proven to be a complete and utter waste of space; b) I avoid buying from thieves as long as I have an option.
2. I did went back and checked out two other sets (same model), they were behaving more or less identical. I also sent an email to Sony's support, to which I have received a canned response almost 6 months ago, but nothing after that. As I work 10-12 hours six days a week (and spend another 3-4 hours in traffic jams every day), I can't invest any time in this, as long as it does work somehow.
1) Same experience I had when I needed Apple support.
2. Deal with the retailer, they sold it too you, not fit for purpose, so either you didn't investigate your purchase, or you were misled. Consumer protection laws exist in a number of countries for this very reason.
I recently purchased one of the Sony hybrids - a mix between a BluRay player, a multimedia player and an Internet TV. This should have been Sony's own field. Not so in this case: the user interface is hurting, compatibility with multimedia files is extremely poor (it cannot even read 720p files created on an iPhone 4), and there is not even compatibility with Vimeo, a service whose movies are often made with Sony's own video devices.
There is a lot of work to not only catch Apple, but to even get back once faithful, now disappointed customers. Releasing a product with the brand name "Walkman" in 2012 will not help.
Comments
there's the Sony Entertainment Network:
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/sto...S_BIV_showcase
and the Music/Video Unlimited service:
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/sto...0151&langId=-1
and then there's also the PS3-based Playstation Network/Suite, including the PSP and Xperia/Android phones/tablets too (but i can't find a good webpage to describe all this).
it's all very impressively conceptually when you add them all up, second only to Apple in breadth and depth of hardware integration. even the new unified Remote app on the Tablet S is a big improvement over all the clunky Sony remotes of the past.
but except for gaming, the companion software is not there to go with it. there is no iLife or iCloud, let alone a unifying iOS or OS X. so Sony gets you half the way with its stuff, but to finish it all with the other half, you're on your own and still have to mix and match other companies' software/services. that's just not good enough to sell high-end products with decent profit margins.
"We can't continue selling TV sets [the way we have been]. Every TV set we all make loses money,"
The simple answer is copy Apple again.
If you have 50 different Sony TV models with 50 price points and 40 different specs you spend far too much money.
If you make 3 or 4 products as best as you can then you reduce construction costs.
OK, Mr. Hirai, you want to improve Sony? You want to integrate software and hardware? Start with a redesign of the PS3 UX. Seriously, everything you need to get started you already own. Start with a great designer instead of a group of engineers and a focus group. Get back to me when you've made some progress...
Please give some suggestions how you would improve it? the UI on the PS3 is easy to navigate, fast to move around (except when quitting a game) and consistent.
Sony used to be great because its co-founder, Akio Morita, was a lot like Jobs. He had the courage of his convictions. The Walkman was supposedly created because Morita wanted one for himself. That's the kind of design leadership Sony needs.
True that. Without a visionary leader Sony will eventually fail. Of course Morita was a founder and founders have that extra juice that mere promoted leaders never manage to extract.
THe biggest drawback was Android Honeycomb but as far as HW goes it's great and shows you don't need to copy Apple to make great HW. Now if they can only get a decent OS they could have something, but I'm afraid that seems unlikely as the iPad's growth rate is putting it in iPod-esque market domination in record time.
Against better knowledge, I bought a Sony LVD TV after moving to India last year (the only other brand they had was Samsung, and I do not buy from Samsung as a principle). This $3,500 piece of #@$* needs minutes to turn on and become responsive (up to two minutes to accept the change of an input, e.g. from set top box to the DVD player or Apple TV). Sometimes it does not react to the remote control at all (despite the confirmation light blinking) and then, 10-20 seconds later it seems to process all buffered keystrokes at once (usually resulting in something as convenient as 100% volume).
Two little questions
1. What do you have against Samsung?
2. Why didn't you take the TV back? It sounds like there was a fault with it
Two little questions
1. What do you have against Samsung?
2. Why didn't you take the TV back? It sounds like there was a fault with it
1. a) My company had an encounter with their support in 2001, where they have proven to be a complete and utter waste of space; b) I avoid buying from thieves as long as I have an option.
2. I did went back and checked out two other sets (same model), they were behaving more or less identical. I also sent an email to Sony's support, to which I have received a canned response almost 6 months ago, but nothing after that. As I work 10-12 hours six days a week (and spend another 3-4 hours in traffic jams every day), I can't invest any time in this, as long as it does work somehow.
1. a) My company had an encounter with their support in 2001, where they have proven to be a complete and utter waste of space; b) I avoid buying from thieves as long as I have an option.
2. I did went back and checked out two other sets (same model), they were behaving more or less identical. I also sent an email to Sony's support, to which I have received a canned response almost 6 months ago, but nothing after that. As I work 10-12 hours six days a week (and spend another 3-4 hours in traffic jams every day), I can't invest any time in this, as long as it does work somehow.
1) Same experience I had when I needed Apple support.
2. Deal with the retailer, they sold it too you, not fit for purpose, so either you didn't investigate your purchase, or you were misled. Consumer protection laws exist in a number of countries for this very reason.
There is a lot of work to not only catch Apple, but to even get back once faithful, now disappointed customers. Releasing a product with the brand name "Walkman" in 2012 will not help.