If Ballmer is toast if Windows 8 fails, then Ballmer will be the sacrificial lamb. Rumor has it that Ballmer and company wanted to push into different directions, and it was Bill Gates who stepped in with the old "Windows Everywhere" Microsoft vision and put a halt to it. Thus Windows 8, the windows everywhere OS. If Windows 8 is more than a marketing name and really a single OS running on phones, tablets, music players, laptops and PC and Servers, then MS is toast because it can't realistically be done.
If they have a Windows 8 Server, Windows 8 Desktop, Windows 8 Laptop, Windows 8 Tablet, Windows 8 Phone, all different OSes then "Windows 8" is marketing only, like IBMs "DB2" label for many different but incompatible database management systems.
The reaction to Windows 8's Metro interface will be comparable to what would have happened if Microsoft had made Bob the default interface for Windows 95.
I still don't believe Redmond will go thru with it, but we'll see. The stupid has been powerful with them lately, so anything's possible.
If Ballmer is toast if Windows 8 fails, then Ballmer will be the sacrificial lamb.
Quite a lot of food groups there
He could also get converged to frozen out.
Microsoft has the classic big conservative base and losing at the edges dilemma. If they change too much, they risk losing customers who like the way they are now. If they don't, they risk losing customers who want more innovation and are jumping ship for Android and iOS. A good example of a company with a similar dilemma is the UK road trip restaurant chain Little Chef, who had a large but shrinking client base. They brought in top chef Heston Blumenthal with instructions that amounted to change everything but keep it the same so it doesn't offend the existing base. Blumenthal seems to have pulled it off though turning around a whole restaurant chain with hundreds of branches is maybe an even harder ask than changing the way a tech company does business (this rather unfair story notwithstanding; the restaurants reported as closing hadn't had the Blumenthal treatment yet).
In this scenario, what are you going to do? Ask your existing base, and they will tell you keep doing what you're doing, and give you ideas that don't make sense, like make your mobile devices work just like desktop devices, when the same people are buying a rival product that doesn't do that. Microsoft's only sensible choice at this point is to be really innovative in the mobile space, and forget making everything look like Windows. That didn't work too well with Zune, but Zune wasn't seriously innovative (a slightly warmed over Toshiba device).
Apple has in some respects done a brilliant job of the iOS ecosystem, but you can't tell me someone starting from scratch couldn't possibly do better. Android has a few advantages (though I personally am not convinced of it overall: they have gone too far in the direction of allowing anything to run without checks for malware etc. vs. Apple locking things down too much).
Something we need to get our heads around: Apple is now the biggest player by a huge margin in a major sector of the industry. We need to watch them for monopolistic tendencies, and stop thinking of them as the rebel option. That doesn't mean any competition is to be supported. Apple was good as the underdog because they really cared about the user experience. Microsoft and other competitors like Google should take a lesson from that.
If Ballmer is toast if Windows 8 fails, then Ballmer will be the sacrificial lamb. Rumor has it that Ballmer and company wanted to push into different directions, and it was Bill Gates who stepped in with the old "Windows Everywhere" Microsoft vision and put a halt to it. Thus Windows 8, the windows everywhere OS. If Windows 8 is more than a marketing name and really a single OS running on phones, tablets, music players, laptops and PC and Servers, then MS is toast because it can't realistically be done.
If they have a Windows 8 Server, Windows 8 Desktop, Windows 8 Laptop, Windows 8 Tablet, Windows 8 Phone, all different OSes then "Windows 8" is marketing only, like IBMs "DB2" label for many different but incompatible database management systems.
you're on to what is really happening at MS - leadership pulling in different directions resulting in a fragmented and confused mish-mash.
without Metro, W8 is really just W7.5, an evolutionary NT 6.x update. driven by the core Windows OS team, that would have been good enough really, paired with MS' other enterprise updates, expanded SkyDrive consumer cloud services, Skype, and so on. Ballmer, ever the Salesman, would still package it all as Windows 8 for hype and over-pricing. and the touch UI port to Intel tablets and touchscreen desktops/laptops would have been a nice extra feature for those few who really want "slates" like that (aka, a "hobby").
but yes the Windows Everywhere cabal in MS, Gates and his disciples on the Board and elsewhere, just won't give up. that wasn't enough. so instead of being allowed to evolve independently on its own logical path and integrated (not unified) in the Windows ecosystem mainly via cloud/network services (as Apple is doing), Metro had to be fused somehow with desktop Windows at all costs. so voila! Windows 8 with Metro bolted on! meanwhile the WinMobile Metro cabal still managed to keep Metro "pure" for smartphones and ARM tablets (not to mention propping up their new OEM dependent, Nokia).
as result, W8 will hit the market with a thud. businesses will totally avoid it, and most consumers won't have any good reason to figure it all out and upgrade (and we'll see if MS allows OEM's to still load W7 on new PC's!). when the ARM Metro tablets finally arrive later, they might do ok, taking some market from Android tablets. same for W8 smartphones.
by next year, these mediocre outcomes will be apparent. MS will cave in and tweak W8 to enable Metro opt-out, which will help a lot. but it will be too late for Ballmer. i give him 18 months.
Tim is right. With Win 8 and Metro UI, it's like putting the toaster in front of the refrigerator; almost every time you want to open the fridge, you have to move the toaster.
Wow... great analogy!
I have yet to install the Windows 8 CP... (I downloaded it though)... but I'm imagining it being a lot like your example.
As of right now... all my programs are regular ol' Windows programs. I'm pretty used to the way they work... and I've never said to myself "boy... the Windows UI needs to be all changed around..."
I can't even imagine many of my favorite programs becoming Metro apps any time soon. So why do I need Metro?
I have all my favorite Windows programs pinned to the Start Menu in Windows 7. It stays out of the way until I click the blue orb. I like it. It's like a launcher to me.
With Windows 8 and the Metro Start Screen... this giant thing pops up and take over the entire screen. That seems kinda obtrusive... compared to the Start Menu we've been using for the last decade.
Although I'm usually the first person to say "suck it up and embrace the change" whenever a new thing come out... this particular time has me scratching my head.
I guess I should reserve my judgement until I actually play with Windows 8 myself.... but I have watched dozens of videos on the subject. As of right now... the Metro UI (on the desktop) seems like it will get in the way whenever I use regular Windows programs.
But I totally understand Metro on a tablet.... with its own set of Metro apps.
When asked by Richard Gardner of Citigroup whether Apple will eventually converge its iPad and MacBook Air products into a single computing device combining the portability of a tablet with the functionality of a keyboard and full desktop operating system, Cook dismissed the idea as poorly conceived.
"Anything can be forced to converge," Cook answered. "But the problem is that the products are about tradeoffs. You begin to make tradeoffs to the point where what you have left at the end of the day doesn't please anyone."
As long as it's done in the right way, convergence works. This can be seen with the iPhone, which is a gaming device, an internet device, an iPod, a camera and a phone and there are still elements that lead to a poorer experience such as no physical game controls and a fixed lens on the camera.
When the convergence compromises the design of the device, then it's the wrong way to go.
In the example of the Asus Transformer, it could be argued that it is a more elegant solution than Apple's keyboard dock, especially if you want to take the keyboard with you on your travels. Windows 8 tablets on the other hand are the wrong type of convergence because Microsoft is trying to avoid abandoning legacy Windows so they are trying to squeeze the old UI onto a small screen while tacking a touch UI on top so you end up with a poor experience of both.
One big reason against the MBA/iPad is the screen aspect. 16:9 wouldn't work well on a tablet so they'd have to go with 4:3 for the Air. It is also twice the weight just now. Then there's the home button to deal with too.
In some ways I like that they respect the legacy UI and workflow but the iPad ownership is increasing dramatically and they have taken steps to make the iPad standalone. Even now, people are having to decide between an Air or an iPad and not getting the best of both. Perhaps they'll always have to buy both but I think it will just need a rethinking of the input methods.
Of course, knowing apple, six months after they diss the idea of something they come out with their defining product.
I expect to see a fridge that toasts (and MORE!) during the holiday sales season this year. He denied it, so it must be coming.
No, that's wrong. Other companies think that Apple is making a combo fridge and toaster so they try to make one first. What Apple does is to create an entirely new device that stores your food then, using a simple interface to "program" a meal (the iFood Store?), assembles the ingredients, cooks, and serves everything at the appropriate temperature on plates on a tray.
Tim Cook doesn't know his ass from a hole in the wall. As soon as the momentum Steve left with his dying breath runs out, Apple is going to go into free-fall creatively and financially. That's what happens when you give the big chair to the guy who used to run the supply chain.
Do you think MS will remove the feature (CTRL ALT DEL) from Windows 8? If not how will they build it into their "new" tablet? If you can't fix it feature it!!!
The iPad still is a toy. MS wants to create a better tablet. Like the tablets they've been making since the turn of the century. Like the tablets Bill Gates preached about right in front of Steve Jobs during an interview in 2007 BEFORE the iPad came out.
I think it's safe to say that Microsoft wants to perfect their tablet. And the iPad is not and never will be a tablet. It's a giant iPhone.
Clearly Jeff is the king of sarcasm, I love the idea that Microsoft has been spending the last 12 years perfecting it's tablet offering. I think another 10 years should do it. perfection takes time you know.
...In the example of the Asus Transformer, it could be argued that it is a more elegant solution than Apple's keyboard dock, especially if you want to take the keyboard with you on your travels...
Marvin, have you seen the CruxLoaded? It's sort of like the Transformer dock, and has a built in trackpad as well as keyboard. Think the software even throws a cursor onto the display.
More expensive than the Transformer thingy, but I'd go for one if it had a numeric keypad. (Too bad there's not the room.) Still in development but I believe they are taking orders.
While you can debate the level of user acceptance for Windows 8 (it's a on one level a radical change to the UI that will certainly divide opinion (already has clearly!) it's not correct to say that it will not be ready, indeed you may not be aware but there is already a very reliable Consumer preview, that I (and many others) have been using for a month or more. While still 'beta' - it works well (extremely quickly with great boot times, and is also very easy to use in a 'traditional' desktop - as well as a tablet / touch 1st device. I don't usually bother responding to posts on here as they are typically so rabidly one sided in their views (both for an against Apple) that it's hardly worth the bother of trying to put a balanced view - but in this instance I just wanted to be clear on a fact, good, bad or great Windows 8 is on track and already very useable.
Clearly Jeff is the king of sarcasm, I love the idea that Microsoft has been spending the last 12 years perfecting it's tablet offering. I think another 10 years should do it. perfection takes time you know.
Jeff's good, especially because it was his first and only post here. But I'd like to nominate this guy:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cash907
Tim Cook doesn't know his ass from a hole in the wall. As soon as the momentum Steve left with his dying breath runs out, Apple is going to go into free-fall creatively and financially. That's what happens when you give the big chair to the guy who used to run the supply chain.
Tim's responsible for the for the manufacturing arm of Apple. The only thing more impressive that Apple products is that they can keep up with demand. If you'd paid attention you would know that Apple has gone to great lengths to make sure there will be no void at the top.
The problem Microsoft has is, I think, that a) they don't have anyone who understands paradigms other than desktop Windows, and b) the company has become like s supertanker that can't easily change course. Even trying to bring someone in from the outside probably wouldn't be effective to change their fate. Their best bet is to transform themselves into a services company like IBM and syphon money off their enterprise customers who aren't able to change course either... and maybe spin off Xbox as a separate company.
In other words, Ballmer isn't really the problem, he's just another symptom.
The fact that Ballmer is still there is proof enough for me that you are 100% correct.
Windows 8 will be a gigantic disaster for Microsoft. Mark your calendars.
Don't count on it. I agree that people don't want their OS to do PC and Tablet. However, I've seen an office mate use Windows 8 beta and it lets you easily select the PC start menu version or the tile version. If you don't like the tiles, you don't ever have to use them. My guess is that 99.999% of PC users are going to be using the PC style interface and %99.999% of tablet users will be using the tablet version and 0.0001% will be switching back and forth. I think both camps will be generally happy with what they get. Windows 8 is a lot better than Android and they get better compatibility with Word and Outlook than Mac users. I've commented many times in this Forum, that Microsoft, not Google, is the real threat to Apple's continued growth.
Apple is weak where Microsoft is strong. Apple's Mail client sucks (its slow to send and receive and is horrible at attachments), its Pages program is hugely lacking in feature necessary for business professionals, and its sever software is practically unusable. I understand that Apple has chosen to focus on other things and their focus is producing fantastic results. However, that doesn't mean Apple isn't vulnerable.
If Microsoft fails with Windows 8 it won't be because of the merger of PC + tablet OS. It will be because the Windows 8 tablets can't perform like an iPad because the software and hardware aren't designed together. Their efficiency and design will continue to be mediocre at best. Same thing for the Windows mobile phones. And that is why I continue own tens of thousands of dollars in Apple stock.
The fact that Ballmer is still there is proof enough for me that you are 100% correct.
The inventing that goes on in Microsoft is related to market manipulation and competition (or anti-competition depending on your views). Microsoft has a lot of smart people that have made the company and its shareholders a lot of money. They have used that money to hire some really talented engineers, but the political organization that made Microsoft successful as a business stifles the creation of good products. The Microsoft machine is a lot like United States Congress. A smart engineer submits an idea and by the time a bunch of really smart people put their two cents in, you get a pile of poo coming out. The crap that comes out of Microsoft isn't created by Ballmer and it isn't created by dumb people. However, it is Ballmer's job to overcome the political problems that Microsoft has and I think he makes them worse, not better, and that is why he is an incompetent CEO and his shareholders should fire him. I don't own any Microsoft stock for these reasons.
No, that's wrong. Other companies think that Apple is making a combo fridge and toaster so they try to make one first. What Apple does is to create an entirely new device that stores your food then, using a simple interface to "program" a meal (the iFood Store?), assembles the ingredients, cooks, and serves everything at the appropriate temperature on plates on a tray.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Ignore them, as AI has no official troll policy nor definition thereof.
I suppose the vitriolic back-and-forth with the trolls may add to the page clicks, therefore the trolls are welcomed with open arms.
If Ballmer is toast if Windows 8 fails, then Ballmer will be the sacrificial lamb. Rumor has it that Ballmer and company wanted to push into different directions, and it was Bill Gates who stepped in with the old "Windows Everywhere" Microsoft vision and put a halt to it. Thus Windows 8, the windows everywhere OS. If Windows 8 is more than a marketing name and really a single OS running on phones, tablets, music players, laptops and PC and Servers, then MS is toast because it can't realistically be done.
If they have a Windows 8 Server, Windows 8 Desktop, Windows 8 Laptop, Windows 8 Tablet, Windows 8 Phone, all different OSes then "Windows 8" is marketing only, like IBMs "DB2" label for many different but incompatible database management systems.
The reaction to Windows 8's Metro interface will be comparable to what would have happened if Microsoft had made Bob the default interface for Windows 95.
I still don't believe Redmond will go thru with it, but we'll see. The stupid has been powerful with them lately, so anything's possible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by waldobushman
If Ballmer is toast if Windows 8 fails, then Ballmer will be the sacrificial lamb.
Quite a lot of food groups there
He could also get converged to frozen out.
Microsoft has the classic big conservative base and losing at the edges dilemma. If they change too much, they risk losing customers who like the way they are now. If they don't, they risk losing customers who want more innovation and are jumping ship for Android and iOS. A good example of a company with a similar dilemma is the UK road trip restaurant chain Little Chef, who had a large but shrinking client base. They brought in top chef Heston Blumenthal with instructions that amounted to change everything but keep it the same so it doesn't offend the existing base. Blumenthal seems to have pulled it off though turning around a whole restaurant chain with hundreds of branches is maybe an even harder ask than changing the way a tech company does business (this rather unfair story notwithstanding; the restaurants reported as closing hadn't had the Blumenthal treatment yet).
In this scenario, what are you going to do? Ask your existing base, and they will tell you keep doing what you're doing, and give you ideas that don't make sense, like make your mobile devices work just like desktop devices, when the same people are buying a rival product that doesn't do that. Microsoft's only sensible choice at this point is to be really innovative in the mobile space, and forget making everything look like Windows. That didn't work too well with Zune, but Zune wasn't seriously innovative (a slightly warmed over Toshiba device).
Apple has in some respects done a brilliant job of the iOS ecosystem, but you can't tell me someone starting from scratch couldn't possibly do better. Android has a few advantages (though I personally am not convinced of it overall: they have gone too far in the direction of allowing anything to run without checks for malware etc. vs. Apple locking things down too much).
Something we need to get our heads around: Apple is now the biggest player by a huge margin in a major sector of the industry. We need to watch them for monopolistic tendencies, and stop thinking of them as the rebel option. That doesn't mean any competition is to be supported. Apple was good as the underdog because they really cared about the user experience. Microsoft and other competitors like Google should take a lesson from that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by waldobushman
If Ballmer is toast if Windows 8 fails, then Ballmer will be the sacrificial lamb. Rumor has it that Ballmer and company wanted to push into different directions, and it was Bill Gates who stepped in with the old "Windows Everywhere" Microsoft vision and put a halt to it. Thus Windows 8, the windows everywhere OS. If Windows 8 is more than a marketing name and really a single OS running on phones, tablets, music players, laptops and PC and Servers, then MS is toast because it can't realistically be done.
If they have a Windows 8 Server, Windows 8 Desktop, Windows 8 Laptop, Windows 8 Tablet, Windows 8 Phone, all different OSes then "Windows 8" is marketing only, like IBMs "DB2" label for many different but incompatible database management systems.
you're on to what is really happening at MS - leadership pulling in different directions resulting in a fragmented and confused mish-mash.
without Metro, W8 is really just W7.5, an evolutionary NT 6.x update. driven by the core Windows OS team, that would have been good enough really, paired with MS' other enterprise updates, expanded SkyDrive consumer cloud services, Skype, and so on. Ballmer, ever the Salesman, would still package it all as Windows 8 for hype and over-pricing. and the touch UI port to Intel tablets and touchscreen desktops/laptops would have been a nice extra feature for those few who really want "slates" like that (aka, a "hobby").
but yes the Windows Everywhere cabal in MS, Gates and his disciples on the Board and elsewhere, just won't give up. that wasn't enough. so instead of being allowed to evolve independently on its own logical path and integrated (not unified) in the Windows ecosystem mainly via cloud/network services (as Apple is doing), Metro had to be fused somehow with desktop Windows at all costs. so voila! Windows 8 with Metro bolted on! meanwhile the WinMobile Metro cabal still managed to keep Metro "pure" for smartphones and ARM tablets (not to mention propping up their new OEM dependent, Nokia).
as result, W8 will hit the market with a thud. businesses will totally avoid it, and most consumers won't have any good reason to figure it all out and upgrade (and we'll see if MS allows OEM's to still load W7 on new PC's!). when the ARM Metro tablets finally arrive later, they might do ok, taking some market from Android tablets. same for W8 smartphones.
by next year, these mediocre outcomes will be apparent. MS will cave in and tweak W8 to enable Metro opt-out, which will help a lot. but it will be too late for Ballmer. i give him 18 months.
Quote:
Originally Posted by markbyrn
Tim is right. With Win 8 and Metro UI, it's like putting the toaster in front of the refrigerator; almost every time you want to open the fridge, you have to move the toaster.
Wow... great analogy!
I have yet to install the Windows 8 CP... (I downloaded it though)... but I'm imagining it being a lot like your example.
As of right now... all my programs are regular ol' Windows programs. I'm pretty used to the way they work... and I've never said to myself "boy... the Windows UI needs to be all changed around..."
I can't even imagine many of my favorite programs becoming Metro apps any time soon. So why do I need Metro?
I have all my favorite Windows programs pinned to the Start Menu in Windows 7. It stays out of the way until I click the blue orb. I like it. It's like a launcher to me.
With Windows 8 and the Metro Start Screen... this giant thing pops up and take over the entire screen. That seems kinda obtrusive... compared to the Start Menu we've been using for the last decade.
Although I'm usually the first person to say "suck it up and embrace the change" whenever a new thing come out... this particular time has me scratching my head.
I guess I should reserve my judgement until I actually play with Windows 8 myself.... but I have watched dozens of videos on the subject. As of right now... the Metro UI (on the desktop) seems like it will get in the way whenever I use regular Windows programs.
But I totally understand Metro on a tablet.... with its own set of Metro apps.
As long as it's done in the right way, convergence works. This can be seen with the iPhone, which is a gaming device, an internet device, an iPod, a camera and a phone and there are still elements that lead to a poorer experience such as no physical game controls and a fixed lens on the camera.
When the convergence compromises the design of the device, then it's the wrong way to go.
In the example of the Asus Transformer, it could be argued that it is a more elegant solution than Apple's keyboard dock, especially if you want to take the keyboard with you on your travels. Windows 8 tablets on the other hand are the wrong type of convergence because Microsoft is trying to avoid abandoning legacy Windows so they are trying to squeeze the old UI onto a small screen while tacking a touch UI on top so you end up with a poor experience of both.
One big reason against the MBA/iPad is the screen aspect. 16:9 wouldn't work well on a tablet so they'd have to go with 4:3 for the Air. It is also twice the weight just now. Then there's the home button to deal with too.
In some ways I like that they respect the legacy UI and workflow but the iPad ownership is increasing dramatically and they have taken steps to make the iPad standalone. Even now, people are having to decide between an Air or an iPad and not getting the best of both. Perhaps they'll always have to buy both but I think it will just need a rethinking of the input methods.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffDM
Maybe it's time for you to grow up and stop making excuses for the world's largest software company.Isn't that Apple?
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
Of course, knowing apple, six months after they diss the idea of something they come out with their defining product.
I expect to see a fridge that toasts (and MORE!) during the holiday sales season this year. He denied it, so it must be coming.
No, that's wrong. Other companies think that Apple is making a combo fridge and toaster so they try to make one first. What Apple does is to create an entirely new device that stores your food then, using a simple interface to "program" a meal (the iFood Store?), assembles the ingredients, cooks, and serves everything at the appropriate temperature on plates on a tray.
Tim Cook doesn't know his ass from a hole in the wall. As soon as the momentum Steve left with his dying breath runs out, Apple is going to go into free-fall creatively and financially. That's what happens when you give the big chair to the guy who used to run the supply chain.
Do you think MS will remove the feature (CTRL ALT DEL) from Windows 8? If not how will they build it into their "new" tablet? If you can't fix it feature it!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Scherrer
The iPad still is a toy. MS wants to create a better tablet. Like the tablets they've been making since the turn of the century. Like the tablets Bill Gates preached about right in front of Steve Jobs during an interview in 2007 BEFORE the iPad came out.
I think it's safe to say that Microsoft wants to perfect their tablet. And the iPad is not and never will be a tablet. It's a giant iPhone.
Clearly Jeff is the king of sarcasm, I love the idea that Microsoft has been spending the last 12 years perfecting it's tablet offering. I think another 10 years should do it. perfection takes time you know.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
...In the example of the Asus Transformer, it could be argued that it is a more elegant solution than Apple's keyboard dock, especially if you want to take the keyboard with you on your travels...
Marvin, have you seen the CruxLoaded? It's sort of like the Transformer dock, and has a built in trackpad as well as keyboard. Think the software even throws a cursor onto the display.
More expensive than the Transformer thingy, but I'd go for one if it had a numeric keypad. (Too bad there's not the room.) Still in development but I believe they are taking orders.
While you can debate the level of user acceptance for Windows 8 (it's a on one level a radical change to the UI that will certainly divide opinion (already has clearly!) it's not correct to say that it will not be ready, indeed you may not be aware but there is already a very reliable Consumer preview, that I (and many others) have been using for a month or more. While still 'beta' - it works well (extremely quickly with great boot times, and is also very easy to use in a 'traditional' desktop - as well as a tablet / touch 1st device. I don't usually bother responding to posts on here as they are typically so rabidly one sided in their views (both for an against Apple) that it's hardly worth the bother of trying to put a balanced view - but in this instance I just wanted to be clear on a fact, good, bad or great Windows 8 is on track and already very useable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gunnerrob2
Clearly Jeff is the king of sarcasm, I love the idea that Microsoft has been spending the last 12 years perfecting it's tablet offering. I think another 10 years should do it. perfection takes time you know.
Jeff's good, especially because it was his first and only post here. But I'd like to nominate this guy:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cash907
Tim Cook doesn't know his ass from a hole in the wall. As soon as the momentum Steve left with his dying breath runs out, Apple is going to go into free-fall creatively and financially. That's what happens when you give the big chair to the guy who used to run the supply chain.
Tim's responsible for the for the manufacturing arm of Apple. The only thing more impressive that Apple products is that they can keep up with demand. If you'd paid attention you would know that Apple has gone to great lengths to make sure there will be no void at the top.
Apple will be just fine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anonymouse
The problem Microsoft has is, I think, that a) they don't have anyone who understands paradigms other than desktop Windows, and b) the company has become like s supertanker that can't easily change course. Even trying to bring someone in from the outside probably wouldn't be effective to change their fate. Their best bet is to transform themselves into a services company like IBM and syphon money off their enterprise customers who aren't able to change course either... and maybe spin off Xbox as a separate company.
In other words, Ballmer isn't really the problem, he's just another symptom.
The fact that Ballmer is still there is proof enough for me that you are 100% correct.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpamSandwich
Windows 8 will be a gigantic disaster for Microsoft. Mark your calendars.
Don't count on it. I agree that people don't want their OS to do PC and Tablet. However, I've seen an office mate use Windows 8 beta and it lets you easily select the PC start menu version or the tile version. If you don't like the tiles, you don't ever have to use them. My guess is that 99.999% of PC users are going to be using the PC style interface and %99.999% of tablet users will be using the tablet version and 0.0001% will be switching back and forth. I think both camps will be generally happy with what they get. Windows 8 is a lot better than Android and they get better compatibility with Word and Outlook than Mac users. I've commented many times in this Forum, that Microsoft, not Google, is the real threat to Apple's continued growth.
Apple is weak where Microsoft is strong. Apple's Mail client sucks (its slow to send and receive and is horrible at attachments), its Pages program is hugely lacking in feature necessary for business professionals, and its sever software is practically unusable. I understand that Apple has chosen to focus on other things and their focus is producing fantastic results. However, that doesn't mean Apple isn't vulnerable.
If Microsoft fails with Windows 8 it won't be because of the merger of PC + tablet OS. It will be because the Windows 8 tablets can't perform like an iPad because the software and hardware aren't designed together. Their efficiency and design will continue to be mediocre at best. Same thing for the Windows mobile phones. And that is why I continue own tens of thousands of dollars in Apple stock.
Quote:
Originally Posted by island hermit
The fact that Ballmer is still there is proof enough for me that you are 100% correct.
The inventing that goes on in Microsoft is related to market manipulation and competition (or anti-competition depending on your views). Microsoft has a lot of smart people that have made the company and its shareholders a lot of money. They have used that money to hire some really talented engineers, but the political organization that made Microsoft successful as a business stifles the creation of good products. The Microsoft machine is a lot like United States Congress. A smart engineer submits an idea and by the time a bunch of really smart people put their two cents in, you get a pile of poo coming out. The crap that comes out of Microsoft isn't created by Ballmer and it isn't created by dumb people. However, it is Ballmer's job to overcome the political problems that Microsoft has and I think he makes them worse, not better, and that is why he is an incompetent CEO and his shareholders should fire him. I don't own any Microsoft stock for these reasons.
Quote:
Originally Posted by waybacmac
No, that's wrong. Other companies think that Apple is making a combo fridge and toaster so they try to make one first. What Apple does is to create an entirely new device that stores your food then, using a simple interface to "program" a meal (the iFood Store?), assembles the ingredients, cooks, and serves everything at the appropriate temperature on plates on a tray.
I think I saw that on The Jetsons.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandyf
I'm floored: nobody ran with the bone and photoShopped a toaster with a Fridge...
I found this over at The Verge. It's a toaster oven rather than a toaster. I hope you're not disappointed.