I am not at all confused. The post has actual English words, and seems grammatical, but it makes no sense. "You can't buy cachet"? Firstly, you can, and secondly, what does it have to do with anything. "You can't buy taste"? In the sense that there is no accounting for it, I guess that's true, but if you believe that there is a universal standard of taste, you certainly can (e.g., I am pretty sure if you gave Jonny Ive a nine figure bonus he would work for you). As for zuning your strategy, that's just idiotic. Microsoft released the zune six years ago, hasn't gone bankrupt since, and in my opinion they deserve props for trying, as opposed to just sitting back and milking office.
You may have missed the memo that the MSFT board recently gave Ballmer a cut in wages due to his sub-par performance. It may have been that action that emboldened Sinofsky to make a play for the CEO chair.
In a few months we will see if the techicolor-tiled Windows 8 is successful or whether there will be a general back-peddling from this visual nightmare. Ballmer has some work to do to keep the mother-ship afloat and he's pumping out the bilge too slowly. It took Ballmer SIX years to come up with a smart phone that still doesn't seem to be a success. Less time to come up with tablet that's a poor tablet and a poor laptop that requires a desk top to prop it up in front of a terrible keyboard... that is admittedly running beta OS.
I did miss the memo, but usually these pay cuts are explained by the shareholder value not appreciating. It emphatically does not mean that the CEO is in any sense incompetent (that would result in the CEO's firing). I should also note that given Ballmer's wealth (north of $10B), he is clearly staying on because it's his life's work, not because of whatever MSFT is paying him.
As for the second paragraph, I do not disagree (except for peddling->pedaling). My guess (not based on any hard information) is that Ballmer wanted to get rid of Sinofsky, and gave him enough rope to hang himself with the Surface. Given that Sinofsky was just under Ballmer in the MSFT hierarchy, and, with a title of "President" worked for the board and not for Ballmer, there was probably not any way of getting rid of him without burning $1B of shareholder value. Similar to Forstall's demise: he was given the opportunity to screw up very visibly with the maps thing, and had enough hubris to not see the trap.
Having no idea what that is, I looked at Microsoft's site. Lots of FLASHING BANNERS! and LOUD HEADERS! and LINKS TO HOW OTHERS ARE USING ONENOTE! but NOT ONE WORD that answers my question: "What the hell is it? What does it DO?!"
That's the third time in the last month or two I've looked for information about a new software product, only to find that the developer assumes I already know what it is, what it does and why I want it. That also makes it the third time in the last month or two I've left my credit card in my wallet.
Yep, and I googled for Skydrive pricing plans and all the hits were to others talking about Skydrive. Well, the first return on Skydrive was an MS site link, but it was a Skydrive FAQ, but no pricing information. I couldn't find it anywhere. I gave up. Isn't that wonderful?
…if you believe that there is a universal standard of taste, you certainly can…
How does that make sense?
(e.g., I am pretty sure if you gave Jonny Ive a nine figure bonus he would work for you).
You've missed the point entirely. The above makes no sense.
As for zuning your strategy, that's just idiotic. Microsoft released the zune six years ago, hasn't gone bankrupt since…
You REALLY don't understand anything he's saying. How many Zunes are out there? What are the reviews like? How much money are they bringing Microsoft? Have they completely redefined an entire market down to the names used to describe products?
You've missed the point entirely. The above makes no sense.
You REALLY don't understand anything he's saying. How many Zunes are out there? What are the reviews like? How much money are they bringing Microsoft? Have they completely redefined an entire market down to the names used to describe products?
You don't understand what I am saying, and yet you are insulting me. And you are a "Global moderator"? God save us from such moderation.
Sinofsky's end could be tied to the fact Windows 8 is not doing well, without a start menu it's difficult for MS users to begin they're work. They way Microsoft operates, I'm sure some scapegoat was sacrificed for Vista's failure as well.
I for one am tired of this easy meme. I seldom use the Start Button on my Win Tower at all - 1. all the apps I use are in two other places in the Desktop. 2. the Desktop is exactly one press away in Win 8. I'm more concerned about starting to lose access to convenient manual file management (something I've developed and depended on for decades) in Apple's OS's.
That said, I agree with the "schizophrenic mess" meme - that's partly the transitional aspect, partly the consumer/enterprise divide, and partly the Rev. 1.0 syndrome MS has always suffered from. Service Pack 2 (and e.g., Surface 3) will work a fair amount of this out - and the Desktop will fade into the background for consumers over time - certainly by the next version - while the desktop will still run all the Enterprise spaghetti code inside of companies for years (decades?) to come. That's Microsoft 101 for long-time watchers.
No, you don't understand what he is saying, and I'm clarifying. You cannot give someone money for the purpose of obtaining taste or respect. It is physically impossible. That is what he is saying, and it's something with which you apparently disagree.
As for his implementation of the verb "zune", it is designed as an umbrella term for when a product (or anything) fails as completely as the Microsoft Zune has. Similar to how the verb "xerox" is used for the act of photocopying on any brand machine.
No, you don't understand what he is saying, and I'm clarifying. You cannot give someone money for the purpose of obtaining taste or respect. It is physically impossible. That is what he is saying, and it's something with which you apparently disagree.
As for his implementation of the verb "zune", it is designed as an umbrella term for when a product (or anything) fails as completely as the Microsoft Zune has. Similar to how the verb "xerox" is used for the act of photocopying on any brand machine.
You have your interpretation, and I have mine. Re "zune", I understood what he meant, but I don't see how this is relevant to the current situation, other than "microsoft has made mistakes in the past". As for taste (or respect), as I say, taste is in the eye of the beholder, and the eye of the beholder is easily influenced (I am guessing we are both old enough to remember the original iMac, which was a garish piece of crap which saved Apple, thanks to Steve's reality distortion field), and a corporation can hire people with taste. Respect is also in the eye of the beholder. Many people think that Apple products are overpriced junk. You disagree with them, as do I, but they do have more respect for MSFT than for Apple. Again, you and I (I am guessing) are old enough to remember when Microsoft was the evil empire, and the mere mention of its name in certain circles caused an involuntary physical reflex. Those days are gone. Microsoft research does some amazingly interesting stuff (.Net is a far more sophisticated programming environment than anything Apple has come up with. No, I don't use it, but I know many people who do), and they really try to make better software (with rather spotty success). I really hope they succeed, since I don't really want to revisit the past, except with some other monopoly whose name causes us to cross ourselves.
Whoever the guy is who started this discussion (I don't remember, and don't care enough to scroll back) had the typical Apple fanboi/MS hater post, which certainly did not earn my respect.
I for one am tired of this easy meme. I seldom use the Start Button on my Win Tower at all - 1. all the apps I use are in two other places in the Desktop. 2. the Desktop is exactly one press away in Win 8. I'm more concerned about starting to lose access to convenient manual file management (something I've developed and depended on for decades) in Apple's OS's.
That said, I agree with the "schizophrenic mess" meme - that's partly the transitional aspect, partly the consumer/enterprise divide, and partly the Rev. 1.0 syndrome MS has always suffered from. Service Pack 2 (and e.g., Surface 3) will work a fair amount of this out - and the Desktop will fade into the background for consumers over time - certainly by the next version - while the desktop will still run all the Enterprise spaghetti code inside of companies for years (decades?) to come. That's Microsoft 101 for long-time watchers.
I generally agree with what you say historically, but to make the desktop fade, MSFT must do a full redesign of Office UI (since Windows and Office are really two faces of the same beast), which is difficult both technically and for marketing reasons. So far their attempts (the Ribbon) leave me underwhelmed.
I think what's killing the PC is Windows.. PC makers should unite and ditch window in favor of linux so software developers are forced to develop for linux.. and it shouldn't be a huge effort if they already run on Osx that is in itself just another flavor of linux.
And what is killing microsoft? I guess that has nothing to do with Sinofsky and a lot to do with BALDmer. I still hope MS goes chapter 11 some day.
It's time to bring back John Hodgman and Justin Long. They need to be there to show people how Windows 8 upgrading is causing problems. The PC could be schizophrenic and Mac could react to it trying to get it to choose a personality.
Windows integrating everything into one big software sharing pool could be a problem. If people don't like the OS then they won't want to get any of the other things related to it. It's one of those get it right or you'll lose everything kind of deals.
Apple is also going down this road. I know they'll do it better but they're starting to lose me. I really don't care one bit about social networking. I don't want my computer connected to some online company for the purpose of disseminating posts from every forum I visit or showing every blog I read.
I think what's killing the PC is Windows.. PC makers should unite and ditch window in favor of linux so software developers are forced to develop for linux.. and it shouldn't be a huge effort if they already run on Osx that is in itself just another flavor of linux.
And what is killing microsoft? I guess that has nothing to do with Sinofsky and a lot to do with BALDmer. I still hope MS goes chapter 11 some day.
Comments
Originally Posted by igriv
Apparently, you can't buy a clue, either, since your post makes no sense whatever.
It reads perfectly fine. With what are you confused?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
It reads perfectly fine. With what are you confused?
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }I am not at all confused. The post has actual English words, and seems grammatical, but it makes no sense. "You can't buy cachet"? Firstly, you can, and secondly, what does it have to do with anything. "You can't buy taste"? In the sense that there is no accounting for it, I guess that's true, but if you believe that there is a universal standard of taste, you certainly can (e.g., I am pretty sure if you gave Jonny Ive a nine figure bonus he would work for you). As for zuning your strategy, that's just idiotic. Microsoft released the zune six years ago, hasn't gone bankrupt since, and in my opinion they deserve props for trying, as opposed to just sitting back and milking office.
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Quote:
Originally Posted by Macky the Macky
You may have missed the memo that the MSFT board recently gave Ballmer a cut in wages due to his sub-par performance. It may have been that action that emboldened Sinofsky to make a play for the CEO chair.
In a few months we will see if the techicolor-tiled Windows 8 is successful or whether there will be a general back-peddling from this visual nightmare. Ballmer has some work to do to keep the mother-ship afloat and he's pumping out the bilge too slowly. It took Ballmer SIX years to come up with a smart phone that still doesn't seem to be a success. Less time to come up with tablet that's a poor tablet and a poor laptop that requires a desk top to prop it up in front of a terrible keyboard... that is admittedly running beta OS.
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }I did miss the memo, but usually these pay cuts are explained by the shareholder value not appreciating. It emphatically does not mean that the CEO is in any sense incompetent (that would result in the CEO's firing). I should also note that given Ballmer's wealth (north of $10B), he is clearly staying on because it's his life's work, not because of whatever MSFT is paying him.
As for the second paragraph, I do not disagree (except for peddling->pedaling). My guess (not based on any hard information) is that Ballmer wanted to get rid of Sinofsky, and gave him enough rope to hang himself with the Surface. Given that Sinofsky was just under Ballmer in the MSFT hierarchy, and, with a title of "President" worked for the board and not for Ballmer, there was probably not any way of getting rid of him without burning $1B of shareholder value. Similar to Forstall's demise: he was given the opportunity to screw up very visibly with the maps thing, and had enough hubris to not see the trap.
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Quote:
Originally Posted by v5v
Having no idea what that is, I looked at Microsoft's site. Lots of FLASHING BANNERS! and LOUD HEADERS! and LINKS TO HOW OTHERS ARE USING ONENOTE! but NOT ONE WORD that answers my question: "What the hell is it? What does it DO?!"
That's the third time in the last month or two I've looked for information about a new software product, only to find that the developer assumes I already know what it is, what it does and why I want it. That also makes it the third time in the last month or two I've left my credit card in my wallet.
Yep, and I googled for Skydrive pricing plans and all the hits were to others talking about Skydrive. Well, the first return on Skydrive was an MS site link, but it was a Skydrive FAQ, but no pricing information. I couldn't find it anywhere. I gave up. Isn't that wonderful?
Originally Posted by igriv
"You can't buy cachet"? Firstly, you can…
I'm almost positive he didn't mean definition 3.
So no, you can't buy it.
…if you believe that there is a universal standard of taste, you certainly can…
How does that make sense?
(e.g., I am pretty sure if you gave Jonny Ive a nine figure bonus he would work for you).
You've missed the point entirely. The above makes no sense.
As for zuning your strategy, that's just idiotic. Microsoft released the zune six years ago, hasn't gone bankrupt since…
You REALLY don't understand anything he's saying. How many Zunes are out there? What are the reviews like? How much money are they bringing Microsoft? Have they completely redefined an entire market down to the names used to describe products?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
I'm almost positive he didn't mean definition 3.
So no, you can't buy it.
How does that make sense?
You've missed the point entirely. The above makes no sense.
You REALLY don't understand anything he's saying. How many Zunes are out there? What are the reviews like? How much money are they bringing Microsoft? Have they completely redefined an entire market down to the names used to describe products?
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }You don't understand what I am saying, and yet you are insulting me. And you are a "Global moderator"? God save us from such moderation.
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobborries
Sinofsky's end could be tied to the fact Windows 8 is not doing well, without a start menu it's difficult for MS users to begin they're work. They way Microsoft operates, I'm sure some scapegoat was sacrificed for Vista's failure as well.
I for one am tired of this easy meme. I seldom use the Start Button on my Win Tower at all - 1. all the apps I use are in two other places in the Desktop. 2. the Desktop is exactly one press away in Win 8. I'm more concerned about starting to lose access to convenient manual file management (something I've developed and depended on for decades) in Apple's OS's.
That said, I agree with the "schizophrenic mess" meme - that's partly the transitional aspect, partly the consumer/enterprise divide, and partly the Rev. 1.0 syndrome MS has always suffered from. Service Pack 2 (and e.g., Surface 3) will work a fair amount of this out - and the Desktop will fade into the background for consumers over time - certainly by the next version - while the desktop will still run all the Enterprise spaghetti code inside of companies for years (decades?) to come. That's Microsoft 101 for long-time watchers.
Originally Posted by igriv
You don't understand what I am saying…
No, you don't understand what he is saying, and I'm clarifying. You cannot give someone money for the purpose of obtaining taste or respect. It is physically impossible. That is what he is saying, and it's something with which you apparently disagree.
As for his implementation of the verb "zune", it is designed as an umbrella term for when a product (or anything) fails as completely as the Microsoft Zune has. Similar to how the verb "xerox" is used for the act of photocopying on any brand machine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
No, you don't understand what he is saying, and I'm clarifying. You cannot give someone money for the purpose of obtaining taste or respect. It is physically impossible. That is what he is saying, and it's something with which you apparently disagree.
As for his implementation of the verb "zune", it is designed as an umbrella term for when a product (or anything) fails as completely as the Microsoft Zune has. Similar to how the verb "xerox" is used for the act of photocopying on any brand machine.
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }You have your interpretation, and I have mine. Re "zune", I understood what he meant, but I don't see how this is relevant to the current situation, other than "microsoft has made mistakes in the past". As for taste (or respect), as I say, taste is in the eye of the beholder, and the eye of the beholder is easily influenced (I am guessing we are both old enough to remember the original iMac, which was a garish piece of crap which saved Apple, thanks to Steve's reality distortion field), and a corporation can hire people with taste. Respect is also in the eye of the beholder. Many people think that Apple products are overpriced junk. You disagree with them, as do I, but they do have more respect for MSFT than for Apple. Again, you and I (I am guessing) are old enough to remember when Microsoft was the evil empire, and the mere mention of its name in certain circles caused an involuntary physical reflex. Those days are gone. Microsoft research does some amazingly interesting stuff (.Net is a far more sophisticated programming environment than anything Apple has come up with. No, I don't use it, but I know many people who do), and they really try to make better software (with rather spotty success). I really hope they succeed, since I don't really want to revisit the past, except with some other monopoly whose name causes us to cross ourselves.
Whoever the guy is who started this discussion (I don't remember, and don't care enough to scroll back) had the typical Apple fanboi/MS hater post, which certainly did not earn my respect.
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigpics
I for one am tired of this easy meme. I seldom use the Start Button on my Win Tower at all - 1. all the apps I use are in two other places in the Desktop. 2. the Desktop is exactly one press away in Win 8. I'm more concerned about starting to lose access to convenient manual file management (something I've developed and depended on for decades) in Apple's OS's.
That said, I agree with the "schizophrenic mess" meme - that's partly the transitional aspect, partly the consumer/enterprise divide, and partly the Rev. 1.0 syndrome MS has always suffered from. Service Pack 2 (and e.g., Surface 3) will work a fair amount of this out - and the Desktop will fade into the background for consumers over time - certainly by the next version - while the desktop will still run all the Enterprise spaghetti code inside of companies for years (decades?) to come. That's Microsoft 101 for long-time watchers.
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
I generally agree with what you say historically, but to make the desktop fade, MSFT must do a full redesign of Office UI (since Windows and Office are really two faces of the same beast), which is difficult both technically and for marketing reasons. So far their attempts (the Ribbon) leave me underwhelmed.
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
I think what's killing the PC is Windows.. PC makers should unite and ditch window in favor of linux so software developers are forced to develop for linux.. and it shouldn't be a huge effort if they already run on Osx that is in itself just another flavor of linux.
And what is killing microsoft? I guess that has nothing to do with Sinofsky and a lot to do with BALDmer. I still hope MS goes chapter 11 some day.
It's time to bring back John Hodgman and Justin Long. They need to be there to show people how Windows 8 upgrading is causing problems. The PC could be schizophrenic and Mac could react to it trying to get it to choose a personality.
Windows integrating everything into one big software sharing pool could be a problem. If people don't like the OS then they won't want to get any of the other things related to it. It's one of those get it right or you'll lose everything kind of deals.
Apple is also going down this road. I know they'll do it better but they're starting to lose me. I really don't care one bit about social networking. I don't want my computer connected to some online company for the purpose of disseminating posts from every forum I visit or showing every blog I read.
As of OS X 10.5, the OS has carried the official UNIX branding (see this link for example (Wikipedia)).