I came here to laugh at Ballmer but instead let's clear a few things up about the Xbox 360:
- It's now profitable. MS have totally re-couped their money yet, but it's profitable and has been for around a year.
- It outsold the PS3 this Christmas across the world and saw a big peak in sales thanks to the price cut. See the VG Chartz graph being referenced earlier. Sales are certainly not flat.
- No, the PS3 isn't more technologically advanced from a games point-of-view. Both Grand Theft Auto 4 and Fallout 3 look significantly better on the Xbox 360.
- The Xbox 360 and PS3 are both being destroyed by the Wii, but who cares? I don't want to play Me & My Horse 2.
Not true, look at the graph. They were neck and neck in weekly sales until thanksgiving, and then the 360 pulled ahead by 60% or so.
week of jan 3:
\t Japan\t America\t Others\tTotal
xbox\t19,157\t137,528\t185,309\t341,994
ps3\t68,935\t77,460\t114,467\t260,862
What graph? It'd be nice to have a source for your data as well.
Thanksgiving sales were affected for all companies because there were only two days of post-holiday shopping this year, compared to last year's eight. It's quite possible the PS3 would have seen growth in that time period compared to last year if the time spans had been equal.
I came here to laugh at Ballmer but instead let's clear a few things up about the Xbox 360:
- It's now profitable. MS have totally re-couped their money yet, but it's profitable and has been for around a year.
That's a contradiction. If it's profitable, Microsoft wouldn't need to be recouping anything. At the end of the day, it hasn't been and still isn't a profitable venture.
Am I reading you right here? Are you saying that Apple needs to catch up to an announced product that is months from delivery and may be run on an even more inferior network?
I don't know the Pre, though by all accounts it is a nice piece of work for Palm*, but I think it a little premature to give them the lead at this point...
* I almost used "beleaguered" here. But I still can't see that adjective used for anyone but Apple...
I'n not saying it's even going to be successful because of a number of things but every review I've read has said that it's UI is superior to the iPhone 3G.
That's a contradiction. If it's profitable, Microsoft wouldn't need to be recouping anything. At the end of the day, it hasn't been and still isn't a profitable venture.
It is currently profitable when you look at it on a quarter by quarter basis (which is what you look at when you decide weather to shut down a business or not). The xbox is providing positive cash flow to microsoft.
It has not been profitable if you look at the whole project, including the $10 billion or so in sunk cost microsoft has spent since the beginning of xbox 1. It is likely that it will never be profitable on that basis.
I'n not saying it's even going to be successful because of a number of things but every review I've read has said that it's UI is superior to the iPhone 3G.
The UI has a few innovations that strike at the gaps in iPhone, but Palm and Pre are missing a bunch of things that would put it ahead of iPhone. For example, see http://counternotions.com/2009/01/12/pre
But even if we were to say the UI is superior, the Pre isn't going to be shipped for several more months (Apr? Jun?), and iPhone 3.0 may arrive at just about the same time.
I couldn't agree more. Microsoft has great potential. They've just had poor leadership for too long.
That said, I think they should stop trying to compete with Apple's hardware and return to making software. I personally think an Office suite for iPhone would be a great hit. Who knows, maybe they're already working on it. With Balmer's stubborn hatred of Apple, however, I doubt it.
-Clive
Ballmer needs to be replaced with a "general purpose device".
Hey Guys add Wii to the google trends and you will see another picture which say Wii is beating them both, Do not flame me, I know Wii really does not compete in the same market as PS3 and Xbox 360, but Nitendo is going after a much larger market and winning the war of who making more money.
Next, you have to discount the Xbox numbers since we all know they seen a large % of failures and we all know people who bought more than one unit because of these failure. So selling two units to one person does not mean you have more market share.
last PS3 may not have sold as many total unit yet since it did come out a year later but their yr over yr trend is higher then Xbox 360, if you add in PS2 as well as the original Xbox and there is no comparison.
The only way MS is making money is from xbox live and Halo
It is currently profitable when you look at it on a quarter by quarter basis (which is what you look at when you decide weather to shut down a business or not). The xbox is providing positive cash flow to microsoft.
It has not been profitable if you look at the whole project, including the $10 billion or so in sunk cost microsoft has spent since the beginning of xbox 1. It is likely that it will never be profitable on that basis.
It's hard to tell anymore if Xbox is profitable (in quarters other than when Halo versions are released) because the Entertainment and Devices division includes Xbox, Zune, WinMobile, and applications software for the Mac.
Microsoft's bread and butter, Windows (for desktop and server), Exchange, and Office, became dominant under Bill Gates. In nearly 10 years leading once the largest company in the world, Steve Ballmer has yet to launch single successful product. He is a salesman (and not a very good one) pure and simple and as a long-time shareholder, I am flabbergasted as to how he is still leading the company.
Speaking of Office, time to throw in a prediction.
When I heard snow Leopard was going to bundle exchange support I thought it was just because Apple was unhappy with the quality of Entourage (garbage!!) & so they were trying to create their own solution to the problem to help with their advance into the business market. Now with the latest focus on iWork at MacWorld I see something far more interesting in their future.
It is my belief that Apple is secretly working on a version of iWork for Windows (just as they touted MobileMe as a service for Mac or Windows users). If Apple comes out with iWork for Windows then it is very likely a grumpy Microsoft may pull the plug on Mac BU. If this occurs then Apple will need to have an alternative to keep their momentum in the business market.
I am a devout follower of Ghandi and the Hindu mantra of treating others as you'd like to be treated. However, I must deviate for one second so I can properly call out Mr. Balllmer for the jackass that he is.
It's obviously taking its toll on the company. Microsoft needs to scale down and concentrate on its core businesses, namely the desktop and enterprise apps.
Interesting to note that those bottom four that they are not doing so well on are all Balmer's favourites and burn up the majority of the companies time and cash to develop.
Sometimes I think the tech press is like Bizarro world.
Microsoft consistently fails to do anything right for years yet they get praised daily, but when Apple makes a tiny mistake it's "the end of Apple" or some such? Balmer is possibly one of the most unhealthy looking CEO's in history and could drop dead from a heart attack at any moment, but somehow Steve Jobs' lean-ness and semi-vegetarianism is a big issue? Not one product or service that Balmer has personally got behind or pushed has been successful, and not one product that Steve Jobs has pushed has ever failed. The worst product he has been associated with is the cube which all you can say about it is that it didn't sell that well.
We are through the mirror people. Black is White, White is Black.
Comments
Microsoft is too scattered in it's efforts. It's lost focus. And it's hurt them. It'll take a while for them to regroup.
In hindsight the best thing that could have happened to them would have been the breakup of their company into three parts during the anti-trust suit.
- It's now profitable. MS have totally re-couped their money yet, but it's profitable and has been for around a year.
- It outsold the PS3 this Christmas across the world and saw a big peak in sales thanks to the price cut. See the VG Chartz graph being referenced earlier. Sales are certainly not flat.
- No, the PS3 isn't more technologically advanced from a games point-of-view. Both Grand Theft Auto 4 and Fallout 3 look significantly better on the Xbox 360.
- The Xbox 360 and PS3 are both being destroyed by the Wii, but who cares? I don't want to play Me & My Horse 2.
Not true, look at the graph. They were neck and neck in weekly sales until thanksgiving, and then the 360 pulled ahead by 60% or so.
week of jan 3:
\t Japan\t America\t Others\tTotal
xbox\t19,157\t137,528\t185,309\t341,994
ps3\t68,935\t77,460\t114,467\t260,862
What graph? It'd be nice to have a source for your data as well.
Thanksgiving sales were affected for all companies because there were only two days of post-holiday shopping this year, compared to last year's eight. It's quite possible the PS3 would have seen growth in that time period compared to last year if the time spans had been equal.
http://www.macworld.com/article/137533/2008/12/ps3.html
What graph? It'd be nice to have a source for your data as well.
www.vgchartz.com
I came here to laugh at Ballmer but instead let's clear a few things up about the Xbox 360:
- It's now profitable. MS have totally re-couped their money yet, but it's profitable and has been for around a year.
That's a contradiction. If it's profitable, Microsoft wouldn't need to be recouping anything. At the end of the day, it hasn't been and still isn't a profitable venture.
My assertion is that lowering the PS3's price will have a positive effect on sales just like it had for the 360.
Lets see what transpires in 8 years!
Am I reading you right here? Are you saying that Apple needs to catch up to an announced product that is months from delivery and may be run on an even more inferior network?
I don't know the Pre, though by all accounts it is a nice piece of work for Palm*, but I think it a little premature to give them the lead at this point...
* I almost used "beleaguered" here. But I still can't see that adjective used for anyone but Apple...
I'n not saying it's even going to be successful because of a number of things but every review I've read has said that it's UI is superior to the iPhone 3G.
That's a contradiction. If it's profitable, Microsoft wouldn't need to be recouping anything. At the end of the day, it hasn't been and still isn't a profitable venture.
It is currently profitable when you look at it on a quarter by quarter basis (which is what you look at when you decide weather to shut down a business or not). The xbox is providing positive cash flow to microsoft.
It has not been profitable if you look at the whole project, including the $10 billion or so in sunk cost microsoft has spent since the beginning of xbox 1. It is likely that it will never be profitable on that basis.
I'n not saying it's even going to be successful because of a number of things but every review I've read has said that it's UI is superior to the iPhone 3G.
The UI has a few innovations that strike at the gaps in iPhone, but Palm and Pre are missing a bunch of things that would put it ahead of iPhone. For example, see http://counternotions.com/2009/01/12/pre
But even if we were to say the UI is superior, the Pre isn't going to be shipped for several more months (Apr? Jun?), and iPhone 3.0 may arrive at just about the same time.
I couldn't agree more. Microsoft has great potential. They've just had poor leadership for too long.
That said, I think they should stop trying to compete with Apple's hardware and return to making software. I personally think an Office suite for iPhone would be a great hit. Who knows, maybe they're already working on it. With Balmer's stubborn hatred of Apple, however, I doubt it.
-Clive
Ballmer needs to be replaced with a "general purpose device".
Next, you have to discount the Xbox numbers since we all know they seen a large % of failures and we all know people who bought more than one unit because of these failure. So selling two units to one person does not mean you have more market share.
last PS3 may not have sold as many total unit yet since it did come out a year later but their yr over yr trend is higher then Xbox 360, if you add in PS2 as well as the original Xbox and there is no comparison.
The only way MS is making money is from xbox live and Halo
It is currently profitable when you look at it on a quarter by quarter basis (which is what you look at when you decide weather to shut down a business or not). The xbox is providing positive cash flow to microsoft.
It has not been profitable if you look at the whole project, including the $10 billion or so in sunk cost microsoft has spent since the beginning of xbox 1. It is likely that it will never be profitable on that basis.
It's hard to tell anymore if Xbox is profitable (in quarters other than when Halo versions are released) because the Entertainment and Devices division includes Xbox, Zune, WinMobile, and applications software for the Mac.
No it's not
The PS3 is only beating the XBOX in Japan.
Wii 49.6%
7.67M Japan + 21.12M America + 17.20M Others = 46.00M
XBOX 29.5%
0.89M Japan + 15.85M America + 10.64M Others = 27.37M
PS3 21.0%
2.76M Japan + 7.51M America + 9.18M Others = 19.46M
http://www.vgchartz.com/
Microsoft's bread and butter, Windows (for desktop and server), Exchange, and Office, became dominant under Bill Gates. In nearly 10 years leading once the largest company in the world, Steve Ballmer has yet to launch single successful product. He is a salesman (and not a very good one) pure and simple and as a long-time shareholder, I am flabbergasted as to how he is still leading the company.
Speaking of Office, time to throw in a prediction.
When I heard snow Leopard was going to bundle exchange support I thought it was just because Apple was unhappy with the quality of Entourage (garbage!!) & so they were trying to create their own solution to the problem to help with their advance into the business market. Now with the latest focus on iWork at MacWorld I see something far more interesting in their future.
It is my belief that Apple is secretly working on a version of iWork for Windows (just as they touted MobileMe as a service for Mac or Windows users). If Apple comes out with iWork for Windows then it is very likely a grumpy Microsoft may pull the plug on Mac BU. If this occurs then Apple will need to have an alternative to keep their momentum in the business market.
I am a devout follower of Ghandi and the Hindu mantra of treating others as you'd like to be treated. However, I must deviate for one second so I can properly call out Mr. Balllmer for the jackass that he is.
Namasté.
LOL... I needed that laugh. Thank you!
forget phones ... the future is Songsmith
...in everything Microsoft! Sing your way to the blue screen of death!
Microsoft is involved in too many business lines:
1) Destkop operating systems (profitable)
2) Server operating systems (profitable)
3) Server software (profitable)
4) Office productivity software (profitable)
5) Media/MSN/MSNBC (break-even?)
6) Xbox/gaming (loss)
7) Search (break-even or loss)
8) Mobile software/Windows Mobile (loss?)
It's obviously taking its toll on the company. Microsoft needs to scale down and concentrate on its core businesses, namely the desktop and enterprise apps.
Interesting to note that those bottom four that they are not doing so well on are all Balmer's favourites and burn up the majority of the companies time and cash to develop.
Sometimes I think the tech press is like Bizarro world.
Microsoft consistently fails to do anything right for years yet they get praised daily, but when Apple makes a tiny mistake it's "the end of Apple" or some such? Balmer is possibly one of the most unhealthy looking CEO's in history and could drop dead from a heart attack at any moment, but somehow Steve Jobs' lean-ness and semi-vegetarianism is a big issue? Not one product or service that Balmer has personally got behind or pushed has been successful, and not one product that Steve Jobs has pushed has ever failed. The worst product he has been associated with is the cube which all you can say about it is that it didn't sell that well.
We are through the mirror people. Black is White, White is Black.