MS is a fine enterprise, OS & server company ... they have lost $50 billion in every venture since 1998? And yet shareholders don't have a problem with YET another new division that, "won't necessarily recoup its investment through actual sales."
Why kind of capitalism do they practice again?
For us - another nail in MS' coffin ...
For shareholders?
Well, honestly, they do make $7 billion in profit every quarter.
They have lost vast amounts on other areas and investments, but since the software business is so profitable, and with MS's monopoly, they have vast locked in sales every year, they can afford to lose money on other things.
In fact, a few years ago they had over $60 billion in cash and investments, and stockholders wanted to see much of it, so they gave most of it out to stockholders as a one time distribution.
It's true that some are not happy about the stock sitting where it has for so long, so they've started to give a dividend.
This company is so dumb and so stupid that all it does is copy Apple. Which goes to show that big is not always better.
Full of greed, full of money and greatly lacking in talents and ideas. Shame on you Ballmer! Shame on you! These stores will close within a few years. Let's see what they will sell.
As for Mr Blankenship, he will live to regret conspiring with these bastards.
This company is so dumb and so stupid that all it does is copy Apple. Which goes to show that big is not always better.
Full of greed, full of money and greatly lacking in talents and ideas. Shame on you Ballmer! Shame on you! These stores will close within a few years. Let's see what they will sell.
As for Mr Blankenship, he will live to regret conspiring with these bastards.
Considering 30 years have passed and Apple Users Hate Window OS & Server Software and everything Microsoft has done on the Notebook, Desktop & Server arena and Apple is still at 8% market share in the US and not even on the charts in the rest of the World I'd say their own ideas are working just fine.
Apple has a phone and a music player. They should expand on that. The gaming industry is huge in the under 20 year old market.
OK. I forgot. They have the AppleTV and a 1 button mouse.
Give it up, troll - you're just showing yourself to be an idiot.
(Apple hasn't made a one-button mouse for along time).
Microsoft would better spend its time buying influence in Washington, since a lot of federal money is being handed out. New contracts, "broadband," etc.
Also, MS ought to be engaging in investment hedge funding kind of like top universities do. Windows is a great legal shelter for the extraction of society's wealth. MSFT should cement its power through finance. The reality is, MSFT software is not the real story. MS is a marketing and legal innovator. To that, it should add "financial." This is a great time for them to invest, perhaps through a subsidiary Microsoft Capital. This is something they could do to actually make money. To just sit around and tweak their billing and licensing for years and years is just lazy, and it's a mountain whose summit they have reached.
The only "idea" that is germane to their desktop dominance was the decision not to tie their OS to an MS hardware solution. And they've been riding that horse for 30 years. As desktops become the mainframes of the 21st century we'll see who laughs loudest and last as folks use their mere iPhones/Music Players to take care of business formerly done on desktops and laptops. Face it, MS is a legacy system in the truest sense of that expression.
You can just see how this "strategy" is playing directly out of a meeting room somewhere on the Microsoft campus. They've obviously declared war on Apple and someone probably had a list of bullet points about what Apple is doing right and they're going to pull a direct assault on each one. First those damn PC/Mac ads... then the stores. Hey, I know... let's get the guy who led the whole effort setting up the Apple stores.
The problem is that Apple's stores have a lot of amenities that are going to be hard to duplicate in the PC world. I won't list them all off but stop and think about some of the good things about the Apple stores and then consider how MS would match that.
A great example would be the fact that you can walk into the Apple store with an ailing Mac, iPod or iPhone and the people there know the hardware/software inside out and are authorized to take whatever action necessary to deal with the problem (including replacing it.) That's possible because of the limited range of hardware options and the fact that it's all from one company.
For MS to match that, they're going to have to have people on site who can authoritatively fix any brand of PC with any imaginable hardware and system configurations, *and* any phone or music player that interfaces to said PC. And replacements for bad hardware... how is that going to work?
Countering the genius bar concept is going to have similar complexity.
Who knows? Maybe they have a much different concept in mind, but given the fact that they've got the same guy heading up the effort who did the Apple Stores, I kind of doubt it.
They will be nothing but financial sinkholes. Probably will be full of kids playing on the xbox displays, chasing away adults, And allowing reasonable people to do a head to head comparison with Apple products. They will also allow all of Microsoft's hardware companies to show off their products. And further drive Apple to innovate their offerings.
But the real news here is the window into the psychology of MS's well paid executives. As they say, the past is prologue, and it is therefore fully predictable how this will turn out. These guys must be a bunch of yes men. I can just see Balmer writing up a list of things he likes about Apple and copying it, and how badly he really wants to visit an apple store, but can"t because their are too many damn cellphone cameras out there.
Does anyone know who I can get in touch with at Microsoft to pay me to consult and tell them the how and why of how this will all turn out and how it will effect their bottom line? I would even take the job on a sliding scale, commensurate with how accurate I am.
That isn't true. While a great many ATMs use Windows, there are a good number that don't. Heck, some even use Linux.
Correct. I used to program ATMs for a living. Although new deployments are (unfortunately) using Windows, many established ATMs use OS/2, and financial institutions already using OS/2 are continuing to deploy OS/2 rather than switch to Windows because of concerns over security and licensing fees.
If Apple that much better than Microsoft than why after 30 years do they have 8% of the computer desktop arena (in the USA ONLY). World Wide Apple isn't even on the charts.
The only "idea" that is germane to their desktop dominance was the decision not to tie their OS to an MS hardware solution. And they've been riding that horse for 30 years. As desktops become the mainframes of the 21st century we'll see who laughs loudest and last as folks use their mere iPhones/Music Players to take care of business formerly done on desktops and laptops. Face it, MS is a legacy system in the truest sense of that expression.
MS hasn't rolled out anything remotely worthwhile or compelling in the consumer market since 2001, save for the Xbox. And Win XP was nothing to be proud of.
Their greatest accomplishment is their licensing scheme and their servility to the corporate sphere, which has translated horribly into the consumer sphere.
"It?s unclear whether the Microsoft stores will be selling strictly Microsoft hardware (e.g., the Zune or Xbox 360) and software, or whether it will also be selling products from third-party companies. In the past, Microsoft has said the purpose of the stores was to build the company?s brand name by connecting with customers."
And that's what I'm waiting to see: whose products will a Microsoft store sell, or even use to demonstrate the fabulousness of the Windows experience? Dell? HP? Sony? Acer? Toshiba? Logitech? Linksys? Because whatever company doesn't make the blessed list is going to be pissed off, and that's not smart when your market success is dependent upon the goodwill of the hardware manufacturers in your stable.
They want a computer that they can use for personal an business use.
They want a notebook they can take to work and hook up to the Network either via Ethernet or WiFi and they are connected.
You want money out of an ATM machine you need Microsoft.
What planet are you on here? This is the same tired excuse you hear from people who have never actually used a Mac!
I work in a dual platform environment supporting hundreds of users and I can assure you that integrating Macs onto a corporate network enviroment is often quicker and easier than a Windows box. Far fewer clicks to join Wifi, or add a network printer. When Windows users see this kind of time saving they become interested in the platform.
It's ok for Apple to get executives from other companies, but not for them to get Apple's?
Where do you think companies get executives from? No one hires out of school for top people.
Exactly. After reading the comments in this thread... just disturbing... it's clear that some are simply miffed at the mere thought that a former Apple employee- one that contributed much to the company's success in advertising and brand recognition over the past decade- is now working for the other side: the eeeeeevil Microsoft. OMG, and Microsoft might just benefit from having his expertise in the same way that Apple did! Now, that's sure to further ruffle the fanboys' feathers too.
Stories like this make me hate Microsoft even more. I have to laugh at the notion that MS would "innovate" in the long run. LOL!
This is part of the reason that financial advisor advised investors to sell Microsoft stock fast! This retail store chain is what going to finish them off! I don't care if they got the Apple Store blueprint straight from Steve Jobs himself. If Microsoft cannot make a stable and secure operating system then how well they can do as storefront. Everything Microsoft been selling has been is a MSRP meaning no discounts so don't expect to go to get Windows 7 at a discount. Then what do Microsoft have to show? Xbox 360, Zune, Microsoft Windows and Office? The one thing Microsoft cannot copy from another company is integrity. I wish they would open a store here in Houston, I send everybody who has a a 360 with RROD or the New E-74 failure straight to them!
Comments
MS is a fine enterprise, OS & server company ... they have lost $50 billion in every venture since 1998? And yet shareholders don't have a problem with YET another new division that, "won't necessarily recoup its investment through actual sales."
Why kind of capitalism do they practice again?
For us - another nail in MS' coffin ...
For shareholders?
Well, honestly, they do make $7 billion in profit every quarter.
They have lost vast amounts on other areas and investments, but since the software business is so profitable, and with MS's monopoly, they have vast locked in sales every year, they can afford to lose money on other things.
In fact, a few years ago they had over $60 billion in cash and investments, and stockholders wanted to see much of it, so they gave most of it out to stockholders as a one time distribution.
It's true that some are not happy about the stock sitting where it has for so long, so they've started to give a dividend.
Full of greed, full of money and greatly lacking in talents and ideas. Shame on you Ballmer! Shame on you! These stores will close within a few years. Let's see what they will sell.
As for Mr Blankenship, he will live to regret conspiring with these bastards.
This company is so dumb and so stupid that all it does is copy Apple. Which goes to show that big is not always better.
Full of greed, full of money and greatly lacking in talents and ideas. Shame on you Ballmer! Shame on you! These stores will close within a few years. Let's see what they will sell.
As for Mr Blankenship, he will live to regret conspiring with these bastards.
Let's not get overwrought over this.
Considering 30 years have passed and Apple Users Hate Window OS & Server Software and everything Microsoft has done on the Notebook, Desktop & Server arena and Apple is still at 8% market share in the US and not even on the charts in the rest of the World I'd say their own ideas are working just fine.
Apple has a phone and a music player. They should expand on that. The gaming industry is huge in the under 20 year old market.
OK. I forgot. They have the AppleTV and a 1 button mouse.
Give it up, troll - you're just showing yourself to be an idiot.
(Apple hasn't made a one-button mouse for along time).
Also, MS ought to be engaging in investment hedge funding kind of like top universities do. Windows is a great legal shelter for the extraction of society's wealth. MSFT should cement its power through finance. The reality is, MSFT software is not the real story. MS is a marketing and legal innovator. To that, it should add "financial." This is a great time for them to invest, perhaps through a subsidiary Microsoft Capital. This is something they could do to actually make money. To just sit around and tweak their billing and licensing for years and years is just lazy, and it's a mountain whose summit they have reached.
I'd say their own ideas are working just fine.
The only "idea" that is germane to their desktop dominance was the decision not to tie their OS to an MS hardware solution. And they've been riding that horse for 30 years. As desktops become the mainframes of the 21st century we'll see who laughs loudest and last as folks use their mere iPhones/Music Players to take care of business formerly done on desktops and laptops. Face it, MS is a legacy system in the truest sense of that expression.
You guys are nuts!
It's ok for Apple to get executives from other companies, but not for them to get Apple's?
Where do you think companies get executives from? No one hires out of school for top people.
hehe it was only a joke, I dont really want him burnt to death. Just slightly maimed in one leg perhaps.
PC World sucks.
The problem is that Apple's stores have a lot of amenities that are going to be hard to duplicate in the PC world. I won't list them all off but stop and think about some of the good things about the Apple stores and then consider how MS would match that.
A great example would be the fact that you can walk into the Apple store with an ailing Mac, iPod or iPhone and the people there know the hardware/software inside out and are authorized to take whatever action necessary to deal with the problem (including replacing it.) That's possible because of the limited range of hardware options and the fact that it's all from one company.
For MS to match that, they're going to have to have people on site who can authoritatively fix any brand of PC with any imaginable hardware and system configurations, *and* any phone or music player that interfaces to said PC. And replacements for bad hardware... how is that going to work?
Countering the genius bar concept is going to have similar complexity.
Who knows? Maybe they have a much different concept in mind, but given the fact that they've got the same guy heading up the effort who did the Apple Stores, I kind of doubt it.
They will be nothing but financial sinkholes. Probably will be full of kids playing on the xbox displays, chasing away adults, And allowing reasonable people to do a head to head comparison with Apple products. They will also allow all of Microsoft's hardware companies to show off their products. And further drive Apple to innovate their offerings.
But the real news here is the window into the psychology of MS's well paid executives. As they say, the past is prologue, and it is therefore fully predictable how this will turn out. These guys must be a bunch of yes men. I can just see Balmer writing up a list of things he likes about Apple and copying it, and how badly he really wants to visit an apple store, but can"t because their are too many damn cellphone cameras out there.
Does anyone know who I can get in touch with at Microsoft to pay me to consult and tell them the how and why of how this will all turn out and how it will effect their bottom line? I would even take the job on a sliding scale, commensurate with how accurate I am.
Anyone know who I can get in touch with?
I am in favor of these "stores".
They will be nothing but financial sinkholes.
Yeah, that would be my guess.
That isn't true. While a great many ATMs use Windows, there are a good number that don't. Heck, some even use Linux.
Correct. I used to program ATMs for a living. Although new deployments are (unfortunately) using Windows, many established ATMs use OS/2, and financial institutions already using OS/2 are continuing to deploy OS/2 rather than switch to Windows because of concerns over security and licensing fees.
If Apple that much better than Microsoft than why after 30 years do they have 8% of the computer desktop arena (in the USA ONLY). World Wide Apple isn't even on the charts.
Do you honestly not know why?
The only "idea" that is germane to their desktop dominance was the decision not to tie their OS to an MS hardware solution. And they've been riding that horse for 30 years. As desktops become the mainframes of the 21st century we'll see who laughs loudest and last as folks use their mere iPhones/Music Players to take care of business formerly done on desktops and laptops. Face it, MS is a legacy system in the truest sense of that expression.
MS hasn't rolled out anything remotely worthwhile or compelling in the consumer market since 2001, save for the Xbox. And Win XP was nothing to be proud of.
Their greatest accomplishment is their licensing scheme and their servility to the corporate sphere, which has translated horribly into the consumer sphere.
Edit.
How about a Wired Magazine article from July 15th with the quote.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/...ext-to-apples/
"It?s unclear whether the Microsoft stores will be selling strictly Microsoft hardware (e.g., the Zune or Xbox 360) and software, or whether it will also be selling products from third-party companies. In the past, Microsoft has said the purpose of the stores was to build the company?s brand name by connecting with customers."
And that's what I'm waiting to see: whose products will a Microsoft store sell, or even use to demonstrate the fabulousness of the Windows experience? Dell? HP? Sony? Acer? Toshiba? Logitech? Linksys? Because whatever company doesn't make the blessed list is going to be pissed off, and that's not smart when your market success is dependent upon the goodwill of the hardware manufacturers in your stable.
They want a computer that they can use for personal an business use.
They want a notebook they can take to work and hook up to the Network either via Ethernet or WiFi and they are connected.
You want money out of an ATM machine you need Microsoft.
What planet are you on here? This is the same tired excuse you hear from people who have never actually used a Mac!
I work in a dual platform environment supporting hundreds of users and I can assure you that integrating Macs onto a corporate network enviroment is often quicker and easier than a Windows box. Far fewer clicks to join Wifi, or add a network printer. When Windows users see this kind of time saving they become interested in the platform.
Get money out, you mean like this?
http://failblog.org/2008/06/25/atm-fail/
You guys are nuts!
It's ok for Apple to get executives from other companies, but not for them to get Apple's?
Where do you think companies get executives from? No one hires out of school for top people.
Exactly. After reading the comments in this thread... just disturbing... it's clear that some are simply miffed at the mere thought that a former Apple employee- one that contributed much to the company's success in advertising and brand recognition over the past decade- is now working for the other side: the eeeeeevil Microsoft. OMG, and Microsoft might just benefit from having his expertise in the same way that Apple did! Now, that's sure to further ruffle the fanboys' feathers too.
Stories like this make me hate Microsoft even more. I have to laugh at the notion that MS would "innovate" in the long run. LOL!
This is part of the reason that financial advisor advised investors to sell Microsoft stock fast! This retail store chain is what going to finish them off! I don't care if they got the Apple Store blueprint straight from Steve Jobs himself. If Microsoft cannot make a stable and secure operating system then how well they can do as storefront. Everything Microsoft been selling has been is a MSRP meaning no discounts so don't expect to go to get Windows 7 at a discount. Then what do Microsoft have to show? Xbox 360, Zune, Microsoft Windows and Office? The one thing Microsoft cannot copy from another company is integrity. I wish they would open a store here in Houston, I send everybody who has a a 360 with RROD or the New E-74 failure straight to them!