Remember when they showed off the iPhone and everyone was saying how stupid keyboardless was and how finger prints render it useless? And now those same folks are drooling over keyboardless touch phones?
Everything you said is exactly what I keep saying to people. But it is in one ear and out the other.
The same conversations took place about the iPod, too.
Is it just me or did Steve Ballmer look like he was very uncomfortable introducing this product? It's almost as if he knew it wasn't ready, but felt like they had to preempt Apple's event later this month.
I also found it interesting that in the three minute video clip I saw that there was absolutely no applause for anything he said or showed.
Wouldn't it be interesting if Apple's registering of iSlate was a red herring approach to get competition to start using the term slate and when they do announce their device they call it something completely different?
Apple = Company that has spent years, nay, decades funneling money and resources into a secret slate project with a perfectionist mind set, unwilling to release any information regarding the mystery product until it's absolutely perfect.
Microsoft = Company that reads rumors that Apple will release a mysterious slate device some time next year. Puts less time, and less resources into their product, steals the name of Apple's product, and jumps out of the gates early, displaying a shoddy prototype in apparent hope to steal Apple's thunder, or make the claim that "theirs was first."
Steve Jobs = Turtle Neck
Steve Ballmer = Turtle Head
exactly! I bet this is what has been happening for years now!
The same conversations took place about the iPod, too.
True. But to be fair, even the Apple faithful were confused on the merits of the iPod at the time. It wasn't until the iTunes store really kicked into gear that it took off. And that really shows that Apple gets what the consumer wants. Integration and user experience, not feature lists.
Seriously? Who wrote the article? The cover is of a book that is selling well that many people can identify. I highly doubt its any sort of sub-liminal message about how MS wishes they were Apple (come on MS, grow up, do your own thing!) Its not even the correct Apple anyways. Macintosh Apples (as in the actual food) typically have a more round shape, and aren't as deep of red. They are delicious however.
I think its groping for straws to point that out.
Anyhow, I'd love to see Apple at this point NOT release a "Slate" PC. Just to show other companies the "You all just chase us" mentality they have.
Everyone (including Apple since they do copy on a few things too) needs to stop chasing the other dogs tail, and forge their own path! Tons of creative minds out there, make use of them. All computers (Mac, Windows, Linux) do the same things in the same way... break the mold. If I had the talent and patience, I'd program it myself, but I can't.
I don't think the point is that there is some sort of subliminal Apple desire going on - rather - in a highly anticipated, much publicized and (hopefully) carefully crafted product launch, you think one of the pointed heads at MS would pipe up and say - "hey, regardless of our intentions, plopping a big picture of an apple of any sort on our new product is going to get us killed in the blogosphere, doncha think?"
Seriously - dumb, sloppy, rookie mistake. Too bad these guys aren't rookies.
Thank you for proving my point. To paraphrase you: "I don't know exactly what the product is, what it'll do, or how much it costs, but I'll buy it because it has an apple logo on it."
Yes - an apple logo that pretty much guarantees a quality product - innovative, useful and beautiful - that will rank above all other competitors in terms of customer satisfaction; a product that I will use every day and will terrifically useful.
Anything wrong with that? Simply put, when a company has a track record of hitting home runs every time out because it spends years and years on careful, thoughtful and innovative development, it's a safe bet to say - yeah, I'll wait for theirs rather than buy the competition's knock-off.
Apple fans are Apple fans because of the products - the "image" is not even a secondary consideration.
True. But to be fair, even the Apple faithful were confused on the merits of the iPod at the time. It wasn't until the iTunes store really kicked into gear that it took off. And that really shows that Apple gets what the consumer wants. Integration and user experience, not feature lists.
In a way, we need Apple to tell us what we want. It might seem strange and an insult to our own human intellect and agency in the matter, but it would appear that when it comes to tech, Apple has answers that can't be readily seen by others. And most of the time Apple is right, in a big way. But I don't see why having faith im them means I'm giving up any of my own free will. I choose to give Apple the benefit of the doubt and ackowledge their reputation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rollerborges
Yes - an apple logo that pretty much guarantees a quality product - innovative, useful and beautiful - that will rank above all other competitors in terms of customer satisfaction; a product that I will use every day and will terrifically useful.
Anything wrong with that? Simply put, when a company has a track record of hitting home runs every time out because it spends years and years on careful, thoughtful and innovative development, it's a safe bet to say - yeah, I'll wait for theirs rather than buy the competition's knock-off.
Apple fans are Apple fans because of the products - the "image" is not even a secondary consideration.
not like Bill Gates didn't demo a tablet back in 2001
Quote:
Originally Posted by greekmango
So what happened?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quadra 610
A whole lotta nothing.
And that right there highlights the different between MS and Apple. MS announces products without a clue what people would do with it. They put out a half-baked idea and wait to see if someone comes up with a use for it.
Apple keeps their ideas in their secret labs and actually puts some thought into how and why it would be used. And before they ever make it public, they refine it over and over again until they not only have a new product, but a reason why people would want to use it. Only then will the public ever see it.
It would be interesting to see all the products Apple has kept secret because they didn't think they were good enough. And I'd bet that dozens, or even hundreds, of them are far better than a lot of the stuff MS and other companies announced to the public in a hopeless attempt that someone will find a use for them.
The iPod and iPhone are totally different situations. The iPod was an innovative product. The iPhone filled a need that has been there for a long time. This is not the case with a Tablet.
Many companies have created a Tablet and to date they are still only 2-4% of the entire market.
Can Apple change that, maybe but we have no clue what the product has to offer. So maybe we shouldn't bash something less before we see the Apple Tablet. I could be nothing more then a larger version of an iPod Touch with a modified UI.
If it has a modified version of SL on it then it might be something great, if not in my opinion it will end up going the way of Apple TV. A failed project.
For what it's worth, excellent response! We are in substantial agreement on your tablet point. iPod itself was not terribly innovative - which is clearly shown in it's slow uptake during the first years. It was the later combination of iPod + iTunes that began the sharper climb in popularity - that is, the platform and environment that Apple created to make the iPod so very consumer friendly - and therefore market-leading in popularity. iPhone was the application of that early iPod lesson - Apple released the hardware first and shortly after the SDK and the App Store. Again the combination driven by platform and the environment created drove its popularity as well. Both devices addressed what Apple perceived as significant lacks in the existing market, remedied them and drove marketshare with it. This is remarkably similar to the tablet market, with the one caveat that the tablet market is part of the more general personal computing market, not a distinct market unto itself.
Now as to the bashing a product before Apple produces theirs, I agree as far as the purported elements of the Apple device are rumored only, so comparison is a little silly IMHO. However, a product can still be judged on it's own merits and called lacking or poor without the necessary comparison - yes? Most of the initial reviews I've seen on the Windows 7 touch interface have been mixed, and I have a general disdain for the whole tablet concept - so combining those two elemts together gives me the ability to deliver a responding MEH for the CES keynote by Mr. Ballmer - who showed us products which he described as new and wildly innovative, but really were not.
The iPod and iPhone are totally different situations. The iPod was an innovative product. The iPhone filled a need that has been there for a long time. This is not the case with a Tablet.
Many companies have created a Tablet and to date they are still only 2-4% of the entire market.
Can Apple change that, maybe but we have no clue what the product has to offer. So maybe we shouldn't bash something less before we see the Apple Tablet. I could be nothing more then a larger version of an iPod Touch with a modified UI.
If it has a modified version of SL on it then it might be something great, if not in my opinion it will end up going the way of Apple TV. A failed project.
People said the same thing before Apple the iPod and the iPhone "There are many X products and everyone tried everything". You can replace "X" with mp3 players, smartphones, or the tablets. Can you see the pattern here?
I think everyone is laughing at MS is because MS showed nothing new. Unless you consider a tablet running Windows 7 an innovation.
Wait a second, are the windows fanboys on here still defending Ballmer and his inefficiencies? Courier has been proven to be vaporware. There is nothing M$ will ever have to offer that will be on any level close to the innovation Apple. Do we need to remind the world, that before iPhone, smartphones were all clunky, horrible devices! now look at everyone trying to copy the original iPhone and still cant get it right.
That keynote by Ballmer was embarrassing, and don't bring up 95% windows market share, thats like saying mcdonalds has 95% market share of fast food franchise, but eat that crap for more than a month and you're liable to die from poison. Quantity does not equal Quality, when will that ever sink in? You windows morons got duped by that idiot Ballmer, and the nerve of him to snag up the Slate moniker, how pathetic is that? were they not referred to as Tablet PC's for years now? all of a sudden they're Slates?
You windows fanboys should feel violated by this company, but what do I expect from people that put up with virus scanners/malware protection software to run on their computers just so they can surf the web and read email. If there were no Apple company, I would be using Linux, like I currently do, there is no choice or advantage in me using microsoft products now or ever. Have fun windows fanboys, when Ballmer tries to copy/paste Apples product after its released.
For what it's worth, excellent response! We are in substantial agreement on your tablet point. iPod itself was not terribly innovative - which is clearly shown in it's slow uptake during the first years. It was the later combination of iPod + iTunes that began the sharper climb in popularity - that is, the platform and environment that Apple created to make the iPod so very consumer friendly - and therefore market-leading in popularity. iPhone was the application of that early iPod lesson - Apple released the hardware first and shortly after the SDK and the App Store. Again the combination driven by platform and the environment created drove its popularity as well. Both devices addressed what Apple perceived as significant lacks in the existing market, remedied them and drove marketshare with it. This is remarkably similar to the tablet market, with the one caveat that the tablet market is part of the more general personal computing market, not a distinct market unto itself.
That is the key. I doubt Apple is just going to release a laptop replacement. Whatever it is, I imagine it is going to integrate with the rest of the Apple digital lifestyle in some way and that is what will make it sell. That is where the other slates/tablets fail. They are just laptop replacements so the use of them is confusing to the market.
Yes, because we all need and want a tablet, right?
years ago when Apple didn't have one, everyone thought it was a stupid idea. Or to quote Steve Jobs "What good is it, besides surfing the web in the bathroom?"
But slap an apple logo on it and every hipster wanna-be in the world has to over-pay for one. News flash; my father (a non-tech) was using a tablet 5 years about with a built-in cellular connection. I guarantee that Apple's product will do far less than that ancient device could do. Then again, it didn't have a fart app.
For me, I'll use my own tablet with the built in keyboard and screen-protective clamshell design. It's called a laptop!
Years ago when Apple didn't have an mp3 player, or cellphone/mobile internet device, etc. And yes Jobsie did say that tableting was a niche market - that quote is established. And that wasn't a newsflash - it was an historical reference - we all get it - the tablet concept (like touch screens as well) has been around awhile. Yep No argument there. Now, let me invite you to put your money where your fingers are - backup your guarantee with something substantial. I think I am fairly safe in dismissing that guarantee out of hand - a 5 year old device is lower on the technology performance tree than most of what is produced today - so we already have a partial fail. And really. Fart app reference - what is this adolescent preoccupation with bodily functions. Nice. Flogging silliness.
Finally, you are of course very welcome to continue to embrace your aging technology platform as a closet Luddite. no one desire to disabuse you of your predeliction for the comfort of your 20th century tech - but at least bring something reasonably substantial to your comments in the way of facts or informed opinion. Or not. Your choice, just sayin'.
I cannot believe that HP and the other companies agreed to let Ballmer preview their products with nothing more to say than "window 7 is good"
He demonstrated the HP slate computer by holding it up for a few seconds and putting it down, showing nothing of its capabilities, interface, i/o ports, battery life, etc...what a joke!
MSFT is starting to look like the GM of the '70's and '80's. No innovation, products that appealed to previous generations, and always bragging about their market share dominance that slowly eroded over time.
I cannot believe that HP and the other companies agreed to let Ballmer preview their products with nothing more to say than "window 7 is good"
He demonstrated the HP slate computer by holding it up for a few seconds and putting it down, showing nothing of its capabilities, interface, i/o ports, battery life, etc...what a joke!
MSFT is starting to look like the GM of the '70's and '80's. No innovation, products that appealed to previous generations, and always bragging about their market share dominance that slowly eroded over time.
MS has no focus. Like a fat old cat its ass spills into both the enterprise and the consumer sector, thinking ideas from one end just carry over the same way into the other end. It's sloppy and an insult to the Average User. The problem is (and always was), that Microsoft is just a corporate/enterprise software vendor masquerading as a home/consumer vendor. And it really shows. They don't get the consumer. They don't put any taste, imagination or originality into their products. They assume everyone is an IT manager or hardcore gamer, and speaks to them that way.
They react to eveything and react too late. The slow and predictable works quite well in the enterprise, but is a recipe for (depending on how much money you have to throw at problems) a slow and steady decline in the consumer sector. It's no accident that Apple has been the darling of the tech industry for years now, and MS hasn't. Apple gets the attention, the praise, the monopoly on compliments . . . because they've actually made an effort to earn it.
That is the key. I doubt Apple is just going to release a laptop replacement. Whatever it is, I imagine it is going to integrate with the rest of the Apple digital lifestyle in some way and that is what will make it sell. That is where the other slates/tablets fail. They are just laptop replacements so the use of them is confusing to the market.
Agreed, what few if any analysts are doing right now is trying to parse out what products are part of a convergence in Apple's future development. The focus tends to be on the product itself - not where Apple is taking the consumer. But that is precisely what Apple is doing - first with the Mac, then the iPod, the iPhone and now - whatever it is that is next in line.
You see the same sort of convergence being discussed by Microsoft house devs as well. Except, Microsoft tends to focus first on marketshare and proprietary ownership, which may be their Achilles heel in all of this. The personal computing market is effectively saturated in the US. This is the primary reason why Microsoft is bleeding marketshare. Once saturation hits, the market driver is differentiation.
This is also why Dell and HP and Acer and everyone else making hardware were so successful earlier and now you see their market segments flattening out too. This is why netbooks were able to become popular - differentiation. The problem was that they are inexpensive and therefore a very low profitability. It is possible to look around the consumer marketplace and watch for telltails of where consumer interest is going to be, but a good company will drive market interest with compelling products. Apple has demonstrated they can do that with their previous products.
Comments
Remember when they showed off the iPhone and everyone was saying how stupid keyboardless was and how finger prints render it useless? And now those same folks are drooling over keyboardless touch phones?
Everything you said is exactly what I keep saying to people. But it is in one ear and out the other.
The same conversations took place about the iPod, too.
Apple = Company that has spent years, nay, decades funneling money and resources into a secret slate project with a perfectionist mind set, unwilling to release any information regarding the mystery product until it's absolutely perfect.
Microsoft = Company that reads rumors that Apple will release a mysterious slate device some time next year. Puts less time, and less resources into their product, steals the name of Apple's product, and jumps out of the gates early, displaying a shoddy prototype in apparent hope to steal Apple's thunder, or make the claim that "theirs was first."
Steve Jobs = Turtle Neck
Steve Ballmer = Turtle Head
exactly! I bet this is what has been happening for years now!
The same conversations took place about the iPod, too.
True. But to be fair, even the Apple faithful were confused on the merits of the iPod at the time.
Why does that ad remind me of a nutsack and an upside down vagina?
You're referring to Ballmer's expression, right?
Seriously? Who wrote the article? The cover is of a book that is selling well that many people can identify. I highly doubt its any sort of sub-liminal message about how MS wishes they were Apple (come on MS, grow up, do your own thing!) Its not even the correct Apple anyways. Macintosh Apples (as in the actual food) typically have a more round shape, and aren't as deep of red. They are delicious however.
I think its groping for straws to point that out.
Anyhow, I'd love to see Apple at this point NOT release a "Slate" PC. Just to show other companies the "You all just chase us" mentality they have.
Everyone (including Apple since they do copy on a few things too) needs to stop chasing the other dogs tail, and forge their own path! Tons of creative minds out there, make use of them. All computers (Mac, Windows, Linux) do the same things in the same way... break the mold. If I had the talent and patience, I'd program it myself, but I can't.
I don't think the point is that there is some sort of subliminal Apple desire going on - rather - in a highly anticipated, much publicized and (hopefully) carefully crafted product launch, you think one of the pointed heads at MS would pipe up and say - "hey, regardless of our intentions, plopping a big picture of an apple of any sort on our new product is going to get us killed in the blogosphere, doncha think?"
Seriously - dumb, sloppy, rookie mistake. Too bad these guys aren't rookies.
Thank you for proving my point. To paraphrase you: "I don't know exactly what the product is, what it'll do, or how much it costs, but I'll buy it because it has an apple logo on it."
Yes - an apple logo that pretty much guarantees a quality product - innovative, useful and beautiful - that will rank above all other competitors in terms of customer satisfaction; a product that I will use every day and will terrifically useful.
Anything wrong with that? Simply put, when a company has a track record of hitting home runs every time out because it spends years and years on careful, thoughtful and innovative development, it's a safe bet to say - yeah, I'll wait for theirs rather than buy the competition's knock-off.
Apple fans are Apple fans because of the products - the "image" is not even a secondary consideration.
But in terms of attitude, philosophy, and progressive thinking, they've been on a slide since 83 or 84.
Corrected.
True. But to be fair, even the Apple faithful were confused on the merits of the iPod at the time.
In a way, we need Apple to tell us what we want. It might seem strange and an insult to our own human intellect and agency in the matter, but it would appear that when it comes to tech, Apple has answers that can't be readily seen by others. And most of the time Apple is right, in a big way. But I don't see why having faith im them means I'm giving up any of my own free will. I choose to give Apple the benefit of the doubt and ackowledge their reputation.
Yes - an apple logo that pretty much guarantees a quality product - innovative, useful and beautiful - that will rank above all other competitors in terms of customer satisfaction; a product that I will use every day and will terrifically useful.
Anything wrong with that? Simply put, when a company has a track record of hitting home runs every time out because it spends years and years on careful, thoughtful and innovative development, it's a safe bet to say - yeah, I'll wait for theirs rather than buy the competition's knock-off.
Apple fans are Apple fans because of the products - the "image" is not even a secondary consideration.
Very well stated.
I guarantee that Apple's product will do far less than that ancient device could do.
Cool. What do we get when your guarantee fails?
not like Bill Gates didn't demo a tablet back in 2001
So what happened?
A whole lotta nothing.
And that right there highlights the different between MS and Apple. MS announces products without a clue what people would do with it. They put out a half-baked idea and wait to see if someone comes up with a use for it.
Apple keeps their ideas in their secret labs and actually puts some thought into how and why it would be used. And before they ever make it public, they refine it over and over again until they not only have a new product, but a reason why people would want to use it. Only then will the public ever see it.
It would be interesting to see all the products Apple has kept secret because they didn't think they were good enough. And I'd bet that dozens, or even hundreds, of them are far better than a lot of the stuff MS and other companies announced to the public in a hopeless attempt that someone will find a use for them.
The iPod and iPhone are totally different situations. The iPod was an innovative product. The iPhone filled a need that has been there for a long time. This is not the case with a Tablet.
Many companies have created a Tablet and to date they are still only 2-4% of the entire market.
Can Apple change that, maybe but we have no clue what the product has to offer. So maybe we shouldn't bash something less before we see the Apple Tablet. I could be nothing more then a larger version of an iPod Touch with a modified UI.
If it has a modified version of SL on it then it might be something great, if not in my opinion it will end up going the way of Apple TV. A failed project.
For what it's worth, excellent response! We are in substantial agreement on your tablet point. iPod itself was not terribly innovative - which is clearly shown in it's slow uptake during the first years. It was the later combination of iPod + iTunes that began the sharper climb in popularity - that is, the platform and environment that Apple created to make the iPod so very consumer friendly - and therefore market-leading in popularity. iPhone was the application of that early iPod lesson - Apple released the hardware first and shortly after the SDK and the App Store. Again the combination driven by platform and the environment created drove its popularity as well. Both devices addressed what Apple perceived as significant lacks in the existing market, remedied them and drove marketshare with it. This is remarkably similar to the tablet market, with the one caveat that the tablet market is part of the more general personal computing market, not a distinct market unto itself.
Now as to the bashing a product before Apple produces theirs, I agree as far as the purported elements of the Apple device are rumored only, so comparison is a little silly IMHO. However, a product can still be judged on it's own merits and called lacking or poor without the necessary comparison - yes? Most of the initial reviews I've seen on the Windows 7 touch interface have been mixed, and I have a general disdain for the whole tablet concept - so combining those two elemts together gives me the ability to deliver a responding MEH for the CES keynote by Mr. Ballmer - who showed us products which he described as new and wildly innovative, but really were not.
The iPod and iPhone are totally different situations. The iPod was an innovative product. The iPhone filled a need that has been there for a long time. This is not the case with a Tablet.
Many companies have created a Tablet and to date they are still only 2-4% of the entire market.
Can Apple change that, maybe but we have no clue what the product has to offer. So maybe we shouldn't bash something less before we see the Apple Tablet. I could be nothing more then a larger version of an iPod Touch with a modified UI.
If it has a modified version of SL on it then it might be something great, if not in my opinion it will end up going the way of Apple TV. A failed project.
People said the same thing before Apple the iPod and the iPhone "There are many X products and everyone tried everything". You can replace "X" with mp3 players, smartphones, or the tablets. Can you see the pattern here?
I think everyone is laughing at MS is because MS showed nothing new. Unless you consider a tablet running Windows 7 an innovation.
I could not agree more. Ballmer's Keynote was absurd and sad in every respect.
I think Apple should offer Ballmer's keynote as a free download on iTunes.
That keynote by Ballmer was embarrassing, and don't bring up 95% windows market share, thats like saying mcdonalds has 95% market share of fast food franchise, but eat that crap for more than a month and you're liable to die from poison. Quantity does not equal Quality, when will that ever sink in? You windows morons got duped by that idiot Ballmer, and the nerve of him to snag up the Slate moniker, how pathetic is that? were they not referred to as Tablet PC's for years now? all of a sudden they're Slates?
You windows fanboys should feel violated by this company, but what do I expect from people that put up with virus scanners/malware protection software to run on their computers just so they can surf the web and read email. If there were no Apple company, I would be using Linux, like I currently do, there is no choice or advantage in me using microsoft products now or ever. Have fun windows fanboys, when Ballmer tries to copy/paste Apples product after its released.
For what it's worth, excellent response! We are in substantial agreement on your tablet point. iPod itself was not terribly innovative - which is clearly shown in it's slow uptake during the first years. It was the later combination of iPod + iTunes that began the sharper climb in popularity - that is, the platform and environment that Apple created to make the iPod so very consumer friendly - and therefore market-leading in popularity. iPhone was the application of that early iPod lesson - Apple released the hardware first and shortly after the SDK and the App Store. Again the combination driven by platform and the environment created drove its popularity as well. Both devices addressed what Apple perceived as significant lacks in the existing market, remedied them and drove marketshare with it. This is remarkably similar to the tablet market, with the one caveat that the tablet market is part of the more general personal computing market, not a distinct market unto itself.
That is the key. I doubt Apple is just going to release a laptop replacement. Whatever it is, I imagine it is going to integrate with the rest of the Apple digital lifestyle in some way and that is what will make it sell. That is where the other slates/tablets fail. They are just laptop replacements so the use of them is confusing to the market.
Yes, because we all need and want a tablet, right?
years ago when Apple didn't have one, everyone thought it was a stupid idea. Or to quote Steve Jobs "What good is it, besides surfing the web in the bathroom?"
But slap an apple logo on it and every hipster wanna-be in the world has to over-pay for one. News flash; my father (a non-tech) was using a tablet 5 years about with a built-in cellular connection. I guarantee that Apple's product will do far less than that ancient device could do. Then again, it didn't have a fart app.
For me, I'll use my own tablet with the built in keyboard and screen-protective clamshell design. It's called a laptop!
Years ago when Apple didn't have an mp3 player, or cellphone/mobile internet device, etc. And yes Jobsie did say that tableting was a niche market - that quote is established. And that wasn't a newsflash - it was an historical reference - we all get it - the tablet concept (like touch screens as well) has been around awhile. Yep No argument there. Now, let me invite you to put your money where your fingers are - backup your guarantee with something substantial. I think I am fairly safe in dismissing that guarantee out of hand - a 5 year old device is lower on the technology performance tree than most of what is produced today - so we already have a partial fail. And really. Fart app reference - what is this adolescent preoccupation with bodily functions. Nice. Flogging silliness.
Finally, you are of course very welcome to continue to embrace your aging technology platform as a closet Luddite. no one desire to disabuse you of your predeliction for the comfort of your 20th century tech - but at least bring something reasonably substantial to your comments in the way of facts or informed opinion. Or not. Your choice, just sayin'.
He demonstrated the HP slate computer by holding it up for a few seconds and putting it down, showing nothing of its capabilities, interface, i/o ports, battery life, etc...what a joke!
MSFT is starting to look like the GM of the '70's and '80's. No innovation, products that appealed to previous generations, and always bragging about their market share dominance that slowly eroded over time.
I cannot believe that HP and the other companies agreed to let Ballmer preview their products with nothing more to say than "window 7 is good"
He demonstrated the HP slate computer by holding it up for a few seconds and putting it down, showing nothing of its capabilities, interface, i/o ports, battery life, etc...what a joke!
MSFT is starting to look like the GM of the '70's and '80's. No innovation, products that appealed to previous generations, and always bragging about their market share dominance that slowly eroded over time.
MS has no focus. Like a fat old cat its ass spills into both the enterprise and the consumer sector, thinking ideas from one end just carry over the same way into the other end. It's sloppy and an insult to the Average User. The problem is (and always was), that Microsoft is just a corporate/enterprise software vendor masquerading as a home/consumer vendor. And it really shows. They don't get the consumer. They don't put any taste, imagination or originality into their products. They assume everyone is an IT manager or hardcore gamer, and speaks to them that way.
They react to eveything and react too late. The slow and predictable works quite well in the enterprise, but is a recipe for (depending on how much money you have to throw at problems) a slow and steady decline in the consumer sector. It's no accident that Apple has been the darling of the tech industry for years now, and MS hasn't. Apple gets the attention, the praise, the monopoly on compliments . . . because they've actually made an effort to earn it.
That is the key. I doubt Apple is just going to release a laptop replacement. Whatever it is, I imagine it is going to integrate with the rest of the Apple digital lifestyle in some way and that is what will make it sell. That is where the other slates/tablets fail. They are just laptop replacements so the use of them is confusing to the market.
Agreed, what few if any analysts are doing right now is trying to parse out what products are part of a convergence in Apple's future development. The focus tends to be on the product itself - not where Apple is taking the consumer. But that is precisely what Apple is doing - first with the Mac, then the iPod, the iPhone and now - whatever it is that is next in line.
You see the same sort of convergence being discussed by Microsoft house devs as well. Except, Microsoft tends to focus first on marketshare and proprietary ownership, which may be their Achilles heel in all of this. The personal computing market is effectively saturated in the US. This is the primary reason why Microsoft is bleeding marketshare. Once saturation hits, the market driver is differentiation.
This is also why Dell and HP and Acer and everyone else making hardware were so successful earlier and now you see their market segments flattening out too. This is why netbooks were able to become popular - differentiation. The problem was that they are inexpensive and therefore a very low profitability. It is possible to look around the consumer marketplace and watch for telltails of where consumer interest is going to be, but a good company will drive market interest with compelling products. Apple has demonstrated they can do that with their previous products.