You’ve really got to wonder what’s going on up in Redmond when you hear Bill Gates say he doesn’t “get” the I’m a Mac commercials and Ballmer saying the iPhone won’t get, “Any significant market share. No chance.” Odd how he pointed out to USA Today’s David Lieberman that how he’d rather have 96% of the market than essentially be cool. “Would I trade 96% of the market for 4% of the market?” to which he laughs at his own question. Of course Ballmer answered an iPod question (which by the way Steve, the iPod owns about 90% of the DAP market) with an operating system answer. But the best part is he follows it up with, “I want to have products that appeal to everybody.” Steve, let me repeat Lieberman’s question: “People get passionate when Apple comes out with something new — the iPhone; of course, the iPod. Is that something that you’d want them to feel about Microsoft?” Passionate is a much higher step above appeal.
Ironically, Ballmer basically admits that he wants to be like Apple. No matter how much spin he puts on numbers and applies apples to oranges (forgive the pun, but I had to,) the fact is Microsoft is not doing anything that really does appeal to everyone. Apple is. Sure, Microsoft owns the OS market but does that make it appealing? Heck no! Windows is a love-hate relationship for IT professionals like myself. It keeps us in business but we hate how crappy it is. I tell my customers daily how I work on PCs all day and go home and relax on my Mac at night. It gets great laughs, but man, it’s true! My Mac appeals to me. My PC running Windows of any sort never has. It has been a tool and only a tool. Nothing more. Ever. Tools are something you have to have but you can get stuck with a crappy tool that does the job but man, those Snap On tools — now that’s appealing!
Again, it is funny how Ballmer basically describes all the desireable qaulities of Apple in his dream of Microsoft. I think the top brass is so delusional in Redmond that they really do believe this. The ivory towers have kept them far above the chatter of the serfs and they no longer know what the peasants want. Of course, if they continue to point their deaf ear to the public below, every man, woman, and child will scale those walls and bring Ballmer and his crownies to the same fate that very well known queen in France suffered hundreds of years ago. Microsoft will find itself declining in what it once soared at. Look at Sony. Once the standard in portable music. Who owns a Walkman anymore? Or how ’bout TVs? I once wouldn’t even consider anything but a Sony TV. Now? I won’t even look at its offerings anymore. “Who cares?” I think as I look at the Sharps and other gorgeous plasmas before me at Best Buy.
That day is coming for you, Ballmer. But you know what, with those tongue tricks of yours you posses, Kiss may have an opening for you in its band line up. Well, if you don’t mind some make up and a wig.
Remember all the Mac users giving Windows users flack over Vista’s delay last summer? How everyone said Microsoft promised this and promised that and it once again was slipping? Well, where are all these same people now that Apple quietly announced that it would be slipping it’s next OS X release, Leopard, until October? Not a peep! In fact, some are sticking up for Apple! Please.
Two weeks ago on April 12th, Apple announced to the world that the iPhone had but a slight burden on the Cupertino-based computer company and that it had to “borrow” some engineers from the OS department. The statement read:
iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever shipped on a mobile device, and finishing it on time has not come without a price — we had to borrow some key software engineering and QA resources from our Mac OS® X team, and as a result we will not be able to release Leopard at our Worldwide Developers Conference in early June as planned. While Leopard’s features will be complete by then, we cannot deliver the quality release that we and our customers expect from us.
If you haven’t taken a drive through Infinite Loop in Cupertino lately, you may have missed the ten huge buildings on Apple’s campus. Now, last I remembered, when I read Andy’s great book, Steve Jobs had little problem churning out the Apple II updates while creating a new department for the Mac back when it was still a dinky company. By Hertzfeld’s accounts, their working space was small and isolated from the rest of corporation.
So why now does Apple with all its millions of dollars for R&D and its claimed work of four years on the iPhone have to steal engineers from one of those ten large buildings? Well, because it doesn’t have to. It’s called the “we never were going to release Leopard in June and now we have a great excuse as to why.” Using the very same tactic Bill Gates and his borgs used in Redmond, Apple now is making statements of delay without remorse. Heck, Apple had even told Michael Gartenberg, analyst for Jupiter Research, a week before its statement of delay that everything was right on schedule. Errg.
After hyping up Leopard and telling Redmond to start its photocopiers, it appears upper-Washington can cool down the toner in those machines and maybe even get its first Service Pack release for Vista out before Leopard makes its prowl onto Macs. Microsoft may have more time than it — we — think.
You know, I don’t have problems with delays and such, things happen, I know that from my day job. But a company of Apple’s caliber doesn’t slip six months due to the development of a phone. Yes, I remember Steve saying the iPhone runs OS X; however, Vista wasn’t delayed due to the release of Window Mobile 5, the CE (Compact Edition) of Windows, was it? Microsoft may in fact be kicking itself now not realizing it could have used that excuse, too. No my compliant is that this is a blatant lie. Curious in light of Steve Woz’s comments in his book iWoz and how his dad instilled that lying was the worst thing you could do. I guess that attribute didn’t rub off on his friend and co-founder of Apple, Jobs, huh?
I’m sorry, after churning out updates in such a quick fashion since the release of 10.0, I just don’t buy the iPhone bit. With the limited amount of features of Leopard we do know about (as I wrote about last year,) this OS should have been in beta when the iPhone was sprung on us in January. Again, at Keynote, Jobs told the world that they had been working on this phone for years. How Tiger ever make it out the door, I’ll never know.
I hope, first, Mac supporters aren’t so quick to point the finger at Microsoft for its delays next time. Ya, ya, ya, I understand that this Leopard first slip; however, it’s the principal of the matter, not the quantity of slip. Second, Jobs should sit down with his old high school buddy and have Woz personally tell him the story about his dad and ethics. Jobs needs a little refresh. Third, Leopard better be amazing or, well, there may be a few pissed off people in the Apple boot camp.
NVIDIA and LG Electronics have recently announced their brand new line of LG Z1 notebook computers which will be equipped with Microsoft’s Windows Vista and the NVIDIA Preface Personal Media Display (PMD). Preface is used to enable Windows SideShow, which gives consumers access to all their favorite things, right on the notebook lid. SideShow can be enabled even when the computer is asleep or powered off, allowing users to see their media playback, calendar, email, slideshows of their favorite pics, all on the notebook lid. The new technology allows the operating system (Vista) to drive displays and NVIDIA’s Preface lets users link to the data/programs they want displayed.
One of NVIDIA’s general managers, John Milner, said this about the new notebooks equipped with Preface technology: “In the consumer electronics market, the line between work and entertainment devices has become increasingly blurred. The LG Z1 with NVIDIA Preface technology allows consumers to get more from the notebook experience—they can be more productive throughout their workday and enjoy personal media along the way.”
The LG Z1 looks pretty slick, what with it’s glossy black exterior and white keyboard. It comes with 1GB of DDR2 memory, an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, a 12.1 inch widescreen display, and of course the secondary screen embedded in the lid, equipped with Preface media platform.
Niveus Media, Inc., an award-winning manufacturer of digital entertainment solutions for the connected home, is one of the first dedicated media center manufacturers to support the HD DVD format and playback of native resolution 1080p (1920 x 1080) movies. The company’s 2007 line of Niveus Media Centers, including the new Summit Series’ Rainier and Pro Series, utilize the Intel® Viiv™ technology platform, and are now shipping.
HD DVD is offered in both of the recently announced additions to the Niveus Media Center line; the Pro Series – n7 & n9, a high performance rack-mount form-factor and the Summit Series – Rainier Edition, a living room form-factor system in a proprietary Niveus aluminum chassis. Both products are designed on the Microsoft Windows XP Media Center platform and include Niveus Glacier Passive Cooling™ and the proprietary Niveus ConvergencePanel™, making for installer-friendly integration.
“We are delighted that Niveus Media, the leading developer of award winning media servers, has announced the release of a media center solution with HD DVD,” said Scott Maccabe, vice president and general manager, Toshiba America Information Systems, Storage Device Division. “This announcement shows that yet another key industry leader has recognized the advantages offered by HD DVD’s backward compatibility, product feasibility and marketability. We welcome Niveus and look forward to its contributions to a winning format.” Read the rest of this entry »
Even though Bill Gates (as seen here) thought they had an iPod killer a year ago, he now realizes that brown nosing to Hollywood turned out to be a Zune killer more than anything. With the Zunes horrible DRM protection, poor PC software suite, heinous music store, and the bulkiness of the Zune itself, what’s left good to talk about? We previously called it Microsoft’s next Bob (and Infoworld agrees) and now it looks like even Microsoft’s own “Ozymandias” from the X-box team is knocking his boss’ iPod killer.
Andre Vrignaud bought his brother a Zune for Christmas and thankfully for his brother, he didn’t just gift it and run, ’cause it wasn’t an easy iTunes install and sync set up. Vrignaud found that Microsoft’s “most secure operating system yet”, Vista, to be a bit problematic when it came to installing the software for the new Bob, er, Zune. Vrignaud comments on his blog that, “it shouldn’t have been as painful as it was.” Mmm. Once those problems were worked out, then it was off to syncing. Too bad the Zune tried to sync all of the 500 GBs worth of music from Ozymandias’ basement server. I guess Bob — crud, I keeping doing it — the ZUNE doesn’t realize he’s only got a 30 GB drive and somewhere along the line he should inform the Ozy’ man that he’s got a bit more music than the average Bob and it ain’t all going to fit. Unlike iTunes which lets you specify between a full sync or selective sync, Zunes software won’t. Ozymandias wasn’t impressed by this when he goes on to say, “Even worse, there was no option to tell the Zune software to not automatically sync to the entire library – you had to go ahead, cancel the sync, turn off automatic syncing, and then reset/erase the Zune to have any control over what tracks you want on the device. Bah.”
The problems continued after Ozymandias and his brother worked out what to sync. Vista locked up once, the Zune another time, half of an album would only sync at times, and the sync software locked up. All your standard Microsoft features for its iPod killer.
Ozymandias wasn’t all bummed out about his boss’ elated music player as he did love the interface (which I agree is nice) and the ease of use. It was bit bulky for him but overall, he like the Zune itself. I’m sure that impression will be downgraded when he shares an original audio piece from a friend and finds it deleted from his Zune three days later. 
I can’t help read Ozymandias’ blog and all the other poor reviews of the Zune and think just how incredibly blind Microsoft was during development of this digital music player (DAP). If Microsoft’s own disses this DAP, then you know it really blew it. Bill Gates was very vocal about how he wanted to create a true iPod killer but it seems that him and his team always had a preconceived idea of what that was and made it instead of what the buying public would want. It reminds me of the Mercedes Benz of the late ’80s when its tag line was mockingly changed by car fans to “Designed by engineers for engineers.” It wasn’t making a car for the regular guy, it made it for a car geek. Microsoft kinda did the same thing, but in this case, it was Hollywood it truly made it for. It ignored the regular guy.
The Zune was ramped up to be Microsoft’s biggest challenge to its competition since Windows95 took on the Mac and OS/2. It may have won that earlier battle, but this time around instead of just copying the competition, it completely lost touch of its consumer base and now will have its greatest upset since Bob.
RICAVISION International, Inc., a leading provider of home digital entertainment solutions, announced the launch of the RICAVISION Microsoft Windows Vista SideShow Media Center Remote Control early this month, which makes use of the Vista SideShow auxiliary display platform to allow convenient access to information received from a Windows Vista-based PC. The Vista SideShow Remote Control has a built-in 2.5 inch color QVGA LCD display that features Class 1 (100-meter) Bluetooth capability. Using Windows SideShow, applications can send data to an ecosystem of devices that can then send control commands back to the application on the PC. For example, an e-mail application can send the last 10 received e-mail messages to one of the devices, or the user can schedule a TV program to record on a Media Center PC.
RICAVISION Vista SideShow Remote Control package is also the only one that comes with an external USB RC6 receiver and with a Class 1 Bluetooth receiver. It turns the Vista PC into a Bluetooth computer capable of receiving data from any other Bluetooth device within a 100-meter range.
The RICAVISION Vista SideShow Remote Control provides a set of four Gadgets that will be an extension of the Media Center for Windows Vista:
• TV
• Music
• Pictures and Videos
• Now Playing
RICAVISION SideShow Remote offers more extensive Gadgets than ever, to enable the user to extract data from the Media Center in Windows SideShow XML format and send it through Windows SideShow to compatible devices, such as a remote control device, an LCD display panel, etc. It will also accept incoming navigation commands from the various devices and send them back to the Media Center. Read the rest of this entry »
Microsoft’s new update to the five year old aging XP, Vista, is not even officially out yet and security firm Sophos is claiming that three malware applications can easily infect Vista without any problem. The irony of this is that these destructive items are nearly three years old!
Stratio-Zip, Netsky-D and MyDoom were executed without issue by Sophos according to ZDNet. With variants of each of these malwares, this puts the total percentage of malware effective against Microsoft’s new “secure” operating system at 39%! Not good.
After Microsoft’s co-president Jim Allchin told the media that he would let his seven year-old son run Vista without any type of protection, just out of the box, Sophos got thinking.
“The comment about his seven-year-old spurred our idea–let’s see if malware runs on Vista,” said Carole Theriault, senior security consultant at Sophos. “It does.”
“I’m certainly not going to run Vista without antivirus,” Theriault added. “And I wouldn’t take the risk with my business. Who knows how many more pieces of malware run on it?”
Vista isn’t a wash, though. “Vista is excellent, but it hasn’t really changed the security landscape,” said Theriault. “You still need antivirus, firewalls and patches at least.” Or you can just get a Mac and be done with it.
Like its really lame teaser web site, the Zune just didn’t have a chance with success since Microsoft was behind it. Many won’t remember the failed “easy” OS Microsoft Bob (though Melinda, Bill’s wife, will since she was the project manager for that fiasco), but the Zune’s companion software and store remind me so much of Bob that I just can’t help think how it’s happening all over again.
I had earlier said that Zune was going to give a good run to Apple since early reports of the player sounded great. Nice large screen. Impressive interface. Built-in Wi-Fi. Very cool stuff. But then people finally got a hold of the unit and when the software installs started, that’s when the truth came out. Bob.
There’s a few major problems with Zune. First, the digital rights management (DRM). After hyping up Media Player 11 and how great it was in its recent release, we come to find out Media Player 11 won’t sync with music from the Zune store. In fact, Zune store material won’t even play on the Media Player 11 at all. Huh?
Second, Microsoft selling out to Universal. Oh man, this one is BIG! This gets my blood boiling in fact. Seems that Bill and Team have thought it prudent to shell out a buck for every Zune sold to Universal as a way to appease the label and studio for all the lost revenue in ripped off media every Zune user will be enjoying. I mean, that’s what Microsoft is saying, right? Every Zune user is a thief and thus here’s a dollar for every unit sold, Universal. The fact Microsoft is paying Universal isn’t even a large problem as the precedent this now sets for the MPAA and RIAA when it goes after Apple, Creative, and any other hardware manufacture of audio and video players. Microsoft are such bone heads!! This move alone shows how it cares more about Hollywood than its customers. My only reasoning for this move is that MS hopes waxing Hollywood’s palms will give it an up over Apple for movies and music content. “Look, we’ll do anything for you guys if you give us The Beatles and Star Wars now!”
Third, DRM on your personal file. So you’d like to share your baby’s first words with your wife from your Zune to hers? No problem, the built-in Wi-Fi will get it to her in seconds. Only things is she will only be able to listen to it three times and then — poof! — it’ll be gone from her Zune. Again, playing to Hollywood, Microsoft’s DRM protects everything that goes on the Zune. I can’t wait for the copyright infringement lawsuits on this one! Microsoft needs to brush up on Creative Commons.
Fourth, points. If you want to buy a song, and I mean A song, then you have to purchase it with points. 70 points. Thing is, you have to buy a block of points for $5. The iTunes Store lets you buy just the song. That’s it. See you never again if you so desire. Not at the Zune store. Lame.
One has to really wonder just what Microsoft was thinking when it designed the Zune. Bill Gates is on record for saying that Microsoft was going to make an iPod killer to a high school class in Seattle this time last year. Now he’s telling the world it will be a “modest” market contender. Spin the media and hope for good damage control, I guess. The iPods simplicity and good looks is what made it popular. Microsoft missed out on both counts. The seamless software and great store made it a no-brainer. Microsoft again missed out on both counts. Evidently, the Zune team was too busy celebrating its killing spree before it did some market research.
It’s too bad Microsoft once again choose to ignore the market and force something to it. Instead of bringing in a handful of kids and asking them to help shape the Zune from beginning to end, Microsoft went to the big cash holdin’ jerks in Tinsel Town. I hope it got a good deal, because it will all Zune be over for Microsoft.
I know, I know, I know, it ain’t even Thanksgiving yet and I’m already telling about cool software for Christmas. Well guess what? This will also work for your Turkey Day shopping list, too. Ya, it’s that good!
Long time readers will know that I’m a fan of SplashData products and one of my absolute favorite list program anywhere is SplashShopper. In its current form, it only plays on Palm OS devices in the PDA realm (but my inside source tells SvenOnTech a Windows Mobile version is on the way!) It also will sync with both the Apple Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows desktop versions.
SplashShopper will allow you to, “Manage your lists of groceries, gifts, to do’s, wines, music, movies, and more! Track prices and locations.” What better way to shop for your loved ones this Christmas? With its powerful organization, easy to read screen, and swift synchronization with your desktop computer, how will you not be a head of the crowd this season? With over a dozen five star reviews from users at Handango and PalmGear (yes, we chuckled at the lack of lesser star reviews ourselves), you can guess that this really is a great list keeper for your Palm. Again, we love it and we know you will, too.
Merry Christmas, er, Happy Thanksgiving.
Well, well. Tell me you’re not surprised. Seems Microsoft quietly pushed out the fact that it will not release the next major update to Windows XP, Service Pack 3, until 2008. Why? According to Jed Rose, Windows product manager, it’s so that Vista could ship. “It was reported almost one year ago that Steve said SP3 ‘might’ ship before Windows Vista; however, since that time the focus has been and continues to be shipping Windows Vista,” Rose stated.
Mmm, really? Well what will SP3 be primarily made up of? Good new features like SP2 had? Nope. Again, according to the Windows road map, it will mainly consist of security updates. That’s it. So why another year for just security updates that already exist? Why put users and IT administrators through another year of 60 plus individual security updates (which of course will balloon to well over a hundred by the release of SP3)? Why? Because it’s understood that Microsoft just really wants users to purchase Vista. Plain and simple.
It’s too bad that Microsoft has decided to take this avenue. When it support Windows NT 4, Microsoft took the service pack count all the way to 5a. Windows 2000 got up to 3 in no time and now three years of SP2 for XP, nothing. This seems to be yet another reason to dislike Microsoft and proof to all the naysayers that it MS really doesn’t care about its customer. Come on Redmond, look at things from a new panorama. Oh ya, it is.
[Via BetaNews]