John on Tech...
A look at technology from MY point of view
Monday 30 April 2007, 9:21 PM
What is Steve Ballmer On?
Well a week after people were calling for his head over at MSFT, Steve Ballmer is back on the street peddling his wares. He has an interview with USA today which is worth a read. Kind of interesting that their tagging system lists the following too: FIND MORE STORIES IN: Microsoft | Google | Windows | Xbox | Steve Ballmer | Microsoft Office | Zune | Chairman Bill Gates | Laughter
Laughter?
The article can be found here:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2007-04-29-ballmer-ceo-forum-usat_N.htm
Anyroad. The general consensus of opinion was that Microsoft's Market Cap has fallen from around 600 billion in 2000 just after he took over to it's current situation of 295ish or thereabouts which is not encouraging.
The whole point is that it seems one of the least able people in the universe has accidentally ended up running the biggest company to influence everyone in IT. I won't dwell on how this happened it's not relevant - but what is relevant is that he continues to prove that as a chairman of such a large company he has no clue.
Here are a couple of the points raised.
Q: When is your next operating system coming out?
A: That I won't share with you. Not because we're not hard at work on that; I want to let the team do their job, figure out what the release looks like. I guarantee you it won't be four or five years.
Q: You mean sooner?
A: Yes, absolutely.
So is this an admittance that Vista doesn't cut the mustard and Microsoft NEEDS something better? Is Vista the ME for the 21st century? I actually think that Vista will "pull an Apple" and build the next OS on top of Linux. They are seeing the advantages that Apple are having making a clean break from the legacy systems and this may give them a better way to provide the security that people in this century demand.
Q: 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?
A: It's sort of a funny question. Would I trade 96% of the market for 4% of the market? (Laughter.) I want to have products that appeal to everybody.
So first of all he avoids the question. He's muddling Apple's computer market share with the iPod market share. Notice he didn't say "Would I trade 6% of the market of 30 gig hard drive players with 76% of the worlds MP3 market" OK that was a cheap shot. Oh and btw that's FIVE percent these days. But he continues:
"Now we'll get a chance to go through this again in phones and music players. There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It's a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I'd prefer to have our software in 60% or 70% or 80% of them, than I would to have 2% or 3%, which is what Apple might get."
OK this is where Steve loses it. If perchance Apple should hit their goals of 10 Million units in 2008 it is probably at THIS point that Steve has proved that he has not got the corporate skills to run a company such as Microsoft and this is probably why they have managed to, for example, lose 6 Billion dollars on a games console.
The point of the game is to actually make money to have a viable company. You cannot leverage your monopoly to just buy markets which is what Microsoft has been doing with both the Xbox and the Zune. Anyone can throw money at a market and, as in Microsoft's case, if you have enough money you will continue trying to buy a market until you own it.
Laughter?
The article can be found here:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2007-04-29-ballmer-ceo-forum-usat_N.htm
Anyroad. The general consensus of opinion was that Microsoft's Market Cap has fallen from around 600 billion in 2000 just after he took over to it's current situation of 295ish or thereabouts which is not encouraging.
The whole point is that it seems one of the least able people in the universe has accidentally ended up running the biggest company to influence everyone in IT. I won't dwell on how this happened it's not relevant - but what is relevant is that he continues to prove that as a chairman of such a large company he has no clue.
Here are a couple of the points raised.
Q: When is your next operating system coming out?
A: That I won't share with you. Not because we're not hard at work on that; I want to let the team do their job, figure out what the release looks like. I guarantee you it won't be four or five years.
Q: You mean sooner?
A: Yes, absolutely.
So is this an admittance that Vista doesn't cut the mustard and Microsoft NEEDS something better? Is Vista the ME for the 21st century? I actually think that Vista will "pull an Apple" and build the next OS on top of Linux. They are seeing the advantages that Apple are having making a clean break from the legacy systems and this may give them a better way to provide the security that people in this century demand.
Q: 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?
A: It's sort of a funny question. Would I trade 96% of the market for 4% of the market? (Laughter.) I want to have products that appeal to everybody.
So first of all he avoids the question. He's muddling Apple's computer market share with the iPod market share. Notice he didn't say "Would I trade 6% of the market of 30 gig hard drive players with 76% of the worlds MP3 market" OK that was a cheap shot. Oh and btw that's FIVE percent these days. But he continues:
"Now we'll get a chance to go through this again in phones and music players. There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It's a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I'd prefer to have our software in 60% or 70% or 80% of them, than I would to have 2% or 3%, which is what Apple might get."
OK this is where Steve loses it. If perchance Apple should hit their goals of 10 Million units in 2008 it is probably at THIS point that Steve has proved that he has not got the corporate skills to run a company such as Microsoft and this is probably why they have managed to, for example, lose 6 Billion dollars on a games console.
The point of the game is to actually make money to have a viable company. You cannot leverage your monopoly to just buy markets which is what Microsoft has been doing with both the Xbox and the Zune. Anyone can throw money at a market and, as in Microsoft's case, if you have enough money you will continue trying to buy a market until you own it.
Monday 30 April 2007, 4:18 PM
Much Back-Slapping at the BBC
With general celebrations all round at the BBC for the successful roll out of their iPlayer some things appear to have been overlooked.
Yes, after the consultation period they are going to have to support Macs. Except... if you read the small print... it is likely to be 2 years away.
"Earlier this month BBC Future Media boss Ashley Highfield said the corporation was committed to rolling out the iPlayer on Windows PCs first of all, and then cable TV services, Apple Macs, and eventually Freeview boxes.
But the BBC said it could not commit to a two-year deadline to achieve this goal, saying it was up to the third parties concerned."
This is outrageous. Basically it means that Microsoft DRM is ruling the roost and they are relying on Microsoft to deliver the solution.
OR
For Apple to develop time-limited DRM to deliver their material.
Now that the BBC have also stopped their stored radio material being accessed from abroad it means that they are really putting a lock down on all their stuff.
It ain't going to take long for people to break the Microsoft DRM so they will actually achieve NOTHING by using this "solution". Unfortunately it also means that illegal usage of BBC material will be encouraged. So file sharing will continue when they could have got people buying the material they produce. For example - making it available for purchase on iTunes would have been a simple and economic solution - but of course that wouldn't fit in with their plans...
It's pretty obvious that the Beeb does NOT want Apple to get a foothold in the UK in any way, shape or form.
The BBC article can be found here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6607083.stm
Yes, after the consultation period they are going to have to support Macs. Except... if you read the small print... it is likely to be 2 years away.
"Earlier this month BBC Future Media boss Ashley Highfield said the corporation was committed to rolling out the iPlayer on Windows PCs first of all, and then cable TV services, Apple Macs, and eventually Freeview boxes.
But the BBC said it could not commit to a two-year deadline to achieve this goal, saying it was up to the third parties concerned."
This is outrageous. Basically it means that Microsoft DRM is ruling the roost and they are relying on Microsoft to deliver the solution.
OR
For Apple to develop time-limited DRM to deliver their material.
Now that the BBC have also stopped their stored radio material being accessed from abroad it means that they are really putting a lock down on all their stuff.
It ain't going to take long for people to break the Microsoft DRM so they will actually achieve NOTHING by using this "solution". Unfortunately it also means that illegal usage of BBC material will be encouraged. So file sharing will continue when they could have got people buying the material they produce. For example - making it available for purchase on iTunes would have been a simple and economic solution - but of course that wouldn't fit in with their plans...
It's pretty obvious that the Beeb does NOT want Apple to get a foothold in the UK in any way, shape or form.
The BBC article can be found here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6607083.stm
Thursday 19 April 2007, 6:23 PM
Auntie Relents... (reluctantly)
A somewhat recalcitrant Beeb Engineer by the name of Ashley Highfield announced at Cannes that due to a sustained voting campaign by Mac users they have relented and are reworking the iPlayer to work with Macs.
We'll skip over the fact that the Beeb appear to have ripped off Apple's naming style by calling it the iPlayer - even though initially they weren't going to support it.
I was more taken with the the fact that he somewhat lost it with the phrase "proprietary and closed framework for DRM" when describing Apple's platform.
I think this actually translates as "Apple machines don't support Microsoft's DRM which were were going to blanket our stuff in" WHICH in itself translates as "Microsoft are refusing to support Apple Macintosh machines with their DRM."
Now listen here Ashley...
Just coz MS make it easy to infect your material with DRM - it doesn't mean that you should lock out other platforms. There should be a choice and Microsoft should NOT be using hard earned English licence payer money on locking viewers and listeners into their way of working.
At some point I would like the full definition from the Beeb of what exactly Apple's "proprietary and closed framework" is and how it differs from Microsoft's "proprietary and close framework."
We'll skip over the fact that the Beeb appear to have ripped off Apple's naming style by calling it the iPlayer - even though initially they weren't going to support it.
I was more taken with the the fact that he somewhat lost it with the phrase "proprietary and closed framework for DRM" when describing Apple's platform.
I think this actually translates as "Apple machines don't support Microsoft's DRM which were were going to blanket our stuff in" WHICH in itself translates as "Microsoft are refusing to support Apple Macintosh machines with their DRM."
Now listen here Ashley...
Just coz MS make it easy to infect your material with DRM - it doesn't mean that you should lock out other platforms. There should be a choice and Microsoft should NOT be using hard earned English licence payer money on locking viewers and listeners into their way of working.
At some point I would like the full definition from the Beeb of what exactly Apple's "proprietary and closed framework" is and how it differs from Microsoft's "proprietary and close framework."
Thursday 19 April 2007, 1:35 PM
First Hit's Free...
Microsoft, according to the BBC, are attempting to leverage their monopoly by giving away their software at knock down prices.
Bill's latest idea to save the world involves getting governments to buy pcs capable of running Windows to be eligible for the discounts.
This is obviously Microsoft's response the to OLPC project which they felt suitably miffed at by being sidelined.
Microsoft will say: This is to stop rampant piracy etc. etc.
I think: Cheats!
I can understand that the cost of their software in some countries is higher than most people earn in a year and Microsoft probably getting paid 3 bucks for something is being better than zero bucks on the stolen software.
But by virtually giving it away they force third world governments to buy expensive and environment damaging PCs.
There must be a better way.
BBC article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6571139.stm
Bill's latest idea to save the world involves getting governments to buy pcs capable of running Windows to be eligible for the discounts.
This is obviously Microsoft's response the to OLPC project which they felt suitably miffed at by being sidelined.
Microsoft will say: This is to stop rampant piracy etc. etc.
I think: Cheats!
I can understand that the cost of their software in some countries is higher than most people earn in a year and Microsoft probably getting paid 3 bucks for something is being better than zero bucks on the stolen software.
But by virtually giving it away they force third world governments to buy expensive and environment damaging PCs.
There must be a better way.
BBC article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6571139.stm
Thursday 12 April 2007, 9:42 PM
Leopard has slipped...
Well it's not good news on the Apple front today.
It's official. Leopard has slipped.
Apple's statement reads:
"iPhone has already passed several of its required certification tests and is on schedule to ship in late June as planned. We can't wait until customers get their hands (and fingers) on it and experience what a revolutionary and magical product it is. However, 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. We now plan to show our developers a near final version of Leopard at the conference, give them a beta copy to take home so they can do their final testing, and ship Leopard in October. We think it will be well worth the wait. Life often presents tradeoffs, and in this case we're sure we've made the right ones."
Ok so there's the positive spin - but this is not a great day for Apple fans. October is a LONG way off...
It's official. Leopard has slipped.
Apple's statement reads:
"iPhone has already passed several of its required certification tests and is on schedule to ship in late June as planned. We can't wait until customers get their hands (and fingers) on it and experience what a revolutionary and magical product it is. However, 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. We now plan to show our developers a near final version of Leopard at the conference, give them a beta copy to take home so they can do their final testing, and ship Leopard in October. We think it will be well worth the wait. Life often presents tradeoffs, and in this case we're sure we've made the right ones."
Ok so there's the positive spin - but this is not a great day for Apple fans. October is a LONG way off...
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