Paul Clisby's Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.com/user/169357/comments http://seekingalpha.com/article/668351/comments?source=feed#comment-6593381 6593381 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:46:38 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/662231/comments?source=feed#comment-6505951 6505951 Sun, 17 Jun 2012 11:55:07 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/357571?source=feed#comment-6225411 6225411 Fri, 08 Jun 2012 05:22:02 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/642611/comments?source=feed#comment-6208621 6208621 Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:09:13 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/637851/comments?source=feed#comment-6164761 6164761 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:39:01 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/637851/comments?source=feed#comment-6133071 6133071 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:10:11 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/624341/comments?source=feed#comment-5926321 5926321 Wed, 30 May 2012 07:41:28 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/321395/comments?source=feed#comment-2196961 2196961 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:35:19 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/311988/comments?source=feed#comment-2099823 2099823 Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:34:05 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/289186/comments?source=feed#comment-1858584 1858584 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 23:36:57 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/288523/comments?source=feed#comment-1858582 1858582
not that you need to spend $100 to get a decent bottle of vino, but a fiver gets you nothing more than large-volume industrial swill

but for $6 though... ;-)]]> Wed, 24 Aug 2011 23:34:06 -0400
not that you need to spend $100 to get a decent bottle of vino, but a fiver gets you nothing more than large-volume industrial swill

but for $6 though... ;-)]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288523/comments?source=feed#comment-1856883 1856883
My analogy still stands. Apple is a well crafted beer whereas the PC is little more than a mass-produced look-alike product manufactured down to a price (insert any domestic beer name here).

They may share some of the same components, but the results are dramatically different to the end user.]]> Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:26:42 -0400
My analogy still stands. Apple is a well crafted beer whereas the PC is little more than a mass-produced look-alike product manufactured down to a price (insert any domestic beer name here).

They may share some of the same components, but the results are dramatically different to the end user.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288403/comments?source=feed#comment-1856865 1856865 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:21:41 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/289350/comments?source=feed#comment-1855551 1855551
re: your second, I can tell you from recent first-hand experience that the iPhone is hugely dominant in the urban centers of Europe, Australia and the parts of Asia I get to (Bangkok, Tokyo & Hong Kong). Some parts of Europe, Paris and Amsterdam for example, are almost exclusively iPhone on the streets and in the cafés.

fwiw ;)]]> Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:56:21 -0400
re: your second, I can tell you from recent first-hand experience that the iPhone is hugely dominant in the urban centers of Europe, Australia and the parts of Asia I get to (Bangkok, Tokyo & Hong Kong). Some parts of Europe, Paris and Amsterdam for example, are almost exclusively iPhone on the streets and in the cafés.

fwiw ;)]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288523/comments?source=feed#comment-1855497 1855497
I'm 43 now, semi-retired since the start of the year. I had a great career but I do not miss it in the least. Spend a couple of days a month as a freelancer, not sure how much longer I'll keep it up. Prefer flying, riding my motorbikes & managing my investments these days, so I know what you mean. Looking for an excuse to buy a boat, but the better half isn't buying it yet. May need to move closer to the water ;)

I think we could have a beer and a chat and enjoy the heck out of it. But I don't agree with you that "the old days were better and this new UI stuff doesn't count as real IT".

Unless of course you're just playing the cantankerous ex-mainframe guy. In which case, as you were... ;)

(btw, to your closing point, it will be a cold day in hell before I allow Windows to darken my door again - I wasted more hours than I can count cursing my PC over the years; since buying my first Mac in 2006 I have rediscovered the joy of computing, and I will not allow Microsoft to again sully that)]]> Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:27:17 -0400
I'm 43 now, semi-retired since the start of the year. I had a great career but I do not miss it in the least. Spend a couple of days a month as a freelancer, not sure how much longer I'll keep it up. Prefer flying, riding my motorbikes & managing my investments these days, so I know what you mean. Looking for an excuse to buy a boat, but the better half isn't buying it yet. May need to move closer to the water ;)

I think we could have a beer and a chat and enjoy the heck out of it. But I don't agree with you that "the old days were better and this new UI stuff doesn't count as real IT".

Unless of course you're just playing the cantankerous ex-mainframe guy. In which case, as you were... ;)

(btw, to your closing point, it will be a cold day in hell before I allow Windows to darken my door again - I wasted more hours than I can count cursing my PC over the years; since buying my first Mac in 2006 I have rediscovered the joy of computing, and I will not allow Microsoft to again sully that)]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288403/comments?source=feed#comment-1855074 1855074
That would result in a very different beast than the one we've seen until now, and neither SillyBalls nor Lazarus has demonstrated that they are remotely capable of running such an operation.

Growth times are easy. It's the slowdown that really finds you out.

- don't flame, I'm expanding on your thought, and I have seen and studied many of these cases over the years]]> Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:27:06 -0400
That would result in a very different beast than the one we've seen until now, and neither SillyBalls nor Lazarus has demonstrated that they are remotely capable of running such an operation.

Growth times are easy. It's the slowdown that really finds you out.

- don't flame, I'm expanding on your thought, and I have seen and studied many of these cases over the years]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288523/comments?source=feed#comment-1854979 1854979
The same is true for most of the better things in life. To try a different, non-car-based analogy, if you were to only drink Bud (I'm not saying you do, but if you did) then that would be fine if that's all you need in a beer. But myself and many others will take a craft beer over domestic any day, or if I want an easy-drinking lager then maybe a Heineken or a Stella Artois, something with some flavor. I have no problem whatsoever paying a little more to get a product I will enjoy, even if I know there is something cheaper available that *might* share some of the same components*.

(* to extend the analogy, domestic beers use a large amount of adjuncts, mostly corn and rice, to reduce price and remove flavor from the end product, while still using some of the basic beer ingredients of malt & yeast to get the job done - it's the same with the PC industry; some of the same ingredients, mixed in with a lot of plastic and no aesthetic appeal - the final result being quite unsatisfying, especially when tasted against a superior product)]]> Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:59:56 -0400
The same is true for most of the better things in life. To try a different, non-car-based analogy, if you were to only drink Bud (I'm not saying you do, but if you did) then that would be fine if that's all you need in a beer. But myself and many others will take a craft beer over domestic any day, or if I want an easy-drinking lager then maybe a Heineken or a Stella Artois, something with some flavor. I have no problem whatsoever paying a little more to get a product I will enjoy, even if I know there is something cheaper available that *might* share some of the same components*.

(* to extend the analogy, domestic beers use a large amount of adjuncts, mostly corn and rice, to reduce price and remove flavor from the end product, while still using some of the basic beer ingredients of malt & yeast to get the job done - it's the same with the PC industry; some of the same ingredients, mixed in with a lot of plastic and no aesthetic appeal - the final result being quite unsatisfying, especially when tasted against a superior product)]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288523/comments?source=feed#comment-1853970 1853970
And yes, I understand what you meant by data centre utility. I know the data centre is a different beast, but times have changed. The data centre no longer holds the monopoly on tech, and I am grateful for it. As an ex-IT manager now on the business side my options are not limited when IT says no to something. I can go outside for an online service or accept the risk and build it myself.

IT guys are not the gatekeepers they once were, and technology is no longer required to run out of a data centre in the basement for it to be legitimate.]]> Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:08:18 -0400
And yes, I understand what you meant by data centre utility. I know the data centre is a different beast, but times have changed. The data centre no longer holds the monopoly on tech, and I am grateful for it. As an ex-IT manager now on the business side my options are not limited when IT says no to something. I can go outside for an online service or accept the risk and build it myself.

IT guys are not the gatekeepers they once were, and technology is no longer required to run out of a data centre in the basement for it to be legitimate.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288523/comments?source=feed#comment-1853897 1853897
I was there for the MVS/XA -> ESA migration my friend, served my apprenticeship mounting tapes, discs and printer trains on a CDC system before that. I have seen the dark days of tech, and I do not pine for them.]]> Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:51:42 -0400
I was there for the MVS/XA -> ESA migration my friend, served my apprenticeship mounting tapes, discs and printer trains on a CDC system before that. I have seen the dark days of tech, and I do not pine for them.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/88240?source=feed#comment-1853086 1853086 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 02:14:30 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/288717/comments?source=feed#comment-1852656 1852656 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:51:23 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/288523/comments?source=feed#comment-1852651 1852651 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:46:12 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/288717/comments?source=feed#comment-1852114 1852114
From the same Wikipedia article you link to:

"The popularity of RAZR in the United States was never replicated worldwide. While at first successful as a fashion phone abroad, its newer and cheaper models never became iconic"

I saw many StarTacs when they first came out. In contrast, no-one I know bought the RAZR.]]> Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:07:55 -0400
From the same Wikipedia article you link to:

"The popularity of RAZR in the United States was never replicated worldwide. While at first successful as a fashion phone abroad, its newer and cheaper models never became iconic"

I saw many StarTacs when they first came out. In contrast, no-one I know bought the RAZR.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288717/comments?source=feed#comment-1851885 1851885
And I did say smart phone design ;)]]> Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:45:23 -0400
And I did say smart phone design ;)]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288717/comments?source=feed#comment-1851232 1851232
All the way back to January 2007, when the iPhone was first unveiled.]]> Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:56:28 -0400
All the way back to January 2007, when the iPhone was first unveiled.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288591/comments?source=feed#comment-1851058 1851058
We should do less of it in the future. That should fix things.]]> Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:05:30 -0400
We should do less of it in the future. That should fix things.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288717/comments?source=feed#comment-1849993 1849993
That being said, I happen to agree almost completely with the second half of your post. In fact I've said exactly the same thing on SA for the last 6 days - I would not be surprised at all if either (or both) Samsung and HTC make a move on RIM (QNX) or WebOS in the near to medium term. Alternatively they could team up to buy MeeGo from Nokia or simply cross-licence and develop Bada. I have no doubt that any, all or more of these possibilities are being discussed right now by the major non-MMI Android manufacturers. Android royalties will only accelerate the decision-making process.

If that happens, and Android effectively becomes Googorola, then yeah I can see MMI's sales exploding. But would Android itself maintain pace? I doubt it; the main reason it sells today is the sheer volume of manufacturers. And the huge range of phones and price points (esp. low value feature phones). Take those out and you're left with Googorola trying to become Apple. While this will certainly continue to appeal to the nerd herd, will that be enough to make this a viable strategy?

Time will tell.]]> Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:57:25 -0400
That being said, I happen to agree almost completely with the second half of your post. In fact I've said exactly the same thing on SA for the last 6 days - I would not be surprised at all if either (or both) Samsung and HTC make a move on RIM (QNX) or WebOS in the near to medium term. Alternatively they could team up to buy MeeGo from Nokia or simply cross-licence and develop Bada. I have no doubt that any, all or more of these possibilities are being discussed right now by the major non-MMI Android manufacturers. Android royalties will only accelerate the decision-making process.

If that happens, and Android effectively becomes Googorola, then yeah I can see MMI's sales exploding. But would Android itself maintain pace? I doubt it; the main reason it sells today is the sheer volume of manufacturers. And the huge range of phones and price points (esp. low value feature phones). Take those out and you're left with Googorola trying to become Apple. While this will certainly continue to appeal to the nerd herd, will that be enough to make this a viable strategy?

Time will tell.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288717/comments?source=feed#comment-1849962 1849962
That's the problem with the entire Moto/Droid lineup; it works for geeks, but the mass market could care less about any of that stuff.

Let's see if MMI pulls off a turnaround. While being bought out. And cut down to size. And having most of its managers replaced with Googleites. And having their roadmap pulled apart by guys that have never built a phone in their lives. Maybe.

But based on the data I've seen, and the analysis I've read by smarter guys than me, MMI has been losing money hand over fist, and their executives were under enormous pressure to land a deal. Carl Icahn was not finished with the break up of Motorola, his end game was a sale. Google got desperate, and Carl got what he wanted.

Don't believe the hype. MMI immediately accretive? After so many years in the desert? And in the middle of a takeover?

That would be something for the record books.]]> Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:39:05 -0400
That's the problem with the entire Moto/Droid lineup; it works for geeks, but the mass market could care less about any of that stuff.

Let's see if MMI pulls off a turnaround. While being bought out. And cut down to size. And having most of its managers replaced with Googleites. And having their roadmap pulled apart by guys that have never built a phone in their lives. Maybe.

But based on the data I've seen, and the analysis I've read by smarter guys than me, MMI has been losing money hand over fist, and their executives were under enormous pressure to land a deal. Carl Icahn was not finished with the break up of Motorola, his end game was a sale. Google got desperate, and Carl got what he wanted.

Don't believe the hype. MMI immediately accretive? After so many years in the desert? And in the middle of a takeover?

That would be something for the record books.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288717/comments?source=feed#comment-1849944 1849944
On the Motorola patent issue, I'll do a bit of research before opening my mouth..]]> Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:17:39 -0400
On the Motorola patent issue, I'll do a bit of research before opening my mouth..]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/288776/comments?source=feed#comment-1849720 1849720
I participated in your Q2 version of guess the earnings but overshot by so much that I sat out the Q3 round. Turns out I was early; if I'd moved the overshoot to Q3 I would have nailed it.

Q4 has me somewhat befuddled at the moment though. Lacking data points and/or conviction at this stage I guess. Holiday quarter will be a monster though.]]> Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:28:59 -0400
I participated in your Q2 version of guess the earnings but overshot by so much that I sat out the Q3 round. Turns out I was early; if I'd moved the overshoot to Q3 I would have nailed it.

Q4 has me somewhat befuddled at the moment though. Lacking data points and/or conviction at this stage I guess. Holiday quarter will be a monster though.]]>