Microsoft: The Enterprise Strikes Back [View article]
Your comment "Company review culture encourages infighting, and promotion over technology" is the single biggest factor in MSFT lacking overwhelming innovation. If Ballmer, Turner and Brummell would just listen, realize the failure of the review system AND change it, then the real innovators in the company would rise to the top. Untill then the company will run at decreased potential.
"Windows 8’s usability is proving an obstacle to adoption for consumers, with a learning curve that appears to be retarding growth across the industry," writes CLSA's Ed Maguire in his "downgrade" of Microsoft (MSFT) to Outperform. But he also notes 35%-40% of businesses are still on Windows XP, which Microsoft will stop supporting in a year, and that their upgrade activity could boost Windows sales (probably 7 more than 8). Meanwhile, Merrill (Neutral) estimates consumer PC weakness presents $5B in revenue risk and $0.30 in EPS risk for Mister Softee. [View news story]
I bought a Surface RT. The learning curve was less than an hour. I feel the downfall for Windows 8 is that it is not a necessity in the Enterprise. Windows 7 does great and touch screens are not an added expense. Corporations will need to move off of XP to stay secure. I'm pro MSFT due to this as businesses will need to upgrade. Windows 8 is awesome for the consumer. If people would give it a try they would see the iPad is now a relic.
Surface RT is "on track to join Zune and the Kin in the great consumer electronics discount rack in the sky," writes MKM's Israel Hernandez, as he cuts his FQ3 estimates for Microsoft (MSFT). He adds there's "mounting evidence that Windows 8 is failing to resuscitate flagging PC demand," and believes PC shipments will likely see 10%+ declines at least through 1H13. Also: the head of Samsung's memory chip ops recently declared Windows 8 to be no better than Vista. [View news story]
Come on now Windows 8 may not be Windows 7 in popularity but it is actually a better, faster and more secure OS. It's interface is nit popular simply because it involves a learning curve, most change does. Win8 is in no shape or form another Vista.
As for the RT I'd much rather have it over a Nook or iPad BUT it is not the Surface Pro which is AWESOME.
"I would like to have done better," says Nokia (NOK +0.2%) CEO Stephen Elop regarding the company's early Windows Phone (MSFT) sales: he thinks WP 7.5 didn't give Nokia enough room to stand out, and believes its marketing needed to be more effective. But Elop won't second-guess his decision to back WP instead of Android, a move that's increasingly questioned as Nokia's total smartphone sales plunge. He also claims to have "no indications" Microsoft is working on a smartphone, in spite of rumors. (HQ sale) (also) [View news story]
NOK was sunk before Elop was hired. He was seen as their last chance to survive. Marketing certainly could have been better for the Lumia 900 but it is a way better phone than any of the iPhone series. What we need is for Windows 8 and the Lumia 920 to come out SOON along with a HUGE advertising campaign. Even then MSFT and NOK are both going to continue to suffer unless they can convince developer to hugely increase applications for the platform. The Nokia apps on the 900 are really superb.
"With each new generation of Windows Phone, Microsoft not only closes the gap with iOS and Android in important ways, but it also differentiates in important ways," says The Verge in a fairly positive review of Windows Phone 8 (MSFT). It also declares the OS to have the best home screen of any platform, and likes its built-in Office and cloud apps. But it's not crazy about the Nokia-powered (NOK) Maps app, and says there are still "countless annoyances" that hurt the user experience. (yesterday: I, II) [View news story]
What? I LOVE the Nokia map app. Its as close to a full blown GPS as I've seen on any phone.
Microsoft Blew It With Windows Mobile And Windows Phone [View article]
Microsoft could learn many marketing lessons from Apple. Apple however makes a terrible phone and could take lessons from Microsoft on how to evolve a product. All those people standing in line for an inferior product. Apple has brain washed many, including the sorry excuse for media outlets these days. My wife's Nokia Lumia 900 running WP7.5 is much superior phone than the ijunk5.
More on Microsoft: 1) The WSJ notes Microsoft is making unprecedented retail efforts to promote Windows 8, even dictating retailer demo PCs show e-mails and photos belonging to a fictional "Allison Brown" (she's Franziska Fiegler in Germany). 2) CNET provides an in-depth profile of secretive Windows chief Steven Sinofsky: he receives high marks for his intelligence and passion, but his hierarchial management tactics are said to have alienated workers and hurt innovation. (marketing plans) [View news story]
You don't have to use the tiled interface. You can freely continue to use the traditional interface. However like most change, if given a couple days to settle in most end up liking it.
Surprised you didn't mention IBM as a failure of a company because of their investment in OS/2 and mainframes. But wait IBM is doing very well. The companies you mention died because they weren't diverse enough. Hardly the model MSFT is following. I'm not aware of any fortune 500 companies that have bet the farm on any of the completing products you have listed nor on Apple for that matter. Every successful company has their skeletons in the closet. The fact that Microsoft tried Bob and Clippy shows their willingness to be innovative and try something new. Admittedly MSFT has come late to the party but they didn't miss the party. This party is just getting started.
The arrogance is driven by Steve Ballmer and Kevin Turner CEO and COO). Get rid of them and replace them with more open minded individuals, arrogance problem solved. Looking past these 2 non-leaders Microsoft is an amazingly strong company with awesomely intelligent employees and a very broad product portfolio.
Windows (MSFT) notebook unit sales fell 10% Y/Y on Black Friday, claims NPD, which recently estimated a 24% Y/Y drop for the first month of Windows 8 sales. Windows 8 gear made up 89% of notebook sales and sported an ASP of just $368; touchscreen devices made up only 3% of sales. Mac (AAPL) sales were flat Y/Y while Android (GOOG) tablets saw a 177% increase, though their ASP plunged to $151 from $219 (no doubt thanks to the Kindle Fire/Nexus 7). TV units rose 4%, but revenue fell 6% thanks to falling ASPs. Total consumer electronics sales fell 5.6%. [View news story]
Kinect has certainly been innovative. Surface pro is the only true enterprise ready tablet. Windows Server, Lync and System Center are innovative, even a touch enabled enterprise os with metro style interface is innovative. The economy is in a terrible state, unemployment is growing and people are worried about the fiscal cliff and our government over taxing its citizens. In other words times,are tough and money is tight, thus people don't spend on items they can put off for better times.
What Will Happen When The Surface Pro Isn't The Only Flagship Windows 8 Tablet In Town? [View article]
You don't like the cover/keyboard? You say it can't be used in your lap? Do some research, there is a rigid keyboard accessory available for the surface and has been since it was introduced.
"I feel pretty good about our level of innovation," Steve Ballmer told Microsoft (MSFT) investors at his company's annual shareholder meeting, where he had to take some pointed questions about the software giant's slumping stock price. Ballmer asserted Windows 8 is "off to a great start," though not everyone is sold on that, and boasted Windows Phone sales are up 4x from the same time last year, when sales were miniscule. [View news story]
When I bought my Lumia 920 Windows Phone the sales guy said there had been a bigger demand for it than they had opening day for the latest iPhone. This was in a small town outside of Dallas Texas. It was mid afternoon on release day. There were multiple people buying the 920 at the same time I was. Sales will be up, how much we'll have to wait to see. I love mine as well as the surface.
Microsoft (MSFT) is handing out free Surface tablets, Windows Phone 8 devices, and Windows 8 PCs to its 90K+ employees in an effort to stoke interest in its latest products. Separately, Microsoft confirms the Windows RT version of Office 2013 will be provided for free, and will arrive at some point between November and January. But the company also cautions it will lack some of the advanced features found on the Windows 8 Pro version of Office won't be included. [View news story]
I was there for 19+ years and received a free Widows Phone 7. In fact I'm using it to write this comment. Although no longer with MSFT I still love the company and its direction. Steve B and Kevin Turner are the ones holding the company back. While I loved the free phone and would have loved this most recent perk, I do think a larger impact could be had by generating greater interest in the public and especially developer communities. The Windows phone is a superior smart phone to other phone platforms and I anticipate surface will be too. Yes I've used all 3 (RIM is dead). People don't buy a windows phone because of the minimal apps available for it. That and very poor, ineffective and relatively nonexistent advertising. It's not always the better product that sells, especially in this well connected world we live in. MSFT needs to fix this to get back on top.
Strategy Analytics offers a downbeat view on Windows Phone, predicting the OS will account for only 4% of the 123M smartphone it expects to be sold in the U.S. this year. Microsoft (MSFT) is hoping the fall arrival of Windows Phone 8, together with a flurry of device launches from Nokia (NOK) and others with AT&T and Verizon, will let the OS break out in Q4. Nielsen estimates WP only made up 1.7% of smartphone sales in Q2. [View news story]
I thoroughly love my Windows phone. It's a 7.0 Samsung Focus upgraded to 7.5. My wife loves her Lumia 900. Microsoft's marketing has not hit the mark and the timing of the Lumia 900 left a bad taste in techies mouths due to the lack of an 8.0 upgrade. This all being said I'll be getting the Win8 Phone when it arrives and feel if others would give it a shot they would jump off the iPhone wagon.
Microsoft: The Enterprise Strikes Back [View article]
"Windows 8’s usability is proving an obstacle to adoption for consumers, with a learning curve that appears to be retarding growth across the industry," writes CLSA's Ed Maguire in his "downgrade" of Microsoft (MSFT) to Outperform. But he also notes 35%-40% of businesses are still on Windows XP, which Microsoft will stop supporting in a year, and that their upgrade activity could boost Windows sales (probably 7 more than 8). Meanwhile, Merrill (Neutral) estimates consumer PC weakness presents $5B in revenue risk and $0.30 in EPS risk for Mister Softee. [View news story]
Windows 8 is awesome for the consumer. If people would give it a try they would see the iPad is now a relic.
Surface RT is "on track to join Zune and the Kin in the great consumer electronics discount rack in the sky," writes MKM's Israel Hernandez, as he cuts his FQ3 estimates for Microsoft (MSFT). He adds there's "mounting evidence that Windows 8 is failing to resuscitate flagging PC demand," and believes PC shipments will likely see 10%+ declines at least through 1H13. Also: the head of Samsung's memory chip ops recently declared Windows 8 to be no better than Vista. [View news story]
As for the RT I'd much rather have it over a Nook or iPad BUT it is not the Surface Pro which is AWESOME.
"I would like to have done better," says Nokia (NOK +0.2%) CEO Stephen Elop regarding the company's early Windows Phone (MSFT) sales: he thinks WP 7.5 didn't give Nokia enough room to stand out, and believes its marketing needed to be more effective. But Elop won't second-guess his decision to back WP instead of Android, a move that's increasingly questioned as Nokia's total smartphone sales plunge. He also claims to have "no indications" Microsoft is working on a smartphone, in spite of rumors. (HQ sale) (also) [View news story]
"With each new generation of Windows Phone, Microsoft not only closes the gap with iOS and Android in important ways, but it also differentiates in important ways," says The Verge in a fairly positive review of Windows Phone 8 (MSFT). It also declares the OS to have the best home screen of any platform, and likes its built-in Office and cloud apps. But it's not crazy about the Nokia-powered (NOK) Maps app, and says there are still "countless annoyances" that hurt the user experience. (yesterday: I, II) [View news story]
Microsoft Blew It With Windows Mobile And Windows Phone [View article]
More on Microsoft: 1) The WSJ notes Microsoft is making unprecedented retail efforts to promote Windows 8, even dictating retailer demo PCs show e-mails and photos belonging to a fictional "Allison Brown" (she's Franziska Fiegler in Germany). 2) CNET provides an in-depth profile of secretive Windows chief Steven Sinofsky: he receives high marks for his intelligence and passion, but his hierarchial management tactics are said to have alienated workers and hurt innovation. (marketing plans) [View news story]
Microsoft: The Next Ashton-Tate [View article]
Why Microsoft Will Outperform Apple [View article]
Can Microsoft Rise Again? [View article]
Windows (MSFT) notebook unit sales fell 10% Y/Y on Black Friday, claims NPD, which recently estimated a 24% Y/Y drop for the first month of Windows 8 sales. Windows 8 gear made up 89% of notebook sales and sported an ASP of just $368; touchscreen devices made up only 3% of sales. Mac (AAPL) sales were flat Y/Y while Android (GOOG) tablets saw a 177% increase, though their ASP plunged to $151 from $219 (no doubt thanks to the Kindle Fire/Nexus 7). TV units rose 4%, but revenue fell 6% thanks to falling ASPs. Total consumer electronics sales fell 5.6%. [View news story]
What Will Happen When The Surface Pro Isn't The Only Flagship Windows 8 Tablet In Town? [View article]
"I feel pretty good about our level of innovation," Steve Ballmer told Microsoft (MSFT) investors at his company's annual shareholder meeting, where he had to take some pointed questions about the software giant's slumping stock price. Ballmer asserted Windows 8 is "off to a great start," though not everyone is sold on that, and boasted Windows Phone sales are up 4x from the same time last year, when sales were miniscule. [View news story]
Microsoft (MSFT) is handing out free Surface tablets, Windows Phone 8 devices, and Windows 8 PCs to its 90K+ employees in an effort to stoke interest in its latest products. Separately, Microsoft confirms the Windows RT version of Office 2013 will be provided for free, and will arrive at some point between November and January. But the company also cautions it will lack some of the advanced features found on the Windows 8 Pro version of Office won't be included. [View news story]
Strategy Analytics offers a downbeat view on Windows Phone, predicting the OS will account for only 4% of the 123M smartphone it expects to be sold in the U.S. this year. Microsoft (MSFT) is hoping the fall arrival of Windows Phone 8, together with a flurry of device launches from Nokia (NOK) and others with AT&T and Verizon, will let the OS break out in Q4. Nielsen estimates WP only made up 1.7% of smartphone sales in Q2. [View news story]