Nokia Vs. Apple And Samsung - Observations From A Vacation In Italy [View article]
Agree wit observations. Larger smart phone devices. 5" and up, and smaller tablets, 8" and less, are merging to provide mobile multi-media viewing that's less ideal with 4" and 10" devices. That coupled with the awesome graphics coming online from new ARM and X86 is going to transform the mobile PC into a mobile TV already cherished by younger consumers. I think Apple and Microsoft/Nokia have an advantage over Google/Samsung in the long run due to much less fracturing of the ecosystems.
Why Nokia's Biggest Problem Is Microsoft [View article]
"which means that there no longer are any advantages of buying a Windows Phone if you already own an Xbox. At this stage, I don't really see any significant ecosystem benefits of buying a Windows Phone"
Well, I own a Windows XP server and a Windows 7 notebook and developed enterprise applications for 42 years before retiring in 2010. I bought an XBox 360 to play games and play with videos. I had a Nokia 6000 clamshell for 8 years with corporate account. So you're saying I should've bought an Android or iPhone? That's totally nuts, I waited and bought a Nokia Lumia 900 WP7.5 and have had a blast using it with my home Wifi, traveling with LTE and using it like a small mobile PC as it was intended to be used. My next purchase with be a Lenovo Z or U Touch W8.1 notebook with i5-i7 hopefully 4th gen Haswell chip. After that upgrade to Lumia 990 WP8.1. Next purchase will be an XBox 720 hopefully with pay per channel and view Intel 4K TV service for Haswell based TVs. Somewhere in there I got to go play with my Mustang Cobra/Mach 1, Nordic performance boat and Suntracker pontoon.
Microsoft Announces 100 Million Windows 8 Licenses Sold - Behind The Numbers [View article]
Microsoft can address all the legacy user complaints with a simple change in Windows "Blue" 8.1 that allows one to configure OS to boot to legacy Windows Desktop with Start Button opposed to modern Windows Start Screen. The legacy Windows crowd will then be able to switch to the modern Start Screen to launch a modern app from an active tile. The legacy users will then complain and whine that they can launch a modern app without first going to the modern Start Screen and can't see active tiles from the legacy desktop.
I stopped drinking Classic Coke back in the 1960's because it was my father's favorite drink. I switched to Pepsi but now only drink alcohol, coffee and tea and Root Beer on my seldom fast food adventures.
Microsoft's enterprise and application software ecosystem doesn't need the Apple or Android consumers. Intel and Microsoft will produce remarkable mobile PC devices and show that personal computers are alive and well despite Steve's predictions.
Microsoft Takes A Mulligan, No One Notices Or Cares [View article]
Microsoft's Windows 8 and Windows Phone 7/8 are NOT difficult to use. Yes, they require users that are totally keyboard oriented to change to a touch metaphor but so what. The fix will be to allow older simple minded users to configure Windows 8 to boot to the desktop with the simpleton Start Button. They can then switch at will to the modern Start Screen and Windows 8 touch interface when they want to run modern touch based applications. Adaptable and younger touch oriented users can configure Windows 8 to boot to the Start Screen and leave the legacy apps to clerks and secretaries; political incorrectness intentional.
This article would've been much more believable and professional if the author would've left out all the Apple petting and Microsoft bashing.
Nokia's Turnaround Underway As Lumia 521 Sells Out In Wal-Mart [View article]
A Lumia 520 for $130 without contract and a $30 unlimited T-Mobile data and text plan without contract is a real bargain especially if you're young and shoort on funds. I'd say in a wekk with the Lumia 928 Nokia will probably have all of it's bases covered except for something for the phablet large screen crowd. Q2 2013 is going to be a real gut twister when earnings come out in July. Nokia really needs to hit 8m Lumia unit sales for the quarter.
Why Nokia's Biggest Problem Is Microsoft [View article]
Nokia's Lumia 520 is doing quite nice at WalMart and next we'll see the Lumia 928 at Verizon. MS should be buying Nokia stock at current PS with $5-10 billion of their cash hoard. That would be the best investment MS could make in their future and for their stockholders.
"The learning curve is definitely real," Microsoft's (MSFT) head of marketing and finance tells the Financial Times, in a partial explanation of why the company will reportedly change "key aspects" of how Windows 8 works when a new version is released later this year. The company's apparent about-face is being likened to Coke's infamous New Coke debacle and it appears MSFT will attempt to appease those whose difficulties adjusting to the tablet-like interface have prompted calls for the return of a more familiar PC experience. [View news story]
I continue to be amazed at the waste of resources expended on UI issues even after leading enterprise application software development for 40 years before retiring. I guess that's why the most valuable enterprise applications eliminate the need for humans all together.
ARM Vs. Intel: Why It Doesn't End Badly For Either [View article]
I see ARMH selling at $30 PS in 18-24 months down 40% from current PS which would still be a relative high PE for an enterprise that licenses IP. I see INTC selling at close to that same price in the same time frame. Apple really needs to take a look at Intel's Atom road map for their iPad and iPhones in addition to their planned use of iCore Haswell chip in iMacs.
Microsoft (MSFT +1%) roundup: 1) Pac Crest reports 20% of workloads for Windows Azure, which Microsoft recently claimed is on a $1B+/year run rate, aren't Windows-based. The firm takes this as proof of Azure's growing popularity with open-source developers. On the other hand, GigaOm recently pointed out Microsoft's revenue figure includes Windows services running on rival platforms such as AWS. 2) In spite of rumors to the contrary, a Microsoft memo indicates the next Xbox won't need an Internet connection to work. Given the PS4 won't require one, this seems a smart move. 3) Much like Apple, Microsoft has big ambitions to grow its auto footprint. Ford, Fiat, and Kia are among the company's existing in-car software clients. [View news story]
I think Nokia has a few automotive relationships that might help with Microsoft's ambitions. Intel's Atom will be the real catapult for auto-mation pun intended.
Intel Drops An Atomic Bomb On ARM's 'Abomination' [View article]
Nice article and interesting comments and replies. Intel's finally in the mobile game and we're going to see a whole lot of products in the Ultrabook and tablet space plus a lot of phablet and smart phone vendors giving Intel some serious consideration. I can't wait for the Haswell iCore announcements and the design and product overlaps that will occur in Ultabooks and tablets. If you take products like Lenovo's Yoga 10/13 and Z400/500 and add new Atoms and iCores the choices to consumers and vendors are amazing. I can see 4-15" devices that are phones, notebooks, tablets and TV's everywhere. Intel's ala carte iTV service anyone?
Apple: Gross Margin Declines Are Primarily Due To Warranty Accruals And Depreciation And Amortization [View article]
Great article. The devil's always in the deal but the fear and fud mongers always want to increase the VIX. I suspect gross margins on almost all commodity tech gadgets will continue to come down like they have in the past on PC's. That's OK as long as innovation and market share and sizes increases continue. There's nothing wrong with investing to make single or double digit gains instead of triple digits as long as your expectations are realistic.
Why I Wouldn't Touch Barrick Gold With A Pick Axe [View article]
Investing is all about intrinsic values and timing; buying low and selling high. There's probably no better current examples of this then Apple and Barrick Gold. I've found that being a contrarian leads to more profitable investing than being a lemming.
Smartphone Operating Systems - Third Place Will Go To BlackBerry [View article]
Windows has had a micro-kernel every since Windows NT. W8 ala WP8 runs jsut fine in Lumia 510-920 Qualcomm based smart phones. Intel's going to provide even more performance and power savings beginning May 6th Atom 22nm Silvermont and June 4th iCore Haswell.
Intel Will Regain Lead With Processors Beyond 22 Nanometer [View article]
Great article. In investing and technology timing is almost everything. Intel's tick tock strategy is working very well. You confirm my $28 PS target for it by the end of 2014 and a 32-34 target for 2016. Intel should give Microsoft's Windows 8 mobile push a real push in 2013-14. It'll be real interesting to see how Intel's Atom's penetration of smart phones ala Lenovo's K900 progresses. I'll bet Nokia is working on a Lumia with Intel Atom Inside.
Nokia Vs. Apple And Samsung - Observations From A Vacation In Italy [View article]
Why Nokia's Biggest Problem Is Microsoft [View article]
Well, I own a Windows XP server and a Windows 7 notebook and developed enterprise applications for 42 years before retiring in 2010. I bought an XBox 360 to play games and play with videos. I had a Nokia 6000 clamshell for 8 years with corporate account. So you're saying I should've bought an Android or iPhone? That's totally nuts, I waited and bought a Nokia Lumia 900 WP7.5 and have had a blast using it with my home Wifi, traveling with LTE and using it like a small mobile PC as it was intended to be used. My next purchase with be a Lenovo Z or U Touch W8.1 notebook with i5-i7 hopefully 4th gen Haswell chip. After that upgrade to Lumia 990 WP8.1. Next purchase will be an XBox 720 hopefully with pay per channel and view Intel 4K TV service for Haswell based TVs. Somewhere in there I got to go play with my Mustang Cobra/Mach 1, Nordic performance boat and Suntracker pontoon.
Have fun with your iToys and gRobots.
Microsoft Announces 100 Million Windows 8 Licenses Sold - Behind The Numbers [View article]
I stopped drinking Classic Coke back in the 1960's because it was my father's favorite drink. I switched to Pepsi but now only drink alcohol, coffee and tea and Root Beer on my seldom fast food adventures.
Microsoft's enterprise and application software ecosystem doesn't need the Apple or Android consumers. Intel and Microsoft will produce remarkable mobile PC devices and show that personal computers are alive and well despite Steve's predictions.
Microsoft Takes A Mulligan, No One Notices Or Cares [View article]
This article would've been much more believable and professional if the author would've left out all the Apple petting and Microsoft bashing.
Nokia's Turnaround Underway As Lumia 521 Sells Out In Wal-Mart [View article]
Why Nokia's Biggest Problem Is Microsoft [View article]
http://yhoo.it/12Qa0dx
"The learning curve is definitely real," Microsoft's (MSFT) head of marketing and finance tells the Financial Times, in a partial explanation of why the company will reportedly change "key aspects" of how Windows 8 works when a new version is released later this year. The company's apparent about-face is being likened to Coke's infamous New Coke debacle and it appears MSFT will attempt to appease those whose difficulties adjusting to the tablet-like interface have prompted calls for the return of a more familiar PC experience. [View news story]
ARM Vs. Intel: Why It Doesn't End Badly For Either [View article]
Microsoft (MSFT +1%) roundup: 1) Pac Crest reports 20% of workloads for Windows Azure, which Microsoft recently claimed is on a $1B+/year run rate, aren't Windows-based. The firm takes this as proof of Azure's growing popularity with open-source developers. On the other hand, GigaOm recently pointed out Microsoft's revenue figure includes Windows services running on rival platforms such as AWS. 2) In spite of rumors to the contrary, a Microsoft memo indicates the next Xbox won't need an Internet connection to work. Given the PS4 won't require one, this seems a smart move. 3) Much like Apple, Microsoft has big ambitions to grow its auto footprint. Ford, Fiat, and Kia are among the company's existing in-car software clients. [View news story]
Intel Drops An Atomic Bomb On ARM's 'Abomination' [View article]
Apple: Gross Margin Declines Are Primarily Due To Warranty Accruals And Depreciation And Amortization [View article]
Why I Wouldn't Touch Barrick Gold With A Pick Axe [View article]
Smartphone Operating Systems - Third Place Will Go To BlackBerry [View article]
Intel Will Regain Lead With Processors Beyond 22 Nanometer [View article]
What Determines Gold's Price? [View article]