The Microsoft Death Spiral Continues

[Chance Furlong]

From Tech Night Owl;

http://tinyurl.com/3tgdksd

The Microsoft Death Spiral Continues
May 6th, 2011

You could see it this past quarter, when Apple, for the first time,
posted higher profits than Microsoft; total sales were already ahead. I
could almost imagine Steve Jobs and his crew applauding and cheering
when Microsoft’s financials were originally announced. It was a long
time coming.

Apple’s ascendency was most obvious last year when the company’s market
cap exceeded that of Microsoft. Whereas Apple’s stock is, overall,
rising, Microsoft’s has been flat for years. Fewer and fewer investors
have confidence in the long-term prospects, although Microsoft continues
to make profits that most companies would envy.

The problem is that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn’t seem to have a
grasp of the fact that innovation means inventing something new and
different, rather than poorly imitate what has gone before. This lack of
inspiration from the executive suite may, in part, explain why Windows
Phone 7, though it has a really nice interface, seems to be a couple of
years behind when it comes to features. Microsoft must still believe
they’re stuck in the 1990s, where the mere vaporware promise to beat or
exceed the competition some day is sufficient to keep customers calling.

These days, if there’s any chance of a replay of a two-party operating
system war in the mobile space, it’s between Apple and Google, and
Microsoft may have a seat at the table, but probably a small one.
Perhaps their last great hope is that long-term alliance with Nokia,
where Windows Phone 7 will replace the existing Symbian based OS on the
company’s smartphones come next year. Meantime, Apple earns more than
Nokia on handsets, with a fraction of the market share. Worse, telling
customers that existing Nokia gear is already obsolete doesn’t help the
company make much progress this year on the high end.

And it’s not that Microsoft’s promotional campaigns seem terribly
compelling. Although Windows 7 is doing well enough in a stagnant PC
market, a large portion of the new sales involve OEM bundles, meaning
the OS is preloaded onto a new PC. It’s not that Microsoft’s lame ads
are causing loads of people to rush into their local consumer
electronics outlet to buy a costly retail upgrade.

The Bing campaign, to boost Microsoft’s search engine, is curious in its
own right. The message is not simple and direct, as in any Apple ad you
can mention in recent memory. Worse, the lame attempt at humor falls
flat. Besides, what’s so compelling about a free search engine anyway?
How many TV ads has Google run lately, or in your memory, yet Google’s
search share remains fairly consistent. Bing’s gains came by
cannibalizing Yahoo! search which is, as you recall, now powered by Bing.

That Bing is now an option on a Mac with Safari might help, at least for
those who care to try a different search engine, or regard Google as the
“evil empire,” Microsoft’s former role. But most customers don’t really
care a whit about changing search engine options. Google works fine.
Bing might have prettier background images, but I am not at all
convinced the search results are superior, let alone comparable.

Where is the message that Bing conveys that would make you want to
switch? Other than, as I said, encouraging people who can’t tolerate
Google, which doesn’t really demonstrate a provable advantage for
Microsoft, or even a sensible marketing strategy.

While Microsoft seems to be doing OK is on the game machine front — and
they will likely prosper from the backlash in light of Sony’s recent
Playstation online debacle, on the long haul the biggest competition is
that old nemesis, Apple, with the iPhone, iPod touch, and the iPad.

And when it comes to tablets, whenever there’s talk of a potential iPad
competitor, new Android OS devices get first priority. Then there’s the
curious case of the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook, which still must be bridged
with a regular BlackBerry to use an email client, not to mention RIM’s
pair of CEOs who cannot voice a coherent vision for the company. It’s no
wonder RIM’s growth curve has flattened, and the PlayBook was greeted by
collective yawns.

Nowhere do we hear much about an impending Microsoft tablet solution.
Sure, maybe Windows 8 will have support for ARM chips, the ones used on
other tablets. But supporting a set of mobile processors doesn’t mean
that Microsoft has a grasp on how to tailor the classic Windows
interface to work best on a mobile device with a touchscreen or tiny
physical keyboard. As I said, Windows Phone 7 isn’t bad, actually. Aside
from the missing features, there aren’t a whole lot of apps available
yet. There’s also a report that Microsoft is actually trying to lure iOS
developers to the platform, because they aren’t coming of their own accord.

Now if Microsoft fails to adapt to the 21st century, it doesn’t mean
that sales will suddenly plummet. There’s enough momentum there to keep
Microsoft’s stockholders, and their wealthy executives, fat and rich for
a number of years. But the trend, as I’ve previously said, remains
inexorable. It’s going to be downhill, and the slide will be slow and
treacherous.

[Phong Trai]

You wan sucky big man meat.



"Chance Furlong" wrote in message news:LK-***@giganews.com...

From Tech Night Owl;

http://tinyurl.com/3tgdksd

The Microsoft Death Spiral Continues
May 6th, 2011

You could see it this past quarter, when Apple, for the first time,
posted higher profits than Microsoft; total sales were already ahead. I
could almost imagine Steve Jobs and his crew applauding and cheering
when Microsoft’s financials were originally announced. It was a long
time coming.

Apple’s ascendency was most obvious last year when the company’s market
cap exceeded that of Microsoft. Whereas Apple’s stock is, overall,
rising, Microsoft’s has been flat for years. Fewer and fewer investors
have confidence in the long-term prospects, although Microsoft continues
to make profits that most companies would envy.

The problem is that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn’t seem to have a
grasp of the fact that innovation means inventing something new and
different, rather than poorly imitate what has gone before. This lack of
inspiration from the executive suite may, in part, explain why Windows
Phone 7, though it has a really nice interface, seems to be a couple of
years behind when it comes to features. Microsoft must still believe
they’re stuck in the 1990s, where the mere vaporware promise to beat or
exceed the competition some day is sufficient to keep customers calling.

These days, if there’s any chance of a replay of a two-party operating
system war in the mobile space, it’s between Apple and Google, and
Microsoft may have a seat at the table, but probably a small one.
Perhaps their last great hope is that long-term alliance with Nokia,
where Windows Phone 7 will replace the existing Symbian based OS on the
company’s smartphones come next year. Meantime, Apple earns more than
Nokia on handsets, with a fraction of the market share. Worse, telling
customers that existing Nokia gear is already obsolete doesn’t help the
company make much progress this year on the high end.

And it’s not that Microsoft’s promotional campaigns seem terribly
compelling. Although Windows 7 is doing well enough in a stagnant PC
market, a large portion of the new sales involve OEM bundles, meaning
the OS is preloaded onto a new PC. It’s not that Microsoft’s lame ads
are causing loads of people to rush into their local consumer
electronics outlet to buy a costly retail upgrade.

The Bing campaign, to boost Microsoft’s search engine, is curious in its
own right. The message is not simple and direct, as in any Apple ad you
can mention in recent memory. Worse, the lame attempt at humor falls
flat. Besides, what’s so compelling about a free search engine anyway?
How many TV ads has Google run lately, or in your memory, yet Google’s
search share remains fairly consistent. Bing’s gains came by
cannibalizing Yahoo! search which is, as you recall, now powered by Bing.

That Bing is now an option on a Mac with Safari might help, at least for
those who care to try a different search engine, or regard Google as the
“evil empire,” Microsoft’s former role. But most customers don’t really
care a whit about changing search engine options. Google works fine.
Bing might have prettier background images, but I am not at all
convinced the search results are superior, let alone comparable.

Where is the message that Bing conveys that would make you want to
switch? Other than, as I said, encouraging people who can’t tolerate
Google, which doesn’t really demonstrate a provable advantage for
Microsoft, or even a sensible marketing strategy.

While Microsoft seems to be doing OK is on the game machine front — and
they will likely prosper from the backlash in light of Sony’s recent
Playstation online debacle, on the long haul the biggest competition is
that old nemesis, Apple, with the iPhone, iPod touch, and the iPad.

And when it comes to tablets, whenever there’s talk of a potential iPad
competitor, new Android OS devices get first priority. Then there’s the
curious case of the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook, which still must be bridged
with a regular BlackBerry to use an email client, not to mention RIM’s
pair of CEOs who cannot voice a coherent vision for the company. It’s no
wonder RIM’s growth curve has flattened, and the PlayBook was greeted by
collective yawns.

Nowhere do we hear much about an impending Microsoft tablet solution.
Sure, maybe Windows 8 will have support for ARM chips, the ones used on
other tablets. But supporting a set of mobile processors doesn’t mean
that Microsoft has a grasp on how to tailor the classic Windows
interface to work best on a mobile device with a touchscreen or tiny
physical keyboard. As I said, Windows Phone 7 isn’t bad, actually. Aside
from the missing features, there aren’t a whole lot of apps available
yet. There’s also a report that Microsoft is actually trying to lure iOS
developers to the platform, because they aren’t coming of their own accord.

Now if Microsoft fails to adapt to the 21st century, it doesn’t mean
that sales will suddenly plummet. There’s enough momentum there to keep
Microsoft’s stockholders, and their wealthy executives, fat and rich for
a number of years. But the trend, as I’ve previously said, remains
inexorable. It’s going to be downhill, and the slide will be slow and
treacherous.

[Chance Furlong]

Post by Phong Trai
You wan sucky big man meat.

Hi zara.

[Phong Trai]

Post by Phong Trai
You wan sucky big man meat.
Hi zara.

you wan more suckey big man meat pussy boy

[Joey jOJo JuNior ShaBadoo]

On 2011-05-06 17:18:58 -0400, "Phong Trai" <jshabadoothe

Post by Phong Trai
You wan sucky big man meat.

Zero's new filthy sock persona blows its cover with its inability to
quit gabbin' 'bout its obsession with homosexuality and homosexual
acts. You lose, PUSSY :)

[Phong Trai]

"Joey jOJo JuNior ShaBadoo" wrote in message news:iq23dp$8d2$***@dont-email.me...

On 2011-05-06 17:18:58 -0400, "Phong Trai" <jshabadoothe

Post by Phong Trai
You wan sucky big man meat.
Zero's new filthy sock persona blows its cover with its inability to quit
gabbin' 'bout its obsession with homosexuality and homosexual acts. You
lose, PUSSY :)

you wan sucky big fat lolly pop man meat joey dickie lickie

[zara]

Post by Chance Furlong
From Tech Night Owl;
http://tinyurl.com/3tgdksd
The Microsoft Death Spiral Continues
May 6th, 2011
You could see it this past quarter, when Apple, for the first time, posted
higher profits than Microsoft; total sales were already ahead. I could
almost imagine Steve Jobs and his crew applauding and cheering when
Microsoft’s financials were originally announced. It was a long time
coming.
Apple’s ascendency was most obvious last year when the company’s market
cap exceeded that of Microsoft. Whereas Apple’s stock is, overall, rising,
Microsoft’s has been flat for years. Fewer and fewer investors have
confidence in the long-term prospects, although Microsoft continues to
make profits that most companies would envy.
The problem is that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn’t seem to have a
grasp of the fact that innovation means inventing something new and
different, rather than poorly imitate what has gone before. This lack of
inspiration from the executive suite may, in part, explain why Windows
Phone 7, though it has a really nice interface, seems to be a couple of
years behind when it comes to features. Microsoft must still believe they’re
stuck in the 1990s, where the mere vaporware promise to beat or exceed the
competition some day is sufficient to keep customers calling.
These days, if there’s any chance of a replay of a two-party operating
system war in the mobile space, it’s between Apple and Google, and
Microsoft may have a seat at the table, but probably a small one. Perhaps
their last great hope is that long-term alliance with Nokia, where Windows
Phone 7 will replace the existing Symbian based OS on the company’s
smartphones come next year. Meantime, Apple earns more than Nokia on
handsets, with a fraction of the market share. Worse, telling customers
that existing Nokia gear is already obsolete doesn’t help the company make
much progress this year on the high end.
And it’s not that Microsoft’s promotional campaigns seem terribly
compelling. Although Windows 7 is doing well enough in a stagnant PC
market, a large portion of the new sales involve OEM bundles, meaning the
OS is preloaded onto a new PC. It’s not that Microsoft’s lame ads are
causing loads of people to rush into their local consumer electronics
outlet to buy a costly retail upgrade.
The Bing campaign, to boost Microsoft’s search engine, is curious in its
own right. The message is not simple and direct, as in any Apple ad you
can mention in recent memory. Worse, the lame attempt at humor falls flat.
Besides, what’s so compelling about a free search engine anyway? How many
TV ads has Google run lately, or in your memory, yet Google’s search share
remains fairly consistent. Bing’s gains came by cannibalizing Yahoo!
search which is, as you recall, now powered by Bing.
That Bing is now an option on a Mac with Safari might help, at least for
those who care to try a different search engine, or regard Google as the
“evil empire,” Microsoft’s former role. But most customers don’t really
care a whit about changing search engine options. Google works fine. Bing
might have prettier background images, but I am not at all convinced the
search results are superior, let alone comparable.
Where is the message that Bing conveys that would make you want to switch?
Other than, as I said, encouraging people who can’t tolerate Google, which
doesn’t really demonstrate a provable advantage for Microsoft, or even a
sensible marketing strategy.
While Microsoft seems to be doing OK is on the game machine front — and
they will likely prosper from the backlash in light of Sony’s recent
Playstation online debacle, on the long haul the biggest competition is
that old nemesis, Apple, with the iPhone, iPod touch, and the iPad.
And when it comes to tablets, whenever there’s talk of a potential iPad
competitor, new Android OS devices get first priority. Then there’s the
curious case of the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook, which still must be bridged
with a regular BlackBerry to use an email client, not to mention RIM’s
pair of CEOs who cannot voice a coherent vision for the company. It’s no
wonder RIM’s growth curve has flattened, and the PlayBook was greeted by
collective yawns.
Nowhere do we hear much about an impending Microsoft tablet solution.
Sure, maybe Windows 8 will have support for ARM chips, the ones used on
other tablets. But supporting a set of mobile processors doesn’t mean that
Microsoft has a grasp on how to tailor the classic Windows interface to
work best on a mobile device with a touchscreen or tiny physical keyboard.
As I said, Windows Phone 7 isn’t bad, actually. Aside from the missing
features, there aren’t a whole lot of apps available yet. There’s also a
report that Microsoft is actually trying to lure iOS developers to the
platform, because they aren’t coming of their own accord.
Now if Microsoft fails to adapt to the 21st century, it doesn’t mean that
sales will suddenly plummet. There’s enough momentum there to keep
Microsoft’s stockholders, and their wealthy executives, fat and rich for a
number of years. But the trend, as I’ve previously said, remains
inexorable. It’s going to be downhill, and the slide will be slow and
treacherous.

You could see it this past quarter, when Apple, for the first time,
posted higher profits than Microsoft; total sales were already ahead. I
could almost imagine Steve Jobs and his crew applauding and cheering
when Microsoft’s financials were originally announced. It was a long
time coming.

Apple’s ascendency was most obvious last year when the company’s market
cap exceeded that of Microsoft. Whereas Apple’s stock is, overall,
rising, Microsoft’s has been flat for years. Fewer and fewer investors
have confidence in the long-term prospects, although Microsoft continues
to make profits that most companies would envy.

The problem is that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn’t seem to have a
grasp of the fact that innovation means inventing something new and
different, rather than poorly imitate what has gone before. This lack of
inspiration from the executive suite may, in part, explain why Windows
Phone 7, though it has a really nice interface, seems to be a couple of
years behind when it comes to features. Microsoft must still believe
they’re stuck in the 1990s, where the mere vaporware promise to beat or
exceed the competition some day is sufficient to keep customers calling.

These days, if there’s any chance of a replay of a two-party operating
system war in the mobile space, it’s between Apple and Google, and
Microsoft may have a seat at the table, but probably a small one.
Perhaps their last great hope is that long-term alliance with Nokia,
where Windows Phone 7 will replace the existing Symbian based OS on the
company’s smartphones come next year. Meantime, Apple earns more than
Nokia on handsets, with a fraction of the market share. Worse, telling
customers that existing Nokia gear is already obsolete doesn’t help the
company make much progress this year on the high end.

And it’s not that Microsoft’s promotional campaigns seem terribly
compelling. Although Windows 7 is doing well enough in a stagnant PC
market, a large portion of the new sales involve OEM bundles, meaning
the OS is preloaded onto a new PC. It’s not that Microsoft’s lame ads
are causing loads of people to rush into their local consumer
electronics outlet to buy a costly retail upgrade.

The Bing campaign, to boost Microsoft’s search engine, is curious in its
own right. The message is not simple and direct, as in any Apple ad you
can mention in recent memory. Worse, the lame attempt at humor falls
flat. Besides, what’s so compelling about a free search engine anyway?
How many TV ads has Google run lately, or in your memory, yet Google’s
search share remains fairly consistent. Bing’s gains came by
cannibalizing Yahoo! search which is, as you recall, now powered by Bing.

That Bing is now an option on a Mac with Safari might help, at least for
those who care to try a different search engine, or regard Google as the
“evil empire,” Microsoft’s former role. But most customers don’t really
care a whit about changing search engine options. Google works fine.
Bing might have prettier background images, but I am not at all
convinced the search results are superior, let alone comparable.

Where is the message that Bing conveys that would make you want to
switch? Other than, as I said, encouraging people who can’t tolerate
Google, which doesn’t really demonstrate a provable advantage for
Microsoft, or even a sensible marketing strategy.

While Microsoft seems to be doing OK is on the game machine front — and
they will likely prosper from the backlash in light of Sony’s recent
Playstation online debacle, on the long haul the biggest competition is
that old nemesis, Apple, with the iPhone, iPod touch, and the iPad.

And when it comes to tablets, whenever there’s talk of a potential iPad
competitor, new Android OS devices get first priority. Then there’s the
curious case of the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook, which still must be bridged
with a regular BlackBerry to use an email client, not to mention RIM’s
pair of CEOs who cannot voice a coherent vision for the company. It’s no
wonder RIM’s growth curve has flattened, and the PlayBook was greeted by
collective yawns.

Nowhere do we hear much about an impending Microsoft tablet solution.
Sure, maybe Windows 8 will have support for ARM chips, the ones used on
other tablets. But supporting a set of mobile processors doesn’t mean
that Microsoft has a grasp on how to tailor the classic Windows
interface to work best on a mobile device with a touchscreen or tiny
physical keyboard. As I said, Windows Phone 7 isn’t bad, actually. Aside
from the missing features, there aren’t a whole lot of apps available
yet. There’s also a report that Microsoft is actually trying to lure iOS
developers to the platform, because they aren’t coming of their own accord.

Now if Microsoft fails to adapt to the 21st century, it doesn’t mean
that sales will suddenly plummet. There’s enough momentum there to keep
Microsoft’s stockholders, and their wealthy executives, fat and rich for
a number of years. But the trend, as I’ve previously said, remains
inexorable. It’s going to be downhill, and the slide will be slow and
treacherous.
You could see it this past quarter, when Apple, for the first time,
posted higher profits than Microsoft; total sales were already ahead. I
could almost imagine Steve Jobs and his crew applauding and cheering
when Microsoft’s financials were originally announced. It was a long
time coming.

Apple’s ascendency was most obvious last year when the company’s market
cap exceeded that of Microsoft. Whereas Apple’s stock is, overall,
rising, Microsoft’s has been flat for years. Fewer and fewer investors
have confidence in the long-term prospects, although Microsoft continues
to make profits that most companies would envy.

The problem is that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn’t seem to have a
grasp of the fact that innovation means inventing something new and
different, rather than poorly imitate what has gone before. This lack of
inspiration from the executive suite may, in part, explain why Windows
Phone 7, though it has a really nice interface, seems to be a couple of
years behind when it comes to features. Microsoft must still believe
they’re stuck in the 1990s, where the mere vaporware promise to beat or
exceed the competition some day is sufficient to keep customers calling.

These days, if there’s any chance of a replay of a two-party operating
system war in the mobile space, it’s between Apple and Google, and
Microsoft may have a seat at the table, but probably a small one.
Perhaps their last great hope is that long-term alliance with Nokia,
where Windows Phone 7 will replace the existing Symbian based OS on the
company’s smartphones come next year. Meantime, Apple earns more than
Nokia on handsets, with a fraction of the market share. Worse, telling
customers that existing Nokia gear is already obsolete doesn’t help the
company make much progress this year on the high end.

And it’s not that Microsoft’s promotional campaigns seem terribly
compelling. Although Windows 7 is doing well enough in a stagnant PC
market, a large portion of the new sales involve OEM bundles, meaning
the OS is preloaded onto a new PC. It’s not that Microsoft’s lame ads
are causing loads of people to rush into their local consumer
electronics outlet to buy a costly retail upgrade.

The Bing campaign, to boost Microsoft’s search engine, is curious in its
own right. The message is not simple and direct, as in any Apple ad you
can mention in recent memory. Worse, the lame attempt at humor falls
flat. Besides, what’s so compelling about a free search engine anyway?
How many TV ads has Google run lately, or in your memory, yet Google’s
search share remains fairly consistent. Bing’s gains came by
cannibalizing Yahoo! search which is, as you recall, now powered by Bing.

That Bing is now an option on a Mac with Safari might help, at least for
those who care to try a different search engine, or regard Google as the
“evil empire,” Microsoft’s former role. But most customers don’t really
care a whit about changing search engine options. Google works fine.
Bing might have prettier background images, but I am not at all
convinced the search results are superior, let alone comparable.

Where is the message that Bing conveys that would make you want to
switch? Other than, as I said, encouraging people who can’t tolerate
Google, which doesn’t really demonstrate a provable advantage for
Microsoft, or even a sensible marketing strategy.

While Microsoft seems to be doing OK is on the game machine front — and
they will likely prosper from the backlash in light of Sony’s recent
Playstation online debacle, on the long haul the biggest competition is
that old nemesis, Apple, with the iPhone, iPod touch, and the iPad.

And when it comes to tablets, whenever there’s talk of a potential iPad
competitor, new Android OS devices get first priority. Then there’s the
curious case of the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook, which still must be bridged
with a regular BlackBerry to use an email client, not to mention RIM’s
pair of CEOs who cannot voice a coherent vision for the company. It’s no
wonder RIM’s growth curve has flattened, and the PlayBook was greeted by
collective yawns.

Nowhere do we hear much about an impending Microsoft tablet solution.
Sure, maybe Windows 8 will have support for ARM chips, the ones used on
other tablets. But supporting a set of mobile processors doesn’t mean
that Microsoft has a grasp on how to tailor the classic Windows
interface to work best on a mobile device with a touchscreen or tiny
physical keyboard. As I said, Windows Phone 7 isn’t bad, actually. Aside
from the missing features, there aren’t a whole lot of apps available
yet. There’s also a report that Microsoft is actually trying to lure iOS
developers to the platform, because they aren’t coming of their own accord.
You could see it this past quarter, when Apple, for the first time,
posted higher profits than Microsoft; total sales were already ahead. I
could almost imagine Steve Jobs and his crew applauding and cheering
when Microsoft’s financials were originally announced. It was a long
time coming.

Apple’s ascendency was most obvious last year when the company’s market
cap exceeded that of Microsoft. Whereas Apple’s stock is, overall,
rising, Microsoft’s has been flat for years. Fewer and fewer investors
have confidence in the long-term prospects, although Microsoft continues
to make profits that most companies would envy.

The problem is that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn’t seem to have a
grasp of the fact that innovation means inventing something new and
different, rather than poorly imitate what has gone before. This lack of
inspiration from the executive suite may, in part, explain why Windows
Phone 7, though it has a really nice interface, seems to be a couple of
years behind when it comes to features. Microsoft must still believe
they’re stuck in the 1990s, where the mere vaporware promise to beat or
exceed the competition some day is sufficient to keep customers calling.

These days, if there’s any chance of a replay of a two-party operating
system war in the mobile space, it’s between Apple and Google, and
Microsoft may have a seat at the table, but probably a small one.
Perhaps their last great hope is that long-term alliance with Nokia,
where Windows Phone 7 will replace the existing Symbian based OS on the
company’s smartphones come next year. Meantime, Apple earns more than
Nokia on handsets, with a fraction of the market share. Worse, telling
customers that existing Nokia gear is already obsolete doesn’t help the
company make much progress this year on the high end.

And it’s not that Microsoft’s promotional campaigns seem terribly
compelling. Although Windows 7 is doing well enough in a stagnant PC
market, a large portion of the new sales involve OEM bundles, meaning
the OS is preloaded onto a new PC. It’s not that Microsoft’s lame ads
are causing loads of people to rush into their local consumer
electronics outlet to buy a costly retail upgrade.

The Bing campaign, to boost Microsoft’s search engine, is curious in its
own right. The message is not simple and direct, as in any Apple ad you
can mention in recent memory. Worse, the lame attempt at humor falls
flat. Besides, what’s so compelling about a free search engine anyway?
How many TV ads has Google run lately, or in your memory, yet Google’s
search share remains fairly consistent. Bing’s gains came by
cannibalizing Yahoo! search which is, as you recall, now powered by Bing.

That Bing is now an option on a Mac with Safari might help, at least for
those who care to try a different search engine, or regard Google as the
“evil empire,” Microsoft’s former role. But most customers don’t really
care a whit about changing search engine options. Google works fine.
Bing might have prettier background images, but I am not at all
convinced the search results are superior, let alone comparable.

Where is the message that Bing conveys that would make you want to
switch? Other than, as I said, encouraging people who can’t tolerate
Google, which doesn’t really demonstrate a provable advantage for
Microsoft, or even a sensible marketing strategy.

While Microsoft seems to be doing OK is on the game machine front — and
they will likely prosper from the backlash in light of Sony’s recent
Playstation online debacle, on the long haul the biggest competition is
that old nemesis, Apple, with the iPhone, iPod touch, and the iPad.

And when it comes to tablets, whenever there’s talk of a potential iPad
competitor, new Android OS devices get first priority. Then there’s the
curious case of the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook, which still must be bridged
with a regular BlackBerry to use an email client, not to mention RIM’s
pair of CEOs who cannot voice a coherent vision for the company. It’s no
wonder RIM’s growth curve has flattened, and the PlayBook was greeted by
collective yawns.

Nowhere do we hear much about an impending Microsoft tablet solution.
Sure, maybe Windows 8 will have support for ARM chips, the ones used on
other tablets. But supporting a set of mobile processors doesn’t mean
that Microsoft has a grasp on how to tailor the classic Windows
interface to work best on a mobile device with a touchscreen or tiny
physical keyboard. As I said, Windows Phone 7 isn’t bad, actually. Aside
from the missing features, there aren’t a whole lot of apps available
yet. There’s also a report that Microsoft is actually trying to lure iOS
developers to the platform, because they aren’t coming of their own accord.

Now if Microsoft fails to adapt to the 21st century, it doesn’t mean
that sales will suddenly plummet. There’s enough momentum there to keep
Microsoft’s stockholders, and their wealthy executives, fat and rich for
a number of years. But the trend, as I’ve previously said, remains
inexorable. It’s going to be downhill, and the slide will be slow and
treacherous.
You could see it this past quarter, when Apple, for the first time,
posted higher profits than Microsoft; total sales were already ahead. I
could almost imagine Steve Jobs and his crew applauding and cheering
when Microsoft’s financials were originally announced. It was a long
time coming.

Apple’s ascendency was most obvious last year when the company’s market
cap exceeded that of Microsoft. Whereas Apple’s stock is, overall,
rising, Microsoft’s has been flat for years. Fewer and fewer investors
have confidence in the long-term prospects, although Microsoft continues
to make profits that most companies would envy.

The problem is that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn’t seem to have a
grasp of the fact that innovation means inventing something new and
different, rather than poorly imitate what has gone before. This lack of
inspiration from the executive suite may, in part, explain why Windows
Phone 7, though it has a really nice interface, seems to be a couple of
years behind when it comes to features. Microsoft must still believe
they’re stuck in the 1990s, where the mere vaporware promise to beat or
exceed the competition some day is sufficient to keep customers calling.

These days, if there’s any chance of a replay of a two-party operating
system war in the mobile space, it’s between Apple and Google, and
Microsoft may have a seat at the table, but probably a small one.
Perhaps their last great hope is that long-term alliance with Nokia,
where Windows Phone 7 will replace the existing Symbian based OS on the
company’s smartphones come next year. Meantime, Apple earns more than
Nokia on handsets, with a fraction of the market share. Worse, telling
customers that existing Nokia gear is already obsolete doesn’t help the
company make much progress this year on the high end.

And it’s not that Microsoft’s promotional campaigns seem terribly
compelling. Although Windows 7 is doing well enough in a stagnant PC
market, a large portion of the new sales involve OEM bundles, meaning
the OS is preloaded onto a new PC. It’s not that Microsoft’s lame ads
are causing loads of people to rush into their local consumer
electronics outlet to buy a costly retail upgrade.

The Bing campaign, to boost Microsoft’s search engine, is curious in its
own right. The message is not simple and direct, as in any Apple ad you
can mention in recent memory. Worse, the lame attempt at humor falls
flat. Besides, what’s so compelling about a free search engine anyway?
How many TV ads has Google run lately, or in your memory, yet Google’s
search share remains fairly consistent. Bing’s gains came by
cannibalizing Yahoo! search which is, as you recall, now powered by Bing.

That Bing is now an option on a Mac with Safari might help, at least for
those who care to try a different search engine, or regard Google as the
“evil empire,” Microsoft’s former role. But most customers don’t really
care a whit about changing search engine options. Google works fine.
Bing might have prettier background images, but I am not at all
convinced the search results are superior, let alone comparable.

Where is the message that Bing conveys that would make you want to
switch? Other than, as I said, encouraging people who can’t tolerate
Google, which doesn’t really demonstrate a provable advantage for
Microsoft, or even a sensible marketing strategy.

While Microsoft seems to be doing OK is on the game machine front — and
they will likely prosper from the backlash in light of Sony’s recent
Playstation online debacle, on the long haul the biggest competition is
that old nemesis, Apple, with the iPhone, iPod touch, and the iPad.

And when it comes to tablets, whenever there’s talk of a potential iPad
competitor, new Android OS devices get first priority. Then there’s the
curious case of the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook, which still must be bridged
with a regular BlackBerry to use an email client, not to mention RIM’s
pair of CEOs who cannot voice a coherent vision for the company. It’s no
wonder RIM’s growth curve has flattened, and the PlayBook was greeted by
collective yawns.

Nowhere do we hear much about an impending Microsoft tablet solution.
Sure, maybe Windows 8 will have support for ARM chips, the ones used on
other tablets. But supporting a set of mobile processors doesn’t mean
that Microsoft has a grasp on how to tailor the classic Windows
interface to work best on a mobile device with a touchscreen or tiny
physical keyboard. As I said, Windows Phone 7 isn’t bad, actually. Aside
from the missing features, there aren’t a whole lot of apps available
yet. There’s also a report that Microsoft is actually trying to lure iOS
developers to the platform, because they aren’t coming of their own accord.

Now if Microsoft fails to adapt to the 21st century, it doesn’t mean
that sales will suddenly plummet. There’s enough momentum there to keep
Microsoft’s stockholders, and their wealthy executives, fat and rich for
a number of years. But the trend, as I’ve previously said, remains
inexorable. It’s going to be downhill, and the slide will be slow and
treacherous.

Now if Microsoft fails to adapt to the 21st century, it doesn’t mean
that sales will suddenly plummet. There’s enough momentum there to keep
Microsoft’s stockholders, and their wealthy executives, fat and rich for
a number of years. But the trend, as I’ve previously said, remains
inexorable. It’s going to be downhill, and the slide will be slow and
treacherous.

You could see it this past quarter, when Apple, for the first time,
posted higher profits than Microsoft; total sales were already ahead. I
could almost imagine Steve Jobs and his crew applauding and cheering
when Microsoft’s financials were originally announced. It was a long
time coming.

Apple’s ascendency was most obvious last year when the company’s market
cap exceeded that of Microsoft. Whereas Apple’s stock is, overall,
rising, Microsoft’s has been flat for years. Fewer and fewer investors
have confidence in the long-term prospects, although Microsoft continues
to make profits that most companies would envy.

The problem is that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn’t seem to have a
grasp of the fact that innovation means inventing something new and
different, rather than poorly imitate what has gone before. This lack of
inspiration from the executive suite may, in part, explain why Windows
Phone 7, though it has a really nice interface, seems to be a couple of
years behind when it comes to features. Microsoft must still believe
they’re stuck in the 1990s, where the mere vaporware promise to beat or
exceed the competition some day is sufficient to keep customers calling.

These days, if there’s any chance of a replay of a two-party operating
system war in the mobile space, it’s between Apple and Google, and
Microsoft may have a seat at the table, but probably a small one.
Perhaps their last great hope is that long-term alliance with Nokia,
where Windows Phone 7 will replace the existing Symbian based OS on the
company’s smartphones come next year. Meantime, Apple earns more than
Nokia on handsets, with a fraction of the market share. Worse, telling
customers that existing Nokia gear is already obsolete doesn’t help the
company make much progress this year on the high end.

And it’s not that Microsoft’s promotional campaigns seem terribly
compelling. Although Windows 7 is doing well enough in a stagnant PC
market, a large portion of the new sales involve OEM bundles, meaning
the OS is preloaded onto a new PC. It’s not that Microsoft’s lame ads
are causing loads of people to rush into their local consumer
electronics outlet to buy a costly retail upgrade.

The Bing campaign, to boost Microsoft’s search engine, is curious in its
own right. The message is not simple and direct, as in any Apple ad you
can mention in recent memory. Worse, the lame attempt at humor falls
flat. Besides, what’s so compelling about a free search engine anyway?
How many TV ads has Google run lately, or in your memory, yet Google’s
search share remains fairly consistent. Bing’s gains came by
cannibalizing Yahoo! search which is, as you recall, now powered by Bing.

That Bing is now an option on a Mac with Safari might help, at least for
those who care to try a different search engine, or regard Google as the
“evil empire,” Microsoft’s former role. But most customers don’t really
care a whit about changing search engine options. Google works fine.
Bing might have prettier background images, but I am not at all
convinced the search results are superior, let alone comparable.

Where is the message that Bing conveys that would make you want to
switch? Other than, as I said, encouraging people who can’t tolerate
Google, which doesn’t really demonstrate a provable advantage for
Microsoft, or even a sensible marketing strategy.

While Microsoft seems to be doing OK is on the game machine front — and
they will likely prosper from the backlash in light of Sony’s recent
Playstation online debacle, on the long haul the biggest competition is
that old nemesis, Apple, with the iPhone, iPod touch, and the iPad.

And when it comes to tablets, whenever there’s talk of a potential iPad
competitor, new Android OS devices get first priority. Then there’s the
curious case of the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook, which still must be bridged
with a regular BlackBerry to use an email client, not to mention RIM’s
pair of CEOs who cannot voice a coherent vision for the company. It’s no
wonder RIM’s growth curve has flattened, and the PlayBook was greeted by
collective yawns.

Nowhere do we hear much about an impending Microsoft tablet solution.
Sure, maybe Windows 8 will have support for ARM chips, the ones used on
other tablets. But supporting a set of mobile processors doesn’t mean
that Microsoft has a grasp on how to tailor the classic Windows
interface to work best on a mobile device with a touchscreen or tiny
physical keyboard. As I said, Windows Phone 7 isn’t bad, actually. Aside
from the missing features, there aren’t a whole lot of apps available
yet. There’s also a report that Microsoft is actually trying to lure iOS
developers to the platform, because they aren’t coming of their own accord.

Now if Microsoft fails to adapt to the 21st century, it doesn’t mean
that sales will suddenly plummet. There’s enough momentum there to keep
Microsoft’s stockholders, and their wealthy executives, fat and rich for
a number of years. But the trend, as I’ve previously said, remains
inexorable. It’s going to be downhill, and the slide will be slow and
treacherous.
You could see it this past quarter, when Apple, for the first time,
posted higher profits than Microsoft; total sales were already ahead. I
could almost imagine Steve Jobs and his crew applauding and cheering
when Microsoft’s financials were originally announced. It was a long
time coming.

Apple’s ascendency was most obvious last year when the company’s market
cap exceeded that of Microsoft. Whereas Apple’s stock is, overall,
rising, Microsoft’s has been flat for years. Fewer and fewer investors
have confidence in the long-term prospects, although Microsoft continues
to make profits that most companies would envy.

The problem is that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn’t seem to have a
grasp of the fact that innovation means inventing something new and
different, rather than poorly imitate what has gone before. This lack of
inspiration from the executive suite may, in part, explain why Windows
Phone 7, though it has a really nice interface, seems to be a couple of
years behind when it comes to features. Microsoft must still believe
they’re stuck in the 1990s, where the mere vaporware promise to beat or
exceed the competition some day is sufficient to keep customers calling.

These days, if there’s any chance of a replay of a two-party operating
system war in the mobile space, it’s between Apple and Google, and
Microsoft may have a seat at the table, but probably a small one.
Perhaps their last great hope is that long-term alliance with Nokia,
where Windows Phone 7 will replace the existing Symbian based OS on the
company’s smartphones come next year. Meantime, Apple earns more than
Nokia on handsets, with a fraction of the market share. Worse, telling
customers that existing Nokia gear is already obsolete doesn’t help the
company make much progress this year on the high end.

And it’s not that Microsoft’s promotional campaigns seem terribly
compelling. Although Windows 7 is doing well enough in a stagnant PC
market, a large portion of the new sales involve OEM bundles, meaning
the OS is preloaded onto a new PC. It’s not that Microsoft’s lame ads
are causing loads of people to rush into their local consumer
electronics outlet to buy a costly retail upgrade.

The Bing campaign, to boost Microsoft’s search engine, is curious in its
own right. The message is not simple and direct, as in any Apple ad you
can mention in recent memory. Worse, the lame attempt at humor falls
flat. Besides, what’s so compelling about a free search engine anyway?
How many TV ads has Google run lately, or in your memory, yet Google’s
search share remains fairly consistent. Bing’s gains came by
cannibalizing Yahoo! search which is, as you recall, now powered by Bing.

That Bing is now an option on a Mac with Safari might help, at least for
those who care to try a different search engine, or regard Google as the
“evil empire,” Microsoft’s former role. But most customers don’t really
care a whit about changing search engine options. Google works fine.
Bing might have prettier background images, but I am not at all
convinced the search results are superior, let alone comparable.

Where is the message that Bing conveys that would make you want to
switch? Other than, as I said, encouraging people who can’t tolerate
Google, which doesn’t really demonstrate a provable advantage for
Microsoft, or even a sensible marketing strategy.

While Microsoft seems to be doing OK is on the game machine front — and
they will likely prosper from the backlash in light of Sony’s recent
Playstation online debacle, on the long haul the biggest competition is
that old nemesis, Apple, with the iPhone, iPod touch, and the iPad.

And when it comes to tablets, whenever there’s talk of a potential iPad
competitor, new Android OS devices get first priority. Then there’s the
curious case of the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook, which still must be bridged
with a regular BlackBerry to use an email client, not to mention RIM’s
pair of CEOs who cannot voice a coherent vision for the company. It’s no
wonder RIM’s growth curve has flattened, and the PlayBook was greeted by
collective yawns.

Nowhere do we hear much about an impending Microsoft tablet solution.
Sure, maybe Windows 8 will have support for ARM chips, the ones used on
other tablets. But supporting a set of mobile processors doesn’t mean
that Microsoft has a grasp on how to tailor the classic Windows
interface to work best on a mobile device with a touchscreen or tiny
physical keyboard. As I said, Windows Phone 7 isn’t bad, actually. Aside
from the missing features, there aren’t a whole lot of apps available
yet. There’s also a report that Microsoft is actually trying to lure iOS
developers to the platform, because they aren’t coming of their own accord.

Now if Microsoft fails to adapt to the 21st century, it doesn’t mean
that sales will suddenly plummet. There’s enough momentum there to keep
Microsoft’s stockholders, and their wealthy executives, fat and rich for
a number of years. But the trend, as I’ve previously said, remains
inexorable. It’s going to be downhill, and the slide will be slow and
treacherous.

You could see it this past quarter, when Apple, for the first time,
posted higher profits than Microsoft; total sales were already ahead. I
could almost imagine Steve Jobs and his crew applauding and cheering
when Microsoft’s financials were originally announced. It was a long
time coming.

Apple’s ascendency was most obvious last year when the company’s market
cap exceeded that of Microsoft. Whereas Apple’s stock is, overall,
rising, Microsoft’s has been flat for years. Fewer and fewer investors
have confidence in the long-term prospects, although Microsoft continues
to make profits that most companies would envy.

The problem is that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn’t seem to have a
grasp of the fact that innovation means inventing something new and
different, rather than poorly imitate what has gone before. This lack of
inspiration from the executive suite may, in part, explain why Windows
Phone 7, though it has a really nice interface, seems to be a couple of
years behind when it comes to features. Microsoft must still believe
they’re stuck in the 1990s, where the mere vaporware promise to beat or
exceed the competition some day is sufficient to keep customers calling.

These days, if there’s any chance of a replay of a two-party operating
system war in the mobile space, it’s between Apple and Google, and
Microsoft may have a seat at the table, but probably a small one.
Perhaps their last great hope is that long-term alliance with Nokia,
where Windows Phone 7 will replace the existing Symbian based OS on the
company’s smartphones come next year. Meantime, Apple earns more than
Nokia on handsets, with a fraction of the market share. Worse, telling
customers that existing Nokia gear is already obsolete doesn’t help the
company make much progress this year on the high end.

And it’s not that Microsoft’s promotional campaigns seem terribly
compelling. Although Windows 7 is doing well enough in a stagnant PC
market, a large portion of the new sales involve OEM bundles, meaning
the OS is preloaded onto a new PC. It’s not that Microsoft’s lame ads
are causing loads of people to rush into their local consumer
electronics outlet to buy a costly retail upgrade.

The Bing campaign, to boost Microsoft’s search engine, is curious in its
own right. The message is not simple and direct, as in any Apple ad you
can mention in recent memory. Worse, the lame attempt at humor falls
flat. Besides, what’s so compelling about a free search engine anyway?
How many TV ads has Google run lately, or in your memory, yet Google’s
search share remains fairly consistent. Bing’s gains came by
cannibalizing Yahoo! search which is, as you recall, now powered by Bing.

That Bing is now an option on a Mac with Safari might help, at least for
those who care to try a different search engine, or regard Google as the
“evil empire,” Microsoft’s former role. But most customers don’t really
care a whit about changing search engine options. Google works fine.
Bing might have prettier background images, but I am not at all
convinced the search results are superior, let alone comparable.

Where is the message that Bing conveys that would make you want to
switch? Other than, as I said, encouraging people who can’t tolerate
Google, which doesn’t really demonstrate a provable advantage for
Microsoft, or even a sensible marketing strategy.

While Microsoft seems to be doing OK is on the game machine front — and
they will likely prosper from the backlash in light of Sony’s recent
Playstation online debacle, on the long haul the biggest competition is
that old nemesis, Apple, with the iPhone, iPod touch, and the iPad.

And when it comes to tablets, whenever there’s talk of a potential iPad
competitor, new Android OS devices get first priority. Then there’s the
curious case of the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook, which still must be bridged
with a regular BlackBerry to use an email client, not to mention RIM’s
pair of CEOs who cannot voice a coherent vision for the company. It’s no
wonder RIM’s growth curve has flattened, and the PlayBook was greeted by
collective yawns.

Nowhere do we hear much about an impending Microsoft tablet solution.
Sure, maybe Windows 8 will have support for ARM chips, the ones used on
other tablets. But supporting a set of mobile processors doesn’t mean
that Microsoft has a grasp on how to tailor the classic Windows
interface to work best on a mobile device with a touchscreen or tiny
physical keyboard. As I said, Windows Phone 7 isn’t bad, actually. Aside
from the missing features, there aren’t a whole lot of apps available
yet. There’s also a report that Microsoft is actually trying to lure iOS
developers to the platform, because they aren’t coming of their own accord.

Now if Microsoft fails to adapt to the 21st century, it doesn’t mean
that sales will suddenly plummet. There’s enough momentum there to keep
Microsoft’s stockholders, and their wealthy executives, fat and rich for
a number of years. But the trend, as I’ve previously said, remains
inexorable. It’s going to be downhill, and the slide will be slow and
treacherous.