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Ballmer: Microsoft-Powered Tablets Are 'Job One Urgency'
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Ars has an insightful article about why the Desktop interface fails on a touch tablet.
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/07/ballmer-and-microsoft-still-doesnt-get-the-ipad.ars
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/07/ballmer-and-microsoft-still-doesnt-get-the-ipad.ars
For a decade, his monochromatic role as a loose-canon, lackluster CEO has mortified and mystified many.
And it speaks 'BASIC.'
Insightful article.
This quote sums things up well:
"Tablets are, like smartphones, another growth market that Microsoft is going to fail to capitalize on, thanks to a failure to understand the company's past failures, and a stubborn refusal to recognize that not everything is a PC."
Slapping touch capabilities onto an already clunky desktop OS ain't gonna cut it - never has, and likely, never will.
Ballmer remains in position because he has the support of the other two in Microsoft's Holy Triumvirate. Shareholders are going to find it difficult to shift him when Gates, Allen and Ballmer himself between them own nearly a third of the company. Unless one of them breaks ranks and puts the knife into their long-time buddy Ballmer will have to be persuaded to step aside rather than forced.
Steps to make Microsoft a major player in the Media Consumption industry.
1. Remove Steve Ballmers Vocal Chrods and Limbs. No explanation needed.
2. Remove Windows as the centre of their Media Universe. Yes it is one of their key franchises, but Windows is not even needed for Media Consumption. They should focus on making a good product than re-purposing windows.
3. Start from scratch. As far as the world is concerned, the Xbox 360 is their most successful "black box". (Look up the black box media fallacy) Yet, they are losing marketshare to Sony/Apple and the PS3/iPod/iPhone is a far more capable machine. Apple made their bucks by creating a fine tuned ecosystem and made it a good ecosystem. Something only achievable by being thoroughly planned.
1. Remove Steve Ballmers Vocal Chrods and Limbs. No explanation needed.
2. Remove Windows as the centre of their Media Universe. Yes it is one of their key franchises, but Windows is not even needed for Media Consumption. They should focus on making a good product than re-purposing windows.
3. Start from scratch. As far as the world is concerned, the Xbox 360 is their most successful "black box". (Look up the black box media fallacy) Yet, they are losing marketshare to Sony/Apple and the PS3/iPod/iPhone is a far more capable machine. Apple made their bucks by creating a fine tuned ecosystem and made it a good ecosystem. Something only achievable by being thoroughly planned.
On who copied whom:
Given that there were/are so many complaints of the iPad looking like an oversized iPhone, is it really so hard to believe that HP, whose recent All-in-one computers show a striking design similarity to another company's offerings, may have been "influenced" a little bit in their design of Slate?
True, but it still doesn't address the point of the poster to whom you replied, namely that Slate was demonstrated in Jan. and you still cannot buy one. Sure, we've seen demos of emerging technology before, like Surface, but when someone like Ballmer shows it off at CES, one would think a production release is imminent and/or fully planned.
On the charitable side, maybe HP realized they might be able to do more with a different OS, AFTER they saw the popularity of the iPad, and decided to retool.
I think it is more likely that MS pushed them to demo because they knew that Apple was releasing something.
Has anyone ever ever seen a handheld camera the size of the iPad? There is a good reason for that. While camera phones aren't the greatest they are getting better, but they share something in common with their dedicated cousins: a form-factor that facilitates close-in support by the hands and arms.
I don't think the iPad would be a good camera platform unless you put a stand on it, which is easily done, but do you expect Apple to build a kickstand directly into the iPad?
I'd rather try to use it as a tool to do some quick editing of photos.
Given that there were/are so many complaints of the iPad looking like an oversized iPhone, is it really so hard to believe that HP, whose recent All-in-one computers show a striking design similarity to another company's offerings, may have been "influenced" a little bit in their design of Slate?
True, but it still doesn't address the point of the poster to whom you replied, namely that Slate was demonstrated in Jan. and you still cannot buy one. Sure, we've seen demos of emerging technology before, like Surface, but when someone like Ballmer shows it off at CES, one would think a production release is imminent and/or fully planned.
On the charitable side, maybe HP realized they might be able to do more with a different OS, AFTER they saw the popularity of the iPad, and decided to retool.
I think it is more likely that MS pushed them to demo because they knew that Apple was releasing something.
Has anyone ever ever seen a handheld camera the size of the iPad? There is a good reason for that. While camera phones aren't the greatest they are getting better, but they share something in common with their dedicated cousins: a form-factor that facilitates close-in support by the hands and arms.
I don't think the iPad would be a good camera platform unless you put a stand on it, which is easily done, but do you expect Apple to build a kickstand directly into the iPad?
I'd rather try to use it as a tool to do some quick editing of photos.
Well, that's not good news for MS shareholders. Ballmer might have been there in the growth stage and even could be responsible for some of the growth. I'll take your word on that. The real question is:
"What has he done lately?"
Just cause he was around during the growth period doesn't give him the right to be leading it during the decline. When you're 2 competitors have grown like Apple and Google have and you have only grown a little like MS has, that's a decline.
MS reminds me of IBM. Used to make computers and OSs. Now they are a mere shadow of themselves for many of the same reasons that MS could be if they don't make some changes soon.
There is no doubt that Apple had Facetime in mind as a prime feature of the iPhone 4. With the iPad being released only two months earlier, a front facing camera for Facetime calls was a BARE MINIMUM it should have had. I'm a major iPad cheerleader, but this is an inexcusable oversight for a device that just lives to be in a WiFi environment where video collaboration - or just plain old seeing the wife/kids/grandma - is a no-brainer. I DO NOT WANT ANOTHER DONGLE in my gadget bag!
There is no doubt that Apple had Facetime in mind as a prime feature of the iPhone 4. With the iPad being released only two months earlier, a front facing camera for Facetime calls was a BARE MINIMUM it should have had. I'm a major iPad cheerleader, but this is an inexcusable oversight for a device that just lives to be in a WiFi environment where video collaboration - or just plain old seeing the wife/kids/grandma - is a no-brainer. I DO NOT WANT ANOTHER DONGLE in my gadget bag!
FaceTime is another animal, and honestly, I had forgotten about it as it is new. Also, I do a lot of still photography, and almost no video. I was thinking solely of a camera on the back. To address your comment, though, a camera for FaceTime makes more sense considering the way in which the iPad would be held in this use.
Adding FaceTime to the iPhone 4 was a logical decision for a product that had established itself both in the market and in the way it was being used. I disagree that it was a "no-brainer" for the first iPad. There was no guarantee that the product would be successful, despite the hype. Put in the features most likely to be used by the majority of the consumers. Hardly "inexcusable."
I feel your pain about dongles. I have far too many myself. I wouldn't mind seeing a media reader incorporated into the iPad, like they have in the MacBooks and iMacs. But not everyone uses that format. On the other hand, hooking into the dock connector allows a lot of flexibility, as long as it is fully accessible. (I don't know anything about iPad/iOS programming) It is a trade-off, and where do you draw the line as a manufacturer?
I won't deny that there may have been other motives (upgrade path, for one) or mistakes when setting feature set, but that is business and life and yet another reason not to buy the first version.
How about:
Runs all original Xbox games.
Instant hit then
Halo 1 on a tablet
Wonder how much tablet power you would need to play Xbox1 games?
Well... since Bungie broke back off from Microsoft and are independent now... and given that Bungie use to be a Mac Only game developer back in the 90's, it wouldn't surprise me to see Halo or something similar coming to the iPad.
I don't think that can happen. I seem to remember that at the time Microsoft kept the rights to the Halo series so that Bungie can only release those games for XBox. Bungie are free to develop new titles for other platforms though.Well... since Bungie broke back off from Microsoft and are independent now... and given that Bungie use to be a Mac Only game developer back in the 90's, it wouldn't surprise me to see Halo or something similar coming to the iPad.
Perhaps that's the case for a tablet, you don't put a desktop OS on it. But Windows 7 is hardly clunky. It still has some rough legacy edges, but Aero is a damn fine UI.
Because, with TWO screens, it would have cost $1000 for starters? And needed a car battery to keep it going?
Windows 7 is a good OS but it isn't suited for Tablets. Everyone knows it but Microsoft..of course they are trying to sell what they have, but I get the impression that they are very confused and don't know exactly what their position should be. I guess there are too many policies and conflicts of interest inside Microsoft that cause all these problems. Microsoft reminds me of IBM more and more...
The funny thing about the whole story is that Microsoft has the technology available to make a Tablet OS. Windows Phone 7 is almost ready and Windows CE 6 could also be the basis for a Tablet OS. They have already showed proof of concepts but then immediately said that they wouldn't build the GUIs they demonstrated..
It seems to me that the Windows division doesn't want to lose the battle. What they don't see is that till they eventually get it, Apple will have sold 200 million ipads
The funny thing about the whole story is that Microsoft has the technology available to make a Tablet OS. Windows Phone 7 is almost ready and Windows CE 6 could also be the basis for a Tablet OS. They have already showed proof of concepts but then immediately said that they wouldn't build the GUIs they demonstrated..
It seems to me that the Windows division doesn't want to lose the battle. What they don't see is that till they eventually get it, Apple will have sold 200 million ipads
It's like the iPhone. For anything more than a quick e-mail, get a bluetooth keyboard.
You're looking the wrong way
Thing is, HP is putting out a Windows 7 tablet, but I suspect a contractual obligation. They will be using WebOS for their main effort at a tablet. That could be okay.
If Ballmer gets over his brain disease, a Windows Phone 7-based tablet could work.
But Android is the most likely challenger.
Thing is, HP is putting out a Windows 7 tablet, but I suspect a contractual obligation. They will be using WebOS for their main effort at a tablet. That could be okay.
If Ballmer gets over his brain disease, a Windows Phone 7-based tablet could work.
But Android is the most likely challenger.
What confuses me about this is that we always hear people debating if Apple is a hardware or software company. Microsoft is undoubtedly a software company, but acts as if it doesn't know how to create anything other than Windows.
The question I can't escape is this: Is Windows 7 going to offer the *ideal* tablet experience? The answer to that has to be a resounding "No." So, then, why is Microsoft - a software company - attempting to shoehorn software onto a platform it wasn't designed for, rather than develop a new solution?
The question I can't escape is this: Is Windows 7 going to offer the *ideal* tablet experience? The answer to that has to be a resounding "No." So, then, why is Microsoft - a software company - attempting to shoehorn software onto a platform it wasn't designed for, rather than develop a new solution?
There's a whole world of wireless connection possibilities for iPad peripheral connection. The dongle is a legacy link, whereas most of the low and moderate data rate stuff would fit the realm of bluetooth and WiFi respectively. You'll have to upload large video and picture files with the USB dongle or a purpose build connection to the dock connector port; everything else should be downloaded wirelessly.
I can live with the dongle easily. That said, an SD card slot should find its way into the iPad, even if an engineering challenge due to the minimalist edge profile.
Umm, isn't the IphoneOS basically OSX, shoehorned onto a platform that it wasn't designed for?
The first part of the word "software" is "soft" - meaning that it can be modified to adapt to new scenarios.