I don't fully understand why Microsoft felt that they were "smoked." They weren't really in the music market at all at the time. Why does Apple and Microsoft feel that they must compete in every field?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
E-mails From 2003 Reveal Microsoft Caught 'Flat Footed' by iTunes Music Store Launch
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I don't know if I can answer a "why"...but I'm sensing a direct correlation with their success.
yet somehow they're probably the most important company of the 20th century...
Well someone had to get the "Technology" ball rolling... and if I remember correctly... Steve Jobs was there in the beginning too, right?
Gates took a slightly different route early on, and convinced the general publc that Microsoft would change there lives, but it took someone like Jobs to convince the world that their lives could be better...
Personally, I don't write off Microsoft. It's a huge company and still wields a lot of influence through the fact that the majority of desktop OSs installed in the world are a variety of Windows.
Both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have proved themselves to be visionaries. What Steve Jobs has been successful in doing is populating Apple with other visionaries that have been very successful in pushing the company further out from its core competences, which is a trick that Bill Gates hasn't managed thus far.
I watched a documentary about Microsoft not long ago where Bill Gates was recounting sitting around with Steve Ballmer in the early days of MS very excited about their strategy and Steve Ballmer didn't get it. Never understood why he put him at the helm.
Both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have proved themselves to be visionaries. What Steve Jobs has been successful in doing is populating Apple with other visionaries that have been very successful in pushing the company further out from its core competences, which is a trick that Bill Gates hasn't managed thus far.
I watched a documentary about Microsoft not long ago where Bill Gates was recounting sitting around with Steve Ballmer in the early days of MS very excited about their strategy and Steve Ballmer didn't get it. Never understood why he put him at the helm.
Guess you missed the Woz on Dancing with the Stars
Love the Woz, but that Dancing appearance was bad news in every possible way.
That said, I'd still take Woz over Ballmer in a battle of brains any day. Heck, I wouldn't mind seeing a Woz v. Ballmer dance-off.
(Caution: the first 4 rows of seats are considered the Splash Zone.)
Love the Woz, but that Dancing appearance was bad news in every possible way.
That said, I'd still take Woz over Ballmer in a battle of brains any day. Heck, I wouldn't mind seeing a Woz v. Ballmer dance-off.
(Caution: the first 4 rows of seats are considered the Splash Zone.)
god...that would kill last week's Superbowl rating, guaranteed.
Microsoft was caught 'flat-footed'
They can't use their dexterity bonus with their AC i guess.
I completely geeked out, i know.
Back to the topic, I think we we're all blindsided a bit by the iTunes music store. I remember hearing about it and wondering "why would anyone pay for music that limewire/bittorrent/etc gets us for free?"
Until i saw that iTunes could give you high quality music without malware and viruses. The ability to download one or two songs for a cheap fee without buying the whole album, and it works perfectly with your iPod.
I can see how some of us didn't expect it to take off.
They can't use their dexterity bonus with their AC i guess.
I completely geeked out, i know.
Back to the topic, I think we we're all blindsided a bit by the iTunes music store. I remember hearing about it and wondering "why would anyone pay for music that limewire/bittorrent/etc gets us for free?"
Until i saw that iTunes could give you high quality music without malware and viruses. The ability to download one or two songs for a cheap fee without buying the whole album, and it works perfectly with your iPod.
I can see how some of us didn't expect it to take off.
MSFT had been trying to establish a multimedia format for a long time. Hence their creation of WMV and WMA, etc., to compete with Quicktime.
One of Jobs' big selling points to the music studios, I believe was that since the iTunes Store would only be on the mac, it could serve as a great pilot...
Apparently the labels liked it enough to agree to expand to Windows too..
Haha, absolutely! And they are still struggling to respond to ALL of those TO THIS DAY!!! Pathetic!
This is what cracked me up..... "I am not saying this strangeness means we messed up - at least if we did so did Real and Pressplay and Musicnet and basically everyone else." Um, ya Bill, try the latter!
yet somehow they're probably the most important company of the 20th century...
Microsoft is what they are pretty much because they took from others and then locked OEMs into their monopoly! PERIOD!
They got lucky once, and boy did they get REALLY REALLY LUCKY! But the fact that they have never been able to produce valid competitive results since that time only serves as proof! They NEVER win with competition. They still struggle to this day on every front that they face competition in. The only thing they have been able to do successfully is keep OEMs locked in to their monopoly. In fact every other front they enter into competition with only serves to protect their monopoly from unraveling!
Microsoft's days are numbered! No they won't go out of business, but in the near future they will loose HUGE relevance to the other emerging tech giants like Apple and Google. Their throne will no longer exist though they will continue to be on the scene.
AMEN! Honestly as much as I dislike Microsoft, I am not ignorant enough to deny that they must have tons of brilliant and creative people there. The reason they are what they are is because of the leadership! Steve Ballmer should have been fired by the share holders a LONG time ago! It baffles me that they still aren't getting rid of him.
Just think, if Bill Gates had his wits about him he'd be the richest man in the world.
At the end of the day, it sure is nice to be proud of what you've accomplished, to be proud of your products, etc. I know this from my business.
I don't know that Gates is proud of anything he did a Microsoft. I'm sure he's proud of his charitable endeavors, as he should be.
The bottom line is that he owns the business sector in terms of PCs running his OS, which has made him rich.
Jobs is rich (but not the richest!), but certainly has created some products that I have no doubt he worships. His products have also proven successful as demonstrated by people wanting to buy them, vs having to buy them (as is the case with the majority of Microsoft's business)
E-mails From 2003 Reveal Microsoft Caught 'Flat Footed' by iTunes Music Store Launch
2010 shows not much has changed.
Well he did publicly slag on his own OS.
2010 shows not much has changed.
Well he did publicly slag on his own OS.
Of course all this is *proof* that MSFT is finished. Right after they posted their biggest ever profits.
Of course all this is *proof* that MSFT is finished. Right after they posted their biggest ever profits.
McDonald's sells the most hamburgers.
They are still standing. You got to hand it to them, they are doing well with so many failures. They make the Apple TV look like the iPhone.