Microsoft to Launch iPhone Rival on Verizon Early Next Year?

[SandynJosh]

Which retailers are selling eee pcs with linux, all I see on those netbooks are Windows XP, Linux is practically irrelevant for the average dude, which is why they have no store presence.

The largest retailer in the world, Walmart, is selling low cost pcs with Linux for the last couple/three years. If the description at www.walmart.com doesn't say Vista Home version, and the computer is low-end specs; then it's driven by Linux.

$278 laptop is Linux, $498 is Vista.

Of course the specs difference of the hardware is all over the park as well.

 

[SandynJosh]

As for the Windows monopoly goes, both Apple and MS had equal opportunity to take the market when they were both young. Apple was arrogant and MS took advantage of it. Don't blame MS, blame Apple. MS made the best out of the situation though innovative business strategies.

What alternate universe did you come from? It was no equal opportunity. MS entered the market installed on IBM branded computers which were a shoo-in for the enterprise market which was totally sold on the IBM name and experience at the time. The saying went back then, "Nobody was ever fired for buying IBM equipment."

IBM was "golden" to the corporate IT department buyers. It was not until IBM became arrogant and refused to rapidly adopt the latest Intel CPU chip and networking software, did an opening occur for other hardware brands that also ran the same OS as IBM. Intel releasing the whole (new and improved lower cost more-integrated) chip sets and opened the flood gates for garage operations to jump in and even push out the early leaders such as Compaq.

It was not Apple OS against MS back then, it was Apple against a good dozen early IBM clones in a tight price-competitive race for market share. However, the corporate IT managers were, by then, totally in the bag for the MS OS due to the love of IBM.

There's no need to make up history, it is interesting enough just as it is.

 

[SandynJosh]

The funny thing is that microsoft blames the hardware makers when it's the software that mostly sucks on windows mobile. It shows just how much they're out of it.

I'd really like to have an iPhone, but AT&T just doesn't have good coverage in my state. So I wandered down to the Verizon store and played with iPhone wannabes. I picked up a phone with Windows Mobile on it and pushed some buttons and nothing happened. So just as I was going to try it again, the phone reacted. Holy Cow! Talk about an operating system dragging a system down! Windows Mobile totally overwhelmed the phone's ability to be responsive.

I was in Best Buy a couple weeks later and played with the iPhone and was so impressed with how naturally and responsively it interacted with my touch.

I'm still waiting to buy a new phone. I love the way the iPhone works and don't like the limited area AT&T has in Nebraska. I love the coverage Verizon has in Nebraska, but don't care for their smart phones. So, I do find myself looking forward to being able to have the best of both worlds here as soon as it can happen.

 

[Sehnsucht]

 

[Everlast]

Found this on youtube, will that be the Microsoft iPhone killer looks like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRKIDdIaFyE&feature=related

 

[iMaggot]

Ah Microsoft iPhone killer ?...................................LMAO!!!!!!

 

[madina]

Microsoft Lagging Behind Again

Once again Microsoft latching on to Apple's innovation.
Lacking any ideas of there own... I wander how long Microsoft can remain the majority suppliers of PC's and Software.

Chin up Microsoft. http://images.macrumors.com/vb/images/smilies/frown.gif

 

[urbanlung]

Not quite

I'm no fan of Microsoft but let's be fair. Microsoft showed great innovation with the GUI-based operating system by making it run on a wider selection of hardware. That was an innovation that Apple famously refused to pursue and, for that, Microsoft rightly gets credit for introducing the world to the GUI. Was that not an innovative move?

The technical innovation came from the PC manufacturers who 'cloned' IBM PCs by reverse engineering IBMs BIOS and thus producing a mass market that fell into Microsoft's lap. The only innovation Microsoft brought to the table was by screwing IBM non-exclusivity and repackaging some-one else's DOS as their own work.

 

[BMWFan]

Now, I don't really know what's been going on between the two of you, but while both provide competition, Macs sell well and perform well. Zunes don't.

Wrong. According to Wikipedia OS X has a 4% share and according to this
http://www.appleinsider.com/article...ation_point_for_ipod_itunes_use_by_teens.html

zune has a similar 4% share.

As for performance, many people who have used Zunes and iPods claim that the Zune has superior sound quality.

Zune has already gathered a small dedicated loyal community just like how Macs have one.

The technical innovation came from the PC manufacturers who 'cloned' IBM PCs by reverse engineering IBMs BIOS and thus producing a mass market that fell into Microsoft's lap. The only innovation Microsoft brought to the table was by screwing IBM non-exclusivity and repackaging some-one else's DOS as their own work.

And where was Apple in all of this? Nowhere, they could have done the same thing MS did and sell their OS to clones but they were too arrogant. They didn't have the innovation or the vision.

 

[DELLsFan]

Maybe Verizon is spreading this rumor to soften up Apple for the iPhone negotiations.

I don't see this frightening Apple, though. MS has yet to show that they can compete with Apple in the general gadget market.

No, they haven't even come close on the gadget front ... yet. Their Zune attempts remind me of a rich tycoon who sets his adolescent son up with a barrel or two of money for his school science project. No one takes the project very seriously (including the son), but the family raves about the innovation and genius of the son's new toy and it is mass marketed. A few thousand butt-kissers buy the son's product, but it doesn't catch on beyond shill markets.

Microsoft needs to "Think Different" in it's approach with any phone. If they can safely navigate the shark-infested patent waters and release something as functional and aesthetically pleasing to hold and operate as the iPhone at a lower price (and with a physical keyboard), they'll be on the right track. None of the android phones I've seen look appealing. The Palm Pre, on the other hand looks promising. However all smart phone manufacturers have serious hurdles to overcome - the ongoing stigma of exclusivity contracts with carriers.

Any new product to the market must be a viable alternative to the iPhone, be able to function on any network, and cost less after subsidy to pose any serious consequence to Apple. And since no one has learned this lesson so far since the iPhone was released, I doubt Bullheaded Ballmer's Microsoft will fare any differently. The rich tycoon has another son with another science project.

Grade: F

 

[stockscalper]

Zune Fone! Nuff said

 

[Oh-es-Ten]

The issue here is corporate culture...

Both Apple and MS have shareholders to report to, and as business need to remain competitive and profitable (of course) - but they are both singing from very different sheets...

MS: "We want to see our OS on as many products as possible"

Apple: "We just want to make great products"

This is so apparently obvious in the entire ethos of their operations. MS cannot complete with that type of quest for perfection (originally instilled by Steve Jobs, but now entrenched in the entire operation) while it thinks that putting a finger in every pie is the answer.

 

[kdarling]

It was not Apple OS against MS back then, it was Apple against a good dozen early IBM clones ... snip.

That was true for business, and as you said, "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM"... and part of the legacy is that IT departments still resist Apple.

On the home side, Apple was up against Tandy, Amiga, Atari, Commodore and a dozen other computer makers.

 

[haravikk]

Except MS have recently started making profits from the Xboxes. And top of that once the hardware problems are completely solved, they will have a non stop source of revenue through the Xbox Live subscriptions. Mac users are quick to use the "market share != quality" when it comes to Mac vs Pc arguments, but when it comes to MS products, they use a different standard. Hypocritical. Like I said, lets see Apple enter the gaming market and make as much difference as MS did in the time frame.

Apple is affecting the gaming market, with the iPhone and iPod Touch
I doubt Apple is really poised to make an attempt at true console gaming, though it'd be interesting to see what they would come up with (though I think the Wii is pretty much all Apple-inspired). I expect they're planning to gain a good foothold in the portable gaining market, then perhaps extend the experience to the Apple TV, since it looks like iPhone/iPod Touch will soon be supporting HD apps that go to your TV, why not run them on the better hardware of the Apple TV to save your poor phone?

 

[needthephone]

No way would I trust a MS phone- it will be plagued by bugs and viruses. Your mobile phone is too personal, has confidential information and for many people it is one of the most important items in their lives. It has all their contacts on after all.

Would you, knowing about MS's history, knowingly entrust something so important to them?

I am not joking, this is being serious, on paper this think will totally destroy the iphone. The marketeers will want it loaded with every whizz bang feature they can think of.

Multitasking
6MP camera
Slie out and probably fold out key pad
HD Touch screen
Front facing 4MP video chat camera
Full GPS with turn by turn built in
Email
MS Messenger
Internet Explorer
Full MS Office Suite
A replaceable battery
Any colour you want
Music and films for a ridiculously low fee
10 games


But sill it won't actually work that well and I wouldn't touch it with a barge poll.

MS has let me down too much.

I'm running Vista on bootcamp and honestly it crashes or has some security issue every time I use it. Never again, Iv'e trusted them too much in the past.

 

[needthephone]

Except MS have recently started making profits from the Xboxes. And top of that once the hardware problems are completely solved, they will have a non stop source of revenue through the Xbox Live subscriptions. Mac users are quick to use the "market share != quality" when it comes to Mac vs Pc arguments, but when it comes to MS products, they use a different standard. Hypocritical. Like I said, lets see Apple enter the gaming market and make as much difference as MS did in the time frame.

Sorry off topic but no way are the X box hardware problems going to be solved in a hurry-they are only just starting (AGAIN). First they had power supply socket issues which were a safety hazard and now this..

http://www.smh.com.au/news/technolo...plague-xbox-360/2009/04/15/1239474924715.html

Google xbox red light of death and you will see what I mean.

MS have no soul they subcontract everything out to box builders.

This new phone will be no different.

True the iphone had big issues on launch but they are 99.9% fixed. You can't say that for many other phone companies like Nokia for example.

MS making a phone, give me strength.

 

[Sehnsucht]

MS has let me down too much.

I'm running Vista on Boot Camp and honestly it crashes or has some security issue every time I use it. Never again, I've trusted them too much in the past.

IT CRASHES 'CAUSE YOU'RE RUNNING IT ON AN APPLE!!!!!!

Just kidding.

I do think it's interesting how the trolls like to say, "Macs contain the same hardware as PCs" when the discussion is about Macs being "overpriced", and then the same trolls turn around and say, "Oh, psshhhh...it's your Apple," when someone is having an issue with Vista running like ass. "It'd run fine if you had a real PC." Yeah, OK.

 

[Roessnakhan]

True the iphone had big issues on launch but they are 99.9% fixed.

Except for the cracks in housing, light leaks, overheating, and faulty water sensors - these hardly constitute 0.1%.

 

[AidenShaw]

IT CRASHES 'CAUSE YOU'RE RUNNING IT ON AN APPLE!!!!!!

You're running Apple software on it though, which could be the cause of any crashes....

 

[veeco3110]

i wonder how many times the word "zune phone" has been put in this topic haha horrible microsoft.

 

[chakosticks]

"As for performance, many people who have used Zunes and iPods claim that the Zune has superior sound quality."

Suuuuuuuuuuure it does. It must have magical sound crystalz in there!

Technically the headphones deliver the sound so the only true test would be comparing the devices with the same high-quality headphones. Even then it's still a subjective "Coke vs. Pepsi" preference.

 

[50548]

And the statistics show that many of the Linux models are returned to the retailer after the customer realizes the mistake.

Type "linux netbook return" into your favorite non-monopolistic search engine for many, many more stories like this.

As usual, you "forgot" to include the explanation provided by the same article:

"Unclear selling is happening, typically online. The customer will get their netbook sent to their home and they imagine to find something like a Microsoft desktop, but they see a brown Ubuntu version. They are unwilling to learn it and they were expecting to have Windows."

"These customers just don’t want to try something new."

 

[BongoBanger]

Apple and Microsoft both innovate and are highly successful. They also buy other people's ideas. People who miss these points are being willfully ignorant.

Anyway, MS went on record today stating they won't issue a ZunePhone.

 

[AidenShaw]

As usual, you "forgot" to include the explanation provided by the same article:

"Unclear selling is happening, typically online. The customer will get their netbook sent to their home and they imagine to find something like a Microsoft desktop, but they see a brown Ubuntu version. They are unwilling to learn it and they were expecting to have Windows."

"These customers just don’t want to try something new."

The product did not meet the customer's needs. Therefore it was returned to the store.

Why should the customer be expected to relearn something? Why can't the customer expect a new computer to act like other computers that they use?

But the "unclear selling" is definitely true. Many people don't understand anything about computers, so the word "Ubuntu" might as well be Zulu to them.

Linux systems should have a warning:

WARNING:
This Computer has an Alien operating system,
it will not run any of your programs and tools,
and it will seem very strange to use.

You probably want to buy the other computer,
the one that says Windows Vista on the box.​

 

[Oscartapia]

Innovation!

The technical innovation came from the PC manufacturers who 'cloned' IBM PCs by reverse engineering IBMs BIOS and thus producing a mass market that fell into Microsoft's lap. The only innovation Microsoft brought to the table was by screwing IBM non-exclusivity and repackaging some-one else's DOS as their own work.

Oh, sure it was innovation, it created a big monopoly from Microsoft over all the hardware makers, so Bill Gates could be the richest man on the world!!!... I don't know how somebody can see it as something innovative, that created the hegemony from Microsoft. and even with their failures many people don;t have any other option but to use Windows, even if they don't like it... and even Mac has done a long way to make easier to choose, to use MacOS with most of the different applications, or even letting you to choose hardware and/or OS, there's still too many people that doesn't know this.

And by the way, yes, de GUI MacOS, when was recently released... of corse it had to be for one company at that moment! How could somebody create something new, so innovative and let everybody take it without the advantage of makeing deals with the companies interested on that OS!? That's what Microsoft made because they didn't invest developing, they just copied MacOs, that's why they gave it to all the hardware manufacturers with less cost, and that's why the hardware companies took it.

For example: iTunes, and of corse the iTunes Music Store, had to be just for Mac at the beginning, and once established as the best of his kind, they extended to Windows. That's the logic, the all-manufacturers way to make things.