Comments

• your_friend

  2010-02-07 17:20:04

  It is amusing that Apple is once again collecting arrows in the back as Microsoft's pioneer. iPhone, iTouch and iPad are all exactly what Bill Gates said the world should have when MIT tried to deliver a $100 laptop for educational purposes. He sneered at OLPC's "tiny screen" and said that phones that talk to larger screens should be used instead in the developing world. He strangely thought that TVs and other large screens were common or desirable because his brain is entrenched in the broadcast past and his business model depends on that kind of centralized power. It is no surprise that Gates and Apple demand the complete lack of software freedom found in all of the Apple hype products, nor is is a surprise that the form factor would evolve. GNU/Linux users have enjoyed the benefits of this form factor for a decade or so and there are countless commercial devices that exploit GNU/Linux on it. The irony is that Gate's vision for ruling the developing world's computing future is largely confined to a wealthy world niche. The developing world can not afford all of the taxes and restrictions non free software dumps on computing. They will inevitably be drawn to free software and hardware makers that cater to this will be the winners, not Microsoft or Apple.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2010-02-07 18:34:01

  Do not forget Surface. According to CNET, it was Gates' insistence that kept it from dying before launch (Robbie Bach knew it would fail) and I suspect he also had something to do with the concept, which hardly even appeals to the super-rich.
  
  Another disastrous prediction from Gates was the SPOT Watch.
  
  More recent examples here.

• your_friend

  2010-02-07 22:22:09

  The surface is more of a marketing and hype generation tool than a product. Of course the idea is obvious, has been done before and it is even desirable when done with the user in control. Microsoft has tried to deploy these things where people will see them, casinos, hotel lobbies, airports and other high profile places. They are fitted with bluetooth and are used to track customers, but that has not apparently been enough to justify their costs and unreliability which a partner once called, "so Microsofty." Microsoft claims to ahve invented every they copy from others and use displays like this to convince gullible people that Microsoft is a technology company. As the "Evangelism is War" slide show put it, "It's not about the customer, it's not about the tech, it's about Microsoft." Microsoft wants people to talk about them not nifty tables.
  
  iPad, on the other hand, is where Apple would like their products to go. The form factor is essentially a $40 picture frame that they will sell for $400. The the customer then faces a long line of restriction forced tie in sales and subscriptions. Both iPhone and iPod are successful precursors to this and both of them run off the same cheap hardware that should be available in free software form but is not.
  
  Gates greedily dreamed of forcing the iPad/iPhone/iPod model onto the developing world as he realized the days of two thousand dollar computers were numbered. It was from that perspective that he lambasted the more appropriate OLPC a $100 laptop with cooperative networking, low power consumption for off grid use, and software that can be modified to do what the user wants. Free software cuts middle men like Microsoft out of the picture. Restrictions are designed to draw revenue that no one should have to pay and the developing world can not afford.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2010-02-07 22:36:40

  Some moments ago I found the first article in months that actually mentioned Surface. It's about it coming to Australia a long time after its debut in the US; only one publication found it worth covering.
  
  I have some decent posts coming tomorrow. Microsoft crumbles, so let's keep up Free software advocacy.

• Chips B. Malroy

  2010-02-07 23:44:02

  Quote: "Let’s remember that Apple is a company that relies on a niche. Apple only sells products in few countries that are wealthy, but in the majority of the world, Apple is not even an option which is why GNU/Linux market share is higher overall." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Both Ballmer and Gates come out with statements they are not supposed to, but in Ballmers case its an graph even. After paying sites like Net Apps to skew and spread the lies, the truth came out.
  
  Apple is a niche, because of the price. And on many things they cooperate with MS. In fact during the Antitrust case, MS bought 25% stake of Apple non-voting stock. Not sure MS ever sold that stake either. But I think there is a point where we might see more competition between Apple and MS soon. Apple likes the high prices, make no mistake about that. It will do nothing that it thinks will cannibalize its premo market above $1000 laptops in the USA. The problem for Apple, is as prices still drop on regular OEM laptops, Apple is starting to sell a few less, but not that many. Also, Apple would like to expand its market. The Ipad being one of those efforts. And here lies the problem, by next Xmas season, Arm will be out here in the USA, most likely. ARM may further the race to the bottom for Intel based OEM PC's. While this spells trouble for MS, its also a problem for Apple, as Apple will also need to come out with cheaper computers than they already have. or reduce prices. Say a $700 to $800 Mac Laptop instead of an $999 one? And you see where this is going? It would mean Apple would do about the same thing in the USA to this market that they did to MS in the plus $1000 laptop market.
  
  It will not be the end for MS, but it could be a far less profitable MS by just this years end.

• Roy Schestowitz

  2010-02-07 23:53:26

  Microsoft already has debt. Friends of mine are not sure how profitable it really is.

• your_friend

  2010-02-08 04:35:50

  That graph is far too optimistic. We should not conclude that Mr. Balmer's graph is true simply because it contradicts other things Microsoft has said in the past. Liars at Microsoft contradict themselves regularly. It is likely that the graph underestimates both Apple and GNU/Linux. They do this by using the same selective and fraudulent statistics they used for Zune and Vista/Windows 7 marketshare. When complaining about "piracy" Microsoft sockpuppet BSA claims 41% of software on PCs is "pirated" but the graph above looks more like 25 to 30%. From what I've seen in people's homes over the last ten years, the real unlicensed figure is likely more than 50% in the US and higher world wide. In the last ten years, a large portion of that unlicensed number has moved to free software rather than fool around with Microsoft and all the malware it brings, especially when it comes under the table. When talking to investors, Microsoft says that 90% of the world's desktops use Windows and are paying the Microsoft tax. When buying new laws to protect their monopoly, Microsoft cries about "piracy" and says that no one is giving them any money. When talking about GNU/Linux, they will always say "no more than 2% of the market". Their internal emails showed "comp-hot" regions of the world where free software was widely used. The success of free software in places like Brazil is unquestionable and it's doing better than Microsoft will tell you everywhere.