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Microsoft's Concept Videos From 2000: Why Didn't Ballmer Build Any of It?

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Re: Microsoft's Concept Videos From 2000: Why Didn't Ballmer Build Any of It?

#91

Post by r00fus »

shubb wrote: post #53
dimitar wrote: post #17

I was reading about the worlds navies around the turn of the 19th century. The British dominated the seas and were very innovative during the wars with the French and Dutch. But then they stopped. They knew that they had the best sailing ships and knew that changing the technology will only disrupt seas in a way threatening their supremacy. And so the torpedo was invented by the Austrians, the steam and iron ships we…

As an aside, it scares me a little that Windows for Warships is a thing. https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/02/windows_for_w...

Not me - sounds like your average defense contractor boondoggle.

Re: Microsoft's Concept Videos From 2000: Why Didn't Ballmer Build Any of It?

#92

Post by general_failure »

csel wrote: post #32

Ballmer and his stooges were too busy making fun of Apple and Google (aka. Microsoft's version of marketing). Gosh, when Ballmer leaves, I hope all his VP's would be taken out as well.

Did you forget who is the prime candidate to replace Ballmer? Elop...

Re: Microsoft's Concept Videos From 2000: Why Didn't Ballmer Build Any of It?

#93

Post by x0054 »

sahaskatta wrote: post #89
x0054 wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know what's really sad about that Video, even in the future Microsoft imagines them selves using low resolution displays. I mean, for god sakes, every time they would zoom in on that frameless phone thing you would clearly see pixels. Since it's all CGI, they actually went out of their way to give it low res screen look my painting in the pixel lines. I think, at least for me, the true failure of MS Surface was t…

I played with the Surface Pro for a week or two. I felt the display was actually one of the best ones I've seen. Especially considering the quality of the pen digitizer inside. Are you maybe referring to the lower-res display on the Surface RT? (I haven't played with that one much.)

Yep, the RT. Have not played with the Pro yet, I should stop by the local Windows store and take a look.

Re: Microsoft's Concept Videos From 2000: Why Didn't Ballmer Build Any of It?

#94

Post by Maarten88 »

pmorici wrote: post #28
Maarten88 wrote: post #9

But they did build a lot of that video. A few things even succesfully, like Lync/Skype (video conferencing) and SharePoint (document sharing) However, they failed at most things: - they were too early and the market and technology was not ready for it (Pocket PC) - they were too late (Zune, Windows Phone) - plans were blocked by companies who's support they needed but who were scared of them (music/movies/mobile phon…

"A few things even successfully, like Lync/Skype" Didn't they buy Skype?

They did, but their homegrown product, Lync, is far superior. They bought Skype for its user base, brand and reach on other platforms, not for the technology.

Re: Microsoft's Concept Videos From 2000: Why Didn't Ballmer Build Any of It?

#95

Post by Maarten88 »

mynameisvlad wrote: post #21
Maarten88 wrote: post #9

But they did build a lot of that video. A few things even succesfully, like Lync/Skype (video conferencing) and SharePoint (document sharing) However, they failed at most things: - they were too early and the market and technology was not ready for it (Pocket PC) - they were too late (Zune, Windows Phone) - plans were blocked by companies who's support they needed but who were scared of them (music/movies/mobile phon…

> everything speech To be completely fair, Kinect Audio recognition is awesome.

You speak English, i'm sure.

Another thing Microsoft has severely lost in the last decade is catering to the needs of customers outside the US. Case in point: Bing

Re: Microsoft's Concept Videos From 2000: Why Didn't Ballmer Build Any of It?

#96

Post by Maarten88 »

shubb wrote: post #49
Maarten88 wrote: post #9

But they did build a lot of that video. A few things even succesfully, like Lync/Skype (video conferencing) and SharePoint (document sharing) However, they failed at most things: - they were too early and the market and technology was not ready for it (Pocket PC) - they were too late (Zune, Windows Phone) - plans were blocked by companies who's support they needed but who were scared of them (music/movies/mobile phon…

I loved my pocket PC. The stylus and palm style glyth input gave data entry a practicality Android tablets can't match today. What the IPad had was style, a lot of style. The UI was beautiful. In terms of functionality didn't carry redundant desktop features like menus with it. But it was the style, the cool factor, that made it consumer in a way that nerdy Pocket PCs never were. I feel, (like ValueAct), that Microso…

I feel, like Ballmer, that enterprise just lags consumers by 10 years. Giving up consumers means loosing enterprise somewhere in the future.

They must execute better if they want to survive.

Re: Microsoft's Concept Videos From 2000: Why Didn't Ballmer Build Any of It?

#97

Post by huxley »

teyc wrote: post #41
Maarten88 wrote: post #9

But they did build a lot of that video. A few things even succesfully, like Lync/Skype (video conferencing) and SharePoint (document sharing) However, they failed at most things: - they were too early and the market and technology was not ready for it (Pocket PC) - they were too late (Zune, Windows Phone) - plans were blocked by companies who's support they needed but who were scared of them (music/movies/mobile phon…

They also have very little marketing budget, and then when used was spent ineffectively. Apple reportedly lavished 700m on advertising the iPhones teaching people how to use it. Not only that, Apple figured out how to get free press for their product releases. Microsoft on the other hand, gets free press on product bungles.

Microsoft spends on average 50-60% more on advertising, marketing and promotions than Apple.

Re: Microsoft's Concept Videos From 2000: Why Didn't Ballmer Build Any of It?

#98

Post by Terretta »

gnaritas wrote: post #56
MAGZine wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here are 500 of the industry's most talented engineers, artists, HCI experts, etc, entirely yours, for 10 years. Worthless without a money-making proposition, which is, in many cases, the idea. if you've got money (and thus, talent), the idea is the most valuable part. good ideas might be valueless (though you could make a case to say this is also untrue), but they're definitely not worthless.

If you have that much talent on hand, you don't need an idea, you can simply copy and out-compete existing players in existing markets. To call that worthless is to seriously misunderstand the nature of business.

> simply

Sure.

Re: Microsoft's Concept Videos From 2000: Why Didn't Ballmer Build Any of It?

#99

Post by TimJRobinson »

I've recently came across "The Road Ahead" written by Bill Gates in 1995, and in it he details many of the technologies we have today with surprising accuracy (We'll all have digital wallets that contain all our info, take movies and photos, allows us to converse with anyone anywhere wirelessly etc).

Microsoft had a great vision for the future they just failed in execution.

Re: Microsoft's Concept Videos From 2000: Why Didn't Ballmer Build Any of It?

#100

Post by gnaritas »

corresation wrote: post #77
gnaritas wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Patents don't cover ideas, they cover implementations of those ideas.

There are patents on time machines and those that break the laws of thermodynamics. Because many patents lies at an abstract cross road midway between idea and execution.

The patents are still on proposed implementations, not on the idea itself.
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