"Major" Microsoft Announcement Monday

[twacowfca]

How true, I also remember thinking the same about Xerox and IBM.

 

You could tell when Xerox was coming out with a newer and better copier, because they would come by and try to sell you your existing copier, which they would only rent to you before. It was a very high pressure sales job.

 

When I started my practice in 1970, I ordered a IBM Selectric correcting typewriter (it was the cat's meow for the time).  There was a long waiting time as they were backordered.  A friend who started a month later got one from someone who cancelled.  Those of us who were already signed up had to wait, they didn't think to give it to someone who had already ordered.

When the personal computers came out, I remember the IBM salesman coming by and he had no idea what they had or how to use it.

 

It isn't called a monopoly for nothing -

 

Yeah, but the quality's worth it with their main and mid frame systems.  We used to have to beat our IT guys with a stick to use anything but IBM.  They wouldn't even think about using a PC for special applications until well into the 90's. Then no off brands, only HP with Intel chips and Windows.  Meanwhile, we built up an office network using Macs. 

 

Windows 8 looks like a huge home run.  I think it, especially with Surface, will give Microsoft a new lease on life to hold off the reborn Apple.  But I'll fight you if you try to take my Apple toys away from me. 

 

On another subject, our CFO, for whom security is the most important consideration, recently got an Iphone and seems to be phasing out his Blackberry.

[bookie71]

I remember one of my clients taking their IBM mini (?) to the dumpster as no one wanted it and they were doing unbelivable things with pc's that IBM told them couldn't be done.  They now have over 70+ programers on staff and sell their apliccations all over the world.

[bargainman]

One way to measure developer interest is to look at programming languages:

 

http://www.readwriteweb.com/hack/2012/06/5-ways-to-tell-which-programming-lanugages-are-most-popular.php

 

C#, which is for the most part exclusively MS is still pretty high on the list (top 5 in most lists).  Most of the other languages at the top can be used on Windows, but don't have to be (with the exception of Objective-C.  So it seems like MS is still attracting interest from programmers.  Remember that developers will go where the demand is.  No one wanted to learn Obj-C until Apple created iOS and opened a huge market for developers.

 

 

[rogermunibond]

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2012/07/microsoft-downfall-emails-steve-ballmer

 

VF doing a piece on MSFT in the Aug issue. Full article require subscription.

 

I love the line " they've become the thing they despised"

[VersaillesinNY]

Reorg => One Microsoft: Company realigns to enable innovation at greater speed, efficiency

 

Steve Ballmer's letter to employees:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/Press/2013/Jul13/07-11OneMicrosoft.aspx

[DukeCrow]

Reorg => One Microsoft: Company realigns to enable innovation at greater speed, efficiency

 

Steve Ballmer's letter to employees:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/Press/2013/Jul13/07-11OneMicrosoft.aspx

 

Is the reorg a big mistake?

http://stratechery.com/2013/why-microsofts-reorganization-is-a-bad-idea/

[VersaillesinNY]

We are going from one "major" announcement to another:

 

http://conversations.nokia.com/2013/09/03/the-next-chapter-an-open-letter-from-steve-ballmer-and-stephen-elop/

 

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2013/Sep13/09-02AnnouncementPR.aspx

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/stephen-elop-returns-to-microsoft-2013-9