Posts tagged microsoft
Microsoft thinks Apple is selling too many iPads
Jul 30th
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, under whose watch Office, Windows, and Server profits have soared while mobile has stumbled and faltered, was bombastically candid when addressing Apple’s 3.3 million strong iPad install base:
“they’ve sold certainly more than I’d like them to have sold.”
In response, Microsoft is hard at work on a Windows-based alternative (which is curious given Bill Gates’ almost singular drive to popularize Tablet PC over much of the last decade):
“They’ll be shipping as soon as they are ready,” Ballmer said, offering few details on the products, which he said will come from partners, not Microsoft itself. “It is job one urgency. No one is sleeping at the switch.”
So Microsoft won’t be making their own tablet the way they made their own Zune music player or Xbox gaming console, nor will they be using the panoramic Windows Phone 7, set for release this fall:
“We have got to make things happen,” he said. “We’re in the process of doing that as we speak. We’re working with our hardware partners. We’re tuning Windows 7.”
Apple of course didn’t try to put Mac OS X on the iPad, they went with iOS. HP has gone out and bought Palm webOS, and Google is readying both Android and Chrome OS, and even RIM is showing signs of life. There were tons of Windows-based tablets being touted at CES 2010 back in January, but none have really appeared on the market yet and while Microsoft’s Courier project was interesting but they KIN’ed it pre-launch. 3 months and as many million sales later and iPad pretty much still has the category it created to itself. It needs competition (from more than just the Kindle).
Hey, maybe if they call it WinPad?
[CNET, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Microsoft thinks Apple is selling too many iPads is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb – The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Microsoft Releases Bing 1.1 for iPhone, iPod touch
Mar 21st
Microsoft has released a new version of Bing [Free - iTunes link] for the iPhone and iPod touch. Florian Voss chronicled on their blog, includes:
Bookmarks and improved web browsing: you can now bookmark maps, directions, web sites, businesses, search terms, even the weather report, and get to the bookmarks right from the Bing home page.
Sharing: you can share interesting results with your friends using e-mail.
Copy and paste URLs: you told us and we listened! We now support copying and pasting URLs.
Parental control on search settings: we helped make search safer by letting you set a SafeSearch level and create a passcode so it can’t be changed. This is a benefit for parents who want to make sure the kids are only going to safe sites on their devices.
Search history and private search: you can now view and edit your search history. You can also search the web without saving your history on the device using private search.
Explicit location setting: let your iPhone find you or set a specific location so you can search near there (super useful when you’re going to travel to another city and want to find things around there).
Tighter integration of contacts in directions: Bing now autosuggests contacts from your address book when you enter start and end locations in directions.
Support for 1st generation iPod touch devices: we now support all versions of iPod touch.
While Google and Apple continue to squabble, and speculation remains that Bing might become the next default search engine for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, it’s nice to see Microsoft continue to invest in — and improve –the App Store app.
Note: Sadly, it appears to be US only still. For the biggest software company in the world, ignoring most of the world is… disappointing. Let’s share the Bing, shall we?
Video from Macworld 2010 of TiPb talking with Florian Voss about Bing for iPhone re-embedded after the break!
[Thanks to our good buddy Phil for the tip!]
Microsoft Releases Bing 1.1 for iPhone, iPod touch is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb – The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
No Cut and Paste in Windows Phone 7 Series. So is it a Smartphone?
Mar 17th
Today at MIX10 Microsoft told our sibling site WMExperts that there would be no cut, copy, and paste in Windows Phone 7 Series, which follows on the news of an Apple iPhone-style closed app market and lack of 3rd party multitasking. When the original iPhone 2G debuted in 2007 without cut, copy, and paste, multitasking, and most importantly a third-party app platform, it led certain editors-in-chief who shall remain nameless (though not pictured-less) wondered — and not unjustifiably — if the iPhone could be considered a smartphone?
iPhone 2.0 brought the 3rd party apps. iPhone 3.0 brought cut, copy, paste and a host of other “missing” features. iPhone 4.0 may even bring multitasking. Regardless, we thought the iPhone 2G certainly was a smartphone then, and now, and certainly think the same about Windows Phone 7 Series, and Palm webOS when it debuted lacking certain features. It takes an incredible amount of effort to launch a new mobile OS and no company, not Apple, not Google, not even Microsoft have unlimited time, talent, and resources to nail everything in version 1.0. Our question remains, to get cut, copy, and paste (or whatever feature you think is missing), what other feature would you give up? Notifications? The new user experience? There’s an opportunity cost to everything.
Of course, when Apple launched iPhone 1.0 it wasn’t leaving behind a large existing user base accustomed to many of those now missing features the way Microsoft is with Windows Phone 7 Series. So, yeah, it’ll be interesting to see if they can grab enough new users to make up for all the ones they’re gone to lose. Because, if all those Windows 6.x users are suddenly faced with something new and different, it may not be too far a stretch to go for a different platform entirely. Including an iPhone. Which has cut, copy, and paste and may just have multitasking by then. So to them, to you, potential iPhone switchers:
Welcome! How you doing?
No Cut and Paste in Windows Phone 7 Series. So is it a Smartphone? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb – The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
SPE at Microsoft MIX10 for Windows Phone 7 Series — The Competition!
Mar 15th
I had the chance to talk to Microsoft’s Loke Uei about Windows Phone 7 Series at GDC last week and he was cagey and super-secretive about the version running on his pre-production unit. He did, however, promise more would be revealed at MIX 10 this week in Las Vegas. Well, our very own editor-in-chief, Dieter Bohn, is at the show right now to seek it out. He’ll be covering the keynote live at 9am PT, 12pm ET over at WMExperts.com.
What might be interesting to TiPb readers is the approach Microsoft is taking — it looks to be one of the first truly different post-iPhone smartphone concepts that’s not really app-centric but rather aggregation centric. They haven’t sold me on the UI yet, but the flow between “experiences” looks stellar, as does the logical way in which information is grouped and made available. It’s going after consumers, which is the heart of the iPhone market.
Will Apple have to up their game for iPhone 4.0 in face of what the competition is (finally!) bringing to market in 2010?
SPE at Microsoft MIX10 for Windows Phone 7 Series — The Competition! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb – The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
10% of Microsoft Employees Secretly Using iPhones?
Mar 13th
Much to the chagrin of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Devices and Entertainment honcho Robbie Bach, the Wall Street Journal reports that even publicly stomping on employee iPhones hasn’t stamped them out:
Nearly 10,000 iPhone users were accessing the Microsoft employee email system last year, say two people who heard the estimates from senior Microsoft executives. That figure equals about 10% of the company’s global work force.
Outside of specific development units like Bing for iPhone, while using an iPhone at Microsoft isn’t forbidden, it’s discouraged. Microsoft will only re-emburse expenses for Windows Phone-based devices. Likewise, several executives have spoken out against using iPhones, including Ballmer who quipped that his father worked at Ford and so his family always drove Ford.
While a few use the openly, others hide them in generic cases — or make sure not to answer them if they’re in a room with Ballmer. (Or use them if they’re a member of the Gates family!)
Apple employees, of course, are not thought to be using Windows Mobile devices in any perceptible quantity. Could Windows Phone 7 Series change that…?
10% of Microsoft Employees Secretly Using iPhones? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb – The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Will Microsoft Hold Android Hostage?
Mar 6th
Right now, we’re all worrying about Apple’s patent claims against HTC, but Android may face a similar attack from Microsoft.
It’s not terribly well known that Microsoft claims that it owns significant intellectual property used in Linux, the operating system at the heart of Android. Starting in 2006, Microsoft began reaching licensing deals with a number of companies that use the open source OS, among them Novell, I-O Data, Samsung, LG Electronics and most recently, Amazon.
All these deals are similar, but as an example, Amazon has agreed to pay Microsoft licensing fees to use Linux on Amazon.com and on the Kindle. Read that again and let it sink in.
Many have voiced skepticism that Microsoft could successfully defend their claims, but so far, companies have rolled over and complied rather than take the question to court.
So, what about Android? Is it far-fetched to wonder if Microsoft might bring similar claims our way as they prepare to launch Windows Phone 7 Series? And if they do, will they be looking for cash, or will they prefer to cripple a competitor or try to shut it down entirely? Even if they just pursue a licensing deal, as they have before, it would mean an end to Android as a free operating system. And licensing fees paid to Microsoft would, of course, be passed on to consumers.
It will be instructive to see how the Apple vs. HTC case proceeds. I’m sure Microsoft would prefer bringing IP claims like this to the device manufacturers and carriers to taking them up with a big fish like Google, and if Apple is successful it may signal to Microsoft that this is a viable path.
What are your thoughts on this possibility? Is it something we should be worried about?
Source: Ryan Gallagher
Might We Suggest…
Will Microsoft Hold Android Hostage?
Mar 6th
Right now, we’re all worrying about Apple’s patent claims against HTC, but Android may face a similar attack from Microsoft.
It’s not terribly well known that Microsoft claims that it owns significant intellectual property used in Linux, the operating system at the heart of Android. Starting in 2006, Microsoft began reaching licensing deals with a number of companies that use the open source OS, among them Novell, I-O Data, Samsung, LG Electronics and most recently, Amazon.
All these deals are similar, but as an example, Amazon has agreed to pay Microsoft licensing fees to use Linux on Amazon.com and on the Kindle. Read that again and let it sink in.
Many have voiced skepticism that Microsoft could successfully defend their claims, but so far, companies have rolled over and complied rather than take the question to court.
So, what about Android? Is it far-fetched to wonder if Microsoft might bring similar claims our way as they prepare to launch Windows Phone 7 Series? And if they do, will they be looking for cash, or will they prefer to cripple a competitor or try to shut it down entirely? Even if they just pursue a licensing deal, as they have before, it would mean an end to Android as a free operating system. And licensing fees paid to Microsoft would, of course, be passed on to consumers.
It will be instructive to see how the Apple vs. HTC case proceeds. I’m sure Microsoft would prefer bringing IP claims like this to the device manufacturers and carriers to taking them up with a big fish like Google, and if Apple is successful it may signal to Microsoft that this is a viable path.
What are your thoughts on this possibility? Is it something we should be worried about?
Source: Ryan Gallagher
Might We Suggest…
