Windows 8 Upgrade

We set out to make it as easy as possible for everyone to upgrade to Windows 8. Starting at general availability, if your PC is running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 you will qualify to download an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just $39.99 in 131 markets. And if you want, you can add Windows Media Center for free through the “add features” option within Windows 8 Pro after your upgrade.

via windowsteamblog.com

While some may look at $40 as low, I see this as a very minimal cost targeting consumers (and not enterprises??) to upgrade faster to Windows 8. The best part of this promotion, the fact that it applies to Windows XP and Vista users too. As of last December there were 1.25 billion PCs and around 500 million of them running Windows 7. So we have more than 750 million PCs running older stack, most of them XP and few Vista. I would tend to believe that most of these PCs are not with large enterprises as most of them have corporate refresh cycles and with XP support ending most of these would have moved to Windows 7. Math is still simple, even if we have 100 million of these 750 million PCs take the benefit of this promotion, we are looking at $4 Billion uplift in Windows revenues.

I say, get your hands on Windows 8 while the promotion is on.

The Third Front

One of these options is for RIM to abandon its own operating system and adopt Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had approached RIM in recent months, looking to strike a partnership similar to the one the software giant has with Nokia Oyj, the sources said. Under that partnership, Nokia will use Microsoft's latest Windows operating system on its smartphones.

In such a scenario, RIM could also look for Microsoft to buy a stake in the company and fund marketing and other expenses, the sources said. However, this option is not attractive to RIM because it would mean the end of the Waterloo, Ontario-based company's technology independence, they said.

The RIM board prefers to see through the efforts to develop the new BlackBerry 10 operating system, according to the sources.

Microsoft could also be interested in RIM's wireless patents, the sources said.

via reuters.com

World needs a Third Front - Made up of Microsoft, Nokia and RIM - all standardized on Windows Phone Platform.

Someone is Coming to Eat You

Your success is a battle plan for your competition. Your success is a public acknowledgement of a strategy that works, and while I appreciate that you and your team are tired, I’m going to be a buzz kill. Your success is your worst enemy. Your success, while hard earned, is a curse.

Your success is delicious. Others look at your success and think, “Well, duh, it’s so obvious what they did there - anyone can do that” and, frustratingly so, they’re right. Your success has given others a blueprint for what success looks like, and while, yes, the devil’s in the details, you have performed a lot of initial legwork for your competition in the process of becoming successful.

More bad news via metaphors. Your enticing success has your competition chasing you, and that means that, by definition, that they need to run harder and faster than you so they can catch up. Yes, many potential competitors are going to bungle the execution and vanish before they pose a legitimate threat but there’s a chance someone will catch up, and when they do, what’s their velocity? Faster than yours.

via randsinrepose.com

True. Combine this with disruptive innovation executed well and the decline is even faster.

Google Now

Google Now gets you just the right information at just the right time.

It tells you today’s weather before you start your day, how much traffic to expect before you leave for work, when the next train will arrive as you’re standing on the platform, or your favorite team's score while they’re playing. And the best part? All of this happens automatically. Cards appear throughout the day at the moment you need them.

via google.com

Of all the announcements Google made today, the most useful is Google Now. Check out the video in the link above. If done right this will be the most useful App/Service, Google has produced so far outside of Google Search. Ofcourse it will come with a lot of Privacy implications and Google does not do well in this aspect, atleast not so far.

On Orbitz, Mac Users Steered to Pricier Hotels

Orbitz Worldwide Inc. has found that people who use Apple Inc.'s Mac computers spend as much as 30% more a night on hotels, so the online travel agency is starting to show them different, and sometimes costlier, travel options than Windows visitors see.

via online.wsj.com

Digital Divide or shall we call it as OS divide. It's the affluent, high income people who are using Mac and if you look at the latest Macbook prices, you will know where Apple is focusing with the Macbooks. Quick search brought me to this post from last year, In Wellesley, Macs Apple of their eye 

The privileged populace of Wellesley tops the list of towns with the highest level of Mac-aholics in the state, according to a study by a local advertising firm,” Jessica Van Sack reports for The Boston Herald. “Westboro-based Chitika Insights studied traffic from Mac, PC and Linux-based computers statewide and found that almost 36 percent of computers in the affluent town were made by Apple, nearly five times the company’s U.S. market share average of about 7.2 percent.”

“The most Apple-heavy towns have little in common except that they tend to be wealthy and/or have a high student population. Wellesley is among the wealthiest towns in the state, with an average household income of $209,694, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey,” Van Sack reports. “The top of the Mac list also features Vineyard Haven, just slightly behind by several tenths of a percent at 35 percent Apple users; Needham at 32 percent; and Allston and Brighton at 32 and 31 percent, respectively.”

Google vs. Bing: Which search engine hits the spot?

In all, Bing is fast and accurate, with lots of sophisticated options. If it were the first Internet search service you’d ever tried, you’d probably never quit. Unfortunately for Microsoft, Google got to us first, and after all these years it feels so much like home that most of us have no reason to leave.

via bostonglobe.com

That's called First Mover Advantage, the advantage gained by the initial ("first-moving") significant occupant of a market segment. Although Google was not the first search engine, but it was the most technologically advanced and it was able to garner the biggest share of the search market. And with the kind of share Google has, there comes inherent network effects which causes the value of a service to increase for a new consumer based on the number of people already using the service. Google being smart has used the Network effects to understand what people are doing using Google and then improving the service continuously.

Bing although a very good alternative lacks the Network effects and thus the increase in search share so tough for Bing. So what does Bing need to do - Continuously innovate, improve its algorithm, add new services, market itself suitably and spend money to acquire enough traffic to generate network effects for itself. It will be a long walk but remember switching costs for online services are very low. Typing a new address in your browser or changing search defaults is as easy as it gets to switch.

Bing needs a chance and that is the biggest challenge for it. How to get enough people to try it and realize that it does what Google does, somethings even better.

Microsoft. Kicks. Ass.

There’s something quintessentially American about Microsoft. Start, grow, fight, claw, win. Get knocked down, get back up. Fight again, lose again. Get mocked, laughed at, ridiculed, and ignored. But never give up. Never say die. Never stop believing that the dream is possible … that you can do it.

Microsoft has been many things for many years, but loveable hasn’t been at top of the list. And yet, there’s still a very strong, very large contingent of users and devotees that cheer on Microsoft, that want Microsoft to win.

This one is for them.

via venturebeat.com

Strong words but being in Redmond and working closely with Microsoft, I echo these sentiments. Everytime the company gets knocked around, it gets up and has another card up their sleeve. We have seen this with Bing, Windows Phone, XBOX and now Windows itself. And all the while providing a better competition, a solid alternative. What we need now is avoiding miscues as we have seen in the past. I am liking the Microsoft of today...and tomorrow.

Microsoft Surface Just Made the MacBook Air and the iPad Look Obsolete

Microsoft is the underdog because no matter how many hundreds of millions of people use its software, the cool and the future belong to Apple. Or belonged. After yesterday's Surface event—assuming they don't fumble the execution—Gates' children may have found the weapon to stop the heirs of Jobs and turn the tide. Or at least make things exciting for everyone again.
via gizmodo.com

Loved the analogy of Surface's design around the Dieter Rams' 10 principles for good design.

Microsoft's tablet no threat to iPad

Microsoft Corp's new tablet computers are no threat to Apple Inc's iPad, given the lack of enthusiasm among developers to create applications that run on the new Windows operating system, analysts said.

Microsoft introduced its own "Surface" line of tablets on Monday, taking on Apple as well as its own hardware partners including Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Hewlett-Packard Co.

"Though pricing details are unclear ... Microsoft will need to significantly undercut the iPad to be competitive," Jefferies analyst Peter Misek said.

via reuters.com

We will hear a lot of these in the coming months, the fact remains that these analysts like others are focusing on the consumer segment and not looking at the Enterprises which is where Microsoft still makes a ton of money from. iPad and other tablets were poised to make a dent on Microsoft's revenues in the enterprise space, now they will find it difficult to get inside. Also, we need to remember, this is a first rev of still unavailable Tablet, give it 2-3 years and we will talk. Right now, as I see it, Surface is a great alternative to iPad.

Game on

Today at an event in Hollywood, Microsoft unveiled Surface: PCs built to be the ultimate stage for Windows. Company executives showed two Windows tablets and accessories that feature significant advances in industrial design and attention to detail.

Conceived, designed and engineered entirely by Microsoft employees, and building on the company’s 30-year history manufacturing hardware, Surface represents a unique vision for the seamless expression of entertainment and creativity. Extensive investment in industrial design and real user experience includes the following highlights:

  • Software takes center stage: Surface sports a full-sized USB port and a 16:9 aspect ratio – the industry standard for HD. It has edges angled at 22 degrees, a natural position for the PC at rest or in active use, letting the hardware fade into the background and the software stand out.

  • VaporMg: The casing of Surface is created using a unique approach called VaporMg (pronounced Vapor-Mag), a combination of material selection and process to mold metal and deposit particles that creates a finish akin to a luxury watch. Starting with magnesium, parts can be molded as thin as .65 mm, thinner than the typical credit card, to create a product that is thin, light and rigid/strong.

  • Integrated Kickstand: The unique VaporMg approach also enables a built-in kickstand that lets you transition Surface from active use to passive consumption – watching a movie or even using the HD front- or rear-facing video cameras. The kickstand is there when needed, and disappears when not in use, with no extra weight or thickness.

  • Touch Cover: The 3 mm Touch Cover represents a step forward in human-computer interface. Using a unique pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, enabling you to touch type significantly faster than with an on-screen keyboard. It will be available in a selection of vibrant colors. Touch Cover clicks into Surface via a built-in magnetic connector, forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover. You can also click in a 5 mm-thin Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing feel.

via microsoft.com

So finally, Microsoft gets its act together and very soon we will have a formidable option outside of Apple's iPad. The Surface is the best surprise from Microsoft and it is not even Christmas yet. The best part outside of the great feature list above is the fact that this will be developed by Microsoft itself so now Microsoft has its destiny in its own hands. The bad part, it is not Christmas yet.

The New MacBook Pro: Unfixable, Unhackable, Untenable

The Retina MacBook is the least repairable laptop we’ve ever taken apart: Unlike the previous model, the display is fused to the glass, which means replacing the LCD requires buying an expensive display assembly. The RAM is now soldered to the logic board — making future memory upgrades impossible. And the battery is glued to the case, requiring customers to mail their laptop to Apple every so often for a $200 replacement. The design may well be comprised of “highly recyclable aluminum and glass” — but my friends in the electronics recycling industry tell me they have no way of recycling aluminum that has glass glued to it like Apple did with both this machine and the recent iPad.

The design pattern has serious consequences not only for consumers and the environment, but also for the tech industry as a whole.

via wired.com

All this for only $2199 plus taxes.

The NEW Macbook is NOT for the common man

Apple announces next-generation MacBook Pro: Retina display, 0.71-inches thin, shipping today for $2,199
via engadget.com

Apple announces next-generation MacBook Pro: Retina display, 0.71-inches thin, shipping today for $2,199. But not for the common man.

Microsoft 'mulled Nokia buyout, ran away screaming'

The reason for Microsoft not already owning Nokia is twofold: Nokia didn't want to sell, and Microsoft didn't want to buy. Both are entirely rational positions to hold. Nokia still has time and cash with which to mount a fightback. Microsoft has time to generate an "ecosystem", the clunky technology buzzword for what the rest of the world calls "markets".

via theregister.co.uk

What reasons...I have stopped reading The Onion, get all the satire dope from such posts now.

Android updates embarrassing, but do users notice?

One of my favorite reality check moments is when I go to some school event and look at what all the other parents are carrying as phones, while we wait for an assembly to begin. Two weeks ago, I counted three iPhones and three Android phones in my row. Developers be damned; Android upgrade delays be damned; pundits be damned. Half that row was using Android.

via news.cnet.com

There have been a lot of posts on Android updates or the lack thereof. One thing that these posts have missed is the fact that Android phones are less expensive than iPhone and that matters a lot to people. Getting an Andoid gets you a cheaper SmartPhone which is allows you to do all the things a feature phone is able to do plus you get email, ability to access Twitter, Facebook and many other Social apps. For many that's all it matters, update or no update.

Airtime Adds to a Growing Choice of Video Chat Services

The latest of these, Airtime, made its debut on Tuesday. It garnered some extra attention because its founders, Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning, who were behind the Napster music-sharing service, are well-known figures in the tech world.

At a celebrity-laden press event in downtown Manhattan, Mr. Parker lauded the advantages of video chat, saying it brought a human touch to Internet-based communication. He noted that it had gained momentum in recent years because of the proliferation of smartphones and computers with built-in cameras, paired with high-speed home and mobile broadband connections.

via nytimes.com

I have a suggestion. If you have money and don't know what to do with it, use it for some good charitable cause. World can do without another Video chat service.

Commoditization of iPhone

Sprint Nextel Corp. is set to become the second U.S. mobile-phone carrier to offer Apple Inc.'s iPhone on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Sprint will announce this week it will offer the popular smartphone on its Virgin Mobile pay-as-you-go brand as soon as July 1, according to people familiar with the company's plans. The Overland Park, Kan., carrier follows Leap Wireless International Inc. in selling the device with prepaid service.

via online.wsj.com

That's plain simple commoditization of iPhone. Commoditization drives down prices. I am sure going with these companies will soon impact Apple's profitability. The differentiation iPhone was able to bring wth the early innovation has gone now with Android and Windows Phone making similar strides in innovating further and the broad reach to masses in case of Android. Apple recognizes that it is now a volume game or else they lose that market to Android or Windows Phone. This until the next Innovation Apple or its peers are able to effect.

Google acquires Quickoffice

Today, consumers, businesses and schools use Google Apps to get stuff done from anywhere, with anyone and on any device. Quickoffice has an established track record of enabling seamless interoperability with popular file formats, and we'll be working on bringing their powerful technology to our Apps product suite.

Quickoffice has a strong base of users, and we look forward to supporting them while we work on an even more seamless, intuitive and integrated experience.

via googleblog.blogspot.com

Good for Google App users. If this gets rolled out as a part of Google Apps, they can now use what is an Almost-close-to-REAL-Office-Productivity solution.

Xbox Smart Glass

The people behind "Xbox" and "Xbox Live" will be revealing the Xbox Smart Glass tablet behind closed doors to a select group of people. In the official “Microsoft Confidential” presentation, they specifically noted this:

  •  Will allow users to control their Xbox 360 remotely. Will be available cross platform on multiple operating systems including Windows, Windows Phone, Android and iOS.
  •  Applications will be accessible through the tablet. Such as Youtube/Netflix/Vemo ect.
  •  Live streaming ability through the tablet to the TV, desktop, lap top and other devices.
  • A demo at E3 will be shown, but no live video will be featured
via examiner.com

A lot of what Microsoft is doing these days is around Xbox.

An object that spawns its own commercial ecosystem is a thing to take seriously

An object that spawns its own commercial ecosystem is a thing to take seriously. Think of what Apple’s app store did for the iPhone, or for that matter how software continuously expanded the possibilities of the personal computer. Patent-watching sites report that in recent months, Sony, Apple and Google have all registered plans for gesture-control technologies like the Kinect. But there is disagreement about exactly how the Kinect evolved into an object with such potential. Did Microsoft intentionally create a versatile platform analogous to the app store? Or did outsider tech-artists and hobbyists take what the company thought of as a gaming device and redefine its potential?

This clash of theories illustrates a larger debate about the nature of innovation in the 21st century, and the even larger question of who, exactly, decides what any given object is really for. Does progress flow from a corporate entity’s offering a whiz-bang breakthrough embraced by the masses? Or does techno-thing success now depend on the company’s acquiescing to the crowd’s input? Which vision of an object’s meaning wins? The Kinect does not neatly conform to either theory. But in this instance, maybe it’s not about whose vision wins; maybe it’s about the contest.

via nytimes.com

Thought proving article on how Kinect spawned a commerical ecosystem. Kinect provides a great platform for decentralized innovation, the only way for any platform to flourish.