FW: New comment on Microsoft FY06Q4 Results

Lazlo has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft FY06Q4 Results":

I think - like with the 360 - MS is going to surprise alot of people with this.

The main surprise with the 360 is how few people are interested in owning one. In the months since the console launched, there have been fewer Xbox 360s sold than any other current Big 3 console or handheld except the GameCube. If it can't even compete with the five-going-on-six-year-old PS2 (which has outsold the 360 month-to-month since launch except for a blip in April when 360 supplies opened up), the bloodshed when it's also competing with PS3 and the Wii will be truly entertaining.

(I don't know Lazlo, I remember a lot of people wanting to own a 360 back near Christmas. And of a super cheap PS2 is going after a different demographic than the 360.)

Not a Microsoft Fan - New comment on Microsoft FY06Q4 Results

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft FY06Q4 Results":

I'm not a Microsoft fan at all. I'm a Mac user and a Linux fan. I wished that Judge Penfield hadn't opened his mouth during the trial back in 1998. I wanted to see Microsoft get split up. It might have been the best thing to happen to you guys.

You are too big. You try to get involved in everything. Quite honestly, you succeed at two things. Windows and Office. You got lucky with Windows without even trying. You don't need to be as good as Mac OS X since you've got a free ride there. Office in my opinion is your strong suit. A bit bloated for my tastes, but still pretty nice. I would like to see it more open though. But everything else? Get rid of it.

How about letting Apple control the desktops and you guys just provide Office and Exchange provided its sitting behind a Unix mailserver to protect it from the Internet.

(Dude, why would I ever let this comment through? You're not a Microsoft fan? Okay, then probably a blog about optimizing Microsoft into a better company is not where you should be investing your time.)

Which Dead Guy - New comment on We Are FAM-ily! - Links+

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "We Are FAM-ily! - Links+":

"At this point, Ballmer has conceded all key decision making to others in the company. He knows that if he listens to Ozzie and Mundie and does what they ask, then Microsoft has a fighting chance."


If what you say is true, then Ozzie and Mundie are responsible for the decision to lose money for five years on Zune and for the continuance of losing money for Xbox and for other terrible decisions like not introducing to the public a stripped down clean mean OS machine that acts as a ligthweight framework for programs and addons and that is pretty much open source in that it would talk to existing NTFF, open source standard and linux based formats. Who was it that said: "but noooooooooooo" Some dead guy I think.

(Steve Martin? Anyway, I don't think that kind of OS has ever been on the table.)

Aaroo? New comment on We Are FAM-ily! - Links+

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "We Are FAM-ily! - Links+":

"and if I don't have anything interesting to say when I'm recharged to un-fade, then that's that."

Ah yes, an individual in search of dignity and meaning in all that is represented both as Mini and and as who ever you are at Microsoft. Burn out can be a drag.

I gleaned, that as a person who truly has no-ax-to-grind against those homeless ones who drive Winnebago's or against those who would be a softie king, that eventually, you know something we outside do not know: that the big reduction in force is coming one way or another.

And that getting Microsoft to deliver on such an ominous task of planetary collisions, the end result will be order in the chaos of colliding asteroids, yielding a new golden age of beauty and light in the realm of Ni.

We do appreciate your tireless and thankless contribution.

Catbert (pffftt)

(?)

Whiny as bad as M$ - New comment on We Are FAM-ily! - Links+

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "We Are FAM-ily! - Links+":

The griping about cubicles really drives home the point that alot minimsft commenters are whiny idiots. You guys take every opportunity to use Google as a counterpoint to the MS culture. The pictures I've seen of the Googleplex implies that cubicles are the norm there.

So which is it, is Google cool or not?

(Another comment killer - complaining participants are whiny, let alone idiots. Bzzzzt.)

FW: New comment on We Are FAM-ily! - Links+

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "We Are FAM-ily! - Links+":

Zune: Apple cannot lose. Microsoft cannot win.

MacDailyNews' SteveJack: "On one hand, Microsoft's "partners" deserve what's coming to them because they really have failed quite miserably. On the other hand, Microsoft remains one of the scummiest companies on earth.

Apple cannot lose. And Microsoft cannot win. That Microsoft is even trying Zune now only highlights their rampant mismanagement and bad decision-making.

If Microsoft's Zune shows any real signs of life — a long shot based on past history; Microsoft's been trying for half a decade, folks — Apple CEO Steve Jobs can simply license FairPlay to Microsoft's former "partners" at very favorable terms to Apple, as they do face Microsoft's big scary steamroller. People aren't going to stop buying iPods just because some other lesser companies finally have iTunes-compatible players. Ditto for buying from the iTunes Store. Jobs has to be thanking Microsoft which must be why he goaded them into this Zune nonsense in the first place. After everyone else licenses FairPlay from Apple, then everyone — except Microsoft — will be iPod+iTunes compatible. Game. Set. Match."

(Well, I'm not going to publish something that slimes Microsoft with a "scummiest" comment. Plus, this is just fuel for the never end Apple v. PC crowd. Yawn. What will be will be. Let's see what happens.)

The New Bland - New comment on We Are FAM-ily! - Links+

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "We Are FAM-ily! - Links+":

Mini-

I've been away for a few days...after throwing a couple of molotovs...some you caught, some you didn't. But reading this post seems so bland.

A dog's lunch at best.

Hard to pick up something and run with it, when it's all a mess on the computer room floor.

Geez...need to get the edge back.

How about a little word play on FAM:
* FAMe - MSFT had it for 10 years, now time to change.
* FAMished - for something new, innovative, and cutting edge.
* flim flam FAM - another year, another ludite Board of Directors and passive stockholders.
* FAMout - if the real MSFT waiting to get out, just could
* slim FAM - the new corporate diet for MSFT.
* FAM - Finally Application developers are going to really Muck-up the OS.
* canned FAM - SteveB's "enthusiasm" that lost Dean a presidential primary.
* come on all you sudoku fiends, have a little fun with FAM!
Happily Anonymouse & Glad For It

(Bland and happy for it right now. Saving any sharp edges for when they are needed.)

 

Zune's fortune - New comment on We Are FAM-ily! - Links+

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "We Are FAM-ily! - Links+":

Sorry, but Zune is going to be crap. What's it going to do that people want and need that the iPod doesn't do already? The only thing anybody is talking about is WiFi--ha! You know it's going to be a pain to set up, it's going to be crippled because MSFT is so DRM-happy, AND YOU'LL HAVE TO PLUG THE DEVICE IN TO CHARGE IT ANYWAY, so what's the point?? (Does anybody really think Microsoft is going to let you "share" your music between your computers or with your friends via WiFi or otherwise? No hire!)

It happened with Sony, it happened with Google, and now it's happening with Apple. Somebody makes a good product that people like, it gets to be popular, and YEARS later Microsoft decides that it wants to be popular too and dumps billions into me-too products that people have no reason to care about. Microsoft is unbelievably awesome at setting itself up for failure. I guess the rich need hobbies...

(Let's judge it when it actually comes out.)

No one wants a 360 - New comment on Microsoft FY06Q4 Results

Lazlo has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft FY06Q4 Results":

I think - like with the 360 - MS is going to surprise alot of people with this.

The main surprise with the 360 is how few people are interested in owning one. In the months since the console launched, there have been fewer Xbox 360s sold than any other current Big 3 console or handheld except the GameCube. If it can't even compete with the five-going-on-six-year-old PS2 (which has outsold the 360 month-to-month since launch except for a blip in April when 360 supplies opened up), the bloodshed when it's also competing with PS3 and the Wii will be truly entertaining.

(I think plenty of people wanted a 360 back in December. That cooled off and we missed an opportunity. Comparing PS2 buyers and 360 buyers is mixing demographics given the price points. So, once the PS3 is out: we'll see. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if the Wii is a big success, depending on the games.)

Beware of Shiny Objects - New comment on Microsoft FY06Q4 Results

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft FY06Q4 Results":

"Personally? I weep a little with each Xbox 360 sold."

I guess that's because someone at M$M&M (mindless management at Microsoft) enterprises decided to lose money on each box to be supported by a lame group of gaming choices. I'm still waiting for Halo II to be sold for PCs. Byte me MS, thank you very much. No way I would buy an x-box for anything other than what its good for, i.e., a modders micro ATX computer enclosure.

Which leads to the main reason for my post AND (pay attention top tier execs) why Microsoft will continue to drop in earnings and stock value until someone upstairs gets a clue.

First, MS works a deal with a number of OEM clients to make play for sure music players, using a stupid subscription system that no normal 18 year old in his or her right mind would touch let alone this 54 year old. (I don't buy Itunes or Playforsure. I buy music disks I own then put them on my player.)

Then MS says it will start competing with its own stupid scheme (Tom Sawyer would be proud) and builds a new system with its own hardware to compete with its own clients. OOOOhhhh that sits well with those who trusted you MS. What on earth (substituted word for a four letter one) were you thinking?

Am I missing something or is this about to be the most public back stabbing in history? Or, has someone concluded that because of Google, you won't be able to make money on software any more so you have to build hardware? I get so confused sometimes. It really looks from here like you are in denial: both management and ICs at MS.

I call it the shiny-object syndrome. As a product designer, I am well qualified to talk about this one. Sort of a rationalized lust for shiny objects, cool designs and gotta have it products. I don't blame you MS, but I use this example for Apple too. It goes something like this:

In Africa, there are tribes who hunt and eat monkies. One technique for catching them is to place the lid of a shiny tin can into a hole cut into a dry ant hill mound. The monkey sees the shiny object, reaches in and grabs it, but cannot remove it because his hand is around the tin lid and like a chinese jigsaw puzzle, he can't get his fist out. He won't let go either.

The hunter just walks up to the monkey in full sight and places a noose around dinner's neck.

Beware of shiny objects. If it is your long term strategy to build closed hardware systems, well, welcome to the real world of competition. I would say, even with all your cash, your clocks are about to be cleaned.

(Beware, I say!)

Copy, copy - New comment on Microsoft FY06Q4 Results

KevinB has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft FY06Q4 Results":

"Hey, any entrepreneur and VC worth his salt can tell you that getting into new markets and building big businesses like Windows and Office in those markets require smarts, hard work, chutzpah and quite a bit of luck. The early MSFT had all 4 in equal measure."

This is remarkably funny. The early MSFT had the first 3 in very small amounts (well, to be fair, I do think BillG is quite smart), and piggybacked on the entire marketing clout of another company, which is pure luck.

As many baseball players have noted, it's better to be lucky than good. And for a company whose cash cows are copies of other people's ideas (highly developed and well refined copies, to be sure, but copies nonetheless) to have the belief that it will be lucky enough to generate the "next new big thing" is hopeful at best, and more likely presumptious.

 

(Sorry KevinB but the mythology of Microsoft being nothing but an IQ Xerox machine has been let through by me way too many times, no matter how respectful in this case.)

No M$ allowed - New comment on Hey, Shareholders! VS 2005 is *Fantastic* and our Developers Love Microsoft!

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Hey, Shareholders! VS 2005 is *Fantastic* and our Developers Love Microsoft!": VS 2005 is feature rich, but what is the point if much of it doesn't completely work. I've ran into so many bugs and have had to code so many work arounds and in some cases had to change the core design of my applications because features are partially supported. I think this is perhaps the turning point for M$. I have 20 years of development experience, design, specification, you name it I've coded it in a just about any language (yes even COBOL). I've never seen such a poor quality product as this before from any company. I think this is a new low for M$ -- it is now July '06 with a estimated patch due Q3 '06. For my company, the door is open, we've opened it and will be migrating to a more stable development platform/tool -- we have to, productivity since we starting using VS 2005 and decreased considerably. I honestly don't think M$ understand just how bad things are for them. (One of the golden rules of comment moderation: M$ and its collection of amazingly dumb sibling references results in an auto-bounce.)

Not a Microsoft Fan - New comment on Microsoft FY06Q4 Results

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft FY06Q4 Results": I'm not a Microsoft fan at all. I'm a Mac user and a Linux fan. I wished that Judge Penfield hadn't opened his mouth during the trial back in 1998. I wanted to see Microsoft get split up. It might have been the best thing to happen to you guys. You are too big. You try to get involved in everything. Quite honestly, you succeed at two things. Windows and Office. You got lucky with Windows without even trying. You don't need to be as good as Mac OS X since you've got a free ride there. Office in my opinion is your strong suit. A bit bloated for my tastes, but still pretty nice. I would like to see it more open though. But everything else? Get rid of it. How about letting Apple control the desktops and you guys just provide Office and Exchange provided its sitting behind a Unix mailserver to protect it from the Internet. (Dude, why would I ever let this comment through? You're not a Microsoft fan? Okay, then probably a blog about optimizing Microsoft into a better company is not where you should be investing your time.)

Ubuntu booga booga - New comment on The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown - Links

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown - Links":

It is very interesting to read all the comments from people who do not understand antitrust at all.

Read about the Sherman and Clayton acts and you will understand the US versions of these laws. MSFT got off very easy in its US case. The AT&T and Standard Oil cases (for example) show just how severe it could have been.

Look. Using legally questionable tactics to grow your business before you are a monopoly is one thing. Most or all software companies do that. Netscape "extended" the HTML standards regularly as a way of keeping other browsers from competing. Once they were no longer #1, they opened their source and began to adhere to the standards.

With SMB/CIFS, I have heard Andrew Tridgell say something to the effect that there was a standards organization founded in part by MSFT. However, once this filesharing protocol caught on, proprietary extensions were added that made MSFT products interoperate but other products did not work correctly. This was the same tactic that Netscape and others had used. However, the difference is that now Windows had monopoly share on the desktop and this proprietary integration prevented other implementations of this protocol (such as Samba or Novell's Netware & eDirectory products) from competing on an equal footing in the server space.

Here's the problem with that. Say you have a monopoly position in railroads and you want to get into steel. All you do is make sure that the steelmaker you want cannot ship their products on your railroads. Soon, that company will be yours for the picking. Now let's apply this to a desktop monopoly and proprietary extensions between the desktop (and its applications) and the server (and corresponding server applications). By misusing an existing monopoly, it can be extended into other areas.

@NAS, who said:
"Copy source folks (and their bureaucrat symps) are with whinging that Microsoft won't show them all its source code when the only reason they want access to it is so they can gut Microsoft's revenue with a free copy of SMB/CIFS that adds (literally) nothing. It's Microsoft's product, they invested years in it, and you would think that the closed source people who constantly sneer at the knuckle-dragging quality of Microsoft code could come up with something better."

NOBODY WANTS THE MSFT SOURCE. What they want is to be able to continue implementing SMB/CIFS products on both the server and the client side. This is supposed to be an open standard. But the secret extensions together with the pre-existing desktop monopoly mean that competitors are effectively locked out of the market.

@MSFT in general:
I don't believe in "anyone but Microsoft". I believe that a Microsoft that competes fairly is a good thing for the whole industry. If I had to give just two examples of where I think the current MSFT direction is harming the whole industry, I would have to choose DRM/WGA along with server-side protocols such as SMB/CIFS and the Exchange protocol.

Server-side Protocols:
Look at Active Directory for an example. AD is an implementation of the LDAP standard, but extends the standard in such a way that other implementions of the standard do not work correctly with AD.

DRM/WGA:
First of all, we all know the media businesses need a new business model. DRM (better called "digital usage restrictions") is an attempt to keep the old ways of doing business from failing. Eventually, people will find another way to purchase content and use it fairly to enjoy as they see fit. This will happen with or without DRM. If you can't buy from any store and use on any device, it will eventually be driven out of the market.

I work supporting Windows users. WGA is a version of DRM that makes it unpleasant or even impossible to use Windows if (in WGA's opinion) your OS may be installed using a stolen license key. The fastest growing part of my work recently has been wiping out Windows XP to install Ubuntu Linux in its place. This is primarily from people who bought their computers from large chains like Wal-Mart and Best Buy, so we know their OS is legitimate. And these are not technology-savvy people. These are middle-aged and older people whose computers failed a flawed WGA test.

W^L+
@mini:
As always, the goal here is to give some ideas that will help MSFT be a better company (or better yet, companies) in a better industry.

(Not buying it.Offtopic. The whole "The fastest growing part of my work recently has been wiping out Windows XP to install Ubuntu Linux in its place." sentence broke it for me. I'd seriously like to see real evidence that people are giving up on WinXP and resorting to Ubuntu because of WGA. Bah.)

Er, what? New comment on Microsoft FY06Q4 Results

Keeperplanet has left a new comment on your post "Microsoft FY06Q4 Results":

Have you ever been Zunked? As an MS user or partner?

Microsoft finally has created it's own verb, just like Google; (well, sorta kinda not to kinda).

http://gigaom.com/2006/07/22/zune/

Counter to that, I always like to give people and companies the benefit of the doubt. I read all the twelve points of behavior changes MS's Brad Smith divulged last week and it did make me think, is Microsoft really going to change or is this just the tail wagging the dog? Here is one article on Brad's talk.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=3351&tag=nl.e539

Then I found this article (with a lot of ominous warning blog responses, i.e., don't do it! The article is all about MS's innovation policy and support of startups. Motorola does the same thing.

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6096783.html?tag=nl.e539

So, here's the deal. Lets put the new Microsoft to the test. Top tier execs, if you are reading this, I have a significant way to respond to Apple's threat without alienating all your partners in the arena (well, that may be too late, but it is never too late to fix the glitch). My proposals (yes, there is a strategic plan and product series) are definitely unique and would clearly respond to a lot of current missing market gaps and opportunities.

Link to my site below and send me an email. Serious offer.

 

(Pardon?)

Apple Troll - New comment on Intel-ligent Re-design

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Intel-ligent Re-design":

The Apple apologist thinks AAPL is performing better than MSFT in the market.....

Really. Maybe you didn't notice that AAPL has lost over $30 since Feb. See Apple 6month chart

You know the things you are doing to yourself with that image of Steve Jobs can make you blind, right?

(Want to randomize a comment stream: let the Apple defenders get crapped on. I avoided that.)

Bad Laptop - New comment on Online Anonymity is Good, But it Takes Work on Everyone's Part

Nuno Machado Lopes has left a new comment on your post "Online Anonymity is Good, But it Takes Work on Everyone's Part":

Well I have to say Im confused - at first it seemed quite a daring and honorable cause - but if you can't get past the anonymity then why are you here? For me it makes no difference - I have a brain and I can use it so I have the capacity to research and use my experience to agree, disagree or simply ignore. It is great to debate issues which are at the heart of some people's passion. I envisage (no I don't work for Microsoft) that many people live for Microsoft but would probably like to have the same in return. These are real issues for real people.
I went to a Microsoft meeting once with a lady that apparently had something to do with events - I say apparently because she didn't give me her card and opened up her laptop. The meeting finished when she had read through the morning e-mails while I spoke to the back of her laptop? Rude? YES. Necessary? NO. Why? Porbably because she thinks that working for Microsoft enables her to just not care about others.
Personally I thank Microsoft because I don't know where I'd be without their innovation, vision and great products (shame about the resets...)
Please concentrate on the real reason for your existance here today and not on irrelevant comments. Thanks!

(??? anyway, what was worth saving here is the mention of the laptop usage. Someday, somebody is going to get b-slapped around for paying more attention to their laptop than what's going on around them. I hope I'm there.)

Scoble Hater - New comment on Bad Mini, Scoble's Exit, and Truthiness - Links

Dan Guy has left a new comment on your post "Bad Mini, Scoble's Exit, and Truthiness - Links":

"I sure hope you look at the totality of someone's work and don't throw it out cause they made one little mistake on the 15th page of a spec."

Someone whose body of work is largely composed of giggling obnoxiously when conducting interviews and interrupting interviewees to throw his two cents in shouldn't try to fall back on the "totality of [his] work".

Scoble had nothing going for him but arrogance and a first-mover advantage.

(People really crapped on Scoble in the blog comments; I had reached my fill by this point, Dan.)

New comment on The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown - Links

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown - Links":

"Like this? I doubt it would be very popular in the US."

I doubt it would be popular in Thailand either. I have lived there. A lot of smart people all over the (third) world don't want to be treated like stupid people who are not educated. If you are using a computer, they would want to be treated equally in form and function.

What I meant was that as long as Microsoft continues to suck up all the air in a room, not only do your customers feel suffocated, but so do all the businesses trying to survive.

The current Microsoft has a business model that tends to wait for someone else to innovate then it tries to figure out how to make it theirs, only better.

What the world wants is a really really good operating system. Not a ho hum OS ten thousand add ons built in. By clean I mean stripped down to work as an OS only--a framework on which to build what you want. Spin off any businesses that make that part. Let them compete in the open market without the advantage of the OS and all your lawsuits will go away.

For starters, my list of removable modules would be:
DRM
REGISTRY
SECURITY (Except you need to make the OS intrinsically secure, like remove the Active-X and other perforated hack heavens.)
MEDIA PLAYER
BROWSER.

Probably more, but the idea is to make a modular system that people can customize with third party devices and programs to their liking. This implies that you need to be more open in your architecture so that music for example will all work with the same format or at least allow your formats to be read/written by third party devices.

The problem is you want it all and, well, your customers, or at least this customer does not want you to provide it all.

You can still offer bundled versions with all the Microsoft bells and whistles, but your resellers want to offer third party bundles too. Its called capitalism and free market economics.

(Bounced given the whole anti-DRM thing. Does anyone actually give Apple crap for Quicktime and iTunes? And if you removed the registry from Windows, well. . . it wouldn't be a good thing.)

New comment on The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown - Links

"Hell, look at IBM. They ruled the computing world with an iron fist, in a way that MS is only a pale imitation of, for a couple of *decades* and the DoJ never got a anti-trust charge to stick."

If you listen to yourself sir, you will note a certain vicious tone, a shrill greed a sound of f-u, f'm all attitude. I want to thank you for so clearly demonstrating the reason why Microsoft has been tagged for its greed so often. But, on to an analysis of your comment:

Yes, lets look at IBM: dedicated teams using open source, inventors of the OPEN hardware standard for the personal computer on which so many softies have been able to shaft their fellow customers, and the best part about IBM is they actually trusted Microsoft to play fair, not once, but twice and on both occasions MS shoved it in their face. You notice they did not get shafted a third time. They don't get nailed for monopolistic behavior because they don't. Like the Europeans, a thousand years of history, sort of matures the perspective a bit.

A note to Mini: thanks for returning the blog back to the crispy side. Much more f***ing entertaining. After all most of us are human.

(Bounced because it was opening up a non-Microsoftie debate thread)

What is the Mini-Microsoft Cutting Room Floor?

Maybe the heat from this weekend has cooked my brain. Haven't I stopped blogging... or something? Why create a second blog?

What is the "Mini-Microsoft Cutting Room Floor?"

It's the stuff I've bounced via comment moderation that I felt had something to say, but was dangerously randomizing or rude or rubbed me in some way where I'm muttering: "Man, if they just hadn't said that I'd post it..."

Or it might be more random, off-topic stuff that I've decided not to post but still feel some random urge to put off into the blogosphere.

URL: http://minimsftcrf.blogspot.com/

Feed: http://minimsftcrf.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Let's see if this was a good idea or a bad idea...

Mini.