Microsoft isn't still going to make the hardware where all those new marvels you're citing will run. In other words, they won't take ownership of the resulting user-experience.
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Zuning it: Microsoft reportedly plans to lay off hundreds of employees
- Thread starter *LTD*
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Microsoft isn't still going to make the hardware where all those new marvels you're citing will run. In other words, they won't take ownership of the resulting user-experience.
Welcome to the Games Industry.
The Executives and Managers responsible for dictating bad design and implementing poor, downright disgraceful project planning are untouched when a bad game is produced, its the artists who get fired, who are only doing what they are told to do.
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/working-conditions
Windows Phone - MSFT has strict guidelines about hardware specs, and their relationship with Nokia allows them to get as close as one really needs to get to controlling hardware and user experience.
Xbox - They control all aspects here.
Windows 8 - This is the wildcard, where things could potentially go wrong, but thanks to their Microsoft stores (not many yet, hopefully more in future) they are controlling some of the user experience. EDIT: Windows 8 also has a pretty cool reset tool that looks like it will get Windows running how MS intended it to (limited only by your hardware, which is your responsibility to make sure your device is powerful enough for your needs anyway).
When I referred to vertical integration I was meaning within the hierarchy of devices, so I might have been using the wrong term. Either way, the point I was trying to make is that MSFT is bringing a seamless user experience across all it's products. This is something I've been waiting for a company to do for a long time, and honestly thought Apple would have had the foresight to try before anyone else. Regardless, I'm glad that at least someone is trying it, and I think the way it's being brought about is well thought out.
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Yeah, they looked really irrelevent at CES. Every PC vendor showcasing their new models which runs Microsoft software at the very core.
Windows 8 is going to be massive.
Which highlights that this isn't just an MS problem, but an industry problem.
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/01/1...ing-with-11-6-of-u-s-pc-shipments-in-4q-2011/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/11/microsoft_pc_sales_warning_thailand/
(And the problem aint just Thailand flooding.)
If the market is moving over to a more tabletly future, thats okay, Windows 8 runs on them as well. I think its safe to say with the Xbox, Nokia (slowly) pushing WP7 and Windows 8 running on both PCs and Tablets, all unified with the same Metro interface, Microsoft are on a winner here.
Layoffs happen, even with the most profitable of companies, especially when they have too many of a certain type of employee.
Even Apple, when it was making tons of money in 2009, laid off 1600 retail staff.
In neither case did layoffs mean that Microsoft or Apple was going under,
Even Apple, when it was making tons of money in 2009, laid off 1600 retail staff.
In neither case did layoffs mean that Microsoft or Apple was going under,
So how does this story relate to the Zune? The OP is clearly wrong.
As for the PR department being laid off, Perhaps its due to a re-aligning of priorities. This happens all the time (sadly)
While LTD is gloating about how microsoft seems to be mis-firing we are talking about people losing their livelihood and people should not gloat over such a devastating act.
As for the PR department being laid off, Perhaps its due to a re-aligning of priorities. This happens all the time (sadly)
While LTD is gloating about how microsoft seems to be mis-firing we are talking about people losing their livelihood and people should not gloat over such a devastating act.
microsoft do a far better job of supporting older operating systems. You can run most software on windows XP, which was launched in 2001/2, i.e., or three operating systems ago - Win7, Vista, XP.
Now, try that with Leopard, OSX 10.5 ( 3 OSX ago ) and you'll be able to run a lot less software ( percentage wise ) that you could on XP.
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Microsoft have a far more stable user base than Apple. It would be an absolute PITA for Business's IT departments to move their IT infrastructure to another OS.. another reason is there is really no competition: think of server software - email servers, Active Directorys etc. Not to mention the Office suite. On the whole, Business's want 100% file compatibility.
Also, microsoft do a whole lot more business than just consumer products, such as government IT contracts.
It's a tagline. When you're doing the wrong things for the wrong reasons, you're zuning it.
MS seems to "re-align" their priorities a lot these days. Just what are their priorities, anyway?
Where do you see gloating? I see nothing but criticism.
Maybe the MS Board should actually *do* something instead of sleeping through major market shifts.
Then we might see a lot less "devastation."
I hate to say it, but I don't really understand it. It doesn't make sense. I am correct in thinking you are on about the Zune, the iPod-esske portable media player from Microsoft that sorta sank like a lead balloon, despite its positive responses off consumers who had them?
What has that got to do with laying off employees? Why exactly is laying off people regarded as failure? When Apple finally close the iPod team down as everyone listens to their music on Smartphones, will they be Zuning it as well?
Microsoft, despite being slightly behind the game, are doing well. They are not failing or zuning or whatever. They are happily making a product, dominating the PC OS and game console markets and have some exciting releases ahead of them.
You need more than one person. The team and culture of a business has a huge impact there.
This may seem a little off topic, but I hope they can find other positions for at least some of the iPod team who wish to remain with Apple. If not I would imagine working for Apple makes for a strong resume.
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Not at all good news for anyone affected.
There are lots of things that you can criticise various companies about, but when real lives are affected in such a way as the loss of jobs, it's not a good thing to see.
My family would be devistated if I was put in such a situation.
Not at all good news for anyone affected.
There are lots of things that you can criticise various companies about, but when real lives are affected in such a way as the loss of jobs, it's not a good thing to see.
My family would be devistated if I was put in such a situation.
Some people here (*cough*) seem to think that the best thing for Apple devotees is if all their competitors died a fiery and painful death, leaving only Apple to dominate the world. I'm sure that would result in lots of innovation and new products at fair prices.
They say the same about RIM, just visit any RIM thread and you'll see the same gloating and gleeful taunts of "I hope they all get shut down!" and "they deserve it!" They don't realize that these are real people, with families and children to feed.
The company I work for went through some dark times and many of my coworkers were laid off. Luckily they got hired on by RIM to work on new PlayBook and BlackBerry software. I was perilously close to getting let go too and if I did, I would have turned to RIM first. I bet that would have made me a pariah on these forums.
No, I and others see nothing but gloating. All you have to do is go to more extreme sites like Mac Daily News to find people actually hoping for Microsoft's total demise. That's 90K people out of a job.
How long does issuing a pink slip to Ballmer take?
That alone puts you at least halfway to better times.
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What's a "Ping"?
You mean some social media extension to iTunes everyone's forgotten about?
If only the rest of the industry were fortunate enough to experience Apple's so-called "failures." I think since Steve Jobs took the reins there was also a mouse. Yes, a mouse.
Meanwhile, Apple reshaped entire markets and set the agenda for the industry. Consistently.
If you're unlucky enough to use iTunes, there's still a Ping button on any song playing or highlighted, so I don't think it's forgotten just yet.
You should pray Ballmer is never fired - that will speed the demise of a company you so hate.
That doesn't mean it isn't a far more appropriate term than Zuning it (since most people who used the Zune loved it, and it is still the Marketplace and media player for Windows).
And are you seriously trying to compare the mouse to Ping? Jobs Didn't invent the mouse either BTW. I do remember the puck mouse though, do you? Wasn't that just a golden ticket?
Yes Apple has done a lot, but they have had their share of failures and terrible ideas as well. It's clear your double standards don't allow you to see things that way though.
Thanks for that. Not being a parent, I never clicked that tab!
Now only two more disasters to fix:
1. iTunes Match changed my explicit songs to clean versions, randomly, and I have to play all 10,000 songs on my iPhone via the cloud to figure out which ones are ruined. Some songs on the same album are fine, with no logic to the error.
2. A few albums are duplicated and no matter how many times I delete the duplicates from the list, including the cloud and moving files to trash and deleting them, they automagically reappear every time I launch iTunes.
It's so frustrating! I never had a Zune, but I had a Zen, and it was awesome. iTunes has NEVER worked right.
This thread should be "taglined" iTunes-ing it, if the implication is something that sucks and fails.