“Microsoft, the technology industry’s perennial late-to-the-game player, finally finds itself with a lead in home-entertainment software. It’s up to a high-energy engineer named Joe Belfiore to keep it that way,” Robert A. Guth reports for The Wall Street Journal. “Mr. Belfiore is the 37-year-old vice president in charge of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Media Center, a remote-controlled software menu for managing music, movies and other digital entertainment on personal computers and, increasingly, TV screens.”
“Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates demonstrated the Vista-Media Center combination last night at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. He also announced a ‘mini’ Media Center PC made by Averatec Inc. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and a partnership with DirecTV Inc. that for the first time lets consumers view DirecTV satellite programming on their PCs,” Guth reports. “The Vista-Media Center plan could help bolster Microsoft’s defenses against a possible challenge from a competitor with big momentum — Apple Computer Inc. In October Apple announced Front Row, a program for its iMac G5 computers that, like Media Center, helps organize and find digital content with a remote control. Apple isn’t commenting on its plans but is widely expected to try to take Front Row to more of its machines, and possibly to TV sets as well.”
“The Apple threat seems menacing, in part because of recent history: Its iPod was a late entry in an established field of digital music players but soon stole the lion’s share of the market. At Microsoft, Front Row is already causing ripples: Mr. Gates in an email to Mr. Belfiore asked why Apple’s remote control had just six buttons. The standard Media Center remote from Microsoft has 39 buttons. (Mr. Belfiore’s explanation: Front Row computers don’t have TV or digital video recorder functions and thus don’t need as many buttons.) At stake is more than just another piece of software for home computers. Both companies, and others, are trying to build the foundational technology for all home digital entertainment,” Guth reports.
“Mr. Belfiore learned of Apple’s Front Row effort while sitting in a meeting as a colleague read news of an Apple event from his cellphone screen. Soon he learned — as did Mr. Gates — that Apple Chairman Steve Jobs showed the audience at the event a slide comparing his six-button remote to Media Center’s remote. Known for his optimism, Mr. Belfiore wrote to his team that he saw Apple’s entry as a “validation” that Microsoft was on the right track with the Media Center,” Guth reports. “It remains to be seen how many consumers with the Media Center software on their PCs will actually use it and few homes have networks that are fast enough to effectively link Media Center PCs with TVs and other gadgets. But Mr. Belfiore remains optimistic. With new competition from Apple, ‘the next year will tell us a lot,’ he says. ‘This will be the start of an exciting new period for us.'”
Full article here.
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Microsoft has been playing catch-up with Apple since the introduction of OS X, and I see Microsoft continuing to follow Apple’s lead in home entertainment.
MS better enjoy it’s lead … since it will likely be gone next week.
Mr. Belfiore. Sounds like that butler on that 80’s sitcom show. You know, de one about de guy who once worked for de biggest of de big — Winston Churchill — and then when everything in his life evaporated he ended up becoming: a butler.
Yeh-heh-hehessssss . . . Sounds like de same future for de director of Microsoft’s Media Center project. I think Mr. Belfiore should begin pumping up his resume before Jobs crushes his dastardly plans.
Or before Ballmer crushes him with a chair.
This is the most amazing part of this report:
” . . . Mr. Belfiore learned of Apple’s Front Row effort while sitting in a meeting as a colleague read news of an Apple event from his cellphone screen. Soon he learned — as did Mr. Gates — that Apple Chairman Steve Jobs showed the audience at the event a slide comparing his six-button remote to Media Center’s remote.”
I find it amazing that these guys — the head of one of the largest technology companies in the history of the world and one of his main henchmen — don’t learn about this stuff until the day it’s actually announced. There really are no leaks coming out of Cupertino.
It’s truly amazing that these dipshits at Microsoft are so absolutely frickin clueless . . . AND out of the loop.
Boy, did they tell us often enough how “optimistic” Mr. Belvede- umm, Mr. Belfiore is?
Let me translate his last couple of statements.
What Belfiore said: “With new competition from Apple, ‘the next year will tell us a lot,’ he says. ‘This will be the start of an exciting new period for us.'”
What Belfiore meant: “With new competition from Apple, ‘over the next year Apple is going to kick the shit out of us,’ he says. ‘This is the beginning of the motherfscking end for this bloated, shitstain of a company.'”
I wouldn’t go as far as saying ‘catch up’ more like Microsoft does it first but doesn’t do it right, meanwhile Steve sits back and observes, decides whats really needed then brings out the simplified product that everybody actually wants with content already available (Microsoft missed this part), then Apple moves on to improve what already works well to make it work better with more content coming all the time which is easy to access as usual. Microsoft then tries to fix and improve the original concept and sort out some content for it. (they try to get it right the second time)
Ohh, I almost forgot. The Vista-Media Center edition is a great product. No, it really is. It’s much, much better than de previous Media Center. It’s truly a great combination . . .
FOR ME TO POOOOOOOOOOOOOOP ONNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@ Chunky Monkey
Well said.
> Mr. Belfiore’s explanation: Front Row computers don’t have TV or digital video recorder functions and thus don’t need as many buttons….
does this “optimistic” 37-year-old vice president in charge of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Media Center really think someone needs 33 buttons to have TV or digital video recorder functions?
get real!
i thought Microsoft was a software company… (as in making software)… but they are obvious a hardware company (as in making buttons) so they don’t need to make software to get things work!
MICROSOFT SLOGANS
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Micro$oft motto = I came, I saw, I jealous, I nervous, I coped.
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MICROSOFT, ALWAYS COPIED!!!!
The most amazing thing about this article is this line: “Mr. Belfiore learned of Apple’s Front Row effort while sitting in a meeting as a colleague read news of an Apple event from his cellphone screen.”
People at M$ are so curious about what Apple is up to, they monitor Apple press events even while they’re in one of their own meetings!
Two ways to interpret that: 1) M$ meetings are so boring and folks are always looking for something better to do, or 2) M$ is obsessed by Apple, or 3) both the above. Okay, so that’s three ways, not two.
Great. So Windows users can now receive viruses via satellite!
We’ve seen the weigh-in, both fighters in the ring have moved to their respective corners. The challenger (Uncle Bill) is still reeling from the last time these two met, but he looks positive. He talked-up this match for YEARS. Insiders say he is lean and mean, but continual illness (due to overexposure to viruses) have kept him on the sidelines from even being considered a viable contender. Rumors have it, he has been sparring with Justin Timberlake and the ghost of Don Knotts.
We see the current champion (Stevie) looking concentrated and fixed. The word around the gym is that, as always, he will employ some dazzling and innovative new strategy in order to befuddle and confuse his opponent and keep him on the ropes. He knows how to use the ring, how to dance, and especially how to use that upper-cut that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
The bell is about to ring, let the fight begin.
“Lead.” Hmmm. Is that pronounced “leed” as in “show the way” or “led” as in “sink quickly from sight”?
1. Don´t believe everything you read in the press (like this “historical” account of who found out something when).
2. Computers in the living room to replace TV? Nah, ain´t gonna happen.
As if the Microsoft guy is going to admit to a reporter: “Heck, I knew about FrontRow the same day as Steve Jobs learned about it. Microsoft has an entire division of fully paid spies, snitches and informers throughout the Apple organization and, yes, we do provide political contributions to Al Gore, Apple board member.”
You guys are sounding like gullible amateurs in believing the press and lack of inside information by tech companies.
OK Wally Wallet you make a reasonable point. But I would put money on Mycrowsoft learning about FrontRow from Jobs’ presentation…
I am so tired of my small little MacMini sitting on top of my 53″ Sony TV. I want a big PC tower up there and a 17″ monitor along side. That will really look cool and I’ll be able to manage my anti-virus software while watching the playoffs.
Dude, I’m get’n a Dell! ….a, a, I mean, an Avertec?
MW: average – as in Avertec = average technology
s iPod was a late entry in an established field of digital music players but soon stole the lion’s share of the market.
—
BULLSHIT.. Apple had a deal to get the lions share of the (at the time) best (Hitachi, I believe) microdrives and exclusive rights to the Synaptics Scroll Wheel… they have every reason to own this market. Too bad Creative didn’t think of it first
the upcoming pantsing of little billy by Local Leader Steve J will be a thing of beauty…!
Only six buttons? You mean Apple’s intended market includes more than concert organists? What a concept.
Apple keeps winning because of their understanding that the user interface and experience is crucial to success.
Actually, Rainy Day, the most telling part of the article is where Microsoft knew they were on the right track with the Media Center PC when Apple came out with Front Row. MS always needs validation from Apple.
MacJack – the press thinks Apple is cool; every company wants the press to say cool things about them, so to be cool one throws in an apple reference. The press eats it up and Microsoft now looks a little cooler because it is in the company of Apple.
You guys need to get a clue on the politics of PR and working with the press.
Right now Google and Apple are the coolest with the press, so the corporate heads know to tag along. We are all manipulated by the press and PR. But in the end, more people buy Microsoft OS computers….and will soon be going to Google to download their movies…
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Google Inc is to allow users of its site to buy videos from content partners in an upgrade to its video-search service, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The newspaper said Google will announce its plans to allow consumers to buy television shows or other videos that can be downloaded onto their computers at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Friday.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal said Google is likely to unveil partnerships related to the new service with CBS Corp. and the National Basketball Association.
The report also said Google planned to introduce a software package with offerings from Google and other companies that users can download and put on their computers. The Wall Street Journal said the bundle is to be called Google Pack.