“Microsoft has some catching up to do. It’s not a phrase you hear every day. But whether it’s Apple Computer’s iTunes-iPod combo or Google’s advertising engine, the software maker’s top executives readily admit that they are coming from behind,” Ina Fried and Michael Kanellos report for CNET. “On the Windows side, Microsoft’s dynamic duo ticked off several reasons why they think consumers won’t want to skip Vista, the next version of Windows.”
MacDailyNews Take: Dynamic Duo? Coming from behind? Not that there’s anything wrong with that. 
CNET’s Fried and Kanellos talked with the “Dynamic Duo.” Some snippets:
CNET: Obviously, with any release of Windows, one of the big challenges is, how do you convince the average consumer that this is something they’re going to want? What are the things in Vista that you think will kind of hit home for that initial sale?
Gates: Well, Vista will be pretty strong in that respect. (It’s) just the way we’ve integrated the search pervasively in the user interface; the way you can tag things easily and find them–tag photos, tag music, rate music and photos; the zippiness of the user interface, taking advantage of the DirectX advanced graphics capability.
CNET: With previous releases, the upgrades were mostly new computers sold with the latest version, correct?
Ballmer: Numerically, that will be the dominant factor this time, too.
Gates: You know, you could get 40 percent of the features of Vista, if you went out and got our Windows desktop add-on and latest IE add-on, the latest Media Player add-on and Defender add-on, and all that. You could cobble it together. There are a few people who have, but it’s a very small percentage.
MacDailyNews Take: Obviously, cobbling things together is the “Dynamic Duo’s” specialty, so we believe them here. But, if Vista’s so great — and what’s not to like with such wonders as tagging photo and music files all day, the unbelievable innovation of rating music and photos, the stupendous achievement of integrated search, it all boggles the mind with excitement — then why can so many of its “features” be added to old Windows XP?
CNET: One of the things you are talking about at CES is music, and obviously you guys for a long time have said choice, big ecosystem will win out eventually. For the time being, Apple has got one family of players and one music store, but they seem to be cranking out stuff pretty fast, and consumers still seem to be going there. What do you think you guys and your partners have to do to change that?
Gates: Oh, we’ve got to get music in cars, music on phones, music throughout the house.
Ballmer: We do need a more consistent experience. That doesn’t mean it’s bad to have a variety of devices. I think that’s great. But there are some things we need to make sure are more consistently delivered across the portable devices. Let’s face it, when it comes to actually using it on the PC, our stuff is still the most popular stuff out there. It’s not true in the portable device space, and I think we have to do some stuff to simplify the experience across the portable device and the PC, and that’s an important part of what we need to do. And we give credit–Apple has done some things right, and it’s worked for them.
CNET: You started that with PlaysForSure?
Ballmer: We started it. We’ve got a lot of work to do.
MacDailyNews Take: That’sForSure.
There’s a bunch more in the full article, but the one thing that leaps out throughout is the Dynamic Duo’s utter lack of vision. They really ought to start enjoying retirement if you ask us. Full article here.
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Apple needs to advertise that you can get 40% of Vista will add-ons to the existing OS, or get the whole thing right away by buying a Mac.
“when it comes to actually using it on the PC, our stuff is still the most popular stuff out there”
Only because it comes with the computer, not because most people made a conscious decision to use Windows Media Player over iTunes. When people are faced with making a real decision over what to use for their personal music experience, they obviously are choosing Apple’s solutions over anything else.
great comment. that will be my new nick name.
“Dynamic Duo? Coming from behind? Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
… as long as they keep their pants zipped
Heh, more like The Dynamic Spew-oh! My only question: Where’s the third stooge?
Is there a word in any language to describe the phrase “popularity by default”?
“Dynamic Duo? Coming from behind? Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
Nothing’s wrong with that….if you are the Ambiguously Gay Duo…
DoodleDude-
Please don’t give me nasty mental images of that sweaty Balmer! eww
MDN word “and”
…And?!?!
Perfect.
Ok, so now the image is stuck in my head like a terrible song you can’t stop hearing in your brain!
Ballmer: BILLLLY!! GIVE IT UP FOR MEEEEE! AAAAAUUHHHHH!
Ballmer: You know MDN, it seems to me that when we put all three muscles to do everything…see, we can do what our competitors don’t. We can throw knock out punches, you know do really well against guys that have no money and write software for free as a hobby, but once that ad money starts coming in, that’s a whole new shooting match. We’re fighting, we’re shooting. We’re going to shoot and punch and kill everything.
Gates: Yeah. Have you seen Xbox2, it’s HOT!
I can’t even write like these guys talk. I can’t help but to complete a thought.
Ballmer wants to talk tough and have a plan, but Gates wants to sell XBox2 and keep the hype flowing. They don’t work well together in an interview. They sound like idiots. No wonder MSFT stock is dropping.
OK, so make me spit out a good mouthful of Starbucks.
You guys are too funny. I’m going to have to buy an iSkin for my keyboard if I keep reading this thread.
Thanks, now I’M stuck with the mental image.
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Okay, now I’m convinced the MacDailyNews Takes are written by The Daily Show’s main writers. Good stuff, guys!
“when it comes to actually using it on the PC, our stuff is still the most popular stuff out there”
Again.. it is NOT because its the most popular, its because Windows achieved ubiquity. Very, very few people have been making a choice…
Put 100 people in a room, give them a half a day with Windows and half a day with Macs, then see which is THE most popular…
I’d reckon a 90% hit rate for the Mac.
“…our stuff is still the most popular stuff out there. It’s not true in the portable device space, and I think we have to do some stuff to simplify the experience…”
Ballmer is the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world but he speaks like someone who didn’t finish high school. Could he say the word “stuff” more?
little billy and monkeyboy are definitely not “dynamic” in any sense of the word. listening to them is like watching the air change in a room. every word is an appology for foisting their crap on a stupid world. the only original idea little billy ever had was when he decided to try to work for Local Leader Steve J as a contract programmer back in the day. it’s been downhill from there ever since.
wha? starbucks? they’re the microsoft of coffee houses!! DOWN WITH STARBUCKS! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL COFFEE SHOP! =O
And Ballmer got his degree from Harvard?
Whilst Windows might be the most prevalent it is certainly not the most popular. Gates and Balmer really need to be told the difference – I mean for a start they’re spelt differently. Was I not at work I’d even be able to double check it on my Mac’s built in dictionary.
MDN
Don’t go there with the Ballmer/Gates gay innuendo. The thought is just too horrible to contemplate.
Anyway, “Microsoft has some catching up to do. It’s not a phrase you hear every day.”. Why am I laughing so hard?
ndelc– That was my impression as I read few paragraphs that MDN reproduced. Could these two sound less prepared and less articulate? My God, even Gates’ “Oh, we’ve got to get music in cars, music on phones, music throughout the house.” How uninspired is that. You would think an interview with CNET would warrant a bit more preparation and enthusiasm.
I think I saw the Dynamic Duo zip right by in a car that looked like…..uh….OH MY! a THING……a weenie on wheels! You know what I am saying! Yeah that THING! Starts with a “P”, on wheels!
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MDN Magic word: problems
as in “We got some serious problems here.”
Interesting how Gates put it: “The biggest company in the computer industry by far is IBM. They have four times the employees I have, way more revenues than I have”.
I? Says a lot about how he thinks. A great team player he probably isn’t…”it’s mine, mine…it’s aall mine!”
The fall from grace of Microsoft is going to be extremely impressive and funny to watch. And its supporters should start to see the funny side of it before its too late..
“It’s not a phrase you hear every day”
Bull!
Catching up = copying someone else badly
Something Microsoft has been doing its whole existence.
Nothing has changed, they just managed to squish the inovations of others through FUD so well they lost their own source of ideas to copy…. imagine developing something like “Bob” and calling it innovation!
The only innovations occuring in the Microsoft world is how to lie, cheat and steal.
PlaysForSure on Windows-only!
Ha Ha 😀