“Who in his right mind would step into the ring against the iPod? Apple Computer’s sleek music-player, and its iTunes software and online store, dominate the digital-music industry as comprehensively as Microsoft’s Windows operating system dominates desktop computing. But just as Apple has tried for years to loosen Microsoft’s grip on computing, so Microsoft now hopes to loosen Apple’s hold on digital music. On November 14th, the software giant will launch Zune, a music-player that looks and works very much like an iPod,” The Economist reports.
The Economist reports, “Zune is unlikely ‘to make any dent at all in Apple’s market share,’ says Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies, a consultancy in Silicon Valley. But Microsoft probably has no choice but to try, he adds. During its first 25 years, he says, Microsoft succeeded above all by bringing computer technology to businesses; to succeed in its next 25 years, it must turn its attention to consumer gadgets, for that is where the innovation and growth will be. But the formula with which Microsoft achieved its dominance in the first round appears not to be working in the second. So Zune is based on a very different business model-evidence that Microsoft is changing.”
“The Zune device does not work with other online stores, even those of Microsoft’s partners; and Zune Marketplace does not offer songs for non-Zune devices. Zune, in other words, is a proprietary bundle of hardware, software and service-exactly like Apple’s iPod-iTunes combination,” The Economist reports. “For Microsoft this amounts to an about-face shocking enough that Robbie Bach, the executive who runs the company’s entertainment division and who devised the strategy, goes out of his way to play down its importance.”
The Economist reports, “Microsoft has ditched the idea of providing enabling software to other firms in favour of Apple’s approach of doing everything itself. Its first move in this direction came with its Xbox games consoles, in which hardware, software and an online service are tightly coupled. (The Xbox division also reports to Mr Bach.) Zune is much more controversial, however, because Microsoft’s pre-existing hardware and service partners are left high and dry. ‘I’ve never seen a business so blatantly screw its business partners,’ says Peter Sealey, a professor at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.”
Full article here.
Related articles:
Analyst: Zune could lead to ‘civil war’ between Microsoft and Windows Media partners – September 29, 2006
In wake of Zune announcement, should ex-Microsoft ‘partners’ join iPod ecosystem? – July 27, 2006
Analyst: Microsoft partners zune to be the biggest losers – July 25, 2006
In wake of Zune, Microsoft ‘partners’ consider abandoning PlaysForSure – July 25, 2006
>’I’ve never seen a business so blatantly screw its business partners,’ says Peter Sealey, a professor at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.”<<
Apparently he doesn’t follow MSFT’s partnering schemes. MSFT has a long history of screwing “partners”
‘I’ve never seen a business so blatantly screw its business partners,’ says Peter Sealey, a professor at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.”
EXACTLY.
‘I’ve never seen a business so blatantly screw its business partners,’ says Peter Sealey, a professor at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.”
Then he must not have been observing Microsoft for very long. This is their historic behavior in a nutshell, going back decades.
Another analyst that doesn’t know what he’s talking about. How do people like this get hired, anyway?
MS is a big ol’ brontosaur with bad hips and trick knees.
Apple is a velociraptor, nipping at it’s heels
‘I’ve never seen a business so blatantly screw its business partners,’ says Peter Sealey, a professor at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.”
I couldn’t resist following the first three posts.
“For Microsoft this amounts to an about-face shocking enough that Robbie Bach, the executive who runs the company’s entertainment division and who devised the strategy, goes out of his way to play down its importance.”
Boy, that’s a tough job, huh? Look at what Apple did, and then copy it. Wait, that’s what all of Microsoft’s executives do.
During its first 25 years, he says, Microsoft succeeded above all by bringing computer technology to businesses…
The only reason Microsoft succeeded is because of John Scully’s treachery against Steve Jobs, Apple lost it’s visionary and innovator for awhile.
Microsoft certainly didn’t win the OS wars based upon quality and service, more like downright treachery.
I’m willing to bet Bill Gates bought John Scully, lock stock and barrel.
Steve Jobs had a temper back then, Gates used it.
‘I’ve never seen a business so blatantly screw its business partners,’ says Peter Sealey, a professor at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.”
LOLOLOL
Everyone in the real IT world knows that Microsoft is the leader in terms of innovation and implementation, regardless of what new market it deems to enter. Microsoft’s former partners may cry foul over previous partnerships, but the real truth is these third-party vendors were abhorrently unsuccessful in advancing the PlaysForSure concept, a brilliant strategy by Microsoft that was unfortunately hampered by inept partners either unable or incapable of following Microsoft’s precise specifications. Microsoft in no way should be held responsible for the failures of these third parties.
Microsoft has every right to advance its business model, and because of the lack of support in regards to PlaysForSure that it received from these partnerships, it evolved its strategy to be less dependent on outside variables. Microsoft should be commended for this new approach, and not reviled as so many on this site have a propensity to do.
©
“I’ve never seen a business so blatantly screw its business partners,’ says Peter Sealey, a professor at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.”
I want in on the action too.
M$ succeeding for the next 25 years? I doubt they’ll be around that long. It’s basically “game over” for them.
Microsoft could not “copy” Apple anymore than Inspector Clouseau could be James Bond.
“‘I’ve never seen any other business so blatantly screw its business partners,’ says Peter Sealey, a professor at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.”
T,FTFY
@ Rabid Dog: John Sculley probably saved Apple at the time. It was Steve Jobs who was running the company into the ground back then, and the Apple Board rightfully stripped him of his power. Jobs v2.0 learned quite a few lessons from that experience and is an entirely different kind of executive today.
“The Zune device does not work with other online stores, even those of Microsoft’s partners; and Zune Marketplace does not offer songs for non-Zune devices. Zune, in other words, is a proprietary bundle of hardware, software and service-exactly like Apple’s iPod-iTunes combination,” The Economist reports.
Does anyone know if the Zune works with Mac or Linux?
It isn’t “exactly like Apple’s iPod-iTunes combination” if it is tied to only one OS.
I notice there isn’t much Zune news on here today…
~M
Your point “…PlaysForSure concept, a brilliant strategy by Microsoft that was unfortunately hampered by inept partners either unable or incapable of following Microsoft’s precise specifications.”
This is was not a brilliant strategy, rather, it was their PC model tried again in a consumer market who does not accept 5-7 years of working out the compatibility bugs and market consolidation (AKA the once emerging PC HW/OS vendor model).
Your point that this new approach is great undermines what you just said about PFS.
Either one model is brilliant and the other is not, but both are not fantastic, as PFS failed, miserably.
The xBox and Zune models are locked-in, completely vertical solutions, and consumers are voting that so long as it “just works” and is easy to use and delivers what they want, they will buy it.
Zune is the right model, it is just five years behind the curve, and pulled off only half-right. Unless Microsoft truly builds their own hardware, and takes the time and effort to invest in miniature solutions like Apple has in the iPod, it will be relagated to a marginal player.
After all, Microsoft has been able to hold onto the mass PC market for 5+years, even though Apple has had a better OS and amazingly developed hardware solutions.
Now, even if Redmond produces something even slightly better (they are not even close yet), will it even matter?
As Redmond appologists loved to once say “Whatever the Mac does, it is irrelevant to the marketplace.” The same will be said with Zune.
Wiht Steve Jobs at the helm, Microsoft can only hope to come close, and never top, the overall iPod experience. This leaves it no play to gather any iPod/iTunes market share.
Up next: Cell phones and the living-room.
Mozfan,
YOU SAID IT! It’s not “exactly” like Apple’s solution, at all. iTunes is the DRM music store compatible with Mac. Period.
I found a way to sneak a Zune out of the store today. I removed it from the package and quickly shoved it up my ass. Store security had no idea that a Zune was up my ass. It was hard to walk, because the Zune is so heavy, but I quickly made my way out of the store and “passed” the Zune in the parking lot. WOO HOO!!! FREE ZUNE!!!
One more time for the cheap seats in the back…
“I’ve never seen a business so blatantly screw its business partners,’ says Peter Sealey, a professor at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.”
> Everyone in the real IT world knows that Microsoft is the leader in terms of innovation and implementation…
What?!? I am in the real IT world (have been for many years) and this statement is so “out there” I don’t even know where to start refuting it. Most everyone in the real IT world hates Microsoft and painfully uses their products.
Except Zune is PC only and iTunes is not. Therefore the Zune is a totally propriatary and iTunes is not. Zune is so locked up it’s worthless compared to an iPod and iTunes which is the most tolerant DRM out there today.
Microsoft has no concept of how to run a business like Apple and never will. They also don’t have the one advantage Apple has. Apple does the hardware and the software and they engineer it for each other so it just works. Micrsoft on the other hand tries to put a square peg in a round hole. A total disaster to say the least. It won’t work for Microsoft especially if they have big mouth leading the way.
“I’ve never seen a business so blatantly screw its business partners,’ says Peter Sealey, a professor at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.”
Was he talking about Steve cancelling the Mac Clone licenses?
“Except Zune is PC only and iTunes is not. “
The Zune runs on a Mac through Boot Camp or Parallels. Within a few years that will be the only way to get ANY software for the Mac not made by Apple.
For the new guys here, Sputnik is our resident troll who tries very hard to be witty in supporting MS. Read everything he writes with dripping sarcasm, and try to respond with more wittiness. No need to get worked up or upset.
To Sputnik,
You do know that one of those inept MS partners in music was Dell.
I guess that was the final straw for MS when Dell stopped making the ditty.
Microsoft Watcher,
Grammatically, Prof. Sealey’s statement doesn’t exclude MS’s past or his having observed it.
I thought the best line in the article was this one:
“The great irony of the epic rivalry between Apple and Microsoft, says Mr Bajarin, is that the longer they fight, the more they resemble each other.”
How true….
Microsoft: the cancer of IT.
“‘I’ve never seen a business so blatantly screw its business partners,’ says Peter Sealey, a professor at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.””
he only watches family films then
Tried a Zune today at Bestbuy. First zune wouldn’t start up properly and only showed me a flashing icon (sorry forgot wh the icon was)
The second Zune flashed a “plug” and I waited and waited.
Waited , nothing happened and then walked away.
Came back and it was finally on. maybe 2 minutes, waiting for this thing to come on. I played with the menu a bit and watched a video. Not a bad device, but nothing to really differentiate itself from the other 15 players on the table.
The menu navigation was responsive. when this thing gets a cool design, ala XBOX360, it should do better than it will with it’s current design, it’s fugly.
I’ll be looking forward to my Apple cell phone in the next year, can’t wait.
Good luck Zune, you’ll need it.
Microsoft can wait as long as it wants for the Zune to go somewhere, what with all that cash that they have. When the first iPod came out, many thought that no one would buy one for the cost of the thing and all. Look where that one landed. Well time will tell whether the zune will go somewhere, but you can bet MSFT will wait quite a while before it gives it up.
The success at integrating its own market should bear better fruit than the previous models of everyone trying to get their players to work with anothers supplier of media, and the hassles that that creates.
MSFT is really screwing its parters though.
Now we just need someone to write all the software that one can get for windows, to work on the mac. Then we can really truly switch.
Monkey boy see, monkey boy do.
The reason some companies have success is that they have an original idea and pursue it with passion.
Whereas Microsoft strives for mediocrity and tries to copy whatever else has been successful.
“The great irony of the epic rivalry between Apple and Microsoft, says Mr Bajarin, is that the longer they fight, the more they resemble each other.”
The Economist Newspaper.
No, I think Apple and Micro$oft are pretty much polar opposites actually.
Zune is too late. MS needs to try to innovate instead of just copying successful products. Oh…wait…Origami. After second thought, they should just return the money to the shareholders.
‘I’ve never seen a business so blatantly screw its business partners,’ says Peter Sealey, a professor at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.”
but seriously:
“…PlaysForSure concept, a brilliant strategy by Microsoft that was unfortunately hampered by inept partners either unable or incapable of following Microsoft’s precise specifications.”
When has micro$oft ever been capable of giving precise specifications on anything? I mean, how can they? Sure the spec might SOUND precise, but ALWAYS once you start looking at it more closely there are massive logic holes, and grey areas. Kind of like Sputnik himself
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
Where’s David Fester? He was so high on choice.
what happened to Oragami? That was MS’s only innovative product i’ve ever heard of…
The most important aspect of “mafiasoft” strategy is that every partner know what they do and still partner with them. Look Novell deal. Red Hat refuse the deal and that every company should do.
With Sputnik back, if it is the “real IT” Sputnik, I’m having that feeling of “deja zune”. (the feeling I’ve been shat on before)
Sputnik – you crack me up, you are so cruel but so so sooooo funny.
– Steven, Braeburn, mark and trollin’ –
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do yourself a ‘flavour’,
go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm
Go back and re read Sputnik’s post again.
cos he ain’t wot youse thought e wos.
Zune is fading already.
On Tues late afternoon (the day it was introduced), Amazon had Zune at 5 (black), 15 (brown), and 24 (white) on the mp3 top sellers. These were the peak spots on the chart for it since I started keeping tabs a week before the intro.
As of now, Zune has slipped back to 8 (black), 21 (brown), and 39 (white) on the mp3 top sellers.
During this period, iPod has continued to hold the top 3 spots with 30GB black Gen 5.5, 2GB silver, 80GB black Gen 5.5. In fact, the 30GB black has moved from 2 to 1 on the electronics top sellers, passing the Canon SD600.
Zune is fading. The watch is over. We’ll have to wait until the next Zune release to see if it will really be an iPod killer!
“what happened to Oragami? That was MS’s only innovative product i’ve ever heard of…”
Still available. Sony sells one.
“Zune is fading. The watch is over. We’ll have to wait until the next Zune release to see if it will really be an iPod killer!”
Still the black Zune is and has been consistantly more popular than the White iPods.
Microsoft doesn’t expect to take out Apple in one hit. For now the’re probably just happy to be outselling white 30GB iPods.
If you stick with ranking latest generation 30GB HDD based players the order as of now goes:
Black iPod
Black Zune
White iPod
Black Zen M
Brown Zune
Black Zen W
White Zune
Other Zens.
Black U2 iPod
Seems to matter more whether the player is black than whether it’s a iPod…
“Was he talking about Steve cancelling the Mac Clone licenses?”
Not the same thing. With the Mac clone making deal, Apple was licensing to partners who became competitors taking marketshare from Apple.
With PFS, MS wasn’t licensing anything to its partners that would make them competitors taking marketshare of any kind from MS. Until Zune, MS wasn’t in either the music player or the online music selling business.
“The Zune runs on a Mac through Boot Camp or Parallels. Within a few years that will be the only way to get ANY software for the Mac not made by Apple.”
Many have voiced similar opinions/fears since Apple announced the switch to Intel, but all facts relating to Mac software supports the opposite. Since the Intel switch, more and more Mac-only software is appearing. Even MS is busy trying to crank out the Intel Mac version of Office. Not to mention Adobe.
“Apple was licensing to partners who became competitors taking marketshare from Apple.”
That’s a silly argument for why screwing them would be OK. Apple knew that that they would take market share from Apple when they signed them up.
Apple’s actions were much worse than Microsoft’s. Those guys were screwed because their Mac businesses were totally destroyed by Apple’s actions. At least Plays For Sure is not being killed off, it’s just not being supported on Zune.
“Even MS is busy trying to crank out the Intel Mac version of Office. Not to mention Adobe.”
These are major apps from major vendors and even then these will simply replace and update existing products. That doesnt count as “more and more Mac-only software” and probably they’re the last native Mac iterations of these products. What’s more telling is what a lack of urgency Microsoft and Adobe seem to have had in producing these versions.
AppleScrewsPartners:
I disagree – Apple paid Power Computing $100 million for their licence to produce Macintosh clones. If this is a bad deal, please rip me off one day. The PlaysForSure competitors of the Zune leave the table with huge investment losses and no goodwill (transferred to the Zune).
There is always space for developers to compete with a Microsoft or Apple in the same space. You just have to make it cheaper and better, plus have an import function.
“If this is a bad deal, please rip me off one day”
How much does Apple make out of Macs, or other companies make out of IBM PC clones today?
You tell me if $100 million carrot to shut down your company and go away (coupled with the stick, you can’t license the latest version on any terms, so if you don’t say Yes, you’re going out of business anyway in the long term) sounds fair.
From where I stand, here’s the list of best selling mp3 players on Amazon.com
1 Apple 30 GB iPod video Black (5.5 Generation)
2 Apple 2 GB iPod Nano Silver (2nd Generation)
3 Apple 80 GB iPod Video 5.5 Generation (Black)
4 SanDisk SDMX4-2048 Sansa e250 2 GB MP3 Player with SD Expansion Slot
5 Apple 4 GB iPod Nano Pink (2nd Generation)
6 Apple 8 GB iPod Nano Black (2nd Generation)
7 Apple 4 GB iPod Nano Silver (2nd Generation)
8 Apple 1 GB Shuffle Metal (2nd Generation)
9 SanDisk Sansa M240 1 GB MP3 Player (Silver)
10 Apple 4 GB iPod Nano Black
11 Apple 4 GB iPod Nano Green (2nd Generation)
12 Zune 30 GB Digital Media Player (Black)
13 Apple 30 GB iPod video White (5.5 Generation)
14 Apple 4 GB iPod Nano Blue (2nd Generation)
15 Apple 60 GB iPod video Black (5th Generation)
16 SanDisk Sansa M230 512 MB MP3 Player (Blue)
17 SanDisk Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)
18 SanDisk Sansa M250 2 GB MP3 Player (Black)
19 Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (Black)
20 Apple 80 GB iPod video White (5.5 Generation)
A baker’s dozen of Apples to one, pitiful Zune….
“That’s a silly argument for why screwing them would be OK.”
No, it’s called survival of your business, and it’s simply stupid to keep doing something that’s losing you business.
“Apple knew that that they would take market share from Apple when they signed them up. “
Again…no.
Apple would never have agreed to Mac cloning if your assertion were true. Why would Apple have agreed to do such a thing? It would have served no rational purpose.
The purpose of Mac clonering was to expand the Macintosh market. The cloners failed to do this (and the responsibility for that failure lies strictly with them, not Apple).
Besides, as I recall, none of the Mac cloners actually went out completely out of business due to Apple killing the clone licenses. Those that weren’t already involved in it, went into the PC business.
i don’t think jobs just cancelled out the clones…. he gave them a new price for the licenses… sure, they were much more expensive than what they were previously paying, but still, they had a choice.
and steve didn’t have a choice… apple was DYING. the former apple leaders (before steve’s return) made a terrible mistake of leasing out the company’s crown jewel for almost free. IDIOTIC… at that point apple couldn’t afford to do that. they weren’t Microsoft, who had no hardware R and D expenses to spend for. they were apple, whose R&D department was spending way more than industry standard, and they gave away the fruits of their labor for almost free… Steve was just correcting a dumb ass move, and he did it legally and within reason.
so, no, apple didn’t do the same thing to their partners. and apple had no choice, either.
microsoft just suckered these people in and kicked them out without warning
“”That’s a silly argument for why screwing them would be OK.”
No, it’s called survival of your business, and it’s simply stupid to keep doing something that’s losing you business.”
So now we’re to admitting that Steve screwed them royally, but had a good reason?
“Apple would never have agreed to Mac cloning if your assertion were true. Why would Apple have agreed to do such a thing? “
Because anyone with the most basic business education knows when you have a close substitute product, it will take sales that you could have made. Apple’s problem was that they couldn’t compete well with the cloners when it came to customers who valued price over an Apple sticker. They obviously felt they needed to kill them to get their monopoly on Mac OS systems back.
“The cloners failed to do this”
The cloners were quite happy, Their share was expanding quite nicely. Apple’s problem was that they made the mistake in thinking that there were more people who wanted Macs than there were. Instead there were just existing customers who were happy to buy less expensive hardware. It was Apple who pulled the plug.
“Steve was just correcting a dumb ass move, and he did it legally and within reason.”
By screwing the partners.
He did it legally. He may have even just been being pragmatic, sacrificing his partners interests for the betterment of Apple. That doesn’t mean it was an ethical or reasonable thing to do.
“microsoft just suckered these people in and kicked them out without warning”
Apple suckered those licensees in, then refused to keep licencing them a component that was essential to their continued business. They may have had their reasons. It may even have been a smart business move to get the monopoly back. But they still screwed their partners big time.
I don’t see Microsoft cancelling PlaysForSure licenses, or forcing the shutdown of those 3rd party music stores, or even telling people they can’t make and sell PlaysForSure devices.
Apple took action to make sure it’s clone partners had no choice but to go out of business.
In contrast, Microsoft is just choosing to compete with it’s parners. Apple’s actions were much worse.
If Steve offered you a license to build Mac clones today would you take it? Would you build a business around it? If you did would you just be waiting for the day when you got too successful and he cut off your oxygen supply? Given the history, would that come as a surprise when he did?
The Sunday evening Amazon MP3 player top sellers report:
13 Zune black
26 Zune brown
44 Zune white
For comparison, number 25 is the iPod shuffle … the last generation white one.
Like I said, this version of the Zune is dead. By next week, the top Zune will be out the top 25. All the Apple-haters will have bought their Zunes. Everyone else will keep buying iPods or Sansas or Zens.
To AppleScrewsPartners,
If Jobs didn’t end the licenses outright, the licenses would’ve ended anyway because Apple would’ve gone bankrupt quite soon. Apple was that close to death given that a new modern OS would not be ready for 2-3 more years. The cloners had to recognize that their success depended on Apple’s success, but they didn’t.
Now we may not recognize today that Microsoft’s future is at stake with the iPod’s dominance over MP3 players. And clearly MS is not near bankruptcy. But I believe MS recognizes that the iPod is a MAJOR future threat, and felt that time was of the essence, and thus felt they had to change course and thereby screw their partners. I don’t blame MS for doing it because they are right that the iPod is aiming to expand into video, cellular, PDA, wifi, remote control, and everything else you might want to do on a HANDHELD/ MOBILE pocketable device. MS recognizes that Apple is using the MS playbook. Once Windows was entrenched on the desktop, it became impossible to dislodge it even as it expanded into more and more markets. And now the iPod is becoming entrenched as a pocketable handheld device.
The fact that they did this now reveals the urgency they project. I disagree with their urgency; they could’ve waited out this Christmas instead of putting out a half-baked larger-than-iPod-pocketable product that uses a wifi not really suited to a handheld. It’s the same thing they did with Origami; they used technology that wasn’t really ready for the price point they needed to hit, and they weren’t sure what the real use case was for it. And it’s pretty much dead, and it will take a huge leap to win back people with another Origami version. In the same way, this version of Zune is dead.
“If Jobs didn’t end the licenses outright, the licenses would’ve ended anyway because Apple would’ve gone bankrupt quite soon. “
All you’re doing is coming up with reasons why you think it was OK for Apple to screw them.
“In the same way, this version of Zune is dead.”
In the same way that almost every V1 Microsoft product is underwhelming. But it will be purchased, and it will dent Apple’s sales a little bit (Lets face it every Zune Microsoft sells probably takes away one iPod sale). But in markets they perceive to be key, they have the money to keep on going until they succeed.
The real future device is the cellphone, not the iPod. Apple is miles away from having a platform like Windows Mobile. The iPod is currently a limited use device that most people would like to see merged into something else. Just as the PDA has all but disappeared as a standalone category, so too will the MP3 player.
As I said, Microsoft are not cancelling PlaysForSure licenses, or forcing the shutdown of those 3rd party music stores, or even telling people they can’t make and sell PlaysForSure devices.
“it will take a huge leap”
You can bet that the spec for the next Zune says something like “at least the same size disk as an iPod, no thicker than the equivalent iPod, no bigger than the iPod, no heavier than the iPod”.
And because iPods are basically Windows peripherals, and because the customer base seems completely willing to try non Apple products, Microsoft will succeed eventually.
They are several MS products that didn’t get any better in subsequent revisions, and didn’t gain much mindshare or market share…
1. WebTV
2. Tablet PC (software)
3. Portable Media Players (software)
4. PlaysforSure (software)
5. Microsoft Money
6. Even Xbox/Xbox 360 still trails the Playstation by a large margin
So don’t bank on version 3.
And next year, MS will need to be releasing an MS Zune cell phone to counter the huge popularity of the iPod phone, and thus, needing to screw their smartphone partners…
Just because I come up with a reason why Apple had to screw their partners doesn’t mean it’s wrong. You’ve got some logic problems.
And you think that if MS isn’t fully committed to fixing and enhancing PlaysforSure, that it still has a successful and prosperous future? Or that any of its partners think PlaysforSure has a future when it is not only competing against the iPod but against the Zune? Wow, what thought processes you have. Unlike your thinking, the truth is that PlaysforSure partners have already begun to jump ship, if you haven’t already read…
“Just because I come up with a reason why Apple had to screw their partners doesn’t mean it’s wrong. You’ve got some logic problems.”
At least we have established without doubt that Apple screwed it’s clone partners.
now we’re down to discussing the meaning of the word “Screw”
“Screw” by definition implies that it was Wrong for someone.
Methinks you have the logic problems, Your Apple Can’t do Wrong bits are stuck high.
Gosh, I love Sputnik fodder: “Microsoft’s former partners may cry foul over previous partnerships, but the real truth is these third-party vendors were abhorrently unsuccessful in advancing the PlaysForSure concept, a brilliant strategy by Microsoft that was unfortunately hampered by inept partners either unable or incapable of following Microsoft’s precise specifications. Microsoft in no way should be held responsible for the failures of these third parties.”
Microsoft is responsible of course, a brilliant strategy will only succeed if you have adept partners. MS of course was incapable of choosing an adept partner, say Apple to play for sure. MS talks the talk, Apple walks the walk, it’s simple. You can give guns to people over swords, but if you don’t teach them how to use the guns, the swords men will still rip them to shreds.
Microsoft’s precise specifications, that is a laugh and reminds me of the time we had to bring a tech over (took a week to figure it out) why a sophisticated “all Windows” computer did not work, not even in safe mode. It had a graphics tablet that had to be turned on for the computer to work. I looked incredulously at the tech and said “wow, you mean if someone sold me a car that would not run unless the radio was turned on I should buy it?” He was not amused.
You have to fill in the blanks Microsoft’s precise anal retentive, obtuse, convoluted inconsistent agains other standards specifications.
Duh
“You have to fill in the blanks Microsoft’s precise anal retentive, obtuse, convoluted inconsistent agains other standards specifications.”
So at the end of the day, Apple fucked it’s parners and fucked them good.