Ballmer Tells the BBC There's More MS Hardware On the Way

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Ballmer Tells the BBC There's More MS Hardware On the Way

Posted by timothy on Thursday October 25, 2012 @12:48AM from the threat-or-promise dept.

Microsoft has made hardware for quite a while, but not much of it as visible as the Surface; now, it looks like there's more where that came from. Dupple writes: "Steve Ballmer told the BBC: 'Is it fair to say we're going to do more hardware? Obviously we are... Where we see important opportunities to set a new standard, yeah we'll dive in.' The chief executive's comments came ahead of a Windows 8 launch event in New York, following which Microsoft's Surface tablet will go on sale. News other devices are likely to follow may worry some of the firm's partners. Mr Ballmer caused a stir when he revealed in June that his company was making its own family of tablet computers — one offering extended battery-life powered by an Arm-based chip, the other using Intel's technology to offer a deeper Windows experience."

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Microsoft Hardware by DogFaces · 2012-10-25 00:50 · Score: -1, Troll

Anyone remember those old MS keyboards and joysticks? They were and are always quality hardware, so I'm happy with these news. Another great hardware manufacturer is Nokia, who are partnering too.
1. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 00:53 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Who. Fucking. Cares.
  It's boring hardware with a boring OS from a boring company that's spamming Slashdot with boring Slashvertisements that're making Slashdot boring.
  Stop it! Stop it now!
2. Re:Microsoft Hardware by DogFaces · 2012-10-25 00:56 · Score: -1, Redundant
  
  So your definition of "boring" is an established company that does some things the way they always are, but are innovating on other areas and doing good research (Microsoft Research).
  
  Sure, not all of their products are something hippy and new, but MS does have areas where they do innovate. See .NET and ActiveX, for example.
3. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 00:58 · Score: 0
  
  Sorry, we'll post some Apple stories so you can jerk off and get that fanboy full release. Take it easy killer.
4. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 00:59 · Score: -1
  
  No kidding.
  Seriously, who wants M$ garbage? They can't sell phones, they can't sell music players, they're not going to sell tablets.
  Every company out there is looking for a way out from under the M$ thumb. If the Linux distros would quit fucking up the user interface, Linux desktops would be it. But Gnome is now so incredibly badly fucked that I'm not sure they'll recover anytime soon.
  Oh and M$ keyboards and mice suck too, and they always have.
5. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 01:00 · Score: 1
  
  Thanks "DogFaces". Having read many of your insightful comments on Slashdot over the years, I always value your opinion.
  Hang on, I was thinking of someone else. You're an MS shill who's created yet another new account for yet another pro-MS first post. Thanks for nothing.
6. Re:Microsoft Hardware by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2012-10-25 01:02 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  They still make the mice, not sure about joysticks(which seem to have fallen off a cliff in terms of popularity of late, except for console thumbsticks), and said mice are still a decent deal. In OEM packaging they are substantially cheaper than the 'fancy' opticals; but the fit and finish are markedly better than the $3 "Inland" and other mystery mice.
  What I'm more concerned about is the possibility that Microsoft's hardware plans are basically going to boil down to some unwholesome mixture of Xbox and Apple: reasonably well polished; but indifferent or downright hostile to anything except the firmware it shipped with and the increasingly tightly integrated set of first-party online services and 3rd party products officially blessed by the vendor...
  For all its messiness, the seething pit of Wintel gear has(if at times only through apathy, and the need to make sure that WinXP doesn't freak out despite being a decade old) been a great boon to our ability to run free software on hardware with a useful price/performance ratio and good absolute performance without playing a risky cat-and-mouse game with an overtly hostile vendor.
  It would be a great pity indeed to see MS start xboxing the Wintel world into a bunch of opaque appliances.
7. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 01:03 · Score: -1
  
  Oh fuck off. Even MS shills are boring and repetitive.
8. Re:Microsoft Hardware by tuppe666 · 2012-10-25 01:03 · Score: 1
  
  Anyone remember those old MS keyboards and joysticks? They were and are always quality hardware, so I'm happy with these news. Another great hardware manufacturer is Nokia, who are partnering too.
  Anyone else think that that there is a massive difference between a keyboard and fully functioning computer device! I think the Xbox 360 is any measure of quality thinks are going to go badly!
  Interestingly Nokia used to be a great Manufacturer in Finland[even had a meme], is now outsourcing everything to China. ...at least Microsoft and Nokia got to create third party patent troll!
9. Re:Microsoft Hardware by MrLeap · 2012-10-25 01:04 · Score: 2
  
  I like .NET but ActiveX is an atrocity.
10. Re:Microsoft Hardware by TheRaven64 · 2012-10-25 01:05 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  That wasn't a shill, that was a good troll. The clue is the use of ActiveX as an example of an innovative technology.
  
  --
  I am TheRaven on Soylent News
11. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 01:07 · Score: 0
  
  Sure, not all of their products are something hippy and new, but MS does have areas where they do innovate. See .NET and ActiveX, for example.
  Ouch...
12. Re:Microsoft Hardware by ByteSlicer · 2012-10-25 01:08 · Score: 0
  
  Your account seems to be created specifically for posting positive comments for Microsoft.
  You might as well add "Disclaimer: I'm paid by MS to say this" to your posts...
13. Re:Microsoft Hardware by O('_')O_Bush · 2012-10-25 01:09 · Score: 1
  
  I don't know if I would call them quality.... they were cheap in design, feature, and materials, but were more durable than other cheap peripherals.
  
  --
  while(1) attack(People.Sandy);
14. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 01:11 · Score: 1
  
  > Every company out there is looking for a way out from under the M$ thumb
  Something tells me you've never worked in enterprise IT, anywhere. No one is, certainly not everyone.
15. Re:Microsoft Hardware by jellomizer · 2012-10-25 01:14 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  You had me going until your bought up .NET and ActiveX. .NET is really a failure. It wide use isn't in the .NET but in the quality of Visual Studios.
  ActiveX is worse. Much worse, very bad. My mild mannered self in public will open ridicule anyone who thinks ActiveX was a good idea. ActiveX was a blatant attempt to take the thunder away from Java Applets. They touted it faster but that is just because it was for Windows and Intel Platform and IE only. in essence it is a windows application that runs in the browser. ActiveX opened the door to a lot of very bad and serious malware. It locked businesses into using IE for application and once IE had too many security flaws they were still stuck, because there were too many idiot vendors who were MS shills that put their technology in their systems.
  I am fine with most of Microsoft products. but ActiveX is the choice of Idiots.
  
  --
  If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
16. Re:Microsoft Hardware by DogFaces · 2012-10-25 01:25 · Score: -1, Troll
  
  ActiveX might not have been good, but it sure was innovative. Google is trying to do the same thing with its own technology now, almost 10 years later.
17. Re:Microsoft Hardware by xtal · 2012-10-25 01:25 · Score: 1
  
  ..there's less difference these days than you might think.
  Computers are largely SOC designs with RAM and flash added. The packaging makes the product, and the biggest variable on quality is the components used to regulate power. Microsoft has a good understanding of both those - on a positive, from a design perspective, and .. well, you've heard about xbox power supplies. :)
  
  --
  ..don't panic
18. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Dr.+Evil · 2012-10-25 01:25 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  The XBox was a loss-leader to sell games. It had to be cheap. The new tablet isn't cheap.
  I think Microsoft has a weird advantage here. They're "competing" with their customers. If they create a flagship device to set the bar high, it keeps the market from becoming a race to the bottom.
  All sales profit Microsoft, so it doesn't matter if *their* hardware doesn't get deep marketshare, as long as the combined market is large. Currently, the race to the bottom hasn't done well for PCs, creating shovelware minefields and overall bad user experiences.
  That said, I'm sure Ballmer will find a way to screw up. He always does.
19. Re:Microsoft Hardware by TheRaven64 · 2012-10-25 01:29 · Score: 1
  
  It wasn't innovative. ActiveX was basically COM, and COM was just a standard for vtable layouts, of which there had been dozens of others. It had very weak introspection support (equivalent to C++ dynamic_cast, which already existed, far weaker than other component models that let you query and enumerate the available methods).
  
  --
  I am TheRaven on Soylent News
20. Re:Microsoft Hardware by NJRoadfan · 2012-10-25 01:32 · Score: 2
  
  Many forget that one of Microsoft's hot products in the 80s was actually a piece of hardware called the Softcard. It was a card that allowed Apple II users to run CP/M software on their computer. the card was so popular that it was widely cloned by other companies.
21. Re:Microsoft Hardware by tuppe666 · 2012-10-25 01:35 · Score: 1
  
  Currently, the race to the bottom hasn't done well for PCs, creating shovelware minefields and overall bad user experiences.
  Enough with the race to the bottom. That is called capitalism, and on the whole it worked. I have a cheap great PC, and I use Linux. Lets be honest even Apple computers are awfully similar. To be fair very little goes wrong with computers, apart from the OS. Even dirt cheap OEM machines just work.
  Microsoft takes all the profit, but without them taking chances they deserve everything they get.
22. Re:Microsoft Hardware by UnknowingFool · 2012-10-25 01:49 · Score: 1
  
  The Xbox 360 had serious manufacturing or design issues. Most people think the reason was that MS launched it like software: Release it even though it had bugs and fix them later.
  
  --
  Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
23. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 01:55 · Score: 0
  
  .NET is really a failure
  Are you high? No, I mean really. Are you high?
  I'll grant you that ActiveX is a piece of shit, but you're off your fucking rocker if you define .NET as a "failure" in any sense of the word.
24. Re:Microsoft Hardware by NatasRevol · 2012-10-25 01:58 · Score: 1
  
  you might want to run that by the enterprise finance guys.
  
  --
  There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
25. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 02:04 · Score: 0
  
  Compared to the lost hours of productivity when training a workforce to use linux, it's cheap.
26. Re:Microsoft Hardware by VortexCortex · 2012-10-25 02:06 · Score: 1
  
  Agreed. MS's .NET / C# is a competitor to Java. Using that huge runtime for native C/C++ coding is a bit silly, esp. when cross platform alternatives exist (GTK, Qt, etc), but a failure .NET is not.
27. Re:Microsoft Hardware by MightyMartian · 2012-10-25 02:15 · Score: 1
  
  This is definitely satire.
  
  --
  The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
28. Re:Microsoft Hardware by MightyMartian · 2012-10-25 02:17 · Score: 1
  
  ActiveX was a CORBA implementation, so it was hardly Microsoft alone that was responsible for it.
  
  --
  The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
29. Re:Microsoft Hardware by mcgrew · 2012-10-25 02:20 · Score: 1
  
  Microsoft has a good understanding of both those - on a positive, from a design perspective, and .. well, you've heard about xbox power supplies.
  Note to Sheldon: that was sarcasm.
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
30. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 02:23 · Score: 0
  
  I don't even use .NET personally, aside from the odd powershell script here and there. My MO is more or less RAD in Python and translate it to C/C++ a few pieces at a time.
31. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 02:25 · Score: 1
  
  At least he's getting paid- the Linux chumps are pushing shitty GUIs and syntax MANGLED with bad puns for free.
32. Re:Microsoft Hardware by 0123456 · 2012-10-25 02:26 · Score: 0
  
  ActiveX might not have been good, but it sure was innovative.
  'Innovative' in the sense that everyone else realised what a stupid idea it was and didn't even consider implementing it.
33. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 02:28 · Score: 0
  
  You clearly don't understand ActiveX so you shouldn't be commenting on it. Microsoft didn't come up with ActiveX as an answer to Java applets. ActiveX is a rebranding / update to OLE -- which has a much older history than Java. It was developed to solve real problems and not to be a competitor to something that wasn't invented yet. Yes, there a major problems with ActiveX in the browser. But ActiveX is way more than a browser technology, if anything, use of ActiveX in the browser is more of an afterthought. It isn't all bad either, don't forget that it was ActiveX that allowed for Microsoft to invent AJAX.
34. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 02:33 · Score: 0
  
  Sorry to burst your bubble kid, but you're the one who's been played.
  Microsoft is like a fat blowsy housewife desperate for attention.
  They know this crap they're peddling is as dull as ditchwater and wouldn't generate a reply, let alone a discussion. They pitched the ActiveX brand into the fire just so the mug punters would have something to talk about.
  The ActiveX thing was their way of flashing a bit of saggy raddled cleavage and shrieking "Look at me" "Look at me!".
  And you looked. Sucker.
35. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 02:49 · Score: 0
  
  Dude chill out. Microsoft just released a new product and as a result, they are in the news a lot lately. It should come as no surprise that people are submitting a lot of articles about them and those articles are getting accepted as submissions. I wouldn't worry too much, it's not going to last and we'll start seeing our usual daily Cult of Apple articles soon.
36. Re:Microsoft Hardware by HerculesMO · 2012-10-25 02:55 · Score: 2
  
  The fact that this is modded insightful shows the groupthink of anti-MS hatred without even looking at the facts. .NET is wildly successful, even if you believe it not to be true.
  
  --
  The price is always right if someone else is paying.
37. Re:Microsoft Hardware by bfandreas · 2012-10-25 02:56 · Score: 1
  
  .NET is quite nice for implementing Windows clients. But it's not my weapon of choice for application server side stuff. Here Java wins by sheer third party support.
  
  The existence of the .NET platform arguably drove innovation for Java. It got dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
  That being said, APIs are have and forever will be Microsoft's Achilles heel. Also it took too much time to get WPF right. Development infrastructure is also on the costly side when compared to Java. Java offers so many tools for Free and free that I prefer to use it when in doubt.
  
  --
  20 minutes into the future
38. Re:Microsoft Hardware by bfandreas · 2012-10-25 02:59 · Score: 1
  
  That RT tablet looks awfully slick and polished. It looks like they threw top talent at the problem. Also they realized how much a detachable keyboard adds to a tablet.
  
  I got myself a Transformer Prime(warts and all; I knew most of the problems beforehand and bought it nevertheless) and I find I use my laptop less and less. sometimes I don't even bring it with me on business trips.
  
  The tablet come ultrabook strategy is a sound one. Pity RT/8 are not binary compatible.
  
  --
  20 minutes into the future
39. Re:Microsoft Hardware by jellomizer · 2012-10-25 03:08 · Score: 1
  
  As I commented, the success of .NET isn't in .NET it is in the quality of Visual Studios. .NET The speed of Java but only runs on Windows. Microsoft could had released an updated VB7 and C# without using .NET added additional libraries. And our apps will be faster, without the .NET overhead. It is the fact that Visual Studios when got upgraded went to .NET leaving us in the cold if we did other languages
  
  --
  If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
40. Re:Microsoft Hardware by jellomizer · 2012-10-25 03:14 · Score: 1
  
  While it is an OLE update/rebranding. However by adding support in IE, it was meant to derail Java Applets. Advertisments pointing out the speed, and additional features that Java didn't put in for good security reasons. It was an attempt to make a quick Java Applet replacement once they realized that at the time Java Applets were gathering attention.
  It was rebranded to solve a real problem... They didn't like Java, and the fact that it ran on non MS systems, that was the problem, and ActiveX was the solution.
  As for the Ajax. We couldn't have just done that via addition to javascript so we don't need to put that extra line of code if you are using IE do it this way, on every other browser on the planet we follow the standard.
  The fact that we Wanted Javascript to call a page and load data, wasn't a new idea. Microsoft broke standards just so they can implement it first. But the standards would have gotten there in about the same time where good developers would actually use it.
  
  --
  If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
41. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 03:25 · Score: 0
  
  You have no idea about what the .NET framework is. Read up on it and come back later.
  What other languages are you talking about? VB 6? FoxPro?
  I repeat again that you obviously have not a clue about the .NET framework and what it provides developers and languages emitting CIL.
42. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Penguinisto · 2012-10-25 03:31 · Score: 1
  
  No, .NET is simply there, as part of a decent IDE, and little else.
  By itself, it was/is a way to quickly get a job as a programmer without having to learn all that fluff like design, efficiency, portability, or flexibility. Aside from Miguel D'Icaza (who seriously drank the koolaid on that one), I doubt that any serious programmer who knows more than one language would consider it as the top choice.
  Visual Studio is great for writing code in C/C++. OTOH, .NET on its own is rather bloated, shifts drastically over time, seems determined to generate carpal tunnel syndrome, is severely limited in platform scope, and has its upgrade treadmill dial set to '11'.
  Thanks but no thanks.
  
  --
  Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
43. Re:Microsoft Hardware by MightyMartian · 2012-10-25 03:32 · Score: 1
  
  And how is this brand new UI going to work out for MS. The average user will find KDE more familiar than what's about to be dumped on them.
  
  --
  The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
44. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Penguinisto · 2012-10-25 03:37 · Score: 1
  
  Aside from workstations and those orgs who are Microsoft partners, can you point to an example of an enterprise which prefers Microsoft solutions?
  Even Intel is shifting away from the damned thing. When I worked there, we released all of our SDK/PDKs as Linux VMs. Three reasons why: One, licensing costs dropped to $0.00. Two, it was a hell of a lot more efficient to give a customer a perfect copy of a 'golden box' to compile on and make further copies of, than to try and wet-nurse them through setting up a working VS.NET box to compile their projects on. Three, building drivers and firmware demands efficiency, which .NET certainly does not have.
  
  --
  Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
45. Re:Microsoft Hardware by guruevi · 2012-10-25 03:52 · Score: 1
  
  No I don't remember them because MS never really made hardware themselves before the XBox. The keyboards, mice and joysticks were made by Logitech and simply rebadged just as Dell and a host of other companies did. This is a blatant case of astroturfing.
  
  --
  Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
46. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 04:53 · Score: 1
  
  This is a great point and a reason Google must make use of that moto mobility purchase ASAP. My personal view of Android is that a "pure" install is fine, but the hardware + software that most devices have is crap. If google sets the bar high, they can compete with apple and i might have a choice next time i buy a phone.
  Microsoft benefited by seeing what went wrong with the android licensing approach in this space. They're far behind, but they got to see what not to do too. I can't wait to see tablet data 6 months from now. We'll see if the iPad mini took off or just cannibalized iPad purchases. We'll see if surface or windows RT is a success and we'll see what Google can do with Moto. Interesting times.
  While I like apple, I think we're in apple II land with the iPad and Windows 1.0 is just around the corner (either windows rt or future android releases). Apple's hold on the tablet world isn't going to last and what we have 10 years from now isn't even going to look like today's tablet. History is repeating itself right now.
47. Re:Microsoft Hardware by MouseTheLuckyDog · 2012-10-25 04:58 · Score: 1
  
  ActiveX was a CORBA implementation, so it was hardly Microsoft alone that was responsible for it.
  Say what? I've worked with both CORBA and ActiveX. If you think ActiveX is a Corba implementation then you must see a big flashing "I'm a moron" when you look in the mirror. Maybe if they had kept developing COM+ and ActiveX they would have become a CORBA implementation, but as it was--not even close.
48. Re:Microsoft Hardware by tgd · 2012-10-25 05:09 · Score: 1
  
  The Xbox 360 had serious manufacturing or design issues. Most people think the reason was that MS launched it like software: Release it even though it had bugs and fix them later.
  No, the Xbox 360, for about a year of production, had the exact same problem a ton of consumer electronics had -- a shift to lead free solder lead to some dynamics related to heat and failure that wasn't expected. That happened with DVD players, TVs, and a slew of other hardware at the same time.
  Just like every other company at the time, the manufacturers of the 360 figured out how to manage heat and solder components properly to not have surface mount parts come loose.
49. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Zeromous · 2012-10-25 05:41 · Score: 1
  
  I am a linux nerd, and well Windows RT looks damn attractive to having an office-friendly tablet in my household....because really that's about as far as Microsoft will ever get in my house.
  But damn, I want (wife needs) one more than I think I need another droid device in my house. Pretty slick indeed.
  
  --
  ---Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A START
50. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 07:19 · Score: 0
  
  It isn't anti-MS hatred, it is anti-everything-that-isn't-Google hatred.
51. Re:Microsoft Hardware by bfandreas · 2012-10-25 09:54 · Score: 1
  
  Funny how iDevice leave me completely cold whil that Microsoft thing makes me nursing a semi.
  
  Quick! Start tablet. Fire up file browser. Ah! There ain't no place like /sdcard/dos/mom.
  
  Any platform that gets dosbox/ScummVM ported to shall henceforth be considered a success. Mame and UAE are also important. Does it run Xenon2 on an Amiga emulation? Does it support a run of the mill bluetoothed game controller? Android does that. iThings don't. Therefore iThings stink. Does RT stink?
  
  --
  20 minutes into the future
52. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Zeromous · 2012-10-25 10:27 · Score: 1
  
  Well being ARM it's going to be a brave new world but at least there will be build tools and APIs to support RT and x86 one supposes. Consider me optimistic about Win8 and positively enthused when it comes to the MS tablet.
  
  --
  ---Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A START
53. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Teancum · 2012-10-25 10:41 · Score: 1
  
  Compared to the lost hours of productivity changing to a new version of Windows, switching to Linux seems like a much better alternative where you know you won't need to be retraining people every couple of years.
54. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Teancum · 2012-10-25 10:56 · Score: 1
  
  That was before they were corrupted with MS-DOS, but I'll grant to you that Microsoft has been in the hardware business for quite some time. Microsoft branded mice and keyboards have been around for decades as well, along with other kinds of equipment.
  The difference is that Microsoft is now becoming a competitor to what was their bread and butter customer base (computer manufactures imposing the "Microsoft tax" upon future computer users). For whatever reason, Microsoft is deciding they don't need those other computer manufactures any more for future profit streams.
  BTW, you should also be aware that the "floating-point BASIC" used on the Apple II computers was also written by Microsoft, under license by Apple Computer. Steve Wozniak wrote the initial "Integer BASIC", but the more commonly used "Applesoft BASIC" really was a Microsoft product. It is interesting where that relationship went over time :)
55. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Luckyo · 2012-10-25 12:23 · Score: 1
  
  This isn't really the same as peripherals, and nokia is probably the biggest victim of this move as it's completely dependent on wp8 sales for its smartphone division.
56. Re:Microsoft Hardware by shutdown+-p+now · 2012-10-25 15:27 · Score: 1
  
  COM had its own introspection - IDispatch offered the ability to query for the type of an object, and then you could use typelib APIs to enumerate members and dynamically invoke them. It's just built in layers on top of basic COM (which is simply IUnknown).
57. Re:Microsoft Hardware by shutdown+-p+now · 2012-10-25 15:28 · Score: 1
  
  There are many programmers who consider it a better choice than Java. And in many respects it is, if portability is not a concern.
58. Re:Microsoft Hardware by RaceProUK · 2012-10-25 23:56 · Score: 1
  
  Visual Studio Express editions are free. True, they don't offer all the fancy features of the full suite, but they're sufficient for most small-to-medium sized projects.
  
  --
  No colour or religion ever stopped the bullet from a gun
59. Re:Microsoft Hardware by RaceProUK · 2012-10-26 00:03 · Score: 1
  
  .NET on its own is rather bloated, shifts drastically over time, seems determined to generate carpal tunnel syndrome, is severely limited in platform scope, and has its upgrade treadmill dial set to '11'.
  Says someone who's obviously never developed in it. There have only been about 5 major releases (1.1, 2.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5) with one lesser release (3.0) across three runtimes (1.0, 2.0, 4.0). The API is stable - 2.0 code will compile with very few changes on 4.5. C#, for all its detractors, is a rather elegant language that has helped drag Java into the new millennium. Plus, the IntelliSense support in Visual Studio is unmatched (in my experience).
  So you know, I've spent my entire career so far working with .NET, from v2.0 onwards.
  
  --
  No colour or religion ever stopped the bullet from a gun
60. Re:Microsoft Hardware by Penguinisto · 2012-10-26 03:44 · Score: 1
  
  By comparison, guess how many releases of C -or- C++ have occurred over the past 40 years? ;)
  
  --
  Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
61. Re:Microsoft Hardware by RaceProUK · 2012-10-26 03:57 · Score: 1
  
  Not a fair comparison - not even close. You're comparing language specs with APIs.
  You'd be much better off asking about the number of versions of GTK+ (28 significant releases to date) compared to .NET (at most 8).
  And I'll head off anyone mentioning .NET Compact - that's separate, and has had 4 major versions. I'll also head off .NET Micro (at most 3), Silverlight (5) and WinRT.NET (1).
  
  --
  No colour or religion ever stopped the bullet from a gun
62. Re:Microsoft Hardware by UnknowingFool · 2012-10-26 09:46 · Score: 1
  
  I don't remember DVD players and TVs having a failure rate between 25% and 50% based on different estimates. Some of big chains claim about 30% failure rate. Again can cite number where TVs and DVD failed at that same rate?
  
  --
  Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
We've come full circle in 30 years by circletimessquare · 2012-10-25 00:57 · Score: 4, Interesting

Microsoft was just a vendor of some software utilities. "Everyone knew" all the real money was for IBM, manufacturing the hardware.

--
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
1. Re:We've come full circle in 30 years by jellomizer · 2012-10-25 01:31 · Score: 1
  
  Hardware is an easy well studied and researched business model. You make it, people buy it, if it works that is money.
  For software you make it, some people will buy it, there is a big black market of pirated software. Then once you get it you are expected to keep it up and running with fixes.
  Now the Apple and seeming the new Microsoft model. You make the hardware and software. This fixes the piracy problem because it means for every hardware unit you sell you sell the software too. As well it makes writing your software easier, as you don't need to account for all the third party ripoffs.
  This model makes business easier. However like with IBM you are opening yourself up for disruption. Being too locked down you are opening yourself vulnerable to more open alternatives.
  While the iPhone is still the most popular phone. Android has the most used OS, across a lot of phone models. For the tablet Android didn't get much of a foot hold, maybe Microsoft will maybe not. Perhaps the Maker movement will find a way to offer White Box Tablets, where we can choose our own OS. And get a lot of small businesses making Whitebox Tablets for consumers and businesses.
  
  --
  If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
2. Re:We've come full circle in 30 years by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 09:02 · Score: 0
  
  > Microsoft was just a vendor of some software utilities. "Everyone knew" all the real money was for IBM, manufacturing the hardware.
  Microsoft was a hardware company early on:
  """As Steve Ballmer stated during the Microsoft Surface reveal, the SoftCard was Microsoft's number one revenue source in 1980."""
3. Re:We've come full circle in 30 years by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-31 06:29 · Score: 0
  
  Bill Gates' bank account strongly disagrees.
Did he say or scream it? by Lillebo · 2012-10-25 00:58 · Score: -1

I have a feeling the BBC journalist made Ballmer seem calmer than he usually is.
Copying Apple by geoffrobinson · 2012-10-25 00:59 · Score: 5, Insightful

Company that was focused on copying Sony and then turned to copying Google is now trying to copy Apple. If Chipotle captivates the stock market again, they'll start making burritos. Or maybe they'll start making coffee if Dunkin Donuts goes into a growth phase.

--
Except for ending slavery, the Nazis, communism, & securing American independence, war has never solved anything.
1. Re:Copying Apple by csumpi · 2012-10-25 02:00 · Score: 0
  
  Enough of this "copying" BS.
  
  All companies "copy". Steve jobs built Apple on taking other companies' designs and tweaking them. So how's this less acceptable?
2. Re:Copying Apple by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 02:18 · Score: 0
  
  Insightful? Really?
  Score:5, Moron.
3. Re:Copying Apple by VortexCortex · 2012-10-25 02:18 · Score: 2
  
  Enough of this "copying" BS. All companies "copy". Steve jobs built Apple on taking other companies' designs and tweaking them. So how's this less acceptable?
  It's less acceptable because they're spreading themselves thin and loosing focus on the OS and Office suite that make them real bank.
  This is the ultimate outcome of a Corporate life cycle: The stock holders demand growth. They expand and diversify hoping to stave off death, but the reality is newer more nimble entities will evolve to take their place as new niches form. It's a fight till the end for relevance, and it's only really just beginning for MS, but I've seen it in Big Iron, Arcades -> Consoles -> General purpose devices (PC's & portable), it's happening in Media... You can't replicate the success of others, you are not them. You have to focus on what you're really good at, but the stage is already set -- Both barrels are loaded and aimed at their feet.
  When a human's pituitary gland is over active, demanding unlimited growth of the person, they grow until they die instead of leading a long life. The business world is just like that.
4. Re:Copying Apple by geoffrobinson · 2012-10-25 02:44 · Score: 1
  
  I was talking about their business model instead of focusing on their competencies instead of particular product per se, but that's tied up into what business model you pursue.
  
  --
  Except for ending slavery, the Nazis, communism, & securing American independence, war has never solved anything.
5. Re:Copying Apple by frank_adrian314159 · 2012-10-25 05:06 · Score: 2
  
  He didn't "take" anything. Apple "bought" the rights from Xerox with Apple stock. Stock which, by the way, continued to increase before Xerox sold it.
  Besides, if the company that has something doesn't recognize its value and has absolutely no plans to market it successfully, and the company buying that thing also improves it immensely, the only question left to ask is this: Does that make the company that buys it an innovator (as they have had to innovate to improve) or a savior of the technology? Especially if they end up hiring many of the people who developed the technology in the first place?
  
  --
  That is all.
6. Re:Copying Apple by thetoadwarrior · 2012-10-25 06:01 · Score: 1
  
  I sense a butt hurt windows fanboy is in here.
7. Re:Copying Apple by csumpi · 2012-10-25 06:15 · Score: 1
  
  Nice.
  
  Posted from my MacBook Pro running OSX 10.8.2.
There's a reason Microsoft want to make tablets by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 00:59 · Score: -1

They gave iPads to chimps and they could use them. I think monkeyboy is enjoying himself
Bad news for Nokia by Tridus · 2012-10-25 01:03 · Score: 1

Surface phones won't matter at all to anybody other then Nokia. HTC and the like have no real investment in the platform and don't care. They're just making phones mostly to shut up patent issues and to hedge their bets.
Nokia is all in, however. If Microsoft releases a Surface phone, it's a vote of no-confidence in their main Windows Phone partner's ability to get it done. Or in it's ability to survive, given how well WP7 went for Nokia.

--
-- "So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated." - Bill Gates
1. Re:Bad news for Nokia by rtfa-troll · 2012-10-25 01:52 · Score: 2
  
  Nokia is all in, however. If Microsoft releases a Surface phone, it's a vote of no-confidence in their main Windows Phone partner's ability to get it done. Or in it's ability to survive, given how well WP7 went for Nokia.
  You do not, suddenly in six months, find the ability to develop phone hardware. Building up basic radio competences took Apple about ten years. This is one of the reasons they spent a long time doing iPod type, WiFi only devices.
  This is a deliberate and reasonably long term plan to kill Nokia. It may have been a conditional plan; they thought that if Nokia went well enough they would let them continue as a partner. More likely, the whole thing was a set up as with Sendo. They've planned from the beginning that Microsoft should displace Nokia as a leading phone manufacturer.
  Think about it from a simple brand damage point of view. If Microsoft allows Nokia to continue in competition with them then there is a direct comparison between Microsoft and Nokia (and the other partners). If Nokia does better than Microsoft then this sends a message: Microsoft is a Loser company. Nokia is better. This will come back to Microsoft's other products. The other partners may be better off. Microsoft may figure that the Chinese manufacturer's will take the bottom end (equivalent to current consumer PCs) whilst they take the high end. They will figure on having a better brand position. With Nokia being a Scandinavian brand which had a long term association with high quality, solid products that's never going to be nearly so clear.
  
  --
  =~ s,(.*),<sarcasm>$1</sarcasm>,g if any_point_you_wish();
Translation: by TheRaven64 · 2012-10-25 01:07 · Score: 5, Insightful

In a BBC interview today, Steve Ballmer said to his partners and customers further down the supply chain 'we've started competing with you in some small niches, but don't think we're going to stop there. We're going to keep expanding down the supply chain until we've completely destroyed your business model. Oh, and please keep buying Windows 8 licenses from us!'

--
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
1. Re:Translation: by SpzToid · 2012-10-25 03:25 · Score: 2
  
  Maybe Microsoft is more or less following the Steve Jobs business model, where Steve immediately got rid of all of the 3rd party hardware manfacturers holding licenses for Mac OS? This is why you don't run OSX on your PCs from Power Computing, Motorola, Radius, APS Technologies, DayStar Digital, UMAX, MaxxBoxx, or Tatung.
  Following along those thoughts, why can't the %$#@! Nokia board replace Stephen Elop and his 'strategy' with some bright Nokian with a perspective and actual vision? Stephen Elop should go the way of Michael Spindler, and Gil Amelio (who are the CEOs that preceeded Steve Jobs return to Apple Corp.)?
  I swear, Jolla will succeed (in China no less!) and depending on the balance of scales they'll either purchase the scraps of Nokia or get rich in the post-Elop era once Nokia gets their groove back.
  Disclaimer: I shed no tears for Stephen Elop as he'll retire with his millions and millions no matter what. He never had anything to actually lose.
  
  --
  You can't be ahead of the curve, if you're stuck in a loop.
Re:Microsoft Hardware (by logitech) by Ogi_UnixNut · 2012-10-25 01:10 · Score: 3, Interesting

That's because most of it was made by Logitech under contract, who made quality hardware back then. Sometimes they were identical items, just with a Microsoft logo and different model number.
Of course, why wouldn't they? by sootman · 2012-10-25 01:12 · Score: 1

After all, they're still flush with cash from Zune sales. :-)

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Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
"deeper Windows experience" by ifrag · 2012-10-25 01:14 · Score: 1, Troll

The phrase "deeper Windows experience" should probably never be used ever. Masturbating with a fist full of glass shards is all that comes to mind when I read that.

--
Fear is the mind killer.
1. Re:"deeper Windows experience" by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 01:21 · Score: 1
  
  So similar to using the new Windows 8 interface then?
2. Re:"deeper Windows experience" by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 01:22 · Score: 0
  
  Masturbating with a fist full of glass shards is all that comes to mind when I read that.
  Come back to /d/. We miss you.
3. Re:"deeper Windows experience" by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 01:49 · Score: 0
  
  That phrase stuck out to me as well. I don't think anyone WANTS a windows experience. Millions of people have been forced to have one.
  Also, at least with the glass shards, the wounds will heal. You'd still be stuck with Windows.
Yeah, and ..... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 01:16 · Score: 1

In a BBC interview today, Steve Ballmer said to his partners and customers further down the supply chain 'we've started competing with you in some small niches, but don't think we're going to stop there. We're going to keep expanding down the supply chain until we've completely destroyed your business model. Oh, and please keep buying Windows 8 licenses from us!'
Yeah, and your point being?
What I see is Ballmer moving MS to copy Apples's business model or as much of it as possible.
You will start seeing MS hardware fine tuned to their OS. A Windows 8 app store and probably more lock down.
Dell, HP, etc ... well, eat shit and die! It's their wake up call. Move your shit to Linux or die.
1. Re:Yeah, and ..... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 02:17 · Score: 0
  
  Move your shit to Linux and die.
  FTFY
2. Re:Yeah, and ..... by Nerdfest · 2012-10-25 02:32 · Score: 2
  
  I was going to say something similar. If the ghardware companies got together with RedHat, Canonical, etc, and put out a polished version of Linux that their hardware supported perfectly, it would be good for them in the short and long term. It would be very bad for Microsoft in the long term, which is really just an added bonus. This would also finally get the video card vendors on board with providing proper drivers, and provide the extra push needed for games to be ported. Having Office, etc would likely be a non-starter though, so open document formats would need to much more acceptable.
3. Re:Yeah, and ..... by MightyMartian · 2012-10-25 03:29 · Score: 2
  
  This appears to be Microsoft's gamble. The problem is that a huge amount of their profit margin comes from the enterprise, where the PC still reigns supreme, and I wonder how thrilled many corporate and government customers will be to suddenly find that to keep using Windows, they're now facing a future with a single vendor.
  
  --
  The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
Xbox 720?!?!? by crazyjj · 2012-10-25 01:19 · Score: 2

Dude, it's been *7 years*. The standard life cycle since the Atari days was 5 years, and you haven't even ANNOUNCED a new console generation yet. And frankly, the 360 is looking a little long in the tooth.

--
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
1. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by ciderbrew · 2012-10-25 01:36 · Score: 1
  
  I think they are in it for a 10 cycle. AAA+ Games cost 100+million to make so you need a few more years to flog it to death.
2. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 01:49 · Score: 0
  
  They don't need to announce a new generation of consoles.
  Nintendo aren't competing with Sony and MS any more - the specs of their new console won't interest "hardcore" gamers, but will be fine for casual gamers and Nintendo franchise fans.
  Sony are on the brink - their company is worth a mere $12 Billion, and lost $6.4 Billion last year. They went from having the all-time best selling console (PS2) to the worst selling 7th Gen console (PS3). They can't afford another technological arms race, and must be dreading the next generation console launches.
  Microsoft have been booking a healthy profit from the Xbox 360 in the last couple of years, and will continue to do so until the next-gen Sony and MS consoles are launched. They have no reason to launch early, unless they are willing to pay $$$ to kill PlayStation completely - unlikely given MS's past anti-trust woes.
  IMO MS and Sony (if they are smart) have privately arranged to launch as late as possible, and at similar times, maximizing profits for both companies.
3. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by PlusFiveTroll · 2012-10-25 01:53 · Score: 1
  
  And frankly, the 360 is looking a little long in the tooth.
  Compared to what? A new PC that's going to run a copy of... Microsoft Windows?
  You don't have to to run fast if no one else is running fast in the market either.
4. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by jader3rd · 2012-10-25 02:25 · Score: 1
  
  Dude, it's been *7 years*. The standard life cycle since the Atari days was 5 years, and you haven't even ANNOUNCED a new console generation yet. And frankly, the 360 is looking a little long in the tooth.
  I think they considered releasing Kinect as extending the life cycle of the console.
5. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by h4rr4r · 2012-10-25 02:28 · Score: 1
  
  Hardcore gamers don't like 1080p?
  I would say console gamers would surely appreciate that upgrade.
  Hardcore gamers don't use consoles anyway.
6. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by NatasRevol · 2012-10-25 02:54 · Score: 1
  
  Xbox profits not so healthy.
  http://www.microsoft.com/investor/EarningsAndFinancials/TrendedHistory/SegmentsHistory.aspx
  Last 5 quarters of Entertainment Div's profits:
  +$340M, +$514M, -$231M, -$253M, +$19M
  That's $77M/quarter average. After spending billions on development.
  
  --
  There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
7. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by MightyMartian · 2012-10-25 03:27 · Score: 1
  
  I keep hearing this "XBox is profitable" line, but considering how much money Microsoft through at it, has it even paid for the R&D and the marketing (read: dumping) that went on to get it to this lofty position?
  Microsoft bought game console market share with oodles of cash robbed from other divisions. To say "well, it's profitable now" is a pretty heavy distortion of the situation.
  
  --
  The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
8. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by Hatta · 2012-10-25 04:12 · Score: 1
  
  The Atari 2600 was released in 1977. The next console generation didn't occur until the release of the NES in 1985. That's 8 years. Atari actually didn't stop selling the 2600 until 1992.
  
  --
  Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
9. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 04:28 · Score: 0
  
  Those figures are misleading. In your link, it's actually the "entertainment and devices division", which is an umbrella for the various hardware that Microsoft sells, not just the 360. The most interesting payments may be the $250M fees MS are paying to Nokia, via the Entertainment Div. Check the links.
  http://www.businessinsider.com/nokia-payments-cause-entertainment-and-devices-division-loss-2012-7
  http://www.slashgear.com/nokia-microsoft-paid-us-250m-in-q4-to-use-windows-phone-26210827/
10. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by NatasRevol · 2012-10-25 04:36 · Score: 1
  
  Since Microsoft doesn't break it out any further than what I listed, neither you nor anyone else has any more insight into the actual Xbox profits.
  But playing along, if you add $250M for the last 2 quarters, you still only get $177M per quarter of profits for the division. Still going to take a long time to pay off the investment with that stream.
  
  --
  There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
11. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 04:43 · Score: 0
  
  You are correct, MS bought market share. Now they have a good shot at being the best selling next-gen console, despite the red ring fiasco.
  It's far from certain that MS made a good decision with their entry to the console market - but back in 1999 they were the world's most valuable company, valued at $621 Billion in 1999 dollars. They had a huge cash pile and needed to get into new markets, or return the money to their shareholders.
  They may still be a few billion in the red from their foray into consoles, but it seems likely that they can make a consistent profit for the next generation - in the long term (10-20 years) it may turn out to be a great investment.
12. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 04:55 · Score: 0
  
  in the long term (10-20 years) it may turn out to be a great investment.
  Only if you ignore all the other things they could have done with that money.
  Besides, tablets are a much bigger threat to console gaming than PC gaming.
13. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 04:58 · Score: 0
  
  Don't forget the $300M/quarter that MSFT are spending on R&D in the division - much of which is paying for the Xbox 720. That doesn't reflect poorly on the 360.
14. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by MightyMartian · 2012-10-25 05:07 · Score: 1
  
  To simplify, no, the XBox division is not yet profitable, and having a few solid quarters does not mean a solid investment.
  
  --
  The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
15. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by NatasRevol · 2012-10-25 05:29 · Score: 1
  
  Sure. Any more insights into MSFTs undocumented income and expenses?
  
  --
  There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
16. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 06:15 · Score: 0
  
  Nah, that's all I've got :)
  You made some interesting points. I think we both agree that it's difficult to extract reality from corporate accounts.
  I tend to agree with your central point that consoles weren't a great investment for MSFT, but 1 or 2 console generations from now it might be viewed as a good long-term investment. Or not!
17. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 07:57 · Score: 0
  
  Keep in mind that MS not only made money off the initial sale of the console, but (unlike Sony) they also collect on ongoing $7 a month for Xbox Live from a VERY significant percentage of Xbox users. Them's no small potatoes, especially over the course of several years.
18. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by crazyjj · 2012-10-25 07:59 · Score: 1
  
  he Atari 2600 was released in 1977. The next console generation didn't occur until the release of the NES in 1985.
  Oh, to be too young to remember the Atari 5200.
  
  --
  What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
19. Re:Xbox 720?!?!? by Hatta · 2012-10-25 08:06 · Score: 1
  
  That doesn't count as another console generation. It was just their previous generation home computer packaged in a gigantic case and given shitty non-centering joysticks.
  The 7800 counts as another generation, but it was released after the NES.
  
  --
  Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Competition by tuppe666 · 2012-10-25 01:24 · Score: 1

Sitting alongside all those Microsoft shills who have been forced to endure years of, having Apple and Android dominate the news with compelling interesting devices. Iproclame like mr First Poster this is the greatest news ever!!! Finally Microsoft have finally stepped up to take on the opposition, by promptly stabbing its OEM [and other] partners in the front...AGAIN :)
I'm astonishing after the launch of surface plans of "Super Ninja" devices using new input methods, or reinventing old ones, or hell putting Linux/Meego/Other on it and offering real support. Anything other than being Microsoft Bitch [and the world knowing it]. They need to show Microsoft that Hardware and differentiating themselves from the opposition is what is important. Steve Jobs proved that at least.
Now they didn't wake up from the launch of Microsoft's Surface ...so Steve Baby is going to give it to those OEM partners a little harder!!! Colour Me surprised. They have to break soon...you can only watch Microsoft [with Steves sweaty face] take your slither of hardware margin, while they roll around on a bed of money from new Crazy OS prices, and high margin immature market money.
God Bless Computing.
Apple envy by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 01:30 · Score: 0

Microsoft clearly has "Apple envy." The monoculture synergisms of walled-garden hardware and software, as established by Apple, gives monopolists wet dreams.
1. Re:Apple envy by hcs_$reboot · 2012-10-25 01:40 · Score: 1
  
  "Microsoft shamelessly copies Apple Storeconcept", why would they stop there?
  
  --
  Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
from the IBM Blue Ballmer Translator... by Dystopian+Rebel · 2012-10-25 01:33 · Score: 4, Funny

Input: "Where we see important opportunities to set a new standard, yeah we'll dive in."
Output: "We'll copy any product if it's a chance to make money. And if we can figure out how to squirt Windows into it, we'll do that, too."
The IBM Blue Ballmer Project is an artificial intelligence computer system capable of translating statements made in the unnatural language of Microsoft Chief Executive Orificer Steve Ballmer.

--
Rich And Stupid is not so bad as Working For Rich And Stupid.
Apple vs $Someone, you ain't seen nothing yet by RichMan · 2012-10-25 01:34 · Score: 1

If you think the Apple vs Samsung patent battles are bad. You ain't seen nothing yet. The more Microsoft tries to become Apple the bigger a target it will draw on itself.
Me, until lawfirms go public and issue shares, I'm investing in popcorn.
Chairs? by MatrixCubed · 2012-10-25 01:48 · Score: 1

My first impulse after reading the title.
MSX by Smartcowboy · 2012-10-25 02:10 · Score: 1

In the '80, Microsoft created the MSX computer platform. I never actualy seen one of those for real so I can't tell if they were any good.
1. Re:MSX by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 02:37 · Score: 0
  
  They didn't manufacture the actual machines, just setup the architecture
  The Coleco Vision was based of the MSX platform (and by extension the Coleco ADAM, but I think that used different software), So if you want to know how powerful they were use that as a reference.
2. Re:MSX by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 02:57 · Score: 0
  
  Actually Microsoft provided the BASIC interpreter for MSX, and that's it.
  Back then Microsoft BASIC was considered a good (or even the best?) interpreter, and was quite popular. It made sense back then.
  The MSX as standard was developed from the specs of a Spectravision computer (in a way a proto-MSX machine).
Lets post fact not feelings by tuppe666 · 2012-10-25 02:19 · Score: 1

They don't need to announce a new generation of consoles.
Nintendo aren't competing with Sony and MS any more - the specs of their new console won't interest "hardcore" gamers, but will be fine for casual gamers and Nintendo franchise fans.
Sony are on the brink - their company is worth a mere $12 Billion, and lost $6.4 Billion last year. They went from having the all-time best selling console (PS2) to the worst selling 7th Gen console (PS3). They can't afford another technological arms race, and must be dreading the next generation console launches.
Microsoft have been booking a healthy profit from the Xbox 360 in the last couple of years, and will continue to do so until the next-gen Sony and MS consoles are launched. They have no reason to launch early, unless they are willing to pay $$$ to kill PlayStation completely - unlikely given MS's past anti-trust woes.
IMO MS and Sony (if they are smart) have privately arranged to launch as late as possible, and at similar times, maximizing profits for both companies.
Its not that I care but don't let the figures get in the way of any facts http://www.vgchartz.com/ pegs Xbox360 at 69.1Million against Sonys PS3 67.4Million That 3% difference may make you happy as a fanboy, but from what I see there is precious little in it.
As for you comparing Sony's Financials vs Microsofts I would love to know how you did that,
Having a look at http://www.microsoft.com/investor/EarningsAndFinancials/Earnings/PressReleaseAndWebcast/FY13/Q1/default.aspx Microsofts Profit for the last three months have been 18 Million note that is Millions with Sony in there financial statements post a loss of 45 Million not that is Million again, not good but not awful.
Like I said is you are trying to make out a massive win for Microsoft over Sony its simply not happening. In fact by measures of financial or market share their is very little in it.
1. Re:Lets post fact not feelings by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 03:51 · Score: 0
  
  I own neither console, and am far from being a fanboy. You just posted stats agreeing that Sony's current-gen console is in third place, so you appear to be in agreement with me, despite the tone of your post.
  Where did you pull 18M from? Your ass? The only place the number 18 is mentioned in your link is the date it was posted, October the 18th. Your post is so irrelevant that I believe it is a deliberate attempt to waste my time. If I was not very drunk, I would not dignify you with a response. But.
  According to the Wall Street Journal's Marketwatch, MS profits for the last three months were in fact $4.47 Billion. You may have been referring only to their Xbox profits, but your inability to spell "in their financial statements" correctly leads me to believe that you are too mentally challenged to perform such a feat.
  http://articles.marketwatch.com/2012-10-18/markets/34547235_1_microsoft-software-giant-share
  Meanwhile, Reuters and every other news source seems to believe that Sony did in fact record a loss of $6.4 Billion in 2011.
  http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/10/us-sony-idUSBRE83907220120410
  The last quarter that Sony have reported (Q1 2012) revealed a loss of $312 Million.
  http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/02/news/la-sony-losses-grow-forecast-shrinks-20120802
  Now (and I am giving you too much credit) if you really did find a factual way of calculating your "18/45 Million" figures, it doesn't even matter. There's been lots of talk on slashdot about how Nokia's market capitalization is tiny, and the company is beyond salvation. As of today, Nokia are worth $9.87 Billion to Sony's $11.97 Billion. Sony are in big trouble - their $86.65 Billion revenue in 2011 translated to a $6.4 Billion loss.
  In other words, there may not be a PS4, at least not without most of Sony's assets changing hands.
  (MS are worth $235 Billion - much as it pains me to report on their continued success. Nintendo is worth $18.51 Billion with $8 Billion 2011/12 revenues).
Ho80 by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 02:35 · Score: -1

but it's not a Don't walk around Software lawyers disturbing. If you It's best 7o try outstrips to predict *BSD's dim. Due to the recent article put of open-source.
The Best Stuff by jonadab · 2012-10-25 02:37 · Score: 1

Microsoft's finest products are all hardware. I use one of their peripheral devices (an optical multi-button wheel mouse) at home, and it's great. It works right out of the box, no hassles, no need to hunt down any drivers or anything, with every OS I've tried since I bought it. (Currently I'm running lenny.) It tracks on pretty much any surface, and the buttons don't stick or anything. For the level of quality, it was priced very competitively. Microsoft makes great hardware.

It's their software I Do Not Want.

--
Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
Windows 9 hardware by Katchu · 2012-10-25 02:44 · Score: 1

Windows 9! Soon to incorporate User Interface with wooden mallet and trombone.

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Keep Doing Good.
Lets ask Valve by SmallFurryCreature · 2012-10-25 02:54 · Score: 1

Valve, what do you think the future might be for Intel/AMD Gaming? Oh... hedging your bet and trying to cater for Windows/Mac/Linux so whatever happens, you continue to rake it in with your Steam platform and own games?
I see.
Once everybody gamed on a commodore... or atari (freaks) and laughed at the dos crowd.
Things change.

--

MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
A watch that down loads data optically! by 140Mandak262Jamuna · 2012-10-25 03:23 · Score: 1

Microsoft is designing a brand new mobile device. It is a wrist watch. But no ordinary wrist watch, but it comes with an optical reader.
You get some special software that lets you build your calender in any windows machine. The calender could be exported from Outlook too. Then issue the comand "download data to watch".
Presto!
The screen displays a series of bar codes. The watch's reader can decode it and store it in the watch. They are partnering with Timex for this project. They are planning to call the project "DataLink" . This is going to change everything! Watches with Microsoft brandname! Mobile Device! Bar code optical reader. It got every trending thing man!

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sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
1. Re:A watch that down loads data optically! by glop · 2012-10-25 06:43 · Score: 1
  
  Well you are kidding, but I expect that with Bluetooth 4.0 this is actually a killer app.
  And there is a even a super successful kickstarter on the topic:
  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android
  But yeah, I don't think you need Microsoft for that. You need standards (e.g. Bluetooth 4 is needed), component manufacturers and some good designers.
The only MS Hardware I EVER want to see by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 03:55 · Score: 0

Microsoft Trackball Explorer http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-D68-00002-Trackball-Explorer/dp/B00004YV5X (amazon)
The ONLY hardware Microsoft have ever made that was good. No, not just good, absolutely perfect. The best, most comfortable, accurate, well designed trackball ever made and better than any mouse I've ever tried (even for gaming). Nothing else comes close to it and the bunch of Idiots that Microsoft are. stopped making the damned thing.
Want to buy one, go ahead, get a used on ebay for £200/$200+
I inherited one from a collegue at work, he'd used it for 4 years, I've had had it for 3 and I am dreading the day that it wears out.
Microsoft.. make this again so I can buy one.. just this, nothing else, every other bit of hardware you make is rubbish.
omg by jimmyfrank · 2012-10-25 04:06 · Score: 1

http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/tablet/thinkpad/thinkpad-tablet-2/ *drool
1. Re:omg by MouseTheLuckyDog · 2012-10-25 05:08 · Score: 1
  
  Careful. When I was looking for a tablet with a dig8itizer, I got really excited about the TPT 1, but I waited. Turns out that if you drooled on that it broke.
I thought MS mice were still being built by by sgtrock · 2012-10-25 05:04 · Score: 1

Logitec? When did they finally set up their own factory?
Zune zune zune by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-25 19:04 · Score: 0

Gimmie that old time zune baby! Stuff a bit of Bob and Clippy (at my house we call him 'The Clipper') and throw in a bit of Encarta. With microsoft(tm) hardware they can provide blind registers so that only their software can access them. Its a great way for people to be locked in to their software. Go out and buy. Buy a lot. Buy and buy and your options go buy bye bye. I know their stuff is so much better than that yukky stuff made by Asus, Acer and Samsung.