It amazes me that every review of the Zune has completely missed the point:
In today's day and age, with always-on devices with mandatory updates, DRM, and proprietary file formats, who you buy from and trust with your memories, pictures of family and friends, music collections, videos, pictures, letters, etc., is a very, very important decision.
Will you be able to look at the digital pictures of your child 30 years from now? Yes, we have entered that age.
The fundamental problem with the Zune is Microsoft's lack of integrity. Not the Zune's design. Not the Zune's user interface, or anything else. The problem is the lack of character of the company behind the product.
The Zune showed that Microsoft is more than willing to leave good, paying customers who bought 'Plays for Sure' music high-and-dry with a bleak future. And the killer is there is no practical reason for this other than to be sure they copy Apple identically and make people pay twice for the same music.
What's worse, what happens when the whole Zune thing (inevitably) fails? Then what? Customers should expect, based on current behavior, that MS will change the format again and make you re-buy your music. How could a logical, sane person assume otherwise?
(I know a guy, who despite my advice, bought about 2 grand of Plays for Sure music because "MIcrosoft is going to be around forever and they support their stuff." Needless to say, when he learned his music collection didn't work with his new Zune, he was at the Apple store a day later dropping 6 grand on a MBP, 30" display, nano and 5G iPod and tons of iPod accessories. Yes, one guy voting with his wallet--a fat one at that--but this guy is another data point on the tsunami that is building of CIO's, consumers, SMB customers, etc., who are sick of MS' lack of business ethics and their silly, silly games.)
That, for me, is the kiss of death for the Zune. And it should be for all people. For it demonstrated all the lipstick Steve "We need to act like Industry Leaders" Balmer is putting on the Microsoft pig hasn't changed it's DNA. Microsoft is, and always will be, a monopolist protecting its Windows and Office franchise. At any and all costs.
(Full disclosure: Never used Linux in my life. Nor Open Office. Use MS products daily. Don't "hate" Microsoft.
But I can tell a person/company lacking morals and character when I see one. And I know a doomed product when I see one.)
I think that Apple gave the developers a very old build especially designed for WWDC.
The Top Secret features point to unreleased features, UI, and potentially hardware. So, all functionality and low-level information which point to these products must be missing. As we saw from the iPhone references discovered in the last iPod update, Apple is aware that people will be sniffing around for clues.
Also, Apple knew this was going to happen. It's inevitable. Sure, they will sue and write nasty letters to protect their IP, but it's still inevitable.
So, what is out in the wild is probably--and hopefully given the keynote--and a very limited preview of Leopard.
The preview seed gives developers just enough to test their application and get cracking on some of the new API's--SpotLight, Time Machine, etc.
Boy, do I feel badly for the sucker CIO's who bought into Microsoft's annual payment program so they could receive free upgrades when releases. Promises were made about releases of Windows and Office within 2, "no more than 3 years."
"And if you don't sign-up, you'll have to pay full retail."
Full retail is looking like a bargain right now vs. paying MS 25% of the cost each and every year, for ever.
I am sure those CIO's, especially those from larger organizations, have demanded their money back.
FULL Disclosure: I'm an Apple Guy.
I don't know the best, but the absulte worst is Apple's iCal. If use it for business with a full schedule, it's barely usable.
It's obvious Jobs has never used iCal outside of a script in a demo.
I'd write a long list as to why, but I am too tired doing it when I sent Apple feedback after 10.2, 10.3, 10.4
Because I won't use Micosoft's solution with their file format lock-in, and because I like the ease of iSync and.mac, I am stuck using iCal.
I've just accepted iCal and its 1992 calendaring functionality as one of the costs of being a Mac guy. And as for 10.5, I have now given up all hope that it will be any better.
Fair critique, and thanks for your comment
Maybe I should drop the corporate speak and just say it in plain English.
I guess what I was trying to say is in the age of DRM and changing rights and big databases, it's all going to come down to which companies do you trust? The fact that there is so much component reuse and commodization in manufacturing--to your point--reinforces this fact.
Thanks again,
It amazes me technology companies don't truly understand how important brand trust is.
This is not your grandfather's brand survey. Trust is the whole ball game now. And having the most consumer trust is going to be the key to being the leader in the next few decades. Trust has, never, ever, been more important.
Allow me to explain my reasoning...
As we enter an age where our devises are always connected, and we have to accept automatic "updates" to properly use our products, who you buy from and that company's integrity is going to matter more and more. So much so, it will become a deciding factor in who leads the tech industry in the future.
I think of Tivo as the perfect example of this Brave New World and the problems with tech companies not being smarter about brand trust.
I bought my Tivo to skip advertisements and control when I watch my shows. Both of those features were the brand promise from Tivo.
I loved my Tivo. I sold dozens and dozens to my friends by raving about them.
Now, a couple of years later, I am slowly getting more and more screwed by Tivo. For the device to keep working, it needs to update nightly, and yet I have no control over what new functionality gets downloaded along with the programs listings.
So now, Tivo is putting more, not less advertisements on my TV experience since they need the money. And soon, they will take away my control over what I can record and how long the recordings stay on my Tivo. (Sure, I know this is the will of the media companies, but that doesn't matter to me since it was Tivo who got $800 of my money on the original brand promise.)
Accordingly, Tivo is dead to me. The second a comparable product comes out, I'm gone. They had a loyal customer. A raving fan. But I simply cannot trust them any more.
And therein lies the rub, and why I think brand trustworthiness is going to be up there with innovation as the driver of greatness in the next couple of decades.
The companies who fight for their customers, protect their rights and privacy, provide openness and choice, and do not pull scum bag moves because the company needs/wants more money, will win.
In the age of DRM, automatic updating of products, and massive databases tracking everything you do, the company that has the most trust will win.
My Dad always used to say that to sell an old used car, all you had to do was wash and wax it and sell it to some sucker.
Sandbagging Everyone
on
Longhorn Preview
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Personally, I think Microsoft is sand bagging with this release and with Beta 1.
The UI layer is widely known as not being the final version. The next generation media player and IE are not included.
These are basically technical releases for driver writers and so developers can test the underpinnings.
No one would take more joy than for Longhorn to be widely considered a bad product than I. Microsoft and their unethical and shortsighted ways needs to go.
But I don't think it's going to happen. I think Windows will finally move from "good enough" to "excellent."
The impact to Linux will be small, but it will be there. But Linux will catch-up.
Apple will feel the pain too. How much is a mystery. If Apple keeps innovating, no problem. But an excellent release of Windows could do in OS X.
(Full disclosure: I am an Apple person, so the last sentence is not flame-bait, but rather raw personally fear.)
Anyway, Microsoft is going to make history with Longhorn. Mark my words.
This rumor is false, and the proof is in the news cycle this week:
1. Intel pre-announces, e.g. 18 months away, a dual core laptop chip. The last time they made a move like and pre-announced a product days before a "SteveNote" was right before the G5 announcement.
2. Intel demo'ing the Mac mini knock-off over the past couple of weeks.
If Intel had a deal with Apple, they would never be pulling this type of PR which would anger Jobs to no end. This, for me, is the smoking gun.
I suspect Apple has some very big things up their sleeve, and they are still burned about the leak over the Mac mini, so they are doing some misdirection at the expense of Cnet. (Cnet has never been very pro-Apple.)
Jobs at D3 said they have a huge year coming with breakthrough products, and since most leaks seem to happen a few days before the "SteveNote" what better way to keep people pre-occupied than with an outrageous rumor like this to distract the media and rumor mongers.
The whole who's copying who debate is silly.
It doesn't really matter, and if competitors are incorporating the best ideas from the industry, we all win, regardless of platform. There is nothing worse than the "not invented here" syndrome.
But there is something worth noting with Longhorn: there doesn't seem to be any fresh thinking.
The fact that we are having this debate and not one person has defended Microsoft by pointing out a feature that is totally unique and ground breaking is telling. Very telling. Not one single feature that someone can point out as unique and innovative to Microsoft for others to copy. Not a single one.
And that, I think is the problem with Microsoft and their role in the industry.
Slashdot Mirror
It amazes me that every review of the Zune has completely missed the point:
In today's day and age, with always-on devices with mandatory updates, DRM, and proprietary file formats, who you buy from and trust with your memories, pictures of family and friends, music collections, videos, pictures, letters, etc., is a very, very important decision.
Will you be able to look at the digital pictures of your child 30 years from now? Yes, we have entered that age.
The fundamental problem with the Zune is Microsoft's lack of integrity. Not the Zune's design. Not the Zune's user interface, or anything else. The problem is the lack of character of the company behind the product.
The Zune showed that Microsoft is more than willing to leave good, paying customers who bought 'Plays for Sure' music high-and-dry with a bleak future. And the killer is there is no practical reason for this other than to be sure they copy Apple identically and make people pay twice for the same music.
What's worse, what happens when the whole Zune thing (inevitably) fails? Then what? Customers should expect, based on current behavior, that MS will change the format again and make you re-buy your music. How could a logical, sane person assume otherwise?
(I know a guy, who despite my advice, bought about 2 grand of Plays for Sure music because "MIcrosoft is going to be around forever and they support their stuff." Needless to say, when he learned his music collection didn't work with his new Zune, he was at the Apple store a day later dropping 6 grand on a MBP, 30" display, nano and 5G iPod and tons of iPod accessories. Yes, one guy voting with his wallet--a fat one at that--but this guy is another data point on the tsunami that is building of CIO's, consumers, SMB customers, etc., who are sick of MS' lack of business ethics and their silly, silly games.)
That, for me, is the kiss of death for the Zune. And it should be for all people. For it demonstrated all the lipstick Steve "We need to act like Industry Leaders" Balmer is putting on the Microsoft pig hasn't changed it's DNA. Microsoft is, and always will be, a monopolist protecting its Windows and Office franchise. At any and all costs.
(Full disclosure: Never used Linux in my life. Nor Open Office. Use MS products daily. Don't "hate" Microsoft.
But I can tell a person/company lacking morals and character when I see one. And I know a doomed product when I see one.)
I think that Apple gave the developers a very old build especially designed for WWDC. The Top Secret features point to unreleased features, UI, and potentially hardware. So, all functionality and low-level information which point to these products must be missing. As we saw from the iPhone references discovered in the last iPod update, Apple is aware that people will be sniffing around for clues. Also, Apple knew this was going to happen. It's inevitable. Sure, they will sue and write nasty letters to protect their IP, but it's still inevitable. So, what is out in the wild is probably--and hopefully given the keynote--and a very limited preview of Leopard. The preview seed gives developers just enough to test their application and get cracking on some of the new API's--SpotLight, Time Machine, etc.
Boy, do I feel badly for the sucker CIO's who bought into Microsoft's annual payment program so they could receive free upgrades when releases. Promises were made about releases of Windows and Office within 2, "no more than 3 years." "And if you don't sign-up, you'll have to pay full retail." Full retail is looking like a bargain right now vs. paying MS 25% of the cost each and every year, for ever. I am sure those CIO's, especially those from larger organizations, have demanded their money back.
FULL Disclosure: I'm an Apple Guy. I don't know the best, but the absulte worst is Apple's iCal. If use it for business with a full schedule, it's barely usable. It's obvious Jobs has never used iCal outside of a script in a demo. I'd write a long list as to why, but I am too tired doing it when I sent Apple feedback after 10.2, 10.3, 10.4 Because I won't use Micosoft's solution with their file format lock-in, and because I like the ease of iSync and .mac, I am stuck using iCal.
I've just accepted iCal and its 1992 calendaring functionality as one of the costs of being a Mac guy. And as for 10.5, I have now given up all hope that it will be any better.
The second P-Diddy and Paris Hilton buy one, it will go from the 'most expensive' mp3 player to the tackiest.
Fair critique, and thanks for your comment Maybe I should drop the corporate speak and just say it in plain English. I guess what I was trying to say is in the age of DRM and changing rights and big databases, it's all going to come down to which companies do you trust? The fact that there is so much component reuse and commodization in manufacturing--to your point--reinforces this fact. Thanks again,
It amazes me technology companies don't truly understand how important brand trust is.
This is not your grandfather's brand survey. Trust is the whole ball game now. And having the most consumer trust is going to be the key to being the leader in the next few decades. Trust has, never, ever, been more important.
Allow me to explain my reasoning...
As we enter an age where our devises are always connected, and we have to accept automatic "updates" to properly use our products, who you buy from and that company's integrity is going to matter more and more. So much so, it will become a deciding factor in who leads the tech industry in the future.
I think of Tivo as the perfect example of this Brave New World and the problems with tech companies not being smarter about brand trust.
I bought my Tivo to skip advertisements and control when I watch my shows. Both of those features were the brand promise from Tivo.
I loved my Tivo. I sold dozens and dozens to my friends by raving about them.
Now, a couple of years later, I am slowly getting more and more screwed by Tivo. For the device to keep working, it needs to update nightly, and yet I have no control over what new functionality gets downloaded along with the programs listings.
So now, Tivo is putting more, not less advertisements on my TV experience since they need the money. And soon, they will take away my control over what I can record and how long the recordings stay on my Tivo. (Sure, I know this is the will of the media companies, but that doesn't matter to me since it was Tivo who got $800 of my money on the original brand promise.)
Accordingly, Tivo is dead to me. The second a comparable product comes out, I'm gone. They had a loyal customer. A raving fan. But I simply cannot trust them any more.
And therein lies the rub, and why I think brand trustworthiness is going to be up there with innovation as the driver of greatness in the next couple of decades.
The companies who fight for their customers, protect their rights and privacy, provide openness and choice, and do not pull scum bag moves because the company needs/wants more money, will win.
In the age of DRM, automatic updating of products, and massive databases tracking everything you do, the company that has the most trust will win.
Mark my words...
My Dad always used to say that to sell an old used car, all you had to do was wash and wax it and sell it to some sucker.
Personally, I think Microsoft is sand bagging with this release and with Beta 1. The UI layer is widely known as not being the final version. The next generation media player and IE are not included. These are basically technical releases for driver writers and so developers can test the underpinnings. No one would take more joy than for Longhorn to be widely considered a bad product than I. Microsoft and their unethical and shortsighted ways needs to go. But I don't think it's going to happen. I think Windows will finally move from "good enough" to "excellent." The impact to Linux will be small, but it will be there. But Linux will catch-up. Apple will feel the pain too. How much is a mystery. If Apple keeps innovating, no problem. But an excellent release of Windows could do in OS X. (Full disclosure: I am an Apple person, so the last sentence is not flame-bait, but rather raw personally fear.) Anyway, Microsoft is going to make history with Longhorn. Mark my words.
Man, after reading this long thread, I am craving an ice cold, New Coke.
"It tastes just like Pepsi, and they are #1, so we'll sell tons of it."
Someone should remind Steve that the only thing new in the world is the history we don't know.
This is brilliant just like the free engraving: both help kill the secondary market for used iPods. Brilliant.
This rumor is false, and the proof is in the news cycle this week:
1. Intel pre-announces, e.g. 18 months away, a dual core laptop chip. The last time they made a move like and pre-announced a product days before a "SteveNote" was right before the G5 announcement.
2. Intel demo'ing the Mac mini knock-off over the past couple of weeks.
If Intel had a deal with Apple, they would never be pulling this type of PR which would anger Jobs to no end. This, for me, is the smoking gun.
I suspect Apple has some very big things up their sleeve, and they are still burned about the leak over the Mac mini, so they are doing some misdirection at the expense of Cnet. (Cnet has never been very pro-Apple.)
Jobs at D3 said they have a huge year coming with breakthrough products, and since most leaks seem to happen a few days before the "SteveNote" what better way to keep people pre-occupied than with an outrageous rumor like this to distract the media and rumor mongers.
I think this is misdirection, pure and simple.
The whole who's copying who debate is silly. It doesn't really matter, and if competitors are incorporating the best ideas from the industry, we all win, regardless of platform. There is nothing worse than the "not invented here" syndrome. But there is something worth noting with Longhorn: there doesn't seem to be any fresh thinking. The fact that we are having this debate and not one person has defended Microsoft by pointing out a feature that is totally unique and ground breaking is telling. Very telling. Not one single feature that someone can point out as unique and innovative to Microsoft for others to copy. Not a single one. And that, I think is the problem with Microsoft and their role in the industry.