1) It's not meant to initially compete with RIM. It's meant to make iPod users drop more $ on a phone. Hard to break into the Exchange/RIM setup they've got going. I imagine they might be getting some revenue based percentage from cingular as well, because you KNOW this phone will move data plans like hotcakes.
2) $499 is damn cheap for that thing, even with a 2-yr contract.
3) Cingular is the best of the GSM providers in the US. And Since it's GSM, it could go Tmobile/International easily. VZW is good reception here, but only in the US.
4) Saying it runs "Mac OS X" is damn confusing. Add a "mobile" onto the name.
5) Apple TV: if I can rent HD movies for it over iTunes for $4, i'm sold. Do this now and Apple could clobber Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, Netflix, and Blockbuster all at the same time.
It literally took me 2 hours on the phone to cancel this service. And an hour and a half of that was actually talking to a real live person.
Unbelievable. It probably cost the company $50 in salary, social security, benefits, and phone usage to delay me canceling the service, all for possibly me getting frustrated and waiting 1 more month to cancel the $10 service.
I learned my lesson though. Next time I had to cancel an insurance policy, I simply told them "I've talked to you for 10 minutes. You have confirmed my identity. Cancel my account or I will chargeback any charges to my credit card ".
I agree with most of what you're saying. The problem is that there *is* room for good video podcast content. You simply need to focus on what you do well and skip all the other stuff. It relies on creative talent though. If the actors/writers aren't talented, the show would stink with a $10bn budget.
Like all small ventures, it needs to focus on what it can do that larger productions can't. A video podcast can: address more controversial issues, use humor/language that is not FCC approved, be distributed freely in any form, and release on its own schedule.
If it does what you suggest as a minimum and get 3 cameras and try to compete on production value, it will fail. 1 Camera. 1 or 2 Anchors. No graphics, just talented actors and writers.
Really. Google has no obligation to anyone but its shareholders. You can start calling google evil when it pulls a microsoft and says "Redhat, install us as your default search engine and delete yahoo from your computers or we'll de-list your site".
Sony's realized that all those people who bought PS3's have gone back to playing GoW on their 360 or playing party games on their Wii. The PS3's launch, despite the sellout, was disasterous. I haven't heard one good review of the system yet. They don't have a killer game.... hell they've only got one decent game (RFOM). The game is basically CoD3 with aliens.
How do they solve it? They bring a killer-game early. They release GT HD as a free download and get a few people to buy the system just for that game. Kinda genius really: Good will from a free game, system-mover, doesn't lose the sales they'd get from a full GT game.
They still have quite a way to go. The 360 has a very good library going, and the Wii is fun as hell. But this kind of outside the box thinking is something Sony has been lacking and it's a good move.
It not only wasn't free, it was the wrong price point. Most of the answers I saw were around $10. That's enough money (more than $0) for most people to want to use a free service. It's not enough money to break-even with.
Make classes case-study? Why not start it at an early age? I'm serious. I learned more in college in case study classes than I did in all my other classes combined. And only half of what I learned in case-study classes came from the professor.
I believe the point was that Windows hardware stinks because there are so many crappy hardware companies out there making crappy hardware and crappy drivers for pc's. Macs avoid that problem.
This is like saying Tivo isn't a software company, they're a hardware company. The only reason Apple or Tivo are around is because of their software. Just because they choose to distribute their primary product through an artificial channel that requires you use their hardware does not mean they are a hardware company.
"Hey you guys. Yeah you. You guys who have been waiting for a decade to bring your psychopath leader to justice. Yeahh... we've got an election over here in the U.S.... how about you just delay that whole verdict thing?"
Historically, White Collar Crime has been given less severe punishments because violence isn't involved. Violent and direct acts are usually more severely punished than non-violent and indirect ones.
This was non-violent (no threats, no weapons, no police chase), but was direct (targeting specific individuals). Plus, it sounded like he intended to pay the money back (not that that excuses it). Should be punished more severely than someone who steals from the petty cash drawer to pay their rent, but less severely than someone who robs a bank.
Well, if game reviews were estimating sales, this might make sense. However, game reviews review the enjoyment and playability of the game. Further, they are often framed, for example: "I give enchant arms a 10/10 if you like these types of RPG's, otherwise, avoid.".
Many universities require you to get special approval for anything over 1 additional class to the normal workload. Methinks this is a good policy and UVA should have one. If it already does, someone needs to be smacked for letting this happen.
I wholeheartedly disagree. While customers might not care, future employees will. There is a great job market out there in the tech industry for experienced engineers (I'll admit the entry level one sucks). Now they will have to pay more to get the same talent.
In addition to the whole poor-performing companies pay more to retain/hire CEOs...
This uses the "value of stock grants", which I assume to be a Black-Scholes calculation on the estimated value of stock grants. This calculation is based on number of options, stock volatility, terms, and some other factors. Bottom-line: Black-Scholes gives higher values to stocks with higher volatility. Poor-performing companies generally have a higher volatility and thus the option grants have a higher value per option.
You are right, however, Google is the company best equipped to compete. The obvious strengths are google's brand and their capital, but froogle integration would give Google it's "in". Imagine if when you search on froogle, on the right there's a list of the Google auctions for the item.
They don't buy Macs because 75% of the world still chuckles at the thought of a computer running anything BUT windows. When a person is already uncomfortable making a purchase they don't fully understand, they aren't going to buy the product that the salesperson laughed at them for even asking about......which is why the Apple stores are a very good idea for Apple.
The problem isn't what you identified: that everyone is trying to "grab" the market with low prices. The problem is that your prices are competing with Joe Shmoe who just wants to get rid of it, and whether he makes $30 or $35 isn't a huge deal to him. On your end, that $5 difference is your entire profit margin.
I was billed for 350 text messages in the span of 2 minutes. I called and told her I didn't do that and wanted the $35 refunded. She said "it's in the system." I pointed out that it was physically impossible for anyone to send that many text messages in 2 minutes and that I had used text messaging 0 times in the year i'd been with Cingular. Her response? "Computers don't make mistakes."
Maybe I was a little harsh: "You're an idiot. I'm cancelling my account not because of Cingular's service or this charge, but because you ma'am, are an idiot." The cancellation rep tried to convince me to stay and generously offered to cut the charges in half... "I shouldn't have to negotiate how much I pay you for your mistake. How about you refund the full amount and then pay me $100 in consulting fees for the hour I've spent identifying bugs in your system?" Then came the offer of a full refund, and I still cancelled.
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1) It's not meant to initially compete with RIM. It's meant to make iPod users drop more $ on a phone. Hard to break into the Exchange/RIM setup they've got going. I imagine they might be getting some revenue based percentage from cingular as well, because you KNOW this phone will move data plans like hotcakes.
2) $499 is damn cheap for that thing, even with a 2-yr contract.
3) Cingular is the best of the GSM providers in the US. And Since it's GSM, it could go Tmobile/International easily. VZW is good reception here, but only in the US.
4) Saying it runs "Mac OS X" is damn confusing. Add a "mobile" onto the name.
5) Apple TV: if I can rent HD movies for it over iTunes for $4, i'm sold. Do this now and Apple could clobber Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, Netflix, and Blockbuster all at the same time.
Or precisely correct.
It literally took me 2 hours on the phone to cancel this service. And an hour and a half of that was actually talking to a real live person.
Unbelievable. It probably cost the company $50 in salary, social security, benefits, and phone usage to delay me canceling the service, all for possibly me getting frustrated and waiting 1 more month to cancel the $10 service.
I learned my lesson though. Next time I had to cancel an insurance policy, I simply told them "I've talked to you for 10 minutes. You have confirmed my identity. Cancel my account or I will chargeback any charges to my credit card ".
Seems to work ok, most of the time.
I agree with most of what you're saying. The problem is that there *is* room for good video podcast content. You simply need to focus on what you do well and skip all the other stuff. It relies on creative talent though. If the actors/writers aren't talented, the show would stink with a $10bn budget.
Like all small ventures, it needs to focus on what it can do that larger productions can't. A video podcast can: address more controversial issues, use humor/language that is not FCC approved, be distributed freely in any form, and release on its own schedule.
If it does what you suggest as a minimum and get 3 cameras and try to compete on production value, it will fail. 1 Camera. 1 or 2 Anchors. No graphics, just talented actors and writers.
Sony, with $15.7 billion quarterly revenue? Would $1m even make it into the 10-Q's footnotes?
I always thought country music stunk.
Really. Google has no obligation to anyone but its shareholders. You can start calling google evil when it pulls a microsoft and says "Redhat, install us as your default search engine and delete yahoo from your computers or we'll de-list your site".
Sony's realized that all those people who bought PS3's have gone back to playing GoW on their 360 or playing party games on their Wii. The PS3's launch, despite the sellout, was disasterous. I haven't heard one good review of the system yet. They don't have a killer game.... hell they've only got one decent game (RFOM). The game is basically CoD3 with aliens.
How do they solve it? They bring a killer-game early. They release GT HD as a free download and get a few people to buy the system just for that game. Kinda genius really: Good will from a free game, system-mover, doesn't lose the sales they'd get from a full GT game.
They still have quite a way to go. The 360 has a very good library going, and the Wii is fun as hell. But this kind of outside the box thinking is something Sony has been lacking and it's a good move.
It not only wasn't free, it was the wrong price point. Most of the answers I saw were around $10. That's enough money (more than $0) for most people to want to use a free service. It's not enough money to break-even with.
Make classes case-study? Why not start it at an early age? I'm serious. I learned more in college in case study classes than I did in all my other classes combined. And only half of what I learned in case-study classes came from the professor.
I believe the point was that Windows hardware stinks because there are so many crappy hardware companies out there making crappy hardware and crappy drivers for pc's. Macs avoid that problem.
This is like saying Tivo isn't a software company, they're a hardware company. The only reason Apple or Tivo are around is because of their software. Just because they choose to distribute their primary product through an artificial channel that requires you use their hardware does not mean they are a hardware company.
"Hey you guys. Yeah you. You guys who have been waiting for a decade to bring your psychopath leader to justice. Yeahh... we've got an election over here in the U.S.... how about you just delay that whole verdict thing?"
Historically, White Collar Crime has been given less severe punishments because violence isn't involved. Violent and direct acts are usually more severely punished than non-violent and indirect ones.
This was non-violent (no threats, no weapons, no police chase), but was direct (targeting specific individuals). Plus, it sounded like he intended to pay the money back (not that that excuses it). Should be punished more severely than someone who steals from the petty cash drawer to pay their rent, but less severely than someone who robs a bank.
Well, if game reviews were estimating sales, this might make sense.
However, game reviews review the enjoyment and playability of the game. Further, they are often framed, for example: "I give enchant arms a 10/10 if you like these types of RPG's, otherwise, avoid.".
This "study" sucks.
Many universities require you to get special approval for anything over 1 additional class to the normal workload. Methinks this is a good policy and UVA should have one. If it already does, someone needs to be smacked for letting this happen.
I wholeheartedly disagree. While customers might not care, future employees will. There is a great job market out there in the tech industry for experienced engineers (I'll admit the entry level one sucks). Now they will have to pay more to get the same talent.
My friend just set up a macbook pro with a 2nd monitor. On the 2nd monitor, he runs windows via Paralells. I'm very jealous.
In addition to the whole poor-performing companies pay more to retain/hire CEOs...
This uses the "value of stock grants", which I assume to be a Black-Scholes calculation on the estimated value of stock grants. This calculation is based on number of options, stock volatility, terms, and some other factors. Bottom-line: Black-Scholes gives higher values to stocks with higher volatility. Poor-performing companies generally have a higher volatility and thus the option grants have a higher value per option.
In the post-bubble era, it's much easier to obtain capital to do something interesting if you have your MBA.
You are right, however, Google is the company best equipped to compete. The obvious strengths are google's brand and their capital, but froogle integration would give Google it's "in". Imagine if when you search on froogle, on the right there's a list of the Google auctions for the item.
An instant userbase for the online auctionhouse.
They don't buy Macs because 75% of the world still chuckles at the thought of a computer running anything BUT windows. When a person is already uncomfortable making a purchase they don't fully understand, they aren't going to buy the product that the salesperson laughed at them for even asking about... ...which is why the Apple stores are a very good idea for Apple.
The problem isn't what you identified: that everyone is trying to "grab" the market with low prices. The problem is that your prices are competing with Joe Shmoe who just wants to get rid of it, and whether he makes $30 or $35 isn't a huge deal to him. On your end, that $5 difference is your entire profit margin.
That only works if there are others willing to take the job. Right now, there are less qualified candidates than there are police jobs available.
I was billed for 350 text messages in the span of 2 minutes. I called and told her I didn't do that and wanted the $35 refunded. She said "it's in the system." I pointed out that it was physically impossible for anyone to send that many text messages in 2 minutes and that I had used text messaging 0 times in the year i'd been with Cingular. Her response? "Computers don't make mistakes."
Maybe I was a little harsh: "You're an idiot. I'm cancelling my account not because of Cingular's service or this charge, but because you ma'am, are an idiot." The cancellation rep tried to convince me to stay and generously offered to cut the charges in half... "I shouldn't have to negotiate how much I pay you for your mistake. How about you refund the full amount and then pay me $100 in consulting fees for the hour I've spent identifying bugs in your system?" Then came the offer of a full refund, and I still cancelled.