I am surprised to see the latest version of Ubuntu. It looks even more beautiful. Very Mac-like indeed, but beneath, seems to start developing its own unique personality of itself.
It try to pack the various productivity software under its arsenal; make it easy for people to find and discover, and in many ways it try to connect people to dedicated online store and web storing device that -- in many cases -- could be proven to be useful.
Looking at this, I seriously wonder where Windows as an operating system would still be relevant. If we can do most of our computing chore (browsing, facebooking, twittering, googling, writing wordprocessing document, spreadsheet making, presenting, organizing photos, etc) on Ubuntu or Mac -- which is both seems provenly and significantly better than Windows, and if at the same time we can start to use the web version of Microsoft Office online, then the remaining question would be: where does Windows fits in? unless it is innovating greatly in a significant way?
It might be interesting to see how Windows evolved into the future. Would it become the 'defacto boring standard' of desktop computing into the future? Or would it eventually change significantly for the better -- become the seamless front-end for the new 'read and write' web?
Microsoft says that they are double focus on the web as the next step in the evolution of their work. The not so impressive Mr. Ballm*r recently explain on some web-interview that the cloud has been Microsoft's focus since the days of hotmail. (aka: since the days of Bill Gates still greatly run Microsoft, I suppose).
Yet, none of us shall cling to the nostalgic past in order to hide incapacity to innovate today and even more importantly for tomorrow. Most people today uses gmail and yahoo (probably) for their web email system. Microsoft indeed still have some very interesting Office 2010 portfolio on its arsenal. But if all these capabilities able to run on Mac also; while at the lower end side people can live with OpenOffice; and at the future-end side, people can rely on Office on the web, then where would Windows fits in into the future?
I am not a Microsoft hater. I just don't believe on Mr. Ballm*r's vision of the past (and of recently) to lead Microsoft into the future, as -- so far until this end -- Microsoft under his leadership seems to be lacking important and significant innovation in many front.
- Windows Mobile is no longer people's favourite anymore (at least until now).
- People listen to music via iPod (not Zune).
- People queue to buy Amazon's Kindle or Apple Tablet (and Microsoft had no tablet signficantly in the market yet).
- Programmers coding using web 2.0 tools and technology (facebook is not based on .net, it's based on PHP, etc, etc).
- The best computers -- as chosen by many reviewers -- most oftenly is Mac, not Windows PC, searching engine is Google.
Where is Microsoft now -- if not solely on its latest standing ground as of today: Office productivity suite?
The greatest asset that Microsoft has now is probably two: (1) Bill Gates -- which is definitely the one that creates Microsoft from tiny entity to the might that it had today, and probably (2) Ray Ozzie -- which is while indeed very instinctive in his 'collaborative system' insights and act, might be abit 'less shine' under the restricted vision of the current confusing and unvisionary Ballm*rian environment.
I imagine if only Bill Gates could be back at Microsoft, perhaps it could be a great company once more. Bill Gates ability to envision, decide, act and execute is totally in contrast and significantly different to the confusing Mr. Ballm*r. Bill Gates could turn Microsoft to become a company that everybody rely and cling on. Under Mr. Ballm*r, Microsoft loosing on so many important battle ground. Yes you can shout 'developer developer developer', or even you can speak up 'I am a PC' or stuff like that. But if your product (and most importantly if your vision and strategy) sucks, no giant shout out like that would prove to do anything useful.
Yet, all in all, everybody seems still rely on one fact that Microsoft still produce Billions of US Dollar in revenue. Definitely true. But to my understanding, if we take a look at the product portfolio that creates that revenue. It all rooted back to the work that Bill Gates was doing, leading, penetrating and innovating during his era.
Apple a few months back become company that surpass Microsoft in market valuation. That's staggering. My perspective and point of view is probably this:
- While it is fun for the likes of Mr Ballm*r to say that "Microsoft still produce Billions of revenue until today" ...
- The real matter that shall be looked at in greater perspective is probably this:
- "Indeed Microsoft still produce those Billions (that Bill Gates nurture during his great leadership at Microsoft),
- but ... if Apple can become bigger (in valuation) than Microsoft because Apple wins in many new fronts that Microsoft loosing, ...
- ... then probably the real fact is that Microsoft during the Ballm*rian era indeed loosing many Billions that it could HAVE WIN (incase it is indeed correctly innovating during the Ballm*rian era);
- ... and the size of "those Billions that Microsoft loosing" are even almost as big (or eventually soon become bigger) than the Billions that Microsoft currently had today!".
In other words:
- If Microsoft was innovating correctly during the past 10 years of its Ballm*rian period (aka post Gates era), it probably should have been that Microsoft might have a chance to had double its current size today, rather than being "cut half" by Apple, and loosing to Apple in market popularity, respect, relevance and market valuation altogether.
In other words:
- The Billions of revenue that Microsoft still collect (and try to be proud about today), is probably actually still the revenue that comes from product, innovation, market penetration and initiative that Bill Gates nurture the past 10-20 years!
I always get excited when seeing Bill Gates strategy, act and great leadership during Microsoft great era. It's amazing. You can really feel the cohesiveness of the act and the strategy as a unified whole. Bill Gates is truly great.
In many ways, it is similarly as amazing as seeing Steve Jobs' strategy, act and great leadership at Apple and NEXT.
Yet with the Ballm*rian style, I can seldomly see anyting that really cut the punch in the exact right direction. (At least for now).
Hence as of and for now, I guess I will stick with Office 2010 as the last frontier where Microsoft innovation seems to still have a sound bite to it. Yet, in many other fronts, especially Windows, Windows Mobile and Zune, as of today I don't really significantly see (at least as of now) where it really shines.
I sincerely hope Bill Gates one day could be back again at Microsoft. Then we'd have something that is as great and as significantly innovative as Microsoft use to be.
Posted via email from arvino's posterous
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