SomeGuyWithA.com » Apple

What must happen next – Zune – the platform

James — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:00:02 +0000

Microsoft has created a truly great media multimedia device in the Zune. It exceeds the media capabilities and quality of the classic touch versions of the IPod but there’s a problem and Apple and others have already figured it out while Microsoft has not:

The days of the media player are as dead as the Sony Walkman.

The iPod Touch, droid, and iPhone are all platforms that support gaming, GPS, internet, and communications (of all types). In the meantime, Microsoft is still supporting Windows, Windows Mobile, xBox and Zune as seperate but connected platforms.

What it needs to do to dominate is consolidate these sperate platforms into a unified vision and brand that works seemlessly with Windows, Linux and Mac.

Zune while far superior in ergonomic design, display quality, and software integration with Windows can’t compete with the smart mobile devices available today. Windows Mobile 6.5 is a huge disappointment and devices like the droid skyrocket and surpass their sales in mere weeks of launch. Why is this? Some aspect is hype but the deep reason is functionality. Within weeks of launch there are nearly twenty thousand (20,000) applications for droid. Zune HD – Launched in late summer and still there are less than 12 – That’s TWELVE.

DUH

Want to win?

By next July here’s what Zune has to do and by the end of 2010 you’ll have real marketshare:

Kill Windows Mobile 7.0 NOW
Leverage Microsoft brand recognition and create a unified marketing direction for consumer portable devices
Seemless integrate this device with Windows Media Center on xBox and Windows 7
Provide a compelling Mac experience
3G Phone capability AND skype
Improve the browser
Put an application store on Zune
Support Java and .Net development for applications
Make it easy to choose
Keep all the great stuff you have now

Apple Store Visit

James — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:48:27 +0000

Out with Victoria to the Apple Store. She really wants a Mac Book Sure they’re cool. But the form factor, battery, software costs and the lack of universality of it still really bothers me. The proprietary nature of their hardware really forces a conformist attitude as much as they are considered “Artistic” and avant guard – Think quite the opposite is true. PCs can be customized in their configuration in an almost infinite number of ways, but with a Mac – what you buy is what you get.

Why its time to change my level of contribution

James — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:20:33 +0000

Its been a long time since I posted anything anywhere but a lot has changed and some developments have started me thinking that it is time to start expressing opinions about these changes. Here are some of the things that are making me think this way.

Windows 7 and the Vista Marketing Fiasco
- Cool little things about Microsoft Products
SharePoint and Office and why these are great together and what does this whole social networking thing offer to business anyway
- Scripting
- SharePoint implementation and the unexpected acceleration of adoption
- Governance why is something so important so difficult?
Google
- Some of their recent announcements (OS and wave) What’s hype and what’s not
- Should anyone be concerned about privacy with Google
- Dependence on Google as a single source provider?
Apple Zealots and the iPhone
- Why does everyone think that there wasn’t a mobile platform before Apple
- Security and Viruses
- Why Apple is great for the industry
Cloud Distributed Computing – Why the word cloud is so appealing is beyond me and why I avoid it.
Just cool stuff

I’m planning on writing some longer articles over the next few weeks and a few short blurbs as well. I want to seriously start writing again and rebuild some communication skills that I haven’t exercised as much as I should recently and see what happens.

I think I’m also going to make an investment is some video equipment to do video blogging like Mike Gannotti. With more than an hour a day in the car, there’s no reason to waste that time.

I’ll probably highlight some of the blogs I read on a regular basis as well.

This is a a tall order and I hope I’m up for it. Let’s see what happens