Mobile working Toolkit

Story: Microsoft can't out-cool Apple

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MS is done. They can win an IT market by corraling/buying/intimidating/colluding with manufacturers and distributors - that works fine when you have a defined marketplace like the IT market - especially when they want standards. And where they are risk averse in changing.

In the consumer marketplace, you cannot control anything - consumers switched from Sony to Samsung in a heartbeat.

MS is applying the only tactics they understand - the itunes music store is doing well, we'll pay people to launch a hundred WMA stores - except on the internet, people's choices are only a click away - how many stores are selling PC Mp3 players and how many ipod players? Being outnumbered a million to several hundred is nothing on the internet. WAlmart.com is EXACTLY the same distance away as joesmusic.com.

Remember when the internet first started getting traction - MS poopoo it - once we launch MSN, no one will want that 'internet' crap (since they couldn't control it). After the success of Win1995, the world changed and they have not been able to figurre it out because like old generals', they're still fighting the last war - every consumer attempt on their part has either failed or is only alive because they have $60 billion in cash - rollcall - BOB OS, MSN, Tablet PC, PocketPC, MS settop boxes, webtv, Xbox ($3 billion in cash thrown at it so far), home network hardware division, xbox sports games, car OSes, phone OSes, and the pinnacle of MS's last TEN years of research and efforts - the MS WATCH OS?

For business students, MS in the 1990's is what GM was in the 1950's (here in he US) - will they wake up and figure out the world is different or is it too late already?

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