Posts by Michael Gartenberg from July 24, 2008<< July 17, 2008 | Main | July 25, 2008 >>
Michael Gartenberg | July 24, 2008, 01:11 PM Blackberry Media Sync is now live and official. For those how aren't familiar, it will let you sync your Blackberry directly with iTunes. Playlists, songs, album art all come over perfectly. I've been using the first version that got pulled a few weeks ago and it works well. Makes it super easy for those folks who use iTunes to get their content over to the device without losing their investment in album art, playlists etc. Of course. DRM content won't work but that's a small issue for most folks. Sync is important, super important and it's not just calendars, contacts and in-boxes. Both Microsoft and Nokia must create solutions that integrate media sync with iTunes easily, simply and as well done as this. Nice job RIM. Now, where is the Blackberry Bold?
Michael Gartenberg | July 24, 2008, 12:36 PM Rumors persist about a Zune phone. I say it's totally unlikely for a pretty simple reason. The business model of Windows Mobile is totally different than Zune. Zune worked to some extent since the technology Microsoft was licensing wasn't getting them anywhere. As it was, hardware partners were taken aback by Microsoft's actions but were still comfortable licensing. The phone is different. WinMo is a core platform and OS. No one has ever been successful licensing technology platforms to others and then competing with a device of their own. Apple failed (twice), Palm and Nokia all tried it and it just can't be done. Microsoft now has traction with more than 20 million licenses out there and a great stream of partners and new phones for consumer and business use. A Zune phone from MSFT would potentially hurt all that. Moreover, how would MSFT bring this to market? There's no mass market for unlocked phones in the US (just ask Nokia how hard it is to sell a high end phone with no carrier). MSFT as an MVNO? Not happening. A partnership as Apple did with the iPhone? Well, it could work but boy would that alienate licenses. There's certainly some likelihood of MSFT exploring a Zune phone but far more likely mobile Zune branded functions just get baked into a future version of Windows Mobile.
Michael Gartenberg | July 24, 2008, 09:55 AM Those crazy kids over at TeenTechBlog review the LG Chocolate 3. It's a good review and I would agree with their analysis. It's a nice music phone with some great features at a good price. What I miss is the ability to access my Rhapsody subscription streamed to my phone. Buying tracks is nice but streaming my account would have made this a killer device.
Michael Gartenberg | July 24, 2008, 08:41 AM I've been getting a ton of press calls on this and spent some time last night talking about it on CNBC so i'll make a few comments here as well and I never plan to address this issue again. When it comes to Apple, the smallest, most minute details of the company are subject to the most intense scrutiny, which would almost be funny, if it didn't have an effect on their stock price. The bottom line is that Steve Jobs health is none of anyone's business. If Steve's health were to become something that would prevent him from running Apple as CEO, presumably we would know. Why? Well, it already happened once before a few years ago when Steve became ill. It was disclosed, the leadership team was put in place and Apple ran just fine. The reality is Apple is much more than Steve, even though we so closely associate him with the firm. Yes, it would appear from a keynote that Steve conceived of, designed and perhaps spends time building iPhones in his garage. The reality is there's more than 20,000 other folks at Apple and while most Apple customers don't know the names of folks like Schiller, Joswiak, Cook or Ives there's an army of folks behind Steve who deliver day after day and year after year. We know they can run Apple well. Why? They've done it before when Steve was ill and took a leave of absence. Yes, Steve Jobs is a core part of Apple but no doubt, there's a succession plan in place and merely because Apple has not articulated it to the public does not mean it doesn't exist. I imagine at some point in the distant future, there might be an Apple without Steve. I will certainly miss his presence but I'm also confident that Apple can thrive as well. And as you've heard me quote my grandfather in the past. "the cemeteries are full of people who couldn't be replaced" Steve is entitled to his privacy. I asked Maria Bartiromo last night if she could think of any other CEO that was put to this level of scrutiny. She said no one, except perhaps Jack Welsch and not to this level. We don't look at Steve Ballmer and ask if he's gained a few pounds or see if Michael Dell has a headache or if Eric Schmidt has the sniffles. Steve Jobs health is no one's business except his. That's my last word on this topic.
Michael Gartenberg | July 24, 2008, 08:23 AM It's no secret that Windows has been fighting a mindshare battle and the reality is, you lose mindshare, you eventually lose marketshare as well. If there are two things Microsoft can not afford to mess up, it's Windows and Office and they've been doing just that. It has felt like the Windows team especially has been a rudderless ship and the good news is Microsoft is shaking things up. There's a big re-org in Windows land. Windows and Windows live now report directly to Steve Ballmer. Kevin Johnson is now leaving. Microsoft is also reportedly spending close to $300 million dollars on ads that will attempt to dispel some of the perceptions about Vista. (although MSFT says the ad below is not really part of this new campaign). Fisrt thought? Should have happened months ago. It's clear that Vista marketing was ineffective and almost non existent. Worse, competitors played up every single perceived flaw of Vista and exploited it as part of their marketing. It's way past time for Microsoft to start getting the message out. I'm not sure acknowledging that Vista is perceived as flawed is the right approach. Microsoft needs to call out it the power of Vista and showcase key partners delivering differentiated experiences with Vista technology such as HP and Lenovo. The re-org is a good first step and getting Ballmer directly involved will provide needed accountability but there's a lot more here that needs to be done and done well before Q4.
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