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Where is the Windows Phone Tablet?

Feb 18, ’11 6:35 PM

The Windows Phone platform currently has hardware specifications that imply a cellular phone device. What is interesting in light of the new WebOS TouchPad, the newly announced Android tablets, the RIM Playbook and the iPad is that this supposed “third horse” of Windows Phone has no hint of present or future presence in the tablet form factor.

That might have something to do with the plans to move Windows to the tablet form factor. Perhaps Microsoft thinks that pocket size devices deserve a separate operating system, platform and ecosystem than portable mobile computers. Perhaps Microsoft plans to have two separate interfaces for these tablets (slates vs. tablets?) Then again, Ballmer held up a Windows Phone and said “This is Windows too.”

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Adobe and Microsoft sitting in a tree

Oct 8, ’10 7:32 AM

Adobe is one of the last surviving desktop software companies. So is Microsoft. Consolidation happens when an industry matures and excess capacity and excess overhead can be squeezed out of the value chain, giving a temporary burst of earnings growth.

So, in this way of thinking, recognizing that the sun is setting on desktop software, a merger of old schools of thought may make sense. Rather like Sun and Oracle or HP and Compaq.

But then a lot of other things make more sense. Like both companies trying to expand into new growth areas. Like Microsoft talking to RIM or Adobe developing tools for HTML5. Adobe’s cash cow products are not going anywhere without a deep reset. Same is true for Microsoft. They will both face these challenges whether standing alone or together.

There would be nothing strange about a Microsoft Adobe merger, but there would be nothing great about it either.

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When’s the Zune team going to do an iPod funeral?

Sep 13, ’10 3:13 PM

Survey data on US College students’ music player share.

Can’t wait for the Youtube video of the Zune team getting down with an iPod funeral. After all, the Zune has higher market share than the recently celebrated Windows Phone 7.

The Apple-branded campus – Apple 2.0 – Fortune Tech

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Ballmer on leadership changes aka voluntary retirements

Jun 4, ’10 9:32 AM

“And I think i’ve been quite public about the fact that I chose to make a set of leadership changes in the team of people building and executing on our Windows Phone software.

“We had to do a little cleanup, change things around,” Ballmer said

via AppleInsider | Microsoft CEO hopes to reenter phone market, disputes PC shift.

“I chose to make leadership changes” and Robbie Bach the ultimate leader of Windows Phone “retiring”.  Did he jump or was he pushed?

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Microsoft OEM VP on tablets: wait and see, could flop like netbooks

Jun 3, ’10 1:58 PM

Giving Android the green light:

In addition, for the time being, Microsoft will not offer new Windows versions to support non-Intel architectures that are targeting tablet PC development, noted Guggenheimer.

The formation of a market segment for a new product category necessitates the existence of a supporting ecosystem made up of a complete industry supply chain, Guggenheimer emphasized. He cited the netbook market as an example; units were selling well initially and people believed that the market was going to be established as a new segment, but recently market growth has slowed down considerably, Guggenheimer pointed out.

via Whether tablet PCs can become market segment is still uncertain, says Microsoft VP.

I remember when Microsoft used to be paranoid.

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