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The reason Robbie Bach was fired

Vague justifications about under-performance of Windows Mobile or cancelled Courier miss the whole point.  The chronic problems with Microsoft’s consumer businesses cited as causes for dismissal have roots in core processes and priorities which management changes will not address.  The failure of Zune was evident long ago. Windows Mobile has not been competitive with RIM for years, and failed to take significant share from Symbian, never mind iPhone. Tablets were the responsibility of the Windows team.  Kin is a rogue project based on a bone-headed acquisition. From a P/L point of view, Entertainment was mostly Xbox, which although deep in the hole over its lifetime, was starting to break even.

No, the reason I believe Bach lost his head is that HP bought Palm.

Continue reading “The reason Robbie Bach was fired”

Legal Tender

About a month ago, we said we’d like you to use a credit card when you buy your iPad, and that was the best way we could think of to make sure that people only brought two per individual,” said Johnson. “And then it came to our attention that Diane [Campbell], through your story, was very interested in buying an iPad with cash, and we made a decision today to change that.”

Johnson said our story triggered a company-wide policy change. As of today, anyone can pay for an iPad with cash.

As a gesture of goodwill toward Diane Campbell, the woman whose experience brought the issue considerable publicity, two employees visited her home today to offer her an iPad free of charge.

“I am just so excited,” said Campbell. “Words can’t explain right now.”

via Apple Axes ‘No Cash’ Policy for iPad Sales – Mac Rumors.

David Hockney on the iPad

“The iPad is far more subtle, in fact it really is like a drawing pad. They will sell by the million. It will change the way we look at everything from reading newspapers to the drawing pad.

“It can be anything you want it to be. This is the nearest we have got to seeing what I would call a universal machine.

via David Hockney swaps a sketch pad for an iPad | News.

iPad will be big in healthcare

Over the next 18 months more than 1,800 [iPads] will be distributed to the hospital’s physicians allowing them to move away from paper-based notes, prescriptions and medical documents.

via Ottawa Hospital boss urges staff to ‘be bold … go big’.

Perhaps this goes without saying, but iPad will be big in healthcare.

Enemy Lurks in Briefings on Afghan War – PowerPoint

Like an insurgency, PowerPoint has crept into the daily lives of military commanders and reached the level of near obsession. The amount of time expended on PowerPoint… has made it a running joke in the Pentagon and in Iraq and Afghanistan.

via Enemy Lurks in Briefings on Afghan War – PowerPoint – NYTimes.com.

Reminds me of PowerPoint Palace.  “It’s dangerous because it can create the illusion of understanding and the illusion of control.”

But what’s the alternative?  Writing complete sentences?  Does anyone compose those anymore?  Does anyone read anymore?