Well if you read endgadget you might have noticed something developing. The perception people have of Apple is -fast- changing.
Apple was for the most part the "underdog" , everyone wanted them to succeed against the big bully that is Microsoft.
Now a few years down the line, Apple is dominating and guess what? They are starting to act exactly like Microsoft..in fact Apple is being much worse now. They STILL function under this veil of secrecy, it takes the US antitrust commision to get info out of them for crying out loud? [This refers to Apple + AT&Ts monopolistic tactics in the Apple Appstore] .
Microsoft in contrast has changed dramatically, they are a MILLION TIMES MORE OPEN. Heck how many people on here has been beta'ing Windows 7? Microsoft actually asks for feedback and want developers on board....totally opposite of what Apple is doing.
Amusing part is, if Microsoft pulled the stunts Apple is pulling NOW, people would be throwing toys and having an outcry...Apple is still the "sweetheart", but people believe this is changing fast . People that think the IE+Netscape stunt Microsoft pulled years ago was "evil", wait for Apple...
Today’s Microsoft will die, just like the old IBM monopoly and the British Empire and the Caesars and the dinosaurs. The only question is, will Microsoft reinvent itself and live on in a new form, or sink into history as one of the most troublesome diseases to ever hold back the progress of our society’s technological advancement?
As for whether Microsoft will die, not soon..they might not dominate anymore. I don't really understand what the point of such a statement is. My answer? WHO CARES? If someone else comes to the party beating Microsoft, good for them. BUT i sure as hell hope it's not Apple:
Apple is EXPENSIVE
Apple is RESTRICTIVE
Apple owns the HARDWARE & SOFTWARE
Apple SENSORS DEVELOPERS
Do we -really- want a company controlling even MORE than "big bad" Microsoft did?
What exactly does the author wants? At the same time he cleary WANTS Microsoft to die, but yet feel obligated to tell them to be innovative?
You know what? I would be more concerned with Apple dominating the Phone+Mp3 Player + OS + Software market with the horrible corporate governance tactics they are pulling.
For crying out loud, Steve Jobs had a liver transplant and told no one....
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Ok back to the topic to the article which went totally off on a tangent
The bottom line: Microsoft knows there’s no real money in Zune software and doesn’t want to invest its resources (the company has plenty of cash) in developing low value software. The problem: mobile developers have no incentive to leave the iPhone App Store in order to support the Zune HD, and consumers have little reason to buy the Zune HD without any software.
If you read my rant above you will realize this exactly the wrong and stupid conclusion to get to. This is what Microsoft DO , they understand that without developers any platform is dead. They do the exact same thing with Visual Studio, they pull you in, market things to you, give you betas, feedbacks, tech-ed days.....they literally throw tools at you.
So the author is clearly so biased and clouded he doesn't even REALIZE how Apple being so exclusive and secretive is the problem here. They freaking denied a dictionary app because it has swear words in it...come on!
If Apple goes down, this will be the reason. Apple thinks they are so "cool" and "exlcusive" developers will just flock the THEM, Microsoft on the other hand is at least on the level where they market to the developer....