Comments on: control the conversation

By: URBANintelligence

URBANintelligence — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 21:02:21 +0000

Say That To Our Face

There are a lot of things you can say about Microsoft, not very nice things, and Microsoft Geek Blogger Robert Scoble knows it. That’s why he’s posted an open call for the best way to insult Microsoft. That’s pretty brave…

By: nadya's basket

nadya's basket — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 15:44:12 +0000

Niche construction or improving the conversation

I’ve been so taken by the definition of the Long Tail as an

By: Robert Scoble

Robert Scoble — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 06:23:34 +0000

Mark: sorry about our search engine being so difficult. You can find a bit of information on the Tablet PC here: http://www.microsoft.com/tabletpc/

By: E. S.

E. S. — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 04:09:35 +0000

John Y. makes a huge point. It has nothing to do with “Apple making it into a closed system” — although I understand the logical jump, given their history.
Do you really think the itunes store would even exist today without Apple’s DRM? Apple didn’t want the DRM, the *record companies* did. That was their bargaining chip to gain entry into the online music market, and supply tons of legal songs for their hardware product. Obviously, having it reduces the usability of the product. If DRM was not a requirement for the iTunes store, Apple would drop it in 10 seconds flat. You can, in fact, do whatever you want with mp3’s on iPod (or any other player).
You cannot buy most mainstream tracks on mp3, you get a single choice. Apple’s AAC or WMA, both with DRM. I dont think you can legitimately argue that either company would (or even should) use the other’s
That said, I agree, it’s just a freakin’ mp3 player — but for some reason, either marketing or perhaps good design (I’m not entirely convinced, but then I dont own one), all of the other players are just not as popular. You’d think someone would’ve come up with a kick-ass alternative that doesn’t look like some shitty kids toy you pick up on 14th street by now.

By: Corante New York

Corante New York — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 19:22:41 +0000

Carcasses and vultures

When not writing about the “new, happy, fun, grim meathook realities of marketing and advertising,” Hugh Macleod at Gaping Void continues to crank out a series of cartoons that are often illuminating, disturbing and just plain laugh out loud funny…

By: John Y .

John Y . — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 06:09:37 +0000

Nathan, the iPod plays mp3s as well as the apple proprietary format.
There’s not a (legal) source of non-proprietary downloadable music out there. Apple has a download store *and* plays untagged mp3 files.
And, beyond that, it’s the usability. Usability, usability, usability. A monkey can pick up an iPod and use it without ever having seen a manual. I haven’t seen another mp3 player that does that yet — that doesn’t mean I won’t, but I haven’t to this point.

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 04:23:42 +0000

This is why I hate MS. I've been interested in a tablet pc and after reading Robert's post, thought I'd check out what MS has to say. You go to their website and go to product info and if you type in "tablet pc" you get ONE product: MS Office One Note. Okay, sounds interesting. You go to "learn more" and then "system requirements" and some features require "Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition" or even "Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005"...but do a search on either of those and you get NOTHING!!! I've wasted all this time looking through this stupid website, and I STILL don't even know where to find a damn Tablet PC itself!!

By: Nathan Dornbrook

Nathan Dornbrook — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 03:57:26 +0000

Hugh, your comments about the iPod as a closed system made me sit up and yell “Amen!”
iTunes is cumbersome. The iPod isn’t stillborn, but if it isn’t opened soon, it will be dead within a year.
The drivers behind this are simple:
1. It’s harder to use than the competition. MP3 is a portable format that can be used in any way the music owner wants and it plays on hundreds of players. I can play MP3s on any MP3 player I want. I can only play the music I buy from iTunes on my iPod.
2. It’s expensive.

By: ForwardMarkets

ForwardMarkets — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 01:52:40 +0000

Is Microsoft Headed for a Schism?

There is some ongoing discussion (Hugh, Robert Schoble) and pointed criticism of Microsoft’s current

By: MarkN

MarkN — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 01:34:40 +0000

The irony of Microsoft’s breadth, depth and dominance is that despite having full control over a pantheon of products that smother the “8 areas where software is useful” the majority of their shit still doesn’t work well together. And I say this in part as a developer that LOVE’s the progress MS has made platform-wise.
Another observation to throw out there is that MS’s apparent internal decentralization is perhaps a necessary ‘evil’ in terms of fostering an appropriately high level of innovation that otherwise would not occur naturally.

By: Johnnie Moore

Johnnie Moore — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 00:53:12 +0000

Hugh, when you say “What’s more interesting to me (and you too, I bet) is a discussion about what needs to be expressed, that is currently unexpressed”, I say Yeah. Let’s talk about the elephant under the table. Though most of Microsofts are being talked about somewhere…

By: Effern

Effern — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 22:55:06 +0000

It’s just me, and I’m the only one who is thinking this, but this current exchange re: MS/Scoble has me thinking of Jon Stewart telling Tucker Carlson “I’m not your monkey.”
But seeing how Scoble is down with it, that’s cool. As you were.

By: Jean L.

Jean L. — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 21:17:07 +0000

Humans _love_ to simplify complex ideas.
Nike : shoes, sports
McDonald : cheap, fast hamburgers
Apple : stylish, sexy, desirable, cool products
Microsoft : monopoly, unsecure, coporate
I don’t think MS will be able to do much until they get rid of this tag they got (“the new IBM”)
Right now, Microsoft is clearly giving me the idea that they want to rule the fuckin world, and invade my life. No thank you. Leave me alone.

By: hugh macleod

hugh macleod — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 19:29:45 +0000

Fair point, Johnnie. Perhaps the “idea” is “not to have an idea”.
I agree, if you get to dogmatic about “purpose-idea” you just end up being another branding-schmuck with a middling consulting day rate.
What’s more interesting to me (and you too, I bet) is a discussion about what needs to be expressed, that is currently unexpressed.
I’m all ears…

By: Johnnie Moore

Johnnie Moore — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 19:23:15 +0000

Hugh: why does Robert have to synthesise it at all? I think the single “purpose-idea” is a bit of a red herring. People become attached to organisation for a whole variety of different reasons; not the same one.
Just because something works for Apple doesn’t mean it will work for anyone else.
I think the single purpose-idea is actually a concept from the world of branding. An idealised version of a reality that is more complex and actually much more interesting.