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BW: Apple's Schiller sees opportunity for Mac with Windows 7 launch
One week from today, Microsoft will try to shake the stink of Vista. BusinessWeek reminds the world that Microsoft is set to launch Windows 7 on October 22nd. I've got the day free, since all of my invitations to Windows 7 launch parties seem to have been lost in the mail. As the spotlight shifts toward Redmond, WA, Apple Senior VP of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller says that Apple sees "a very good opportunity" in the Windows 7 noise, in an interview with Business Week's Peter Burrows. While no one expects Windows 7 to be as poorly received as Vista, the new operating system will mark the first time in a long while that millions of PC owners will start looking seriously at replacing existing machines, especially with so many PC-people having skipped the purchase cycle when Vista came around. And there's where Apple gets them. Or tries to, anyway. Apple is likely to aim new ads at PC users, trying to pull them to the Mac side in the coming days. The ads will probably hit familiar points, such as the susceptibility to malware worn by Windows, and extra programs buyers get with a Mac out of the box, like iMovie and GarageBand.
Enderle tenuously links Microsoft-Apple struggle with U.S. election
Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, a division of Enderle Global Enterprises, represented by Enderle, Enderle & Enderle, and a block south of Enderle Toyota*, says Apple has made mistakes with its marketing that mirror those of the Republican party in this year's presidential race. In a meandering article (littered with mild expletives) that very thinly connects the election with Apple and Microsoft, Enderle says a winner for either contest will benefit from its opponent's negative advertising. "In the U.S. election, the negative campaigning probably has done more to motivate the Democratic base and get moderate Republicans to switch sides than anything the Democrats could have done alone. Apple's campaign has truly pissed off Microsoft, and Windows 7 is that company's way of saying, 'Steve Jobs can kiss my a**,' or more simply, 'enough,'" he wrote. Enderle continued, "Apple would have been better off to fix its crappy laptop keyboards" than to focus on marketing. Enderle was famous for predicting an early demise for the iPhone, and is routinely (perhaps inaccurately) identified as an independent analyst when giving his opinion. [Via MacDailyNews.] *Joke shamelessly ripped from this episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. (About 2:40)
Checking in with the pundits on Android and the Open Handset Alliance
It already seems like an eternity ago, but Google's big Open Handset Alliance / Android announcement was arguably the biggest news of the week, and it inspired a number of tech pundits and bloggers to weigh in -- and Steve Ballmer to talk some major smack. Since no one really knows how any of this is going to play out, we thought we'd round up some of the more interesting viewpoints for easy reference -- and maybe some easy laughs -- when we get our hands on the first "GPhone" in late 2008.We gotta start with John Dvorak, who cut straight to the point and said "The Google phone is doomed." Additional money quotes include "Google is actually not a charismatic company that can make this new platform happen in a big way," and "When I see a bunch of joiners jumping on some unknown, unreleased unfinished pipe dream, I actually laugh." He even roped in the iPhone, calling it more of a "photo album than a phone." Actually, Dvorak's whole column is a great read even if just to experience the man's naked anger towards every phone ever made.Not to be outdone at the contrarian game, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer came out swinging as well, saying "Their efforts are just some words on paper right now." Actually, he does have a point there -- although Google and HTC may have been developing that "Dream" prototype, the real news will come in late 2008 when Android devices start shipping. How does that compare to WinMo, Steve? "They have a press release, we have many, many millions of customers, great software, many hardware devices and they're welcome in our world."
The Battle for Chief Moron Continues
President of the Moron Society, Rob Enderle, has had his latest blather incomprehensible ramblings column published by TechNewsWorld, in which he postulates a future where Microsoft has purchased Apple, and the reasons for why it might happen. I could spend an hour debunking his entire column (for instance, he thinks the $150 million that Microsoft invested in Apple in 1997 was enough money to save the company from bankruptcy), but it's much more fun to read the comments here. Don't worry, there's plenty for everyone--this is a column rife with silliness and poor analysis. For awhile, I was convinced that Dvorak had cinched the prize for Chief Moron, but with this column, Mr Enderle has charged back into contention. I can't wait to see what Dvorak comes up with for his next column.
