Before the 5C was well-known, I argued that sticking with just one new iPhone model a year had a dangerous precedent: Ford, and the Model-T: Still, the idea that Ford became overly focused on production as opposed to customer needs is a worrying one; if this fall brings nothing more than a 5S, with the […]
2013
Shameless Samsung
Samsung introduced the Galaxy Gear yesterday, and, yeah, it’s not great. Even Samsung fans are mocking the company saying they should have waited for Apple. — Sammy the Walrus IV (@SammyWalrusIV) September 4, 2013 I jumped on the leaked prototype, with the same general sentiment: Samsung’s watch will undoubtedly change drastically whenever Apple’s wearable is […]
Another Nokia Explanation; The Same Tragic Conclusion
While I remain convinced that Microsoft’s Nokia acquisition was largely driven by fear of losing Nokia as an OEM, either to Android or bankruptcy, there is something else curious about the timing. (The following scenario is conjecture, but not the analysis that follows) ValueAct, who is opposed to Microsoft’s push into devices, was dissuaded from […]
Podcast: Microsoft’s mobile dilemma
I joined Rene Ritchie on his Vector Podcast to discuss Microsoft, Nokia, Apple, IBM, Samsung and more. Literally the minute we hung up, news broke that Microsoft was acquiring Nokia, so we jumped back on for a few more minutes of instant-analysis. Rene was a great interviewer (even if he let me ramble!), and I […]
The Deal That Makes No Sense
Early this morning Microsoft acquired Nokia for €3.79 billion (plus €1.65 billion for patents). It is a deal that makes no sense. While industry observers love to pontificate about mergers and acquisitions, the reality is that most ideas are value-destroying. It is far better to form an alliance or partnership; most of the benefits, none […]
If Apple is Disrupted, Will We Blame Tim Cook?
I’m not predicting the following will happen, but I’m also not saying it won’t.1 September 18, 2018, Beijing, China – In a development few could have foreseen even five years ago, it’s Beijing and its global icon Xiaomi that is the star of September, the role formerly filled by the increasingly irrelevant Apple. At 10AM […]
Motivation and Marx
On this (US) Labor Day weekend, I’m thinking about motivation, and the role it plays in creating great products that consumers love. It seems patently obvious that products created for love or passion are superior than those created for money or fear, yet the compensation model used in most of business hews much more closely […]
Podcast: Staying Hungry
I was honored to join Horace Dediu on his new interview podcast, High Density. We spent a fair bit of time on Microsoft and Steve Ballmer, but also touched on Apple, functional versus divisional organizations, and more. I hope you enjoy it. Some relevant links from Stratechery: Why Microsoft’s Reorganization Is a Bad Idea The […]
Not so Fast on that Apple TV SDK
Dan Frommer is sure an AppleTV App Store is on the way: Apple TV owners just got a bunch more channels: Vevo, the Weather Channel, more from Disney, and Smithsonian. This follows a recent update that added HBO Go and ESPN apps, and represents a continued acceleration of new content being added to Apple TV. […]
In Chrome Versus Android, Chrome Wins
John Gruber: So this is weird. Back when Chromecast was announced, I wrote that it doesn’t do something that Google made it seem like it did — stream video directly from your phone (or tablet) like AirPlay. But then it ends up it was capable of something like AirPlay, but it required a third-party app, […]