KINECT BEATS THEM ALL – FASTEST SELLING GADGET IN HISTORY

Now that I have finished my big rant dogging Microsoft in my last blog post, my true allegiance will now show.

In recent tech news, it has been reported that the Microsoft Kinect is the fastest selling electronic device ever. Not the iPhone, the iPad, or the iPod. Kinect crushes the record books moving 2.5 million motion-detecting devices in the first 25 days after its release, according to ReadWriteWeb.

At a clip of roughly 100,000 sold per day, this is double the pace of the original iPad which calculates to approximately 50,000 units sold per day. The price point could be the reason, but this is still a very significant accomplishment.

With this kind of momentum and market penetration, we could be sitting on the edge of a quantum leap in the way we interact with computers and devices. In my opinion, this could become more significant than Apple’s ground breaking simple-to-use iOS operating system for mobile devices.

Sure, you might be saying to yourself that the Kinect is just a gaming device controller, but can you imagine all of the possible ways this thing can be used? Here are a few things I am thinking of:

• Gesture-based computer operation
• Control of robots in manufacturing
• Creation of 3D animated movies
• Sign language recognition
• Immersion into virtual worlds

The device has already been jailbroken, so anything is possible. And if Microsoft learns from the “unauthorized” innovative uses to take it to new levels, the sky is the limit.

I think this is what Microsoft has always been capable of all along, and I am so glad to see them knock this one out of the ballpark. If they’d get off their duff and keep on the cutting edge with all of the rest of their products, I wouldn’t have an iPhone 4 in my pocket right now.

So hats off to you, Microsoft, you made me proud. Now lets get the Kinect connected to Windows 7, and then resurrect the Surface project and the dead-in-the-water Courier. Then we’ll really be doing something.

Carlton Flowers
Microsoft Fanboy (not)
www.carltonzone.com
www.microbusinessplans.com
www.twitter.com/carltonf

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I SEE A DISTURBING TREND FOR MICROSOFT IN FUTURE MARKET DOMINANCE

I just don’t get it… what is it with Microsoft these past few years? Microsoft and “monopoly” used to be one in the same in the days of Bill Gates. Sure, they still dominate the world market with some impressive financial numbers, but will they hold their position given their current philosophy and lackluster vision?

It seems to me that the giant in Redmond has become complacent. They have a whopping 88% of the world’s market share in desktop computers with their Windows operating system. Plus, the XBOX 360 has jumped ahead of Wii and PS3. Kinect was the hottest selling gaming gadget for Christmas 2010. But the end result is that Microsoft is resting on its laurels.

However, Apple surpassed Microsoft’s market capitalization in May of 2010 to become the world’s largest tech company. Sure, Apple’s current status as “king of the hill” is not guaranteed to last due to the fact that company value fluctuates wildly based purely upon stock price. But would anyone have imagined this to have happened just 10 years ago? No.

Once upon a time, everyone thought that Apple’s days were numbered before CEO Steve Jobs rejoined the company to bring them back into their glory. Apple was considered the yuppy alternative to computer systems and electronic devices when compared to the standard that Microsoft had set. Developers would never have guessed that their future would be in writing little apps for the revolutionary iPhone.

Now Microsoft has become a reactionary company under the somewhat “visionless” leadership of Steve Ballmer. They’ve handed over the title of “innovator” on a silver platter to Steve Jobs. Instead of keeping the lead role in breaking open new fertile markets and taking huge risks, they’ve sat on their laurels and rested on the security of their flagship products in known markets.

Let’s consider a few of the unproven markets that Apple took the extreme gamble on and led the way, with Microsoft responding late in the game:

The iPhone & iOS Smart Phone Platform

In 2007, Apple released the first generation iPhone. Where was Microsoft? Fooling around with Windows Mobile 6.5, a sad excuse for a mobile phone platform. 3 years passed by before they released the impressive and user-friendly Windows Phone 7 platform, which to me is more intuitive than the iOS operating system. But as great as Windows Phone 7 is, it’s entirely too late. They should have done this long before. The release did not make a big splash, and I don’t see it possible at this time for them to catch up and overtake Apple’s iOS. They missed the boat. Apple will dominate this market for years to come, no matter how good Windows Phone 7 gets, because iOS is in the “perfecting” stage while Phone 7 is in the elementary stages.

The iPod Touch

Yet again, Microsoft let Apple solidify their dominance with the groundbreaking iPod touch before they even thought about getting the Zune out to market to compete. How do you sit on your can and let the iPod touch snatch up the entire market when you created the standard with the Windows operating system? It’s too late for Zune, and the Zune HD will not be the device that wins back the hearts of consumers. They can forget it. The iPod touch is now the standard in portable gaming and music.

Internet Browsers

During the 90’s, Internet Explorer was the only choice when it came to browsers. Netscape was the old standard, but IE quickly erased their lead. Nowadays, Firefox has established the number one position. According to W3 Schools, they took the lead away from Microsoft during 2008. The trend continues for Firefox, and IE is still sliding losing market share and even has Chrome on its heels. I don’t know what the future holds for IE, but it’s not looking very good at this point in time.

The iPad & Tablet Market

Tablet computers aren’t really that new. The Apple Newton was one of the first, and it failed miserably. Microsoft had partnered with several hardware manufacturers to produce various tablets during the 2000’s that never took off. Apple took the huge gamble on releasing the iPad, and set the standard. They practically created the market, only to watch everyone else in the world scramble to make a late entry. Not a single tablet product threatens the iPad now. While there are noteworthy contenders in the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab, the iPad is clearly ahead of the game. Most companies are pushing their inaugural tablet products while Apple crushes the competition with their 2nd generation iPad.

During the time that the iPad was originally released, rumors swirled about the fabled Microsoft Courier. It was an entirely new concept that was in no way similar to the iPad. If they were going to enter the market late, at least they were going to do so with something totally outside of the box. The Courier was supposed to be a brand new concept mimicking a book with two 7″ displays hinged in the middle. The operating system was to be based upon the Microsoft Surface concept (something else that has stayed stuck in the developmental stages, never to be released as a consumer product).

The Courier turned out to be vaporware. Microsoft ditched the project. But why? As large as a company that Microsoft is, wouldn’t you think they’d have the research and development budget to push the project and get it out to market in a reasonable time? Sadly, they did not make the effort. They’ve been talking about releasing tablets for 2 years now, and just can’t come up with a workable tablet interface.

Now Microsoft is talking about showcasing future Windows 8 tablet concepts in June of 2011. What the heck is that all about? iPad 2 is on sale right now, and they are still talking about showcasing future products this summer? This is so sad it is shameful. In my opinion, they may as well throw in the towel and stick to pushing the XBOX 360 and Kinect products. If I were a major stockholder, I’d be asking for the heads of leadership. Somebody with real vision and and a proven track record of being proactive needs to take control of this company. This is the biggest disappointment of all in my opinion.

I could take this farther, but these are the areas where I see Microsoft hurting the most in the future. I think a serious leadership change is in order for Microsoft. If they don’t initiate some kind of major change in their glass tower, they’re going to be looking like Apple during the late 80’s.

Carlton Flowers
Disappointed Microsoft Fanboy
www.carltonzone.com
www.microbusinessplans.com
www.twitter.com/carltonf

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iPad Is “iFlop” Compared To This Daydream: The “Rolltop”

The tech-world was set ablaze with excitement and high expectations surrounding the Apple iPad and its announcement in late February of 2010. But after all of the hype, the rumors, and prognosticating over the previous year, the unveiling of this ground-breaking technology as a device that would bring a “better internet experience”, i was sorely disappointed. In typical fashion and tradition, Apple brought us a new device that stands out on misfit island. So overconfident they were with the design and its potential, they felt no need to include simple standard amenities like a USB port, an SD memory card slot, a removable battery, a camera, a widescreen display, or ability to multitask. This could be thought of as a positive… perhaps Apple felt that their iPad would provide such a fantastic user experience that you wouldn’t need such ordinary extras.

That’s all well and good. But the biggest disappointment for me was the lack of flash support. Whether or not flash should be be wiped from the face of the internet and replaced with HTML5 doesn’t matter to me one iota. Flash has been called a memory hog, a Macintosh-crasher, a non standard proprietary corporate product, a money sucking machine for developers and more. But for now, it represents 75% of video content on the web (or so I have been told). That being the case, how does Steve Jobs get away with calling the iPad a “better internet experience” device? I don’t know.

I’m a HUGE fan of my iPhone, and I don’t think any smart phone on the market compares to my iPhone 3Gs. I waited to purchase an iPhone until the 3rd generation due to the lack of video capability, a compass, and MMS. But once those features were added, I decided I could live with the absence flash for my phone. But doing without flash on a so-called “full internet” device was a little bit tougher of a decision for me. All things considered, it boiled down to one thing: I’m not spending my hard-earned money on a device to experience half of the web while Apple and Adobe continue their spat.

This was a big let-down for me, but being that I am somewhat of a person you’d call an optimist mixed with day dreamer, I decided to turn my attention to the up-and-coming portable devices of the future like the Microsoft Courier and the HP Slate. But since we’re dreaming, why not push even deeper into the technological future? I say it is time for our imaginations to run wild!

This “Rolltop” tablet concept is definitely a product of someone’s wild imagination right now, but I do think we could see such a device as this in the next 3 years. This entire concept is just flat out amazing, from the rollable form factor to the power source. And yeah, you call me a pipe dreamer, but this is the type of idea that excites me and holds my interest. I’d wait a decade for this. Growing up as a techno-nerd reading Popular Mechanics in my spare time, I’ve always been excited about what breakthroughs we could be experiencing in the distant future. Dream with me for a few moments, and tell me how this concept excites (or bores) you after watching the video. Post your comments if you are motivated to chime in!

Forever geeky,

Carlton Flowers
Marketing Strategist

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