05-06-2002, 08:43 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Pocket PC is a sapling...
http://money.cnn.com/2002/04/12/pf/agenda_randdev/index.htm
There has been lots of talk lately about that $40B cash hoard Microsoft is sitting on and what should be done. Obviously MS wants to keep it, plow it back into research and development, which I personally agree with. What is interesting though is Pocket PCs are a very very small part of Microsoft's portfolio, given the company pulled in over $27.5B in revenues over the last 12 months, but it is clear it is a big part of their future - at least that is how the guys at the top see it right now.
"The analogy I like to use with regard to our investment strategy," says Ballmer, "is this: We plant a select number of seeds that we nurture...in anticipation of strong growth down the road." Then came the "saplings," he continues, "businesses that have taken root....Today that would include enterprise servers, MSN and Pocket PC....Trees are our core businesses -- Windows and Office -- that help us plant more seeds and nurture more saplings. We have a very long time horizon."
Wow - Pocket PCs in the same breath as enterprise servers and MSN. :-)
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05-06-2002, 10:43 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 86
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I hope that this will translate to slicker hardware and improved software. IMHO, they must address the consumer market as well.
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05-06-2002, 11:19 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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I think $350-399 devices like the Maestro are going a long way towards that end. :-)
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05-07-2002, 12:19 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 147
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Pocket PC's key role
If the Pocket PC is such a key product, why doesn't it include a simple USB mouse driver?!? It would take a drop - no, a single molecule - in the bucket of Microsoft's resources to port a simple HID compliant mouse driver into the Pocket PC, and after reading this post, Microsoft seems to view the Pocket PC as important.
So WHY CAN'T WE GET A SIMPLE MOUSE DRIVER!!!!!!!!?
Sorry for yelling... I'd love for some of my fellow members with some MS (or, at least, Pocket PC) clout or influence to put the pressure on about developing mouse drivers for the Pocket PC platform.
There! I've said my piece.
Thanks,
Jon
P.S., The Maestro sells for 299USD here in Sacramento (go Kings!), California.
__________________
Jonathan Rogers
Email
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05-07-2002, 12:38 AM
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Neophyte
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 2
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Why Mouse
If you want a mouse buy a laptop
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05-07-2002, 12:46 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,060
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These types of discussion threads always intrigue me, because they so clearly illustrate the rapid shift we've seen in just what we want our Pocket PCs to do. It was not that long ago that we were satisfied with some PIM stuff, some word processing, and a few games. Now, however, we really expect these devices to be PC replacements (at least during short periods of time). Two years ago if you'd asked me if people would eventually be using these things to sniff their networks or perform medical triage, I'd have called you crazy.
From toy to sidekick to workhorse in only two years. <sigh> Our little one is growing up.
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05-07-2002, 01:16 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 414
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Pocket PC's key role
Quote:
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Originally Posted by JonathanWardRogers
If the Pocket PC is such a key product, why doesn't it include a simple USB mouse driver?!? It would take a drop - no, a single molecule - in the bucket of Microsoft's resources to port a simple HID compliant mouse driver into the Pocket PC, and after reading this post, Microsoft seems to view the Pocket PC as important.
So WHY CAN'T WE GET A SIMPLE MOUSE DRIVER!!!!!!!!?
Sorry for yelling... I'd love for some of my fellow members with some MS (or, at least, Pocket PC) clout or influence to put the pressure on about developing mouse drivers for the Pocket PC platform.
There! I've said my piece.
Thanks,
Jon
P.S., The Maestro sells for 299USD here in Sacramento (go Kings!), California. |
What in the world do you need a mouse on a PPC for?
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05-07-2002, 01:22 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 414
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40 "Bill"ion.
What I would want MS to do with it is to get ahold of that new pocket sized model that runs XP, the OQO. And make 10 million of them to sell for $300 like the new X-Box. Make Palm, Gameboy, and desktop manufacturers redundant all at once.
I would buy one. PPC is getting to Palm levels with the new Toshiba e310, but a OQO would really blast things apart.
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05-07-2002, 02:55 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Pocket PC's key role
Quote:
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Originally Posted by JonathanWardRogers
So WHY CAN'T WE GET A SIMPLE MOUSE DRIVER!!!!!!!!?
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Well, first you have to overhaul the UI to allow for a mouse pointer....
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05-07-2002, 06:20 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 86
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
I think $350-399 devices like the Maestro are going a long way towards that end. :-)
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No really. What they have done with the Maestro is take the basic utilitarian model geared to business, cut a few corners and made it more affordable. That's not going to do this.
They must create a version that appeals to non-technical and non-geek consumers with lots of consumers wow factors. It has to look slick and not utilitarian. All the enterprise stuff has to be stripped. They should leave (or add) useful PIM and other functions. Then they should add really slick and easy to use MP3, photo, and movie playing software and add truly wicked games. Then they should make it ubiquitous like palm. You see palm sold everywhere. If I want to buy palm all I have to do is walk 300m and choose between at least 2 stores. Try this with PPC… Lastly, MS should accompany that with a huge marketing drive.
Think about SUVs. 15 years ago they were big, rough and clunky and used by farmers. Price alone would not have made middle class urbanites buy them. But when they improved their ride, performance, added leather and premium stereo, suddenly it became a yuppie mobil.
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