Bill Gates: Cell Phones Will Overtake MP3 Players, Calls iPod 'Unsustainable' Microsoft's chairman draws on computing history to make his proclamation that the iPod phenomenon won't...
[via The Mac Observer]
Hmm..!
I think this one speaks for itself! Kind of reminds me of the ominous round during the rumble in the jungle when Ali asked Foreman: "Is that all you got George!".
Again, Mac OS X vs Windows is a rendition of Ali vs Foreman (circa 1974) as stated in an earlier post; very much in line with the essence of the post fight analysis expressed below:
"Why did Foreman lose to Ali? The fact is Ali beat Foreman because he was tougher and stronger than he's ever given credit for. Ali didn't box Foreman! He went to the ropes and allowed Foreman to hit on him, is that boxing? What if Foreman had knocked him out while he was stationary against the ropes. It would've been said for the rest of time, why did Ali remain stationary letting Foreman get off on him? How come he didn't use the ring and box? Which is exactly what those watching the fight were thinking and saying during rounds two through eight. That's not boxing, that's being forced to fight because your opponent will not allow you to box."
The point I am trying to make here is simple: Bill's comments are more about hope than facts. The iPod does not define Apple, the company's future isn't inextricably linked to the iPod. The company's future (as I see it) isn't solely about Desktop Computing (the battle Microsoft won many years ago) or the use of the iPod to ramp up its future growth in this realm. Apple is clearly focused on "Digital Life Style", a broader incarnation of what Bill described as "Web Life Style" in the late 90's.
Apple clearly understands that the Internet is the new Operating System (OS). It also understands that this OS isn't solely about personal Desktop Computing. Most important of all, it understands that it cannot own this OS (so it won't repeat the fatal mistake of not licensing it to potential partners :-) ). In a sense, the new OS protects Apple from itself (I see certainly understand Bill's point if Apple was just about the iPod).
Apple is using its significant prowess in technology, aesthetics and user experience innovation to provide great solutions (hardware and software) that empower users of this new OS. Tiger (nee. OpenStep / NeXTSTEP OS; the platform on which the first Web Browser was created) is a great example, what a journey!
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