Cyprus-Forum.com

[cyprusgrump]

Admin should rename this thread to... “Here’s hoping that Microsoft Has Failed”

[Demonax]

The only computer users who would use software on a server instead of their own are Nigerians at an Internet cafe!

So you have never used Google Search or Google Mail on your computer then?

I forgot, you think it's still 1989!

Looks like those Nigerians are much smarter than you.

Microsoft is already moving to the cloud! They are moving the Office suite online to the cloud, and are moving "Live" and XBOX 360 data to the cloud. So you'd better write to them quick and tell them they are making a big mistake!

Ms Office is so embedded in the global industry that only a God can shake it!

Microsoft faces declining PC sales because of the onslaught of mobile computing. While tablets are soon going to outship notebooks. And Google is going after the Enterprise market. Already in the States and Europe, some companies and government offices are moving to Chromebooks and Googleapps. Cheaper is compelling to many businesses these days. And Google is not a small player. Google Enterprise has now 4 million companies as customers. Those are mainly former Microsoft users. The trend is there to see. And trends are very important in the tech industry. Remember RIM and Nokia?

And if you still don't get it, then please explain to me, oh wise one, why Microsoft is now making its own hardware and has just announced a shift to focus on becoming a "Devices and Services" company? Now think about it, before you answer.

[Sotos]

Apple has more profits because you are not getting what you pay for. If you wanted to get what you pay for then the iPhone etc should have been $200 less and Apple would make normal profits like the other companies.

In the smartphone sector Apple does not compete on price, it competes on quality. It sells to those who appreciate a premium product, and who are willing to pay a premium for it. It's left the space open for competitors at the cheaper end to compete on price and none of them are making any money - except Samsung.

If things change, Apple has the capacity to lower its prices and give up its huge margins. Right now, Apple are prepared to squeeze the competition and it's a strategy that is working. Look at what's happened to RIM and Nokia...

RIM and particularly Nokia were not squeezed by Apple but by Android which enabled smartphones at feature phone prices. High end Android phones can easily compete with the iPhone... Galaxy SIII alone sells about as good as the iphone and if you add the high end devices from all other manufacturers you will see that Android is on top in the high end also. The iPhone was a revolutionary device some years ago... now it is just a high end smartphone, nothing more.

Office or no Office there is no real alternative to windows. Businesses will switch from windows and buy their employees all-in-one iMacs? Maybe Linux, Chrome OS or something new can one day replace windows... But not Apple with their current philosophy "Make devices with nice designs and sell them with huge margins"... that will never work with most people.

The enterprise is changing at a rapid rate, and more companies than ever are looking toward the cloud to operate their businesses. When that happens, they enter Google's domain. And if they don't require all the power that Office offers, why should they pay for Microsoft's service when they can get access to Google Docs for free? It's a question that Microsoft will need to answer.

Office is expensive. For years, that hasn't mattered, since it was the only viable productivity suite on the market. But today, there are several free alternatives that can deliver a worthwhile experience. How Microsoft plans to compete with free is anyone's guess...

They have been competing with free for a long time already... not just for Office but for Windows also. Linux is a good free OS for example.... I hope one day it will be supported enough by hardware and software so I can switch to it!!

[Get Real!]

The only computer users who would use software on a server instead of their own are Nigerians at an Internet cafe!

So you have never used Google Search or Google Mail on your computer then?

I forgot, you think it's still 1989!

Looks like those Nigerians are much smarter than you.

Microsoft is already moving to the cloud! They are moving the Office suite online to the cloud, and are moving "Live" and XBOX 360 data to the cloud. So you'd better write to them quick and tell them they are making a big mistake!

So all of a sudden you forgot about Google Docs and decided to pretend it was Google search and Google mail you were talking about!

[Get Real!]

Microsoft faces declining PC sales because of the onslaught of mobile computing. While tablets are soon going to outship notebooks.

Utter rubbish!

I'd like to see you perform the duties of anyone who does a lot of typing like an office clerk or programmer, with a tablet!

And don't tell me you're going to hook up an external kbd because you will have defeated your lame argument!

[Sotos]

Microsoft faces declining PC sales because of the onslaught of mobile computing. While tablets are soon going to outship notebooks.

Utter rubbish!

I'd like to see you perform the duties of anyone who does a lot of typing like an office clerk or programmer, with a tablet!

Tablets are not good at productivity tasks but you are forgetting one thing: There are many people who don't need a productivity tool... they just need some basic device to get online, send email, chat, play some games etc. For example I got iPads for my parents and for them it is perfect. There are many people whose needs can be met better with a tablet... some years ago those people would buy a laptop or desktop because the better alternative of a tablet didn't exist... now it does. For other people a tablet is not replacing a PC... it is just an additional device. I have a tablet but I am not doing any productivity tasks on it... but it is much nicer for reading books, reading news with certain apps, playing some games etc.

[Demonax]

RIM and particularly Nokia were not squeezed by Apple but by Android which enabled smartphones at feature phone prices. High end Android phones can easily compete with the iPhone... Galaxy SIII alone sells about as good as the iphone and if you add the high end devices from all other manufacturers you will see that Android is on top in the high end also. The iPhone was a revolutionary device some years ago... now it is just a high end smartphone, nothing more.

Apple squeezed them at the high end, Android at the low end. But the iPhone is only half the story. Apple’s genius was to make it a platform that could feed off a vast ecosystem that included iTunes and a stunning array of apps. Its sheer size attracts more and more app developers, who in turn make the ecosystem deeper and more attractive to customers.

This is why I will be giving up my android handset and getting an iPhone. In addition to an Android handset I use IOS on my iPad and have invested in numerous productivity apps. In my experience, IOS is also much slicker and nicer to use. My Android is just a brick by comparison and ludicrously still stuck with Android gingerbread. Enough is enough! If my experience is anything to go by, Apple will have a lot of iPhone switchers from people using iPads.

They have been competing with free for a long time already...

Not with Google they haven't. Of course, Microsoft is entrenched in business. But Google Apps is making inroads and it can afford to take the long-term approach to winning over new customers. And if cloud-based business is the way of the future, Google's experience, pricing and innovation make it attractive over Microsoft's relatively new Office Web Apps program.

[Sotos]

Apple squeezed them at the high end, Android at the low end.

Android is from low end to high end. The high end Androids are at least as good as the iPhone and better in many aspects, like bigger screens with higher resolution, NFC, USB OTG, Expandable memory etc. Android now has at least as many apps and developers. Some apps are better on Android some are better on iOS. There are less Android apps optimized for tablets but this is changing fast. For example Kindle is far better on Android and Google Maps are much better than what Apple has. And iOS is outdated and boring... Even Android Froyo is more advanced than iOS!

[Demonax]

So all of a sudden you forgot about Google Docs and decided to pretend it was Google search and Google mail you were talking about!

Not at all. You said people don't use software on a server. I was reminding you that they do it all the time. Google search and mail run on a server. The next leap is to start using productivity software on a server. Some companies are transitioning to the cloud already. Microsoft and Google are heading in this direction with rival cloud-based office applications. They must be doing it for a reason.

[Demonax]

The high end Androids are at least as good as the iPhone and better in many aspects, like bigger screens with higher resolution, NFC, USB OTG, Expandable memory etc. Android now has at least as many apps and developers. Some apps are better on Android some are better on iOS. There are less Android apps optimized for tablets but this is changing fast. For example Kindle is far better on Android and Google Maps are much better than what Apple has. And iOS is outdated and boring... Even Android Froyo is more advanced than iOS!

Sotos, I have used a high-end Android handset for 18 months now and an iPad for just six months and the difference in the range and quality of apps is enormous. There is no comparison. Google Maps is the only app I'd like but I really don't miss it that much. High-quality apps on the productivity side are a big difference. The user experience on the Android is also astonishingly bad. With IOS it's easy to find what you are looking for and you won't get lost in a sea of menus and options. That kind of customization might be good for some people, but I prefer my device to be as simple and elegant as possible. Also Airplay, iMessage and better customer support round off the experience. Sure, I'd like to be able to add widgets to my homescreen. But that's the only thing Apple should possibly copy from Android. I've also invested in quite a few IOS apps. There are virtually none in Android that I would miss. So I will be getting one of the older iPhones next over a new Android. For me, it's a no-brainer.