This is Google's cache of http://blogs.msdn.com/sharad/archive/2010/01/31/whats-in-store-for-the-next-windows.aspx. It is a snapshot of the page as it appeared on 31 Jan 2010 15:14:50 GMT. The current page could have changed in the meantime.
One of the great (or maybe not so great) things of being at Microsoft is that every other person wants to ask you why Windows works the way it does. Since I'm part of the Windows update team I get asked even more why does my machnie reboot everytime there is an update and why are there so many updates. So naturally once Windows 7 shipped, my friends, neighbours, relatives, and whoever else you can imagine started asking me So whats next?
Folks started asking me whats in Windows 8 - and the first thing I have to say is that I resonate Steven Sinofsky's interview on who said we're calling it Windows 8? I agree with Steven that till things are baked there is no point floating ideas since it leaves people frustrated when things don't turn out the way they expected. The Windows team promised to deliver a smarter, faster and more user friendly OS with Windows 7 and they delivered just that - the latest quaterly results of Microsoft are a clear indication that Windows 7 has been a success and customers got what Microsoft had promised them! The plan is to use a similar approach for the next version of Windows and till things are finalized you're not going to get a "marketing" name from us:)
So how am I referring to the next version of Windows without saying that many words - well simple - Windows.next:) This is definitely not the official version but a version that is becoming common along my circle. So what are our plans for this next version...
The minimum that folks can take for granted is that the next version will be something completly different from what folks usually expect of Windows - I am simply impressed with the process that Steven has setup to listen to our customers needs and wants and get a team together than can make it happen. To actually bring together dozens and dozens of teams across Microsoft to come up with a vision for Windows.next is a process that is surreal! The themes that have been floated truly reflect what people have been looking for years and it will change the way people think about PCs and the way they use them. It is the future of PCs...
Thats about it for this post for the time being - I know I'm not sharing much at this point but right now I can't as we work towards finalizing that vision. Feel free to post your comments on what you think Windows.net should be like!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Is Google moving too far (from search) too fast?
Between the Chrome OS, Wave development tool, Nexus One mobile phone, and Buzz social networking tool, the company risks losing its focus.
Google is stuck between something of a rock and a hard place.
The company, which rose to prominence and fortune on the basis of its highly popular search service, has been expanding out from its core business at an increasingly swift rate -- and in a growing number of directions.
[ Take a look at the 10 coolest experiments from Google Lab. | Keep up on the day's tech news headlines with InfoWorld's Today's Headlines: First Look newsletter. ]
That expansion has some analysts wondering whether Google is in danger of losing focus on what made it such a profitable company, even as those same analysts say it can't rely on search as its only avenue for making money. Right now, Google relies on search for 95 percent of its revenue, according to Karsten Weide, an analyst with IDC.
"Google has the problem of too much money and not enough control over what to do with it," said Rob Enderle, an analyst with the Enderle Group. "As a result, they are building complexity at an alarming rate and that complexity should eventually choke them, much as it did Microsoft .... It isn't that each project isn't important. It's that they often don't dovetail well and should eventually result in a company that is unmanageable."
"I think they are a little scattered," said Weide. "They are doing a whole lot of things and I think a little more focus could not hurt.... But this is a market where you can't afford to sit on your hands. You have to look at what's going on and what is new and what is coming up. Basically, you're betting money."
Last summer, Google announced that it is developing the Chrome OS . Then in September, it released its Google Wave collaboration tool , pushing the company away from its phenomenally successful search roots.
Earlier this year, it unveiled the Google-branded and designed Nexus One mobile phone .
And this week, Google picked up the expansion pace quite a bit. On Tuesday, it took a major swing at such social networking sites as Twitter and Facebook by unveiling upgrades to Gmail that make it more of a social networking hub than just an e-mail service. Google Buzz is aimed at helping users better find the most important information contained in their flood of social posts, pictures and video.
The company followed that with announced plans to build what it calls "ultra high-speed" broadband networks in some parts of the U.S. Finally, yesterday, Google announced it is buying Aardvark, a social search company.
Weide agreed with Enderle that Google has so much money in its coffers that it can try new projects and reach out into new areas.
Google is stuck between something of a rock and a hard place.
The company, which rose to prominence and fortune on the basis of its highly popular search service, has been expanding out from its core business at an increasingly swift rate -- and in a growing number of directions.
[ Take a look at the 10 coolest experiments from Google Lab. | Keep up on the day's tech news headlines with InfoWorld's Today's Headlines: First Look newsletter. ]
That expansion has some analysts wondering whether Google is in danger of losing focus on what made it such a profitable company, even as those same analysts say it can't rely on search as its only avenue for making money. Right now, Google relies on search for 95 percent of its revenue, according to Karsten Weide, an analyst with IDC.
"Google has the problem of too much money and not enough control over what to do with it," said Rob Enderle, an analyst with the Enderle Group. "As a result, they are building complexity at an alarming rate and that complexity should eventually choke them, much as it did Microsoft .... It isn't that each project isn't important. It's that they often don't dovetail well and should eventually result in a company that is unmanageable."
"I think they are a little scattered," said Weide. "They are doing a whole lot of things and I think a little more focus could not hurt.... But this is a market where you can't afford to sit on your hands. You have to look at what's going on and what is new and what is coming up. Basically, you're betting money."
Last summer, Google announced that it is developing the Chrome OS . Then in September, it released its Google Wave collaboration tool , pushing the company away from its phenomenally successful search roots.
Earlier this year, it unveiled the Google-branded and designed Nexus One mobile phone .
And this week, Google picked up the expansion pace quite a bit. On Tuesday, it took a major swing at such social networking sites as Twitter and Facebook by unveiling upgrades to Gmail that make it more of a social networking hub than just an e-mail service. Google Buzz is aimed at helping users better find the most important information contained in their flood of social posts, pictures and video.
The company followed that with announced plans to build what it calls "ultra high-speed" broadband networks in some parts of the U.S. Finally, yesterday, Google announced it is buying Aardvark, a social search company.
Weide agreed with Enderle that Google has so much money in its coffers that it can try new projects and reach out into new areas.
Google Buzz Spoof
I don’t know what it is with Google products, but as soon as the company releases something new, it always takes less than 24 hours before people start releasing spoofs about said products on the web. The following one makes fun of Google Buzz, which we quite like by the way!
Google Buzz Spoof
I don’t know what it is with Google products, but as soon as the company releases something new, it always takes less than 24 hours before people start releasing spoofs about said products on the web. The following one makes fun of Google Buzz, which we quite like by the way!
First Month Nexus One Sales Slow
By Scott Morrison, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
SAN FRANCISCO -(Dow Jones)- Google Inc. (GOOG) sold about 80,000 Nexus One mobile phones in its first month on the market, roughly one-eighth the number of units the original Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone sold in its debut month, according to analytics group Flurry Inc.
The slow sales figures highlight the challenges Google faces as it attempts to establish a new model for pricing, marketing and distributing mobile phones. The Mountain View, Calif.-based Internet giant broke with conventional sales models when it launched its smartphone, saying it would sell the unit directly to consumers without a cell phone company contract.
Nexus One sales appear to have been steady week over week during its first month, according to Flurry's analysis. The company made its estimates by measuring mobile applications usage and then extrapolating overall ownership.
By contrast, Apple's iPhone got off to a very strong start when it debuted in mid-2007, selling an estimated 600,000 units in its first month, according to Flurry. Apple announced it sold 1 million iPhones during the first 76 days they were on sale.
Meanwhile, Motorola Inc.'s (MOT) Droid, which, like Nexus One, is built with Google's Android mobile software, sold 525,000 in its first month after launching last November, according to Flurry.
Google didn't immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment.
After months of speculation, Google took the wraps off of its so-called " superphone," built by Taiwan's HTC Corp. (HTCXF, 2498.TW), on Jan. 5. The company also announced it would sell the device directly to consumers through a Web store.
The Internet giant hopes it can convince other operators to offer wireless plans through its Web store, enabling Google to establish a cheaper and more efficient model for the way mobile phones are sold.
But observers were struck by the price of the Nexus One, which sells for $529 without wireless service. Customers can also buy the phone for $179 if they commit to a two-year contract with Deutsche Telekom AG's (DT) T-Mobile USA, currently the only carrier that provides a Nexus One wireless plan.
Observers have also been skeptical about Google's decision to spend virtually nothing advertising the Nexus. Google briefly pitched the phone on its home page, but the link quickly disappeared. Apple and carrier AT&T (T), in contrast, have spent heavily to promote the iPhone on TV, radio and the Internet.
Perhaps more importantly, the early hype around the Nexus was quickly overshadowed by a series of reports about connectivity snafus, customer service shortcomings and eye-opening "recovery" fees. Those concerns might have prompted some potential buyers to wait until Google and its partners sort out any issues.
Google executives have defended their decision, noting the Nexus One is a first device and part of the company's long-term mobile strategy.
"What the Nexus One is really about is a new way of buying a phone," said Chief Executive Eric Schmidt in a recent conference call. "The Nexus One is simply the first of a series of examples where you can essentially purchase a phone online from one or multiple manufacturers and have it just work. We think that's a natural evolution of a particular model."
Among other factors that likely have hampered sales of the Nexus One is Google's decision to launch the device right after the critical holiday shopping season, said Peter Farago, vice president of marketing at Flurry.
"A lot of the people who were in the market for a phone, either for themselves or for a gift, already satisfied that demand," said Farago.
-By Scott Morrison; Dow Jones Newswires; 415-765-6118; scott.morrison@ dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
02-05-100715ET
Copyright (c) 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO -(Dow Jones)- Google Inc. (GOOG) sold about 80,000 Nexus One mobile phones in its first month on the market, roughly one-eighth the number of units the original Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone sold in its debut month, according to analytics group Flurry Inc.
The slow sales figures highlight the challenges Google faces as it attempts to establish a new model for pricing, marketing and distributing mobile phones. The Mountain View, Calif.-based Internet giant broke with conventional sales models when it launched its smartphone, saying it would sell the unit directly to consumers without a cell phone company contract.
Nexus One sales appear to have been steady week over week during its first month, according to Flurry's analysis. The company made its estimates by measuring mobile applications usage and then extrapolating overall ownership.
By contrast, Apple's iPhone got off to a very strong start when it debuted in mid-2007, selling an estimated 600,000 units in its first month, according to Flurry. Apple announced it sold 1 million iPhones during the first 76 days they were on sale.
Meanwhile, Motorola Inc.'s (MOT) Droid, which, like Nexus One, is built with Google's Android mobile software, sold 525,000 in its first month after launching last November, according to Flurry.
Google didn't immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment.
After months of speculation, Google took the wraps off of its so-called " superphone," built by Taiwan's HTC Corp. (HTCXF, 2498.TW), on Jan. 5. The company also announced it would sell the device directly to consumers through a Web store.
The Internet giant hopes it can convince other operators to offer wireless plans through its Web store, enabling Google to establish a cheaper and more efficient model for the way mobile phones are sold.
But observers were struck by the price of the Nexus One, which sells for $529 without wireless service. Customers can also buy the phone for $179 if they commit to a two-year contract with Deutsche Telekom AG's (DT) T-Mobile USA, currently the only carrier that provides a Nexus One wireless plan.
Observers have also been skeptical about Google's decision to spend virtually nothing advertising the Nexus. Google briefly pitched the phone on its home page, but the link quickly disappeared. Apple and carrier AT&T (T), in contrast, have spent heavily to promote the iPhone on TV, radio and the Internet.
Perhaps more importantly, the early hype around the Nexus was quickly overshadowed by a series of reports about connectivity snafus, customer service shortcomings and eye-opening "recovery" fees. Those concerns might have prompted some potential buyers to wait until Google and its partners sort out any issues.
Google executives have defended their decision, noting the Nexus One is a first device and part of the company's long-term mobile strategy.
"What the Nexus One is really about is a new way of buying a phone," said Chief Executive Eric Schmidt in a recent conference call. "The Nexus One is simply the first of a series of examples where you can essentially purchase a phone online from one or multiple manufacturers and have it just work. We think that's a natural evolution of a particular model."
Among other factors that likely have hampered sales of the Nexus One is Google's decision to launch the device right after the critical holiday shopping season, said Peter Farago, vice president of marketing at Flurry.
"A lot of the people who were in the market for a phone, either for themselves or for a gift, already satisfied that demand," said Farago.
-By Scott Morrison; Dow Jones Newswires; 415-765-6118; scott.morrison@ dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
02-05-100715ET
Copyright (c) 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Google Adding Direct Phone Support for Nexus One Customers
The initial reviews of the Nexus One device were largely positive but one area where Google certainly faced issues was customer support.
Unlike most other companies in the hardware business, Google doesn’t offer any phone support for Android / Nexus One. Customers can either report problems on public forums or, for more specific issues, they can reach Android support via email but the response can take up to 3 days.
Well all that could soon change as a new requirement posted on Google’s Job portal strongly suggests that Google is working hard to bring direct phone support for Android / Nexus One Customers.
As Phone Support Program Manager for Android and the Nexus One, you are responsible for ramping up and managing operations of Google’s telephone support for our direct-to-consumer Android/Nexus One customers.
The optimal candidate will have direct experience in call center and partner management to drive customer satisfaction around their support experience.
The person will be based in Mountain View but Google will probably outsource the actual phone support job to another vendor.
Unlike most other companies in the hardware business, Google doesn’t offer any phone support for Android / Nexus One. Customers can either report problems on public forums or, for more specific issues, they can reach Android support via email but the response can take up to 3 days.
Well all that could soon change as a new requirement posted on Google’s Job portal strongly suggests that Google is working hard to bring direct phone support for Android / Nexus One Customers.
As Phone Support Program Manager for Android and the Nexus One, you are responsible for ramping up and managing operations of Google’s telephone support for our direct-to-consumer Android/Nexus One customers.
The optimal candidate will have direct experience in call center and partner management to drive customer satisfaction around their support experience.
The person will be based in Mountain View but Google will probably outsource the actual phone support job to another vendor.
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