[Sigia-l] Microsoft way vs Apple way

[Listera]

For nearly two decades now, Microsoft argued for commoditizing hardware and
breaking up the app/service delivery business into two parts: one part, the
platform (OS, DRM, key apps, etc), always coming from Microsoft and the rest
coming from hardware manufacturers and a gazillion independent companies
providing apps/services/infrastructure.

More than anything else in recent memory, Apple's iPod exposed the validity
of the counter argument: apps, services, infrastructure all integrated for a
smooth user experience.

Now comes Ray Ozzie who may be in a position to teach Microsoft the
centrality of the user experience in product design. It's an extremely tall
order, for a company so hell bent on screwing its competitors and users
alike:

"Ray Ozzie, Microsoft's newly appointed services guru, pointed to Apple
Computer's iconic music player as a "perfect example" of a product that
marries hardware, software and services. He also points to Research In
Motion's BlackBerry, which brings together an e-mail device, server-based
software and wireless data service.

In both cases, people don't think about the individual pieces of the
package, he said. They just think about the tasks they want to do, such as
listening to their music or getting e-mail on the go."

C|NET -- Microsoft checks out the iPod way
<http://tinyurl.com/7hqr4>

---- 
Ziya

Best Practices,
For when you've run out of your own ideas and context.