Aug. 8, 2007
Microsoft sizes up its competition
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Some of the most interesting parts of Microsoft’s annual Form 10K filing are often the sections where the company offers its take on its competitive landscape.
”The Company’s competitors include many software application vendors, such as IBM, Oracle, Apple, Sun Microsystems, Corel, Qualcomm, and local application developers in Europe and Asia. IBM and Corel have large installed bases with their spreadsheet and word processor products, respectively, and both have aggressive pricing strategies. Also, IBM and Apple preinstall certain of their application software products on various models of their PCs, competing directly with Microsoft’s desktop application software. Sun Microsystems’ Star Office is aggressively priced. Additionally, Web-based application hosting services provide an alternative to PC-based applications such as Microsoft Office.”
Lenovo sells LInux
Tech Target
Lenovo to sell laptops with Linux.
“Lenovo Group Ltd. , the world’s No. 3 PC maker, said on Monday it would start selling laptop computers preloaded with Linux software from Novell Inc. instead of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows operating system.”
Microsoft’s forecast is cloudy
RoughType
Nicholas Carr talks to Ray Ozzie, CTO of Microsoft and he does not get a warm and fuzzy feeling after it.
“Microsoft’s coder-in-chief, Ray Ozzie, described in broad strokes the software giant’s plans to build its utility computing business as more and more computing functions and software applications turn into services supplied through the “cloud” of the Internet.”