Build a better moustrap . . . George A ----- Original Message ----- From: "William T Goodall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Brin-L" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 3:09 AM Subject: Hide Your iPod, Here Comes Bill
> http://tinyurl.com/3p6e5 > > " Microsoft's leafy corporate campus in Redmond, Washington, is > beginning to look like the streets of New York, London and just about > everywhere else: Wherever you go, white headphones dangle from peoples' > ears. > > To the growing frustration and annoyance of Microsoft's management, > Apple Computer's iPod is wildly popular among Microsoft's workers. > > "About 80 percent of Microsoft employees who have a portable music > player have an iPod," said one source, a high-level manager who asked > to remain anonymous. "It's pretty staggering." > > The source estimated 80 percent of Microsoft employees have a music > player -- that translates to 16,000 iPod users among the 25,000 who > work at or near Microsoft's corporate campus. "This irks the management > team no end," said the source. > > So popular is the iPod, executives are increasingly sending out memos > frowning on its use. > > Of course, Microsoft's software is used by dozens of competing music > players from manufacturers like Creative Technology, Rio and Sony. Its > Windows Media Audio, or WMA, format is supported by several online > music stores, including Napster, Musicmatch and Wal-Mart. Microsoft's > PlaysForSure program markets this choice as a boon for consumers. > > Nonetheless, Apple's iPod commands 65 percent of the portable player > market, and its online iTunes Music Store 70 percent of online music > sales, according to Apple. > > "These guys are really quite scared," said the source of Microsoft's > management. "It shows how their backs are against the wall.... Even > though it's Microsoft, no one is interested in what we have to offer, > even our own employees." > > So concerned is management, owning an iPod at Microsoft is beginning to > become impolitic, the manager said. Employees are hiding their iPods by > swapping the telltale white headphones for a less conspicuous pair. > > "Some people are a bit concerned about being traitors, not supporting > the company," he said. "They're a bit stealth about it." > > How "stealth" varies from division to division. At the company's > Macintosh Business Unit, which publishes a wide range of software for > the Mac, owning an iPod is almost de rigueur. > > But at the Windows Digital Media Group, which is charged with software > for portable players and the WMA format, using an iPod is not a good > career move. > > "In the media group they all smoke the company dope on that one," the > manager said." > > ... > > "Robert Scoble, who calls himself the "Microsoft Geek Blogger" and is > one of the company's most widely read and vocal mouthpieces, sometimes > appears obsessed with the iPod. > > He recently penned an open letter to Bill Gates about how to build an > iPod-killer (first thing: start a blog). "Even I want an iPod," he > confessed. > > The Microsoft manager said he's heard from several executives who > dutifully bought Microsoft-powered players, tried them, failed to get > them working, and returned them in favor of an iPod. He went through > the same experience, he said." > > > > -- > William T Goodall > Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Web : http://www.wtgab.demon.co.uk > Blog : http://radio.weblogs.com/0111221/ > > "A bad thing done for a good cause is still a bad thing. It's why so > few people slap their political opponents. That, and because slapping > looks so silly." - Randy Cohen. > > _______________________________________________ > http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l > > > > _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
