> -----Original Message----- > From: Rick Root [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Sunday, April 08, 2007 6:05 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: Is "Microsoft" Dead? > > As more and more applications become web-applications, fewer and fewer > people will base their operating system purchase decisions based on > application availability, and that won't be good for Microsoft's giant > market share.
That could be true - the potential is certainly there. But there's no real evidence that it's happening now. Web Apps have hit their stride with data-intensive, live data applications (search, mapping, community building, etc) but so far web-based apps haven't even begun to breach core desktop application markets. I really doubt web apps, even "Web 2.0 Apps" can legitimately have a shot at some markets (graphics or video for example) - essentially they'll be desktop apps delivered online (something MS is working hard on). Even if you consider more than just web apps and bring in traditional client-server apps (Sun's whole "the network is the platform" speech) there hasn't been any real competition to MS's core businesses. > Anyone remember Microsoft's WebTV? Just wait till someone like Google > comes out with an appliance like that, which is cheap, flexible, and > portable, and doesn't rely on the Microsoft OS. Something like the > Mac Mini in terms of hardware features - small, built in wireless, > USB, firewire, DVI/VGA outputs. Except for FireWire you've just described a PS3 perfectly. ;^) > I would seriously contemplate such a device right now and plug it into > my LCD TV for my daughter to use to play scoobydoo.com Problem is they don't sell. WebTV wasn't a bad product: it was hamstrung more by the utterly crappy quality of web surfing on an SD TV than by the technology involved. The market was a paradox: a box for people that didn't have computers... but the only way it was remotely usable was if you had a GREAT TV - and most people that spend money on high-end TVs also have computers. A self-contained box like Virgin's little "web players" made more sense (I still own a couple of them) but had other limitations - namely crappy hardware and software and a horrendous online service. The other sad thing is that these boxes always seem to come out at a price premium. WebTV came out (if I remember correctly) at $300. You can get a respectable PC for that. The Nintendo Wii might be a viable option if they can ever get their Opera browser working on more than the simplest of sites. Even then once you toss in a keyboard and mouse and so forth you're still talking as much (or perhaps just a bit less) than a cheapy PC. I think tho' that it's really game consoles that will provide the kind of boxes you're talking about. Right now the PS3 is the obvious choice, but a patch from MS could easily add capable Web Browsing to the 360 and Opera on the Wii could (somehow) end up being a useful product. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Deploy Web Applications Quickly across the enterprise with ColdFusion MX7 & Flex 2 Free Trial http://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion/flex2/?sdid=RVJU Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:232110 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
