Stan Beer
Monday, 24 July 2006 22:05
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 2
People point to Microsoft’s Xbox and Xbox 360 as proof that the company
can successfully play in the hardware space. The question they need to
consider, however, is how much money has Microsoft made from Xbox? The
answer isn’t pretty.
Apple has always been a hardware and software company. Its entire
history has consisted of a business model constructed around selling
hardware and software in tightly bound packages. This is iPod and
iTunes, Mac and Mac OSX. For Apple, it works spectacularly well.
Microsoft is a pure software company. Its entire history has been built
around selling software. It can’t make money doing anything else – not
even on the internet. However, when it comes to selling certain types
of software, Microsoft is still the best operator by far.
The problem for Microsoft of course is that in the internet and open
source age, operating systems and office productivity software are
gradually becoming obsolete commodities. Microsoft needs to find new
areas in which to grow.
That’s why we see Microsoft attempting a project like Zune. It’s a shot in the dark and it’s doomed to fail.