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All posts tagged "bach"


Friday, January 9, 2009

Regrets on the Life of Zune

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Digital Home News" @ 08:00 PM

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13526_3-10137684-27.html

"Bach insisted that music was a required component of the "three screen" experience, and that Microsoft had to be a leader rather than a mere technology provider in this space. If Microsoft hadn't built the Zune, it wouldn't have been able to create the Zune software and Marketplace, which have become pretty solid after a couple false starts. But he admitted that if the company were to enter the space again with perfect hindsight, it would do things differently."

Matt Rosoff, who wrote this blog entry for CNet believes that what Bach would have done differently was that Microsoft would have left the actual hardware up to manufacturers, instead creating the entire platform supporting it from the software, to the specifications, to the online store. I think this idea bears a significant resemblance to how Microsoft is handling their Windows Mobile segment historically, but with a central online service, like Xbox Live. I'm sure that if the Zune had been launched this way, it still would have to fight against the empire that is iPod but it would probably be easier on Microsoft as they've shown that they're not experts in hardware innovation. Leaving the hardware to manufacturers may not lead to revolutions in the Zune interface, but it would make changes to everything quicker and faster.

Tags: zune, bach

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Microsoft at CES 2009: Keynote Highlights

Posted by Darius Wey in "Digital Home Events" @ 03:45 AM

After a few minutes of beatboxing and a seemingly enthusiastic Gary Shapiro introducing Steve Ballmer on to the stage, Microsoft's keynote was under way. This was Ballmer's first keynote at CES since taking over from Bill Gates, who delivered it for the first time almost 15 years ago and has traditionally done so up until last year. The question on everyone's mind was whether this keynote would be as memorable as the last. In a time when the very word, "recession", strikes fear into both consumers and businesses, would Microsoft have enough up its sleeve to turn 2009 into a year of ambition, innovation, and prosperity?

Read more...


Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Microsoft at CES: Keynote at 6:30 PM, PST

Posted by Darius Wey in "Digital Home Events" @ 10:55 AM

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/...es/default.mspx

In a little under nine hours, Steve Ballmer and Robbie Bach will deliver the Microsoft keynote at CES. What's in store for Windows, Windows Mobile, Windows Live, Office, the Xbox 360, and Zune? You'll have to tune in at 6:30 PM (PST) to find out, or simply wait for our post-keynote report. Whatever tickles your fancy.

  • Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Seattle: Wednesday, 6:30 PM
  • Chicago, Houston: Wednesday, 8:30 PM
  • New York, Washington, D.C.: Wednesday, 9:30 PM
  • London: Thursday, 2:30 AM
  • Paris, Berlin: Thursday, 3:30 AM
  • Moscow: Thursday, 5:30 AM
  • Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong: Thursday, 10:30 AM
  • Perth, Tokyo: Thursday, 11:30 AM
  • Brisbane: Thursday, 12:30 PM
  • Sydney, Melbourne: Thursday, 1:30 PM
  • Auckland: Thursday, 3:30 PM

Live Webcast: 100k, 300k, 750k


Monday, January 7, 2008

CES 2008: Bill Gates' Keynote

Posted by Darius Wey in "Zune Talk" @ 01:38 AM



Prior to this keynote, Bill Gates had presented at CES eleven times. Ten of those were keynotes and eight were given consecutively. This year's was to be his last while in his full-time role at Microsoft. Gates looked back at his first keynote in 1994 - he recalled it with great significance as it was a time when Windows 95 was coming together and the Internet was starting to boom. He spoke of the years following as the first digital decade. A period when the world saw one billion PCs populate homes and businesses around the world, 250 million broadband subscribers, and a growth in mobile phone adoption to 41% of the world's population in 2006. There was a heavy emphasis on the digitalization of audio and visual and how it all came down to software. Software-driven entertainment and connected services were very much the focus of his keynote and what he believed would drive the second digital decade.
Read more...


Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Q&A With Robbie Bach

Posted by Aaron Roma in "Zune Talk" @ 08:00 AM

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2006/11/an_interview_wi_1.html

"Regarding Zune, it’s just a year ago, about that time, that you started it?... Why choose this one? You could have done a GameBoy killer or a PSP killer."

A+E Interactive has posted a fairly lengthy interview with Robbie Bach. Who is Robbie Bach? For those that don't know, Robbie is the president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, which include the Xbox and Zune teams. While this interview is not solely Zune related, it does provide a little insight on the position behind the Zune, and where the Zune falls into the overall picture of Microsoft's entertainment vision.


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