Can Microsoft Blame Netbooks?
|
News Analysis. In the short term, yes. More broadly, no. |
Over the last two days, a couple people have told me that Microsoft largely blames year-over-year Client revenue division declines on netbooks, which most analysts refer to as mini-notebooks. Yes, netbooks can claim much, perhaps most, of the blame. But the story isn't that simple.
During last week's earnings conference call, CEO Steve Ballmer said that Microsoft sold 50 million Windows licenses during fourth calendar quarter, which would be Microsoft's 2009 fiscal second quarter. Based on IDC mini-notebook shipment estimates, number of Windows licenses shipped and percentage of Windows licenses sold through OEMs, I figure 8 percent of Windows licenses shipped during fourth quarter went to mini-notebooks.
Windows XP Home is the operating system shipping on most mini-notebooks sold today. Microsoft makes more money on "premium" Vista editions than it does Windows XP Home. The premium mix for third calendar quarter was 71 percent. The mix declined to 64 percent in fourth quarter. Statistically, the numbers are the same. By that reckoning, mini-notebooks could account for the 8 percent year-over-year decline in Windows license revenue and 13 percent drop in operating income.
That's how I first reckoned the math, in response to a question about Microsoft's netbook blame claim. But on closer examination I questioned whether the answer could be so simply straightforward. Here's why: In October, Microsoft predicted that worldwide PC shipments would grow 10 percent to 12 percent during fourth calendar quarter. Instead, growth was flat. But surprisingly, Windows license units fell just 1 percent year over year. PC growth may have been way off for the quarter, but the steep decline wasn't for unit shipments. Microsoft took margin, revenue and profit hits, which increased consumer SKU sales does explain, regardless of larger macroeconomic considerations. So, yeah, mini-notebooks probably do explain most of Windows' fourth-quarter problems.
But that's not saying Microsoft can blame mini-notebooks for its Client revenue and income problems. They're symptom, not cause. Microsoft bears blame because of Windows Vista's hefty system requirements.
As I explained in December 2007, Microsoft has a big problem in a small box. Microsoft designed Vista based on assumptions PCs would grow more powerful. Instead, the market rapidly shifted from desktops to portables, which often had less microprocessing and graphics capabilities than Vista was designed for. The mobile transition caught Microsoft poorly prepared. Vista needed to be less when it demanded more.
Vista is particularly ill-suited for mini-notebooks, although the situation is improving with Intel Atom-based models. Mini-notebooks should have been a huge sales opportunity for Microsoft. In fact, mini-notebooks could have and should have saved fourth quarter for Client division if OEMs had shipped Vista Home Premium or Business instead of XP Home.
During fiscal fourth quarter, Microsoft OEM revenue declined 12 percent year over year, or $465 million. During the time period, OEMs accounted for 81 percent of Windows Client division revenue. Microsoft claims that Windows ships on about 80 percent of mini-notebooks. Analysts say Vista ships on about 1 percent of the these systems. That works out to about $370 million in revenue associated with mini-notebooks, coming from sales of Windows XP Home.
For the Client division, the difference between -8 percent and flat growth is about $350 million. That's another proof point to Microsoft's mini-notebook blame claim, but it's not how I'm using the money. What a difference had Microsoft sold Vista Premium on all those mini-notebooks. At the least, that $370 million would have meant about 1 percent year over year growth for Client during fiscal second quarter. But that's the least the difference could be. Microsoft doesn't publicly disclose what it charges OEMs for Windows XP Home compared Vista Home Premium. But it has to be quite a bit less, right? The point, and I won't do all the math to make it: Vista license sales on mini-notebooks, assuming "premium" edition, should have lifted revenue and income from decline to flat and likely growth.
Mini-notebook sales should continue to be an opportunity for Microsoft, but they'll instead drag on Windows revenue and, more importantly, margins and operating income until Windows 7 releases. Early tester reports about Windows 7 on mini-notebooks are thumbs up.
According to IDC, manufacturers shipped about 5 million mini-notebooks in calendar fourth quarter. Mini-notebook sales are strongest in Europe, more than 60 percent of volume, according to IDC. Telco subsidies are helping to pull demand.
"As expected, the Christmas season saw continued uptake of mini-notebooks driven by strong vendor push, with several manufacturers launching new products from October onwards, stimulating fierce competition for retail shelf space," Eszter Morvay, IDC senior research analyst, said in a statement last week.
""However, telco operators also drove strong momentum, with both first- and second-tier players setting up new partnerships and offering heavily subsidized mini-notebooks," he continued. While standard portable sales slowed down, mini-notebooks will continue to drive market expansion and multi-equipment trends in Europe in 2009."
In Asia/Pacific, PC shipments declined for the first time in a decade during fourth quarter. But contraction would have been more severe if not for mini-notebooks. In Hong Kong, mini-notebooks nearly saved the quarter.
"Fortunately, mini-notebooks continued to grow sequentially in 4Q08, and Hong Kong's total market was still able to grow 17 percent in full year 2008," Kathy Sin, IDC's Asia/Pacific Personal Systems research manager, said in a statement.
Early mini-notebook manufacturer Asus posted strongest year-over-year growth in the region, according to IDC: 26 percent. By the way, in Europe, mini-notebook manufacturers also posted strongest year-over-year growth: Asus (68.7 percent); Toshiba (26.7 percent); Acer (21.9 percent).
I've got to say: Microsoft can't ship Windows 7 soon enough.
[Please send your tips or rumors to watchtips at live.com].
Related Posts:
- Are Telco Subsidies Coming Back?, Microsoft Watch, Dec. 9, 2008
- Does Windows Have a Future on Netbooks?, Microsoft Watch, Dec. 7, 2008
- Origami: Flattened by Netbooks?, Microsoft Watch, Sept. 29, 2008
- Microsoft's Big Problem in a Small Box, Microsoft Watch, Dec. 7, 2007
Comments (23)
So funny. I remember back in 2006. I was attending a Microsoft Seminar on their new Data protection server, and Server 2003 R2. One of the speakers mentioned Vista. Someone asked what the system requirements were and the speaker rattled off some rather high numbers for an Operating system. I told him you guys are on crack. Sure they were fine for a hardware junkie like me.... but the average user wasn't ready for that sort of jump. The guy assured me that PC's had come far enough for Vista and Microsoft may as well take advantage of that fact.
I told him, Technology has come that far. People haven't. So they released it in all it's memory hogging glory. Of course I was ready for it because I try and future proof my machines by building to the extreme. My company wasn't of course. We weren't ready to buy a fleet of new PC's just because MS got jiggy with system requirements. So we stuck with XP Pro. After SP1 Vista is beginning to seep into my network.... Just in time enough to rotate into windows 7. In the end I'm going to end up supporting XP, Vista, 7, Fedora Core, and Leopard.
I can't say I'm happy about this development. I think Microsoft got the message. But who knows if it's too late? In this freaked up economy anything could happen.
Posted by NKnow | January 26, 2009 4:37 AM
Let's see if I can make your argument explicit here: you're assuming that Microsoft will be able to charge more for a Windows 7 licence on a netbook/mini-notebook than for an XP licence.
They won't.
Netbooks are so cheap that the Windows licence ends up being the single most costly component. That's why Linux models tend to be noticeably cheaper, or higher-specced at the same price.
Microsoft would commit business suicide if it tried to charge full price for Windows 7 on netbooks. So, like it or not, low-margin Windows on netbooks is here to stay.
At least until Microsoft decides it can't make money in this market, and cedes it completely to Linux.
Posted by Lawrence D'Oliveiro | January 26, 2009 4:42 AM
The bubble has burst. No longer can MS demand a price and expect to get it.
Its now a race to Zero. Linux will live threw the race to Zero. The same race to Zero is nuking Unix's off the face of earth. As yet Linux is not spreading majority up into notebooks. If a race to Zero starts in the notebook market or the desktop market MS is really stuffed.
Question is how long. MS has already proved they cannot crush Linux out of the netbook market. Instead by attempting they are crushing there bottom line.
Retreating out of the netbook market is also MS doomed. The game is over. The closed source OS model is dead. Question is how long MS can resist not if MS will win. The best outcome is set.
Best outcome is MS sees they have to offer people good quality stuff and the Windows OS simply ceases to exist as an independent product. Ie MS Office merged with MS Windows. Now Linux guys have already beating Microsoft. All those legal actions cut off where MS could run to.
MS is Snookered. People ask what Linux has been doing for the last 18 years. Simple getting everything in place legal and software.
Posted by oiaohm | January 26, 2009 5:45 AM
Microsoft must blame competition, I am sure they saw it coming a mile off but have been powerless to do anything. Instead of making their core products better, they have spent it trying to remove the competition's air supply.
"Microsoft doesn't publicly disclose what it charges OEMs for Windows XP Home compared Vista Home Premium."
They released figures a few months ago stating how much they think they will make for XP and Windows 7 on netbooks. You could work the figures back and the revenues came out at exactly $30 for XP and $60 for Vista/7. I have heard various other sources that confirm the $30 for XP price, so I think those figures are about right.
It is not just price, OEMs can customize Linux to their needs so for them money invested in Linux is better than money lost on XP licensing. Just look at all the new instant on technologies, they are a selling point which OEMs cannot get with Windows. Google could never have made Android by licensing Windows CE, and they probably would not have built an OS from scratch.
Posted by billybob | January 26, 2009 7:03 AM
linux will live THROUGH the race to zero if anything...
typo aside i agree with ubuntu's shuttleworth that windows 7 will make for more interesting competition in netbooks once more with an expensive windows sku versus a cheap or free linux flavour.
Personally i believe if somebody realises that netbooks are seen differently by the consumer to pc's and normal laptops - not general purpose but somehow selective-task-specific - and thus uses that opportunity to create a new and consistent OS and software platform for it (based on linux most likely) with ad branding and the lot, then it'll be successful. Otherwise Linux will have the same acceptance struggles as it does on the normal desktop/laptop.
Later with that established brand said company could then move up the chain to normal laptops / desktops, etc and make life a bit more interesting compared to today's endlessly boring desktop OS landscape
Posted by whatever | January 26, 2009 8:02 AM
Microsoft cannot compete on features though, we are already seeing netbooks with instant on, Windows 7 booting in 30 seconds will seem like an eternity. The bios manufacturers will gradually improve the instant on environment until people only use Windows for legacy apps. I can see a day when the instant on environment will be able to access and run applications on an XP partition.
http://www.hyperspace.com/video.aspx
Once that happens, Windows will be sold as an optional extra so that you have the correct license running in the background, but you never actually see the Windows desktop. If you want to run iTunes etc then you pay an extra $60 and you can run Windows apps flawlessly via a seamless VM. Otherwise, you can use Wine and run 80% of apps. Once they have USB support a lot of apps will start working.
Fairly soon desktop users will expect the same sort of experience.
Posted by billybob | January 26, 2009 8:28 AM
The biggest change in Microsoft over the past ten years has been the demand for more and more revenue. The monopoly control of the market let them set their prices higher and higher. It was the equivalent of crack. They cooked up a scheme to justify massive hikes in the cost of OS licenses.
Now the market is re-balancing. The new OS's don't deliver benefits that justify the added costs. Consumers are moving to where they get the functionality they need but at a lower cost. The self proclaimed (and one-time) "innovator" is left pointing at competitors for why its products are failing.
Having become addicted to the crack of monopolist margins the management cannot find a competitive strategy that delivers the costs benefits that customers can find elsewhere.
The monopolists time is up.
Posted by Phil | January 26, 2009 9:01 AM
MS can say what it wants, but W7's accelerated onramp proves what MS knows, that Vista is to blame. XP was "netbook ready" in 2001, running fine on my 866mhz Dell with 512m RAM. When I replaced that with four times the horsepower last year, I ordered XP again, instead of the obese (albeit "fixed") Vista, that inhales resources but adds virtually no end-user functionality. XP is now running very well on my Acer One. Linux fanchildren should visit the Acer One user forum to compare the number and the kinds of basic issues that real living Linux end-users, who saved themselves $50, are seeking help with as compared with relatively problem-free XP. Linux remains a hobby kit for techies.
Posted by Forone | January 26, 2009 10:39 AM
I think MS is still misreading the market. They are thinking that with Intel Atom, netbooks will be a little bit more powerful and maybe will run Win7 and maybe people will accept an extra $60 in price. I don't think this is the case.
Say the current netbooks sell around $400 with $30 going to XP. I don't think the hardware manufacturers are looking to make these $400 dollar computers $30 cheaper and a bit more powerful for MS's benefit.
What they are doing is looking at how to make a mass market $200 or less netbook computer. Once netbooks sell consistently for $200 or less, I don't see how that leaves any room for MS's business model in the equation.
DVD players originally came out at high prices like $600, now they commonly sell for $30. A DVD player has almost as much computer guts as a netbook (and usually runs Linux). There is definitely a lot of room for netbook prices to drop and this is the real danger for MS, as this will drag down notebook and desktop prices along with them.
Posted by smist08 | January 26, 2009 11:21 AM
I think Lawrence D'Oliveiro, smist08, Phil,
oiaohm, and Ralph and Goblin in other topics, have done a good job of summing up the problems that Microsoft is going have with Netbooks.
What I would add is only a few small points. Not all these Netbooks will come with Atom (Intel) cpu's, and its most likely probable, that these Atom Netbooks, will be the only ones that are hefty enough to maybe run Vista7. A sure sign that is so, is the fact that MS is allowing XP Home to live on the Netbooks until June 2010, or one year after Vista7 is released, whichever is longer.
Now for the race to zero. MS still has one arrow in its quiver of tricks. An "free" (well not really free) ad supported OS, that they have patented. It still doesn't make money for MS, and would most likely be replaced on the computers that it came on. But if MS gets too desperate, I expect them to roll this on out, and see if it will fly. It would probably do MS more harm than good to release an ad supported OS for Netbooks, as consumers will reject it, or hate it. As Netbooks get cheaper, I would expect to see this MS option employed, at some point, if MS is unable to monopolize the Netbooks. If MS was able to wrap Vista around all that DRM, and get most people to accept it, then maybe it can do the same thing with ad supported. But it won't be me.
www.distrowatch.com download a free linux live cd today, DRM free, thankfully!
Posted by chips b malroy | January 26, 2009 1:02 PM
and the acer one forum represents IT users worldwide because?......
-
I love the way forone uses the term fanchildren (in respect of Linux) and then goes on to call us techies in the same post.
-
Could you please clarify? Are you attempting to insult or compliment? or both? or neither?
-
Forone, it is my humble opinion, that you either dont understand what Linux is or you are purposely posting misinformation. Since every user of every system (check out some Vista forums if you want proof) have issues that need addressing. Thats what a forum is for. Since you've proved no link to backup what you say, all we have at the moment is your word.
-
When you said "Linux remains a hobby kit for techies" I think you will find Microsoft will disagree with you. Else why would it threaten with its patent portfolio? why would it be keen to see things such as Mono and Moonlight taken up on Linux (IMO)? but more importantly why, if as you suggest Linux is no more serious than a hobbyists project, why would they allegedly pay people to post misinformation about their products in order to promote them. Surely this would be a waste of money?
-
So lets all rush to the acer one forum, which apparently is the place where all computing opinion (worth anything) is discussed and then for some more "must be true facts" we can pop over to an alien abduction forum that I was laughing at last week, afterall its a very popular busy forum, so it must be true.
-
Come back Andre Da Costa, all is forgiven.
-
Has the debate really come down to this?
-
Moving slightly away from Netbooks specifically.
Maybe forone (after hes gone through the usual anti-linux insults) would mind answering, if your XP platform is so great, why is it I can get better performance out of a Gentoo/Wine DX ap then I can through native Windows? Maybe you'd like to explain how I can run a windowed WoW at 70+fps through Gentoo and yet in full screen with no other apps running in XP I can only get 40-50.
-
On a final note, lets have another look at some "basic problems" as forone would say as Windows appears to have caused a few problems with the Royal Navy. Maybe I should send a quick message to the fleet admiral and tell him/her to visit the acer one forums, Im sure it will be all sorted out.
http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22716&Itemid=53
-
It will be interesting to see an XP Netbook perform when it gets hit by the same malware/spyware that its desktop cousin suffers from.
-
Thanks for livening up this debate forone.
Posted by Goblin | January 26, 2009 3:21 PM
Goblin it really doesn't matter how great Gentoo is. Say that word to the average user and you're going to get a blank stare back.
Linux simply does not have the recognition of Windows or OSX.
Call me anti-Linux...
Hell call me Andre Da Costa.
Call me a shill....
Just don't call me late for dinner.
It is what it is.
Posted by NKnow | January 26, 2009 3:46 PM
Quote "Goblin it really doesn't matter how great Gentoo is. Say that word to the average user and you're going to get a blank stare back."
-
Completely agree, and Id go further than that by saying that if anyone is considering trying Linux, they stay away from Gentoo completely, and its funny you should mention the blank stare as I was having a conversation on another thread about Zune.
-
Quote "Linux simply does not have the recognition of Windows or OSX."
-
and thats why Windows is better? A Bentley isnt as popular on the road as a Yugo, but I know which one Id rather have. Thanks for highlighting a common piece of Windows propaganda.
-
Quote "Call me anti-Linux...
Hell call me Andre Da Costa.
Call me a shill...."
-
Come on Nknow, youve been posting here long enough to know that name calling is strictly the remit of those with a pro-MS agenda, not Linux users.
-
Talking of Andre though, theres still no update on his blog. I hope he's alright.
Posted by Goblin | January 26, 2009 4:22 PM
Forone: "Linux fanchildren should visit the Acer One user forum to compare the number and the kinds of basic issues that real living Linux end-users, who saved themselves $50, are seeking help with as compared with relatively problem-free XP. Linux remains a hobby kit for techies."
RUBBISH.
I've just implemented an acer 5600 laptop. Since I really disliked the 'Empowering' thing, I preferred to format the HD completely and installed:
1.XP professional: The problem was to get the adequate drives, because acer did not make it very easy to get them. Then, once installed, I had problems to get the temperature-regulation system, wireless, bluetooth to work appropriately. After surfing the web to get the drives/information I required, I got everything to work as it should (it was not easy).
2.Ubuntu 8.10: I installed it and was amazed by how it worked. It installed itself quite quickly and without trouble. It all worked like a charm. I had to make no effort whatsoever for the wireless to work either. Listening to music and watching films were only a click away...
No forget all the free add in: Open office, codecs,(i,e.the Ubuntu CD is the best tool for HD modification -Manager partition-)etc.
(who saved themselves $50: NO it's a LOT MORE)
The only problem I had was the need to disconnect 3D desktop effects for the laptop to work without any trouble (with it connect the film flicker).
If you'd be so kind as to tell me which problems you were on about, it would be...enlightening. Then please speak YOUR EVIDENCE.
Otherwise you'd be just a Ms fan with no argument whatsoever (basically, just another shill).
Posted by Marco | January 26, 2009 4:34 PM
Hi Marco!
Interesting and informative post (as always)
-
Quote "If you'd be so kind as to tell me which problems you were on about, it would be...enlightening. Then please speak YOUR EVIDENCE."
-
Since when have our dubious posters ever bothered with silly ideas like evidence!?!? :) They dont need evidence when they can simply change their handle and post again!
-
I think this is the part where a new handle turns up, insults those who use a Linux platform and then agrees with the person who says Zune is wanted in the UK.
Posted by Goblin | January 26, 2009 4:50 PM
Hi Goblin:
Interesting and informative post (as always): thanks!
...ever bothered with silly ideas like evidence!?!?
True, but we know why it's,is not it?.
-----
Something funny:
Linux and Windows Evolution
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ObcC441YIvs
Posted by Marco | January 26, 2009 5:04 PM
@Marco,
Whilst on a "linking theme" heres a nice little music vid by Bad Religion which I linked on my site recently. A very relevant song for Linux users, not so much for Windows (IMO)
-
http://www.last.fm/music/Bad+Religion/_/I+Love+My+Computer
Posted by Goblin | January 26, 2009 5:31 PM
"Over the last two days, a couple people have told me that Microsoft largely blames year-over-year Client revenue division declines on netbooks"
Those "couple of people" should learn how to read better:
Client revenue declined 8% to $4.0 billion. I will review the main drivers that contributed to this performance beginning with an overview of the PC market. We estimate that the PC market for the quarter was approximately flat year over year, well short of our forecast of 10% to 12% growth as the PC market weakened much more quickly and severely than expected. Adding a bit more color, traditional PCs declined almost 10% with weakness in both consumer and business PCs. This was partially offset by incremental growth in the new notebooks category.
During the quarter, our Windows OEM licensed units declined by 1%. OEM revenue was 12% lower year over year driven primarily by the dynamics of the underlying PC market. Specifically, the decline in traditional PC sales drove double digit declines in business and consumer premium SKUs. This impact was partially offset by strong growth in our notebooks offering. Our attach rates were under pressure during the quarter, but we didn’t experience a material change versus historical rate. Our notebook attach rate now exceed 80% as customers are clearly opting for the value Windows provides.
We estimate that we lost about two percentage points of growth due to the channel holding lower than historical level of inventory. The commercial and retail portion of the client business grew 19% as it benefited from continued adoption of Windows Vista in the enterprise.
Posted by Paul | January 27, 2009 2:21 PM
This discussion has turned into a Linux vs Windows topic, so I will take the chance to add my 2 cents...
...and hopefully collect some pennies myself from your own comments as well
I am probably what these days is called an old-ageing-geek. I've been there did that. I saw CPM die in the face of MS-DOS in the late 80's and followed the Linux hype since it's inception in early 90's.
My personal experience tells me the vast majority of end users dont play with technology; instead they use it for an end and the last thing they want is to relearn everything.
I've been managing IT departments in non-IT industries since 1995 and to be honest, as much as I would love to pay ZERO for licenses (specially CAL licenses !!) I could never envision a way to justify training end users in Star Office let alone another OS.
It's not just a matter of financially paying the training - it's the cost of opportunity to take each person out of its current job and put them in a course for something which is not the company's core business.
IMHO this is the core strength of MS. Everyone is used to Windows and Office, the bread & butter of IT in enterprises, and no one likes to stay out of their comfort zone.
The Linux argument is sound from a theoretical point of view, but in practice there are other forces in play.
It reminds me of the argument for Hybrid cars. In theory a great idea: you will pay half the price in running costs, therefore should be a no brainer. In reality though, there's much more in play - the emotion takes place and people preffer to stay on their comfort zone.
Maybe what we need is an "OIL price crisis shock" in IT :)
Posted by Falcon | January 27, 2009 6:02 PM
Quote "IMHO this is the core strength of MS. Everyone is used to Windows and Office, the bread & butter of IT in enterprises, and no one likes to stay out of their comfort zone."
-
At last, a pro-MS point of view that is coherent and reasonable and has integrity (IMO)
-
Completely agree with that statement. I think certainly within large business a sudden Linux adoption would be impractical both in the sense of retraining and "taking people out of their comfort zones"
-
But FOSS is far more than simply Linux. The adoption towards FOSS has already started with titles such as Firefox, Open Office et al. Sure its not going to happen over night and I think the first signs of change have been the recent increase in uptake of Linux with the home user. This is where people get into a comfort zone, and I believe that spreads into the workplace.
-
The spirit of any alternative is just that "alternative" since we have seen MAC achieve success and also Linux, Id say people are becoming less and less "in the comfort zone" with Microsoft products and far more open minded.
-
I think Vista has sped this migration up. I think the troubles Microsoft has had recently both with the EU and products such as Zune and Xbox have helped. It is my opinion that people used to view Microsoft as an untouchable producer of definative PC software, I believe with recent troubles this view is changing.
-
You just have to look at the amount of videos making fun of Microsoft on youtube to know that public awareness has been raised as to what is acceptable and what isnt.
-
Id ask anyone who is considering purchasing Microsoft Office, to first take a look at:
http://www.openoffice.org
Its completely free and hardly a risk to try. You never know it could start you on a road of money saving FOSS!
Posted by Goblin | January 27, 2009 7:02 PM
Welcome Falcon:
"I could never envision a way to justify training end users in Star Office let alone another OS."
This is your argumentation's core.... then how could you justify that MS is changing its OS constantly?(and office too- do you remember the ribbon-)
If you remember, one (among others of course) issue with Vista was the need to have a new training -well, new hardware as well-.
MS with the objective of sell its software, renew it constantly (it's a commercial software common practice) BUT not Open source, they are looking for improve the software ,not with the idea of
force us to buy 'new' software from time to time.
It's true we have to learning curve, but it's ONLY ONE time.
---------------------
One final ask: did you try Open source software lately?
because you are IT manager, maybe it could not your duty but respecting yourself .
Posted by Marco | January 27, 2009 9:20 PM
@Goblin,
Re: Windows and Linux and comfort zones...
You're right, of course, but only during the time that the house-of-cards economy bubble was growing and people could be content to learn nothing new and still get raises.
Now, the economy is changing. If anyone thinks that Linux is outside of their comfort zone, they will find that Linux is a gentle kitten compared to the hungry sabre-toothed tiger that awaits in the form of layoffs and a bleak job market that grows bleaker by the hour.
Put "Unwilling to learn anything new. Prefer to stay in my comfort zone" on your resume and see what happens. It may have worked in the past couple of decades, but not so much anymore.
So, Goblin and Marco, keep the faith and be content that you continue to not only learn new things, but also enjoy learning new things. The baseless "attacks" you receive are merely the cries of those who see their inability to learn with growing uneasiness instead of confident pride. (And thanks for the great links, too!)
Posted by Philosopher | January 27, 2009 10:20 PM
Quote "o, Goblin and Marco, keep the faith and be content that you continue to not only learn new things, but also enjoy learning new things. The baseless "attacks" you receive are merely the cries of those who see their inability to learn with growing uneasiness instead of confident pride. (And thanks for the great links, too!)"
-
Hi!
-
I have refused to comment on what I consider the biggest Linux release of the year (Ubuntu 9.04) because I dont believe a beta is a true reflection of the RC. The same is for Window 7. I have a PC ready for when the RC of Win 7 hits the shelves, and I will be giving my opinions of it then (the machine is currently running AROS)
-
The thing that worries me is that we were told similar in regards to Vista pre-release, and I dont think there is many that can argue when the RC finally flopped onto the market it did not exactly perform as expected.(IMO)
-
I take every personal insult from those with a pro-MS view as a great compliment. Its only when posters get desperate and resort to these insults that they truly expose they are "flogging a dead horse"
-
Of course we do see some honest posting as well, and I enjoy nothing more than talking to a pro-ms poster with an honest held belief.
-
My big encouragement recently was seeing the amount of young people locally using Linux. For me, major change will come when a new generation of linux users hit the workplace and bring their "comfort zone" and experiences to industry.
-
Whichever side of the fence people sit on in regards to an OS, I believe we have not seen this type of passion in regards to computing since the A500/ST wars of the early 90's. That can only be a good thing, a little healthy competition makes people worried and forces better value for the end-user.
-
For me personally, I spent more time trying to get Windows errors fixed than I do now learning Linux or similar systems. Ive recently installed AROS an AmigaOS update/modernization of which I can now add to my list of experiences. Time wasted? No! For me I spent more time trying to get a bug free experience from Vista when I had it on a home system. To me is says alot when I can get more functionality from an O/S released by a few coders as a hobby (AROS) than I ever could with Vista. Thats my opinion, Im sure others would differ, but at the end of the day Ive put my opinion onto MSwatch and its up to others what experiences they have.
Posted by Goblin | January 28, 2009 4:57 AM