HP Comes a Live—Someday
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News Brief. HP and Microsoft cut a 2009 distribution deal. Why tell us now? |
My reaction to Microsoft's Windows Live distribution deal with HP is lackluster at best. Yawn. Why should anybody care at least six months before Windows Live Search and Toolbar make their way to HP PCs?
In Internet time, six months is like 3.5 dog years. In six months the entire search landscape could change. Microsoft could buy Facebook or part of Yahoo. Google could buy Facebook. Or any other wild speculation that suits your fancy. A deal right now would be inspiring. But January 2009? Get out of here.
The timing is suspicious. Microsoft simply doesn't make an announcement this far in advance for no reason. There's something else going on that I'll need to look into. Mmm, I wonder when Microsoft's Windows Live distribution deal with Lenovo comes up for renewal. Maybe the HP deal could help some other OEM negotiation or even advertising deal.
Meanwhile, from another perspective, the timing is terrible for Microsoft. Typically, every June, HP does its big set of product announcements ahead of the big back-to-school buying season. A distribution now would be great in that context. Otherwise, the announcement looks out of place.
So, assuming Lenovo and Microsoft are still chummy come early 2009, Microsoft would have locked in Windows Live distribution deals for the No. 1 and 3 PC manufacturers. That sure puts the squeeze on Dell and Google. Google paid $1 billion for distribution of its toolbar and search on Dell PCs. What's HP going to cost Microsoft?
January 2009 feels too much like January 2007. Didn't HP and Microsoft learn anything from releasing Windows Vista after the holidays? Microsoft will miss a whole lot of searches from HP PCs over the next six months. Little events like the Olympics, the U.S. election and holiday shopping. Need I say more?
Comments (3)
Example #6,239 of Microsoft foisting their substandard crap on the world as a default.
LOL:
Microsoft lost control of the web.
Help them get it back... Install Silverlight.
Posted by Advisor | June 2, 2008 9:34 PM
Everything to Microsoft is "Future". It's how they "compete". It's how they use the press to crush those who have what they do not.
Why? Because it's how they learned to work in the 90's and they still haven't learned to play nice.
You know the drill. They say they have something and the journalists fall all over themselves praising their inventiveness. But, when it comes time to deliver, low and cornholed! they don't happen to have it!!! WOT???
So wait if you like. Adobe and IBM are going to tear the cladding off the doublewide and Mister Ballmer and his team will be spinning like corrugated tin in a Texas tittytwister.
You poor corporate IT saps are screwed and glued.
The tatoo comes when your boss realizes your recommending Microsoft Sharepoint got the company wedged into a lose-lose lock-in for years.
When will you folks figure out you're being played? Or do you like it that way?
Posted by portuno | June 3, 2008 12:03 AM
I suspect that the announcement has something to do with the ongoing Yahoo-MS negotiations. As for HP not making the change earlier, they can't unilaterally break a binding contract with Yahoo.
Posted by TomT | June 3, 2008 11:47 AM