Why Microsoft Could Win
February 19, 2007 | By Raymond T. Hightower
Mac users greeted the release of Microsoft’s Vista operating system with a yawn. “Been there, done that”, they said. But Microsoft has a secret weapon in its arsenal: Some of the company’s best developers are not on the Microsoft payroll.
2 Geeks in a Lab
For example, the company 2GeeksinaLab, Inc. has developed VirtualVizor™, a pocket-sized PC with a 72 inch high definition (HD) virtual display. The system consists of two components: a PDA-sized system unit and a pair of glasses that project a a 72-inch “virtual image” for the user to see. The system unit runs Microsoft Windows. The two components are linked together with Bluetooth™ wireless technology.
Imagine the possibilities:
- A firefighter walking through a burning building can save more lives with a virtual building floorplan in direct eyesight.
- A surgeon in the midst of a challenging procedure can view real-time medical images and history without leaving the patient.
Why Microsoft Could Win
The huge installed base of the Microsoft operating systems makes the platform very attractive to developers. Create the right product, and 95%+ of the computer users in the world are your potential market. So statistically, more developers are working on more ideas for the PC platform.Apple’s Response?
Apple is a powerhouse of innovation in computer design. The interface of the iPod is ingenious in its simplicity. Do you know anyone who has read an iPod user manual? Apple can be very innovative with its designs because they control the components that count: the operating system (Mac OS X) and the hardware. Mac clones are no longer licensed by Apple.And therein lies Apple’s disadvantage. While a wild and diverse spectrum of companies race to develop innovative hardware for Windows, all hardware innovation at Apple happens at Apple alone. Can true innovation happen in isolation? Can such isolated innovation be sustained? Apple has done well thus far, but the future, by definition, remains unknown.
And that is why Microsoft could win.