Bekker's Blog

Blog archive

Robert Scoble Throwing Dirt on Microsoft's Grave

Regular readers of my column in Redmond Channel Partner magazine and this blog know that I'm pretty enthusiastic about Microsoft's direction as the company responds to the explosive emergence of smartphones and tablets. Microsoft has chosen to play a long game, and I think it's got a shot.

But don't let it be said that I won't note an opposing perspective. Robert Scoble, the influential blogger and one-time Microsoft evangelist, thinks Redmond is dead, dead, dead.

In an item on Friday, Scoble threw shovelfuls of dirt on Microsoft's grave in the tablet market.

He starts off this way:

"Android tablets will be a bigger deal than Windows 8 tablets.

"After meeting with Japanese OEMs for my CES previews I just don't get how Microsoft can subsidize Windows 8 to compete with the Android tablets."

Read Scoble's whole piece here. He makes some good points about developer attitudes, price pressures and even iPad momentum in the enterprise. I think he's undervaluing Microsoft's cross-(Microsoft)-platform strengths, but he points out real hurdles that Redmond will have a very tough time clearing.

Posted by Scott Bekker on December 19, 2011


Featured

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2025 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Microsoft Gives Orgs More Power to 'Tune' AI Agents

    At its Build 2025 conference this week, Microsoft unveiled significant advancements aimed at empowering enterprises to create more sophisticated AI agents.

  • Build 2025: Microsoft Charts Wider Path for AI Agents

    At Build 2025, Microsoft unveiled its strategic vision for the future of AI agents, emphasizing the development of autonomous systems capable of performing complex tasks across various applications.

  • Microsoft to Orgs: Ditch Your Passwords for Passkeys

    May marks the first-ever "World Passkey Day," the occasion of which Microsoft marked by leaning into its vision of a passwordless future.