The Office group is known for running a pretty tight ship, so if he can bring more discipline, that could be very beneficial to future versions of Windows. |
The Office leadership is known for getting things done. While the Windows and Windows Server groups are renowned for product delays, the Office folks tend to ship pretty much on time. There appears to be tighter execution and control. |
The Opera folks are betting their browser has reached a threshold of popularity where they can unshackle it from the fees. This clearly is a volume play that could pay off if enough people use the browser. Opera would be able to drive revenue through affiliate relationships, for example. |
The question to ask is: Who will care if Microsoft misses the date again. I've been saying since the (March) delay that from a sales perspective, January might as be July, that January release builds in room to move the date again, if needed. |
The real test for Microsoft is whether it can take search to the next level. |
The reality is that most of Microsoft's partners are also its closest competitors, but that's nothing new, |
The response to Opera's free offer was probably a catalyst in this position. It may have confirmed a strategy that the Opera folks were already thinking about. |
The rules are different for Microsoft than other companies. |
The three products launched today are the first wave of a tide of tightly integrated products. While some Microsoft executives have said that Microsoft bet the company on Windows Vista, the real bet is on integrated innovation. |
There are a number of ways Opera can make money off the browser, but all that requires volume. Removing the price tag and the banner ads increases the likelihood that more people will use the browser. More eyeballs means more revenue off the browser without charging for or putting banner ads in people's faces. |
There are legal services for downloading music and movies, |
There is a lot of developer and consumer interest around these applications. |
There were too many changes for them all to be directly related to the Windows Vista delay. I think these changes were in the works regardless of what happened. |
There will be lots of new stuff, which I can't talk about right now. |
There's a different emotional attachment to Office than to Windows. The operating system is like the road, but Office is the car you drive. People have emotional attachments to their cars. |