Comments on: Can Amazon learn from Microsoft—which, by the way, could be a formidable e-book rival, as shown by the hiring of HarperCollins alum Theresa Horner? http://www.teleread.com/drm/can-amazon-learn-from-microsoft-which-by-the-way-could-be-a-formidable-e-book-competitor-as-shown-by-the-hiring-of-harpercollins-exec/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:28:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mike Cane http://www.teleread.com/drm/can-amazon-learn-from-microsoft-which-by-the-way-could-be-a-formidable-e-book-competitor-as-shown-by-the-hiring-of-harpercollins-exec/comment-page-1/#comment-631149 Mike Cane Sun, 18 Nov 2007 22:09:49 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7652#comment-631149 MS is in to what for the long haul? Ebooks? UMPC? PDAs? Smartphones? Desktop OS? MP3 players? It's been just about one Fail after another Fail. Vista might be the self-inflicted wound that kills them. Even people who *love* MS hate Vista. UMPCs had excitement until the prices were announced. Asus put out something with what the UMPC target price was supposed to be: the Eee. I would not look to MS for anything at this point. They have managed to make themselves a company of the past. Their bully ways won't fly anymore. And no one looks to them to set any sort of standards or provide any sort of leadership or vision. And now that I think of it, let amazon come in with its fugly Kindle. Sony can then carp to their corral of publishers to let *them* have price parity. Ebook prices will start to drop. MS is in to what for the long haul? Ebooks? UMPC? PDAs? Smartphones? Desktop OS? MP3 players? It’s been just about one Fail after another Fail. Vista might be the self-inflicted wound that kills them. Even people who *love* MS hate Vista. UMPCs had excitement until the prices were announced. Asus put out something with what the UMPC target price was supposed to be: the Eee.

I would not look to MS for anything at this point. They have managed to make themselves a company of the past. Their bully ways won’t fly anymore. And no one looks to them to set any sort of standards or provide any sort of leadership or vision.

And now that I think of it, let amazon come in with its fugly Kindle. Sony can then carp to their corral of publishers to let *them* have price parity. Ebook prices will start to drop.

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.com/drm/can-amazon-learn-from-microsoft-which-by-the-way-could-be-a-formidable-e-book-competitor-as-shown-by-the-hiring-of-harpercollins-exec/comment-page-1/#comment-631035 David Rothman Sun, 18 Nov 2007 20:44:26 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7652#comment-631035 Heck, Mike, Microsoft is in it for the long haul. We already know about those Side Show-based tablets. Sooner or later Microsoft will do a major overhaul of its e-book-related products. Meanwhile Billg and friends must enjoy seeing the others slug it out while they wait to pick up the pieces. This is why I'm all the more POed at Amazon for not caring more about e-book standards for the Kindle. Standards are the best defense against Microsoft. As for Google and Amazon buying publishers, yep, I've wondered the same. Perhaps they're worried about alienating the publishers worried that in-house brands will get special treatment. I can see both sides of the issue. As for Microsoft Press, it's a special case---limited, last I knew, to tech books. Thanks, David Heck, Mike, Microsoft is in it for the long haul. We already know about those Side Show-based tablets. Sooner or later Microsoft will do a major overhaul of its e-book-related products. Meanwhile Billg and friends must enjoy seeing the others slug it out while they wait to pick up the pieces. This is why I’m all the more POed at Amazon for not caring more about e-book standards for the Kindle. Standards are the best defense against Microsoft.

As for Google and Amazon buying publishers, yep, I’ve wondered the same. Perhaps they’re worried about alienating the publishers worried that in-house brands will get special treatment. I can see both sides of the issue.

As for Microsoft Press, it’s a special case—limited, last I knew, to tech books.

Thanks,
David

]]> By: Mike Cane http://www.teleread.com/drm/can-amazon-learn-from-microsoft-which-by-the-way-could-be-a-formidable-e-book-competitor-as-shown-by-the-hiring-of-harpercollins-exec/comment-page-1/#comment-630969 Mike Cane Sun, 18 Nov 2007 20:19:32 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7652#comment-630969 >>>–In another smart move, Microsoft has shown its commitment to e-books through the hiring of Theresa Horner, formerly director of e-book operations for HarperCollins (spotted via Peter Brantley). She’ll work with Cliff Guren, director of publisher evangelism. I don't see that MS has any commitment to ebooks at all! It's been years since MS touted their Reader software. I don't see how this hire changes things. Yes, people are key to publishing. But you also made me think of an important question: With all their damned cash, why doesn't Google and amazon start BUYING print publishers? They could change things in an instant by doing that. (Hmmm... and whatever happened to print publisher Microsoft Press, eh?) >>>–In another smart move, Microsoft has shown its commitment to e-books through the hiring of Theresa Horner, formerly director of e-book operations for HarperCollins (spotted via Peter Brantley). She’ll work with Cliff Guren, director of publisher evangelism.

I don’t see that MS has any commitment to ebooks at all! It’s been years since MS touted their Reader software. I don’t see how this hire changes things.

Yes, people are key to publishing.

But you also made me think of an important question: With all their damned cash, why doesn’t Google and amazon start BUYING print publishers? They could change things in an instant by doing that. (Hmmm… and whatever happened to print publisher Microsoft Press, eh?)

]]> By: Windows Vista News http://www.teleread.com/drm/can-amazon-learn-from-microsoft-which-by-the-way-could-be-a-formidable-e-book-competitor-as-shown-by-the-hiring-of-harpercollins-exec/comment-page-1/#comment-629392 Windows Vista News Sun, 18 Nov 2007 04:15:12 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7652#comment-629392 <strong>Can Amazon learn from Microsoft—which, by the way, could be a ......</strong> Did you see this post at www.teleread.com... Can Amazon learn from Microsoft—which, by the way, could be a ……

Did you see this post at http://www.teleread.com...

]]> By: vw http://www.teleread.com/drm/can-amazon-learn-from-microsoft-which-by-the-way-could-be-a-formidable-e-book-competitor-as-shown-by-the-hiring-of-harpercollins-exec/comment-page-1/#comment-626608 vw Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:30:25 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7652#comment-626608 Microsoft has shown its lack of ebook commitment by not releasing a version of its software that is compatible with WM6 Microsoft has shown its lack of ebook commitment by not releasing a version of its software that is compatible with WM6

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