I’ve got a small blog side project happening. One issue I’ve been unable to resolve is changing the permalink structure. Right now, it’s http://thisisablog.com/?p=155 but I want it to be http://thisisablog.com/2007/09/28/wordpress-help-please. I’ve fiddled around the permalink option within WordPress and some re-direct plug-ins but it appears I need to do something with htaccess so I can keep the old permalinks links “alive” while implementing new permalinks for all posts. Any help would be much appreciated.
Is Vista Becoming New Coke?
When Coca-Cola decided to “improve” the formula for its flagship product in 1985, it was a marketing disaster. Soon after New Coke hit the market, consumers were demanding for the return of Old Coke. After some posturing, Coca-Cola did an embarrassing strategic reversal by bringing back the old formula a few months later. While New Coke wasn’t pulled off the market, it died a slow, ignominious death.
In some respects, Microsoft now finds itself in a similar predicament. Vista is supposed to be a superior operating system to XP. Five years in the making, it is supposed to be a major upgrade over XP – much more than XP was an improvement over Windows 98.
Unfortunately, Vista is threatening to become New Coke. While Microsoft and Windows are always big, juicy targets for criticism, Vista has been given a rough ride – perhaps unfairly – by consumers and the media. Vista’s problems have not only left many consumers pining for XP but encouraging many people to stick with XP. For the billions of dollars sunk into Vista’s creation, the growing love affair with XP must be frustrating for many people in Redmond.
So what does Microsoft do? If it admits Vista is a problem child, then it cuts the knees out from under its new flagship OS and a new, high-margin source of revenue growth. At the same time, Microsoft needs to meet the needs of its consumers. If many of them want XP because it’s more stable and has fewer problems, Microsoft should, in theory, do what consumers want – something Seth Godin would likely give his stamp of approval.
While Microsoft is not going to abandon Vista, it is making modest concessions when it comes to XP. The latest move is a decision to extend the availability of XP for computer makers and retailers for another five months until June 30, 2008. It will also continue to make XP available in emerging markets where people have computers that don’t have a powerful processor and/or lots of RAM and memory. This is a significant concession even though it appears to be a minor move.
Microsoft is trying to spin this decision as a recognition “some customers need a little more time to make the switch to Vista” but the reality is many customers have no interest in Vista because they’re content with XP – at least for the time being.
If Microsoft’s not careful and continues to insist on ramming Vista into the market, do not be surprised if there is a backlash among some consumers. Much like New Coke spawned the Old Cola Drinkers of America to be organized, can it only be a matter of time before the “XP Lovers Unite” is created?
If I were Steve Ballmer, I’d play to consumers rather than force-feeding them Vista. If consumers like XP and want to keep using it, why not institute a new Windows portfolio strategy that features Vista and XP. Clearly, they play into two different markets with different needs. If you support both, it will make consumers happy and give Microsoft more time to improve Vista. If Vista gets better, XP customers will eventually migrate.
That said, I would be highly surprised if Microsoft decided to give XP more love and attention. After all, it’s an old operating system that served its purpose, while Vista is designed what for consumers need today and in the years ahead. If may take consumers some time to realize it but Microsoft is not going to abandon a product evolution strategy that has served it well for more than 20 years.
More: Mary Jo Foley wonders if XP is too good for Microsoft’s own good, including a quote from a Microsoft executive who concedes the one year phase-out period for XP may be too ambitious. Ars Technica adds one “other thing working against XP’s demise is the poor reputation—deserved or not—that Vista has begun to acquire.”
Does it Really Matter?
A couple of big developments today – Microsoft introducing a new and improved Live Search, while LinkedIn gets really radical by giving people the ability to – wait for it – add photos to their profiles.
Question: Does it really matter?
For all the excitement about a better Live Search that quadruples its coverage range, how much of a difference will it really make in winning people over from Google? And why should anyone be excited about being able to add a photo to LinkedIn? Big deal. If LinkedIn were really savvy, they would be opening up their API as soon as possible so it can encourage people to develop cool add-ons/extensions.
Yes, you can accuse me of being overly critical. After all, the only way Microsoft is going to be able to close the huge gap between itself and Google is by making improvements. They may not be radical or work wonders overnight but if you’re going to stay in the game, even getting a little bit better is a good thing.
The big difference between Microsoft and LinkedIn is Microsoft is playing catchup while LinkedIn risks losing its stature as a leading social network for business people by not moving fast enough. The rapid emergence of Facebook’s applications shows the value of creating a large and vibrant ecosystem that only enhances the parent.
The reality is Microsoft and LinkedIn are doing what’s necessary to stay viable but neither move warrants a flurry of news coverage.
Bill Gross’ Next Gig(s)
Bill Gross has always been someone who has fascinated me. As one of the leading entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, Gross has pursued his own path – sometimes enjoying spectacular success (CitySearch) and sometimes major disappointment (eToys).
While Gross probably doesn’t get nearly enough credit for it, he’s also the guy who pretty much invented the ultra-lucrative paid-search concept with Overture – a concept that a couple of young entrepreneurs named Larry and Sergey “borrowed” as they scrambled to find a business model for some cool search technology they had developed but couldn’t quite figure out how to monetize. While Google is now worth about $175-billion, the payoff for Gross was a paltry $1.6-billion when Overture was snapped up by Yahoo in 2003.
During the dot-com boom, Gross was right in the midst of it with his Idealab incubator – a start-up/entrepreneurial machine that churned out companies like they were going out of style. When the boom went bust, everyone – including Gross – licked their wounds and waited for the next investment cycle to begin.
And while Web 2.0 has captured the imagination of millions and created a second wave of dot-com start-ups, Gross has decided to place his bets elsewhere. Rather than Web 2.0, Gross is engross in Energy 2.0, particularly solar power and clean technology. His current portfolio includes Energy Innovations (low-cost roof-top solar electricity); eSolar (grid scale arrays); Aptera Motors (an aerodynamic vehicle); and Stirling Cycles (a low-cost engine to generate electricity in your home).
Gross was all over alternative energy long before the rest of Silicon Valley caught the bug. While green is suddenly hip and politically correct, Gross was already investing and innovating. If you’re looking for an entrepreneur to show you where the best opportunities are happening, Gross is someone you definitely have to watch.
For more on Gross, check out Erick Schonfeld’s interview with him in the last issue of Business 2.0.
Let’s Go Shopping..or It’s an M&A Bonanza!
I’m not quite sure I agree with Kara Swisher’s view that Silicon Valley is getting more delusional by the minute but there’s certainly a huge amount of bullishness and cash gushing around these days.
While the IPO is still trying to figure out whether it wants to come back to life, there have been a flurry of deals consummated recently that clearly suggest everyone is feeling pretty optimistic about how the Web is evolving into a place where business is happening. Here’s a short list of some of the acquisitions recently announced:
- Yahoo-BlueLithium ($300-million cash)
- Yahoo-BuzzTracker ($5-million)
- Yahoo-Zimbra ($350-million cash)
- EMC-Mozy.com $76-million)
- Echostar – Sling Media ($380-million)
- Real Networks – Gametrust ($50-million)
- Sugar Publishing – ShopStyle.com (n/a)
Then, you’ve got major financings. As everyone knows by now, Facebook is apparently auctioning off a very small stake for a very large amount of cash, while Glam Media hopes to raise a whopping $200-million.
So why the extreme bullishness? And what does all the deal-making suggest? It great to see this kind of activity but there seems to be a strange disconnect when given the economic volatility now happening in the U.S.
Where are the Apple Knockoffs?
The power supply on my MacBook crapped out, which seems to be a common issue judging by some of the forums I visited. When I went looking for a replacement, one thing that struck me is how Apple has tight control over the peripheral market. The only power supply available was a $99 unit from Apple. Isn’t there some large factory in China pumping out knockoffs for $20. At that price, I’d buy a power supply for home and one for work.
