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The Godfather · Feb 11, 2006, 09:42 AM

If neither, what MS person should speak in the next Macworld?

OldManMac · Feb 11, 2006, 09:46 AM

I have an idea; why don't you do it?

Kerrigan · Feb 11, 2006, 09:49 AM

they both spoil the keynotes

Goldfinger · Feb 11, 2006, 11:56 AM

The wild mob of Mac users would probably drag Bill off stage and stone him.

meelk · Feb 11, 2006, 03:36 PM

Roz Ho is horrible, and Bill wouldnt be appropriate. someone middle of the line who can actually speak would be wonderful.

Ω · Feb 11, 2006, 03:50 PM

MonkeyBoy.

A healthy dose of WTF followed by outright hysteria.

Railroader · Feb 11, 2006, 04:00 PM

MS should simply save the money and stay home. People will still buy Office simply because they have been programmed to think that they have to.

Judge_Fire · Feb 11, 2006, 05:22 PM

Monkey Boy in a Master Chief suit (with waistline extension, though).

J

Sijmen · Feb 11, 2006, 06:07 PM

I have no idea who is suitable for that position. Why would they invite MS anyway? Do they invite other large software companies? I think they invited Adobe once, and some other guy, he was the first one to talk about universal binaries, and made the switch in less that two hours.
I guess MS shows his face everytime there is a keynote?

meelk · Feb 11, 2006, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by Sijmen

I have no idea who is suitable for that position. Why would they invite MS anyway? Do they invite other large software companies? I think they invited Adobe once, and some other guy, he was the first one to talk about universal binaries, and made the switch in less that two hours.
I guess MS shows his face everytime there is a keynote?

The Mathematica guy, your "other guy" was very good I thought.

Salty · Feb 12, 2006, 12:28 AM

They've invited Quark to speak before haven't they? And probably someone from Avid before... and Sony... and Moto....

Nai no Kami · Feb 12, 2006, 12:41 AM

Monkey Boy could do it. Just keep all the chairs out of his reach.

SirCastor · Feb 12, 2006, 09:28 AM

Remember the reaction back in 97 when Steve announced that Microsoft was buying 150 mill. shares of Apple? People went crazy. Granted I think we may be a little bit more mature now, but bringing Bill up would still be a fiasco.

Now that Macs are are the same architecture as Windows machines, Microsoft is more a competitor than it's ever been.

iREZ · Feb 12, 2006, 12:12 PM

roz ho needs speech classes...i tend to fast forward through keynotes every time she appears because i cant stand the smacking sound she makes after every other word. she also pauses waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long and put me to sleep the first time i saw her.

baw · Feb 12, 2006, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by Salty

They've invited Quark to speak before haven't they? And probably someone from Avid before... and Sony... and Moto....

o rly?

mfdynusore · Feb 12, 2006, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by SirCastor

Remember the reaction back in 97 when Steve announced that Microsoft was buying 150 mill. shares of Apple? People went crazy. Granted I think we may be a little bit more mature now, but bringing Bill up would still be a fiasco.

Now that Macs are are the same architecture as Windows machines, Microsoft is more a competitor than it's ever been.

Why more a competitor? Apple is a hardware company. Microsoft sells operating systems that run on Intel architecture hardware that apple is selling. Seems potentialy symbiotic to me.

Salty · Feb 12, 2006, 03:55 PM

Apple is now less competing on the hardware side with everyone else, they're now the same, if all they have is shiny more expensive cases that's lame. OS X is a massive selling point for most Macs.

wdlove · Feb 12, 2006, 03:58 PM

Bill Gates is an icon. Why have a second fiddle.

macintologist · Feb 12, 2006, 04:05 PM

They should put up the former Mac BU president. He was ok.

Railroader · Feb 12, 2006, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by Salty

Apple is now less competing on the hardware side with everyone else, they're now the same, if all they have is shiny more expensive cases that's lame. OS X is a massive selling point for most Macs.

You actually countered your own point!

You can't run OS X without buying mac hardware. Apple is a hardware company.

Salty · Feb 12, 2006, 04:34 PM

Why do you buy Apple stuff? Is it because of the hardware or the software? Really both. But the bigger reason is the experience that you get from your computer. If you custom built a super nice high end dual processor windows or linux box with a super nice samsung monitor and super nice keyboard and mouse, and had a tower that was super easy to access everything you wanted in there that was using amazing parts, you'd probably still not have the same feeling as a Power Mac. Why is this? Even once the Power Mac moves to Intel? It's the software. People buy Macs because of the software. Yes their other products are amazing too, but people buy computers from Apple for OS X.

demibob · Feb 12, 2006, 04:52 PM

howza bout steve balmer

Railroader · Feb 12, 2006, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by Salty

Why do you buy Apple stuff? Is it because of the hardware or the software? Really both. But the bigger reason is the experience that you get from your computer. If you custom built a super nice high end dual processor windows or linux box with a super nice samsung monitor and super nice keyboard and mouse, and had a tower that was super easy to access everything you wanted in there that was using amazing parts, you'd probably still not have the same feeling as a Power Mac. Why is this? Even once the Power Mac moves to Intel? It's the software. People buy Macs because of the software. Yes their other products are amazing too, but people buy computers from Apple for OS X.

If you think Apple is a software company, then explain to me why Apple doesn't release their OS for general distribution on any manufacturers hardware?

Do you know how much money Apple has made off of iTunes? Now compare that to the sales of iPod hardware.

Salty · Feb 12, 2006, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

If you think Apple is a software company, then explain to me why Apple doesn't release their OS for general distribution on any manufacturers hardware?

Do you know how much money Apple has made off of iTunes? Now compare that to the sales of iPod hardware.

Apple's a software company that pays for their operation costs with hardware

. Actually if anything they're an R&D company. But anyway, yes Apple is making tons of money off Macs and iPods, but when it comes to the mac business, Apple makes their money because they make phenomenal software. And they ensure themselves more money for OS dev and what not, by having hardware that costs a bit more but is well designed.
Apple makes their money off box sales, Apple makes those box sales because of the software.

B Gallagher · Feb 13, 2006, 01:35 PM

Bill Gates? No. He's too Microsoft. I think it'd take a bit these days to see both him and Steve on the same stage.

Roz Ho - she's just not a very good public speaker.

Thus I voted neither, but am not sure who else to suggest.

jedi2187 · Feb 13, 2006, 02:09 PM

Two words: Carrot Top.

production_coordinator · Feb 13, 2006, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by meelk

Roz Ho is horrible, and Bill wouldnt be appropriate. someone middle of the line who can actually speak would be wonderful.

I fully agree. They need someone that can actually articulate their products.

::maroma:: · Feb 13, 2006, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by jedi2187

Two words: Carrot Top.

Just think of how many "Intel Inside" jokes Carrot Top could come up with!

SirCastor · Feb 13, 2006, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by mfdynusore

Why more a competitor? Apple is a hardware company. Microsoft sells operating systems that run on Intel architecture hardware that apple is selling. Seems potentialy symbiotic to me.

Apple is a hardware company, but now we're comparing apples and apples. We can't get away with excuses about architecture and the like. Apple's strength is focused on it's software and use experience. Very rarely (IMO) in the past has anyone purchasd an Apple machine because it was technologically superior on the hardware end.
Apple may make money on their hardware sales, but the reason people buy Macs is because of the software end. OS X and productivity.