- February 17, 2010 6:32 am
While those stuck reading this in some dimly lit, cold, and rank smelling cubicle may have nothing but malice and dissent for Microsoft Outlook as it takes up countless hours of their lives each day, people who actually choose to use it on the outside seem to think pretty favorably of it. Outside of the enterprise world, Outlook itself is a pretty decent desktop email client that can at least hold it’s own against many other desktop email clients from various software companies. But even in the consumer space, Microsoft Office still feels like it’s at work. That stodgy corporate image is hard to shake.
Last year, Microsoft announced that they would be rolling out a “Social Networking Connector” plugin for Office 2010 that would allow social networking sites to be more deeply integrated with the defacto corporate standard desktop email client. No surprise here, LinkedIn was the first to jump on the bandwagon seeing as how it is a Facebook of sorts for the corporate world. But LinkedIn integration is hardly going to pick up any worthwhile amount of consumer based users as most of those said users don’t use LinkedIn.
Consider that problem solved. Microsoft has officially announced that within the next few months, two new, big partners are joining the Office social frenzy — MySpace and Facebook. I’d say that by integrating two of the most consumer focused social networks into the corporate workhorse email client can only go up. That is, if the integration is deep (we don’t know yet), well laid out, and easy to use. If not, it will be an epic failure.
I hold out hope however, as I myself am one of those very people I outlined above — stuck in a cold, dark, dimly lit cubicle that reeks of old cheese and 1974. Now, the only question is if those who run the network I use will allow such social shenanigans to take place. At least in my case, I think not. But for the rest of the Office/Outlook using world, this new social madness is looking might nice.
Question: Will MySpace and Facebook integration keep you from leaving Outlook or even draw you in if you’ve never used it before?
[Image Source]
- September 18, 2009 5:59 am
If the Pre was supposed to be the saving grace of Palm, I have some news for you: They’re screwed. One phone alone can’t save a company that has been languishing in mediocrity for some time (such as Palm). It will take multiple releases of innovative and intriguing handsets to get Palm accountants to uncheck the box on the red font square into something a little more business like and classy such as black. I guess you’d like to know the dirty details huh? How about $68mm in Q1 2010 compared to $368mm just a year earlier. Gross profit is also not looking so good at $2.8mm below $0. Using a demystifying and honest accounting calculator such as GAAP, one can truly see the grim forest still finds itself oh so lost in. Applied to Q1 2010 results, Palm recorded a net loss of $164.5mm which as you could imagine is several times more than their $41.9mm loss from ’09.
I can throw around numbers all day to get the point across but…what’s the point? Palm is in bad bad shape. Plus, the fact that they still have failed to release Pre sales numbers means it’s pretty much save to assume they fell well short of their lofty expectations. All of which adds up to a not so favorable future. Palm still isn’t out of the woods yet folks. Will they be here come winter of 2010? 2011?
Source: BGR, Palm, Image Source
Many of you whom are proficient in web standards, or at least know what they are, know that the last year or so has been full of hype by various browser development teams as to the speed and ability to adhere to web standards know that Microsoft and their ugly step child, Internet Explorer are usually at the bottom of the totem pole. Shifting to a slightly different market, Outlook has been one of Microsoft’s greatest achievements in terms of email application marketshare as corporations worldwide have latched on the now standard application. However, just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it’s the best. Similarly, the new version of office in development, Outlook 2010, shouldn’t be automatically considered better than previous iterations — because it isn’t. Am I saying that Microsoft is going backwards with a new product?
- February 10, 2009 10:29 pm
MobileMe users using Outlook to sync their mail had previously been the receivers of the short stick in the sense that their “push” mail/events weren’t really “push”, but more like a poll. However, Apple seems to be feeling generous or is just tired of getting a million angry emails every day asking when they will implement push on other devices. According to MobileMe’s news blog, Windows users can now enjoy push goodness on their Windows machines starting now. All that’s needed is iTunes 8.0.2 and MobileMe Control Panel 1.3. So, are you a Windows users and MobileMe user at the same time? How’s it working out for ya’? Let us know!
Source: iPhone Blog
