From the Dark Side--Microsoft Annual Wall Street Analysts Briefing Brings Up Apple/iPod/Halo Effect

We are dumbfounded. For the first time in 17 years of such briefings, M$ Founder Bill Gates did not offer a future vision of Microsoft. In addition, CEO Steve Ballmer noted that M$'s own executives are not buying M$ stock and that M$ will innovate by buying smaller companies. This was supposed to excite Wall Street analysts about M$?

Regarding the M$ relationship to Apple, NYT reporter John Markoff noted:

Many features shown today [in Widows Vista] are ones already introduced in Apple Computer's OS X Tiger operating system.

During today's briefing, Microsoft executives acknowledged that the popularity of Apple Computer's iPod music player had indirectly helped sales of Macintosh computers.

"The halo effect enabled them to go after PC users and sell them Apple products," said Will Poole, the Microsoft executive in charge of desktop operating system products.

Microsoft thinks the halo effect of the iPod is real. It's probably the lesser of two evils in explaining why Apple's Mac sales have soared. More... [Dana Baggett]