Helping Troy Wolverton to write about Microsoft’s new slip

I am sure Troy is thinking about how Microsoft delaying their new virtualization product “may signal deeper problems“. I thought I would help him out by using some of his own writing:

Apple’s Microsoft’s ambition may be starting to get ahead of the company’s ability to achieve it. Renowned in recent years for its operational excellence, Apple Microsoft in the last two years has delayed two high-profile products, the Apple TV set-top box Vista and now, it said Thursday Saturday, Leopard, the upcoming update to its OS X operating system virtualization technology. The company pushed back the release date of Leopard the virtualization technology so it wouldn’t have to delay an even more highly anticipated product, the iPhone Vista.

The problem Apple Microsoft is running into is that it’s a relatively small large company compared to tech giants such as Hewlett-Packard or IBM Apple, said Van Baker, an analyst with research firm Gartner. As of last fall, Apple had about 18,000 full-time employees, compared to 156,000100,000? for H-P Microsoft, according to the companies’ annual reports.

“Clearly there’s evidence that they’re not executing to the same level they have in the past,” said Baker.

While Apple Microsoft hasn’t has been known for such delays, they’re not surprising, Baker said, noting that Apple Microsoft is “broadening their product offering, and they have only so many engineering resources to go around.”

The delay – and the reason behind it – are “a risk and a sign of how Apple Microsoft is changing and diversifying,” said Shim. “It’s also a sign that they’ll have to be more careful with spreading themselves too thin.”

Now Apple Microsoft will have to wait several months for those sales, which will now come after the end of its fiscal year in September. That could lead analysts to lower their sales and earnings estimates for the company this year – and potentially lead to a lower stock price.

Perhaps more importantly, the delay gives archrival Microsoft EMC extra time to convince computer shoppers debating between the two that its new Windows Vista operating systemvirtualization technology is every bit as good as OS X VMWare’s.

“This might give Microsoft VMWare a one-up to get that consumer enterprises that doesn’t don’t want to wait for Leopard Microsoft,” said Baker.

Troy, you are welcome.

MS pinhead disses iPod without a competitive product in sight

Microsoft seriously has to get out of the trash-talking business. Instead of devoting every waking hour to thinking about Apple, Google, and others, Microsoft and its executives need to hunker down and seriously ponder their own initiatives. Brad Smith takes the baton from Ballmer:

I’m not a big believer in just blaming the music industry for Apple’s inability to sell every conceivable iPod,” said Brad Smith, senior vice president and general counsel at the US software giant.

I know this type of language satisfies the acolytes, but it does them no good in the market when all they have to offer are unwanted products (search, music, Vista, xbox).

Giddiup Microsoft, stop with the bad-mouthing and start competing. The clock is ticking and violent language and assorted insults will not help you get products out the door (if that indeed is your intention).