Apple: 12 million mobile devices

Personally I don't think Apple will release anything obvious and especially something that has been expected for some time now. I think Apple has finally perfected the ultimate electronic device; the tricorder. And Leonard Nimoy will be present as Spock to break the news in January at MacWorld. So now that we know everything we can relax and start standing in line to pickup one of these awesome tricorders. Btw, I've already put up an ebay auction for one of these to be sold for millions more than the retail price. And, I will hire homeless people to stand in line so that they can earn a piece of the bonanza. Kidding aside, I can't wait...

Zune: Brown and lumpy vs. Sleek and sexy

Well, sale of the Zune has already begun by some stores according to one or two blog sites. I sincerely wish Microsoft the best. They will need to spend a ton of money to make this device into a competitve product to the ipod. However, it's clear that the synergies of the Zune team is struggling on all fronts with this declared war on the ipod. Brown, who chose that color ? Thick, who modeled the product in CAD ? Now, thick and brown sounds like something Borat would comment on.
Anyhow, paying music companies for hardware "profits"? Transferring music between devices and a points system? This is all contrary to the Apple philosophy of simplicity, innovation, appeal, and business sense. Someone said uphill battle. I really do feel a little bad for MS. Well, maybe very bad for the coming holiday season. Disposable income or not. To choose whether to spend $300 on a brown brick or the mass popular ipod+itunes is a bit like the Ford and Toyota comparison, there is none.
Getting into the hardware business is a very risky one. You really cannot afford a small mistake. Small mistakes blow up into massive implosion at the factory and the retailers. Of course getting stuck with a hunkojunk car is a far cry from a music device. Nevertheless it's no small change if you think millions will buy and you sell 30,000, perhaps more or perhaps less. But with manufacturing and product development costs ... But maybe they can make these brown bricks for $20 or less in the 3rd world and then it wouldn't matter how little was sold or how many were made, not.
If the sale of a competitive product to the ipod were to be a resounding "success" it would mean literally pulling a rabbit out of Borat's anoos... Meaning what we've seen so far are fakes, the real Zune is just as slim and cool as the Nano. Comes in colors other than brown. Dosen't do wireless but simply manages, organizes and plays music and videos with greater quality and fidelity than any ipod ever invented. Plus! the software ecosystem rivals iTunes in ways no current iTunes user had imagined leading them to abandon that island of music and video nirvana for more heavenly hills and pastures of music and video bliss in Seattle. Hello....anyone listening...Hello Seattle....Oh, Starbucks anyone...

Network TV ala iTV

Sun Microsystems used for their ad's; the computer is the network. Well, Apple has done it again. The computer is the Television. Or I guess the computer is the stereo, walkman, movie theatre, car audio, family photo album ... you get the picture. Sun was the center of the dotcom boom. I think Apple has lined itself to be the center of entertainment, period. And the weird part is...everyone has been trying to do this practically forever. So, why is Apple successful where others are failing? I think it's the "I need complete control of anything and everything" to deliver a "real solution" attitude. Partnering and shared standards has created confusion, poor quality, no imagination and expense(not to mention no innovation just copy catting). When you rely on others to do their part...you could set yourself up for some disappointments as opposed to if you screw up, you won't mind so much and you will have seen it coming. So, has this realization basically been encapsulated in the recent development and delivery of the Zune? I would say so, but back to the point regarding partnering and sharing. Can't put all the blame on those you rely. They need support too. And I think in this area is the problem with that old school business model. Software was the key for "certain" companies. It hasn't been the case in the most critical of times. Apple never forgot that. Hence, the quality and innovation is blooming across anything remotely connected or derived from it. Get your software innovation in gear and the rest will follow. That's my two cents.