Returns of Google TV Were Higher Than Sales–Google Still Wins
It was October of 2010 when Simmons unboxed his Google TV based Logitech Revue enthusiastically. Guess who hasn’t been so happy? Logitech shareholders. Read this slowly “Sales of Logitech Revue were slightly negative during the quarter, as returns of the product were higher than the very modest sales.” I know, you have to think about it but yeah, that’s some weak sauce right there, right?
But guess what? Google doesn’t care that it failed. Really. It’s not that they didn’t want a successful product but if you watch Google you know they’re king of the beta. That’s what they do. They release things as soon when they’re somewhat ready for mass consumption. They don’t want to polish it. They want to be the first and start to be known so that by the time their competitors come around they’re already on v2. We tend to think of this in the software\web realm because that’s where they used to live but the same is true when we get Google driven hardware. The first Android phones had fine sales but not phenomenal. No problems though. Just move on to Cupcake and Donut and move on. And they did. And Android Tablets are doing ok. Not great – just fine for now but relative to the iPad it’s still not there. Ok so Honeycomb is having lackluster reviews. No problem – Ice Cream Sandwich is coming to save the day. And Chrome (or Chromium or whatever) – they know they’re not going to sell those things in their current state. They know it and we know it. Don’t worry, that’s not the end product.
Google doesn’t make 1st gen hits. They don’t intend to though so don’t knock it. They release a beta, their base buys it and while you beta testers send them feedback they improve it while other companies are trying to do the same thing in their offices and without all of that free market research. Just learn to accept their game…
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You don’t have to accept their game. Who needs Google Voice, Google Maps, Google Search, Google+, Android (and Android’s developer and OEM and carrier following), who needs that when you’ve got new versions of Office coming out left and right with all sorts of awesome plugin packs and Open XML converters that have fully matured, who needs all this Google beta crap. Right on, +1 Google Button totally appropriate.
You know what will never, ever be phenomenal? Well, you already know that it’s WP sales. But here’s what you may not know, and that is that it won’t even be noteworthy relative to the players who earned their footing. Not even noteworthy. And nope, Mango and Nokia won’t change that. Maybe I should give you a little credit and assume you know that even though you write for these … hopeful people. La vie en rose for you suckers.
But that’s okay because your boys will rake in crazy money with patent rackets against Android-choosing OEMs, more money than they’ll ever see from WP. That’s the type of thing only a little bitch could defend.
One more thing, isn’t it lol that you and the WMPU crowd are even more obsessed with talking about Android and Google than I am? You never shut up about it. Fucking sad. You should be embarrassed, the lot of yous.
“Beta” is a strong move when you’re offering a free service, but I’m not so sure that people appreciate it when they actually pay for something.
Case in point: hundreds of thousands of Android phones activated, the vast majority of which were “free” as an upgrade. No cash out of pocket.
But when there is no carrier subsidy — like with a tablet — buyers tend to be more cautious.
I *really wanted* to like the Xoom. I almost talked myself into one. But it wasn’t finished yet. I joked on Twitter that I would wait until Xoom 1.0 was released… and a LOT of people agreed with me.
Where would Google be, and where would many of you be who rely on the services that sprouted from Google’s unveil now and work the kinks out later beta approach to many of their services?
Going sideways for over a decade like Microsoft, that’s where.
Tell me what you make of this, Ike. What’s up with that? So many bugs, privacy snafus… what gives?
Simmons chillax. I’m actually giving Google some credit here. I mean most blogs totally panned Google TV especially after today’s report that returns exceeded sales. I, on the other hand, ignore the short term and acknowledge that this is how Google cultivates their products. People like you buy them out of loyalty, beta test and when 2.0 comes out its a lot more polished. Google tv isn’t final yet. I still think it will get there and the timeline is pretty short. Refresh this fall in fact.
Ever think I may have bought Google for the same reasons I tried to buy HTC before I joined up here and short RIM (but couldn’t do either on a Roth IRA), because I have a sixth sense for very obvious winners and failures? Also own a share of Apple.
Loyalty, okay, but if they consistently sucked and failed to deliver as the likes of Microsoft and AT&T do, I would have learned my lesson by now. Google’s success financially and their success in terms of delivering things I like reinforces my desire to consume their shit, so for you to just chalk that up to loyalty like they’re a baseball team from my hometown, …
Microsoft’s lazy, slow and boring, so much so that I’m actually surprised to see even a niche apologist following hereabouts.
Doug, are you serious? Who for months was obsessed with railing against WP in every oth–scratch that–every single post? Even your revisionist memory is failing.
@Doug Simmons: Chill, man.
I come to praise Google, not to bury it.
I *love* their iterative approach to development, and am working to change our culture in my company to be more nimble with pilot programs.
I am merely stating a fact: people are more forgiving of iterative development and little bugs when it’s free. Android tablets are not now free, whereas for many people Android phones “seem” free.
Now, to your point about stock price (off-topic, but whatever.) Google and Microsoft are in different businesses. Microsoft sells software, Google sells search. Greater internet access means more people search.
I am bullish on the cloud, and I think you’ll agree that both Google and Microsoft are as well. Both can excel — Google in the personal “free” realm, and Microsoft in the enterprise-class paid models. Microsoft does have Google beat when it comes to service, hands down. Google simply doesn’t offer any.
What I may have been obsessed with is rallying against Microsoft for making patent misuse, shakedowns and bullying a permanent fixture in their mobile business model way way above their own phone platform.
And I’m right.
As for me ripping on WP itself, here’s what would serve as a bad example of what you just said: http://mobilitydigest.com/all-right-fine-wp-not-so-bad/
Sweet David, IE instead of Chrome like the rest of us. That hardware acceleration must really kick ass on this website.
Doug, how does WP7 suck exactly? omOr are you going to be pissed at MSFT, not for delivering a very good OS, but for it failing to sell well so far? You are full of shit.
Let me summarize what you’d find if you read what I wrote — I never ever said on this website or anywhere that windows phone sucks. I’ve said its outlook in terms of sales sucks, its sales at any given moment i’m talking about it sucks, Microsoft’s tactics suck, Microsoft sucks, etc, but that article I just linked is and has always been my approach to WP and its fruity tiles — complimentary, consistently. Just doesn’t look like that because Microsoft is such a douchebag company that all the things I beat up on drown out the positive things I say about WP, but I do like it, big fan.
good goddamn battery life and fuck it boots fast
Yeah you said it was ok, and the suffocating volume of your WP7 bash rants slowed precipitously after that, however point still stands about your hypocritical indignation at mango loyalists taking potshots at Google.
Yes, you went to town on their sales, adoption rate, all that yadda yadda, true. But bashing is bashing.
That you keep going on and on about Mango, another update, which by the way has failed to stimulate sales, is testament to WP not being good enough when it was first released.
I never said that. You did.
What I said is that Mango wouldn’t make a difference. Great, more sockets, 582 new features, whatever, ain’t nobody buying a WP because they just read about Mango.
Mango teaches us what others like me have tried to teach over and over from back in October and even before and that is that the WORLD DOES NOT need another mobile platform.
It doesn’t need it. No matter how fruity the tiles, there is no need, nor is there room.
and I paid my dues with that HTC Surround thing. In addition to the actual article, a lot went into getting that phone, using it instead of my own for almost a week and finally returning it. I’m not good at mailing things, someone put their trust in me, etc, it was dues paid.
What the fuck is with you people and loving Microsoft?? Why Microsoft? Okay, I guess I can see reading the WP developer blog and developing a strong sense of sympathy for that guy who keeps having to report that there’s no NoDo yet but why let that bleed off into Microsoft and a love for Sharepoint and Powerpoint and MsSQL? Why do you care about the company like I care about Google?
Here’s why I care about Microsoft, post-Gates Microsoft specifically: They pay a decent dividend. That’s it.
I’ll put another 20 spot on wp permanently passing bb sales by Q1 2012. If that does happens, I suppose that will address your assertion that the world doesn’t need another phone os, no?
Did you know that Microsoft has a funny habit of quietly handing out money to random people across the globe suing Google? Heard they made more than their share of a contribution to those Nortel patents. Google owns patents, not as many, but enough to have had plenty of opportunity to sue, like Microsoft, but guess who doesn’t ever do that and guess who does it like it’s their job. High five.
Firstly Q1 2012 is pussy tl;dr betting range, sack up D-Money. Secondly I have repeatedly declared my sell rating on RIM so taking you up on that would just be hedging myself.
I am a corporate strategist so those types of stories about MSFT get me stimulated. Need to rearrange my trousers…
8 mos is too far out? C’mon man. But touche on the RIM hedge.
I would have loved to see when Simmons would eat his words, but unfortunately, that is not going to happen. Because whenever he is confronted with actual facts/credible arguments that floor his talking through the hat, he simply slips away into self induced silence or an imaginary vacation. I expect the same when my wager on the delivery of Mango update to existing WP7 phones is due for collection and also when Windows Phones proves to be the king of smartphone OSes.
These self induced silences and imaginary vacations may actually be distractions by my less-imaginary vocations. Believe it or not but people actually pay me to do shit, and Doug Smith is not on that list.
Nothing much to add here.
Was just noodling around with this brick of an old laptop I use for presentations, and wondered what icons would accompany this comment.
Jesus Christ on a cracker, Simmons is a fucking lunatic. This man has gone off the deep end. Such insecurity. Did Microsoft kill his dog. Someone put him out of his misery, please. I’ve never seen such a pathetic asswipe in my life.
Google sucks. They don’t produce anything worth a shit other than Google Search and Chrome. Their software sucks, regardless of success or failure. Everything Microsoft produces is a higher quality product. WP7 wipes the floor with Android. Windows just decimates the gimped POS known as Chrome OS. Office owns Google Apps. I can on and on and on. Google needs to stick with what they’re good at. Search, data mining, and ads are all they are worth a shit at. Oh, and reading people’s email. LOL!
As for all that Google has given us, most of which is shit, I use none of it except Search.
“That you keep going on and on about Mango, another update, which by the way has failed to stimulate sales, is testament to WP not being good enough when it was first released.”
LOL! Mango doesn’t release until September you dumb bastard, and neither do Mango phones, save for the Fujitsu.
@Doug Simmons:
LOL! They don’t have any opportunity to sue, because they’ll get their ass kicked. Microsoft is already making money from every Android sold. Apple has already pimp slapped one Android OEM, and probably will another. Android won’t ever sue, because they don’t have shit.
@Doug Simmons:
You haven’t paid a thing. Your article was tripe.
@Doug Simmons:
LOL! You mean other than the fact that the number of outstanding Microsoft shares dwarfs the incredibly limited number of outstanding shares of Google. You really are dumb.
@Doug Simmons:
As per details emerging about the auction of Nortel patents, 75% of the $4.5 billion amount was contributed by Apple and RIM with the remaining 25% shared between Ericsson, EMC, Microsoft and Sony. Microsoft’s own share was probably around $250 million only i.e., about 5%. So much so for talking through your hat, Simmons. The same about Microsoft paying money to others to sue google or google owning any patents and not suing. Shame on you for deliberately vilifying a corporation with your canards.
Joe, have you ever tried Google Voice? Incredible. Google Maps? Very good. And they have been instrumental in the accelerated pace of innovation we are seeing in the technology arena. That’s pure haterism to hockthoo spit on Google products like that. Even more egregious than Simmons’ BS because (1) Doug is actually quite humorous and (2) he often accompanies his horse sh$% with smoking photos.
Google voice sucks, at least on my G2 it does. Sucks so badly in fact I had to post something on a dead thread of absolutely zero consequence. Google maps is good though. 🙂
You must be talking about the app rather than the service itself. The service itself, and configurability of options is remarkable.