[Sussex] Sony at the CES, etc..

[Geoff Teale]

In response to both Nik and Neil:
---------------------------------

Neil, your point about PalmOS is very valid.  Trouble is the consumers are
always sold on flashy features - the fact the PalmOS is better suited to the
task of managing your diary and contacts than Pocket PC hasn't stopped
millions of consumers shifting to the flashier platform.  A modern PDA is as
powerful as a desktop machine was when I was at Uni - Sharp have proven that
LINUX can very definitely work on PDA's.  

Nik.. you may have a point.  But I do think there is a personal vendetta
here on the part of the board of Sony - there have been a number of problems
between Microsoft and Sony in the last few years.  With the entrance of
Microsoft into the Phone, PDA and games console markets Sony feels the
approach of another giant in a market that hasn't got room for another giant
- I think the OS announcement (with Bill Gates standing in the wings waiting
to make his keynote address) was a calculated tactical blow against
Microsoft.

This OS strategy follows the pattern of phone market - the biggest vendors
(Nokia, Sony Erricson, etc.) worked out that if they banded together they
can forcebly muscle Microsoft out of their market - I think it will be some
time before we see LINUX on phones (because they alliance with Nokia is
important enough to stick with the existing, agreed platform) - but it may
happen if Sony can establish these technologies higher up the chain.

I actually think everything below laptop level is a no-brainer.  The
consumer will not know the difference anyhow.  Once we get to actual PC's
though I think it's a harder faught battle.  Will consumers accept LINUX on
the Vaio?  It's a test of Sony's brand against Microsoft's - right now in
the PC market Microsoft is the dominating factor - however you have to
wonder how many people would happily by a Sony laptop that's £200 cheaper
than the competition because it runs LINUX rather than Windows - whilst
people doubt Linux right now (mostly through total ignorance of it rather
than any well founded arguement) would they still doubt it if it had a Sony
logo attached?  

-- 
geoff.teale at claybrook.co.uk
tealeg at member.fsf.org

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