MS is Now Monsanto

The "leaked" MS portable Origami player-mini PC has all the hallmarks of the new easy-to-panic Microsoft. They spent weeks trying to penetrate Apple's veil and wasn't sure if Apple was going to release a portable touchscreen video ipod - so how do you trump that? How about a touchscreen EVERYTHING. As it's in MS' DNA, if you release a product, we'll talk about releasing one with DOZENS more features. That'll show 'em. You know the meeting went something like this ... Apple will never add GPS, let's throw that in!

So, if Apple had released a iPod touchscreen with video - MS could say, ours has dozens more features - comes with a stylus pen! And 5 colors ... Doesn't matter that it'll be 13 months later, weigh 4 lbs and run for 60 minutes before running out of juice but by offering a leaked photo, it shows they're "in the game," or at least in their delusional world.

Today, the President of Napster 2.0 also bemoaned that it's MS' fault that Apple is winning the digital download music market ... And yet, he's still convinced MS will "win" sometimes down the line - he still doesn't realize that MS is Monsanto.

Here are some "super-duper" seeds ... Oh, oh, show us your money first. Here ya go. They work great in our lab and greenhouse. Good luck with planting, buying fertilizer, having good weather, a distribution system and a market. Of yes, and if you get any bugs or crop disease, we'll be glad to sell you a pesticide maintenance program but the rest is all you!

That's why MS is clueless about consumers - the rest is hard. Actually planting seeds, nurturing it and then trying to convince people to buy it. It's so much easier just selling seeds or a DRM server. MS thought consumers would step right up and buy any products with their name stamped on it: MSN, MSN Search, Microsoft Home Networking, and even the Xbox ($8 billion to sell 20 million Xbox & XBox 360's - it'd be simpler just to give away the cash) etc, etc ... But that takes more work than handing off some code in trade for cash. That's why MS is afraid to take on the iPod directly. It would mean having to do more than just sell seeds and pesticides ... Ask any farmer. The rest is hard work.