The Rational Walk will no longer syndicate articles to content aggregators such as Seeking Alpha. Read this article for more information.
Apple Risks Dominant Position in Tablets With New Digital Publishing Model
The battle between Apple and Google intensified this week with both companies unveiling long awaited business models for publishers eager to develop recurring revenue sources through sale of tablet based subscriptions. Read this article for our views regarding how the “tablet wars” will be affected by the latest battle.
E-Books Receive Mixed Reviews in the Classroom
One year is a relatively short period of time but represents an eternity when evaluating the products offered in the nascent market for electronic reading devices. One year ago, there was much excitement regarding the potential for the Kindle DX to revolutionize the market for textbooks. The Kindle DX is a larger version of Amazon.com’s popular Kindle device which is more suitable for larger formats such as textbooks. Several business schools aggressively rolled out materials specifically designed for the Kindle DX. The results of the experiment are now in and according to the Financial Times, the device has received very mixed reviews. Read this article for more details.
Assessing Ballmer’s Track Record at Microsoft
When Bill Gates promoted Steve Ballmer to the chief executive position at Microsoft over ten years ago, the company was flying high in terms of investor perceptions and had a cutting edge image placing it at the forefront of America’s high tech boom. Despite initial setbacks during the mid 1990s related to understanding the transformative power of the internet, Microsoft quickly recovered and expectations for the company’s future were very high in early 2000. Fast forward one decade: Today, Microsoft is perceived as a stodgy company that may still generate a great deal of cash but is hopelessly behind the technology curve and may be destined for inevitable decline. Is this a fair portrayal and, if so, to what extent is Mr. Ballmer to blame? Read this article for an opinion.
Estimating Global Brand Value
The Financial Times published a special report today (also available as a pdf file) that attempts to quantify brand value for the top 100 global brands. The top global brand remains Google followed by IBM, Apple, and Microsoft. Coca Cola, McDonalds, and Marlboro are familiar consumer products brands that appear in the top 10 list. The survey was developed by BrandZ and is based on quantitative consumer research and financial analysis. Read this article for more details.