The best comments, quotes, and random zingers we heard this week…
“I’ve been writing science and historical fiction for three decades. Well, screw that. I want to do a video game — a video game about something really cool and fun that I enjoy: sword fighting.”–Author Neal Stephenson in his Kickstarter pitch announcing the game Clang.
“Digital solitaire involves concentration, hand-eye coordination and puts me in a zone.”–Kathleen Henkel, a 68-year-old New Jersey grandmother who is looking to set a new Guinness World Record by playing PopCap’s Solitaire Blitz for 30 straight hours.
“It’d be a retail jumpstart on a secure channel for Kindle and other high margin items, like its accessories and Amazon published books – simple items that could be dispensed like DVDs.”–Corum Group’s Jon Scott speculating that Amazon.com will buy Coinstar for its line-up of automated retail kiosks.
“After Amazon buys Netflix,[1] buys Hulu,[2] buys RIM,[3] and opens retail stores, how will they have enough cash left to buy Coinstar?”–A GeekWire reader commenting on the Coinstar story and pointing to all of the past rumors and speculation involving Amazon’s possible targets.
“We are increasing our focus on the products and services that our consumers value most while continuing to invest in the innovation that has always defined Nokia.”– Stephen Elop, Nokia president and CEO, announcing that it plans to layoff 10,000 people by the end of 2003.
“I can’t remember which analyst it was that said this (if you know please chime in) but the comment that the “burning platform” at Nokia was caused by Elop setting fire to the platform (Symbian/Meego) is starting to look credible to me. Basically, that by publicly disowning those platforms that were their primary income source, they killed their cashflow before the replacement (Windows Phone) was up and running. It’s starting to look like that’s an accurate take. They’re running out of money faster than their new Windows Phone platform is taking off. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”–GeekWire reader Christopher Budd responding to the news.
“May Steve soon move on to his real passion in life, basketball, full time and free MS’s board to finally find a CEO capable of arresting Microsoft’s long standing decline in relevance and competitive position.”–A GeekWire reader responding to news that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was part an investor group to bring a NBA team to Seattle.
“Microsoft buying Yammer would be their best strategic move since launching MS-DOS.”–Aaron Levie, the CEO of file-sharing company Box.net, on Twitter.
