Creative CEO: Apple will Lose to Microsoft

February 13th, 2005 at 2:00 PM - News by Ricky Spero

MSNBC has published a very interesting Newsweek interview with Creative Technologies CEO Sim Wong Hoo. The piece examines Creativeis struggle in the iPod-dominated music player market.

When asked about the iPodis success, Mr. Sim says, "Steve Jobs is a personality that we all have to reckon with....But he was not the first to come out with this MP3 [sic]. We started way back in 1999." Asked about the iPod shuffle, Mr. Sim concludes, "I believe we had this kind of thing more than three years or four years ago. You can say itis cool; I say itis plain-Jane."

Perhaps the most interesting comment, though, concerns Creativeis adoption of Microsoftis Windows Media Format. Mr. Sim says, "Iim betting on the Microsoft camp. They want to win this whole MP3 war. With all the cash they have, with all the clout they have, they are going to win—if not the first time, if not the second time, the third time, and thatis why weire working very closely with them."

There is much more, including a discussion of portable video and the pros and cons of being based in Singapore, in the full interview, which recommend as a relevant piece.