The Analyst Who Erred

I’m really liking my iPad 2, though perhaps less so now that it’s a done-deal for a 4G-enabled iPad 3 come March 7. Oh well. Personal technology marches on, albeit too fast sometimes for my comfort.

The one significant drawback with the iPad — something everyone seems to acknowledge — is its inability to efficiently process words, crunch numbers or create presentations. I’m tempted to buy a bluetooth keyboard or even that plastic overlay to ease the burden.

Could this be the answer?

Nah. The problem seems much bigger than ergonomics. I need MS Office! Yes. I said it.  I like Microsoft. (Bing excluded)

While I migrated away from Windows-based machines several years ago, MS Word, Excel and to a shrinking degree, Powerpoint, remain my default productivity tools.

Imagine my delight when I heard the good news this week from — of all places — Rupert Murdoch’s “killer” iPad news app The Daily. Matt Hickey wrote:

“An exact launch date is unknown, but the design team has since wrapped up the project, meaning it could be released in the coming weeks.”

Please please please be true. After the rumors first started swirling around the much-needed MS Office suite for iOS, some analyst decided to throw cold water on the whole meme. He set in motion a media frenzy wherein AllThings big and small followed his lead to kabash the idea. Here’s the essence:

“If you’re hoping Microsoft might someday release a version of Office for Apple’s iPad, prepare to be disappointed.”

Writing today for TheNextWeb, Alex Wilhelm sheds some light on the rumor mill and frankly, the sometimes misguided influence of a so-called influencer.

“Here’s the gist: nearly every analyst out there is just that – a person thinking and saying things. A few are fantastic, but they are the rare exception, the anti-rule, if you will. Mostly, analysts simply want to get their name out there, and do so by tossing trial balloons into the air. It wastes our time.”

Piper Jaffray’s Gene Muster

Maybe this also speaks to the speed with which journalists of all stripes nowadays are compelled to publish, and the commensurate likelihood of their mistakes metastasizing?

As analysts go, I think I’ll stick with Apple-prognosticator Gene Muster. So, Gene, when did you say Apple TV will make its appearance?