That's interesting.  My family haven't owned anything but Volvos since 1986 and I think they keep getting better.  Indeed, they're putting out their best product now.  My 850 turbo was better than my 740 turbo and my S40 T5 was better than them both.  I thought I'd found my favorite car until I traded it in for a S40 T5 AWD.  Now I have a bus pass because only an idiot would bother owning a car when he lives and works in downtown Munich.  But the day I move back out I'll go straight to the Volvo dealer and test drive every model he's got to find my next car.  And if I'm no longer impressed then it'll be the Audi A5 but anyway... I still think the Ford buyout was the best thing to ever happen to them.  The only noticable Ford-ish thing is they had to start making SUVs which turned out to be their biggest seller.

"Sorensen says consumers often don't really know what they want. Instead, B&O designers intuit the products that will fly. "[Our] ideas...are not the result of market analysis but rather a deep understanding of how our consumers live," says Sorensen."

Doesn't that sum up what a lot of us think of B&O in 2008? ie lack of Freeview in the BV8 or no HDMI for the BV7-32? Do they really understand their customers?

Fingers crossed this A18 (BeoMaster 5?) has potential. From what I understand from my dealer, it's like a replacement for the BeoCenter 2 and BeoMedia, using design cues from both.

unfortunately for bno , people DO know what they want

the general populace are much more intelligent and discerning than they believe , good lord , what a condescending attitude they show

their arrogance is outrageous ! 

with the internet it's very easy to find out aboot the competition's products and compare features and price

here's a simple message to the bno boffins

' adapt and survive OR perish' 

the world won't work according to bno's bizarre philosophy , they - being a tiny insignificant little company ( do they even realise this ?? )  they will have to change and adapt to the modern world

fire lewis and get some young blood in - maybe johnny ive on  a consultancy basis ? 

this was the original article from businessweek magazine

This article was posted on the Forum in the past I believe. Very interesting though.

Craig🙂

The article in Berlingske (in Danish); Stating that the way Torben was fired is the most "unbecoming" management action in Denmark in 2008.

Wouldn't it be a good idea that Philips takes over B&O?   They have already owned a part in the past so know the company best I think.

Dear All:

There's some truth to the notion that 'customers do not know' what they want.  When presented with options most surveyed customers want everything but still want ease of use.  Independent design ideas are great but they need to be put through their paces by 'real' customers.  

This forum could serve as a 'real' customer perspective.   Perhaps not so much in the design but how to mix the designs with current technology expectations.  I do not mean the latest and 'greatest' tech.  B&O could have avoided the mistake of not including HDMI & other tech basics to some of their current offerings. 

Dario