Apple Keeps Shining - By Comparison

Apple keeps on shining, especially when viewed against their competition.

And why not? It's not just marketing, but solid design and seamless connectivity to multiple devices and platforms. Anyone who uses a PC has to believe that there is a better way, or they'd just go nuts suffering under the status quo. Apple gets the details right, and the devil is in the details.

From the article: That seems to be the market today. There are competing products that are cheaper and offer more features. But Apple's brand is just too strong to sway anyone.

Yeah, that's part of it, but products that WORK AS ADVERTISED will sell well in any market where the competition aspires to "cheap" and "good enough". Get ready for the next wave of technology where refinements to devices with klunky interfaces become marketing tools.

UPDATE:
This writer thinks that Apple's technology is too good.

IBM Throws Down

IBM unveiled a new chip that could blunt Intel's attempts to move into the video game market. Dubbed a 'cell', the new chip has multiple powerpc processors on board and uses new techniques to keep those processors fed with data.

An Intel spokesman reminded reporters that "that a new computing design requires a host of new software and programming tools to become useful". That is true, but it shouldn't be a problem for the world's largest producer and seller of computer software: IBM.

You See, Any Moron Can Get An MCSE

This reviewer obviously doesn't know or believe anything that wasn't spoon fed to him by the Microsoft marketing department.

Javier, is really upset that the new Mac Mini doesn't come with virus protection or disk defragmenting software. I guess he just assumes that all computers and operating systems are vulnerable to viruses just like the toy software that Microsoft produces.

Now don't get me wrong. Windows 2000 was a solid effort. It's the most UNIX-like operating system I've seen from the folks in Seattle. But when it comes right down to it, calling OS X a toy, when it's built on top of BSD UNIX and Mach, a one-two punch of solid Operating System technology with 35 YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT, USE, AND WIDESPREAD ADOPTION, is the true mark of an intellectual lightweight.

Considering the tone of this article, it has got to be a hoax, because it is truly flame-bait.

IBM PC Deal - This Guy is Pissed As Well

Read this.

Outsource Of PC Business, Er Sale, Inspires Loss Of Customers

Half of the IBM customers surveyed indicated that they would most likely switch to another vendor if the sale goes through.

Hello! This is the logical endgame of massive corporate outsourcing. You lose your corporate memory by moving manufacturing overseas, telling yourself that all the corporate functions like marketing and design will stay here. With a severed connection to manufacturing, marketing and sales founders, and you end up with losses that can't be reversed. Ultimately, you sell out to the foreign manufacturer who previously 'helped' you with your manufacturing costs and you've managed to scuttle your investors capital, your employees jobs and security, and all you've really produced is a bunch of golden parachutes for the gussied-up, coiffed morons who created the mess. Customers and employees vote with their dollars and their feet, respectively.

The worst part, THE WORST PART, is that these same morons will fix up the CV's to call themselves 'turnaround specialists' of something equally banal, and go to some other company and repeat the process all over again. This type of behavior is happening to companies that have had waves of layoffs because they no longer retain "Corporate Memory". They forget the last time they were down this road, and take the same wrong turns to end up in the same old place. And then they hire a 'turnaround specialist' to help them find their way out.

Ship Till We Drop

Amazon.com is offering customers a new customer loyalty program featuring free two day shipping. For a flat fee, customers can get free 2 day shipping and low cost overnight shipping throughout the entire year.

Amazon admitted to analysts that this would have a negative impact on earnings in the short term, but expect this kind of program to bind their customers more closely and lead to higher revenue in the long run.

Yahoo Announces New Search Tool

Yahoo, not to be outdone by the latest announcement at MSN, announced a new tool that performs contextual searches based on the current web page. This feature is supposed to work with all browsers on both PCs and Macs.

This isn't necessarily a Google killer, but it keeps Yahoo in the race.

Outsourcing Sun

Sun told analysts today that they will outsource about two thirds of the Information Technology staff to Computer Associates. This is all part of their strategy to reduce costs and streamline operations.

Once again, upper management didn't miss a chance to let the rank and file know how they really feel about them.

Apple Nails Retail Deals

Apple has inked a deal with Wal-Mart to sell the iPod Shuffle at their stores. It seems that $99 meets the Wal-Mart definition of "inexpensive, quality goods" at a great price. It helps that it's just about the hottest consumer electronics gadget out there.

Microsoft Gets Serious About Search

Microsoft has come out with an upgrade to their Search service that will include answers to factual queries via their Encarta on-line encyclopedia. This will certainly differentiate them from their competition. But is it enough given Google's commanding lead in the search market?

It'll be a nice feature for all those kids doing reports at the last minute, but a nightmare for teachers who may get reports that read just like articles in the Encarta encyclopedia.