tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32937599652643447242024-02-18T21:00:18.634-05:00Gates & Jobs: Microsoft and Apple's Epic BattleTony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-66991481380316241022009-01-05T19:09:00.001-05:002009-01-05T19:11:40.042-05:00Steve Jobs says “I’m fine, quit asking!”Today Steve Jobs issued a statement to apple fan boys, most still upset that they don’t get to see him this week, dispelling rumors that his chronic weight loss over the last year, and recent decision to ditch MacWorld, are signs that he will be leaving Apple, and possibly the planet.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFP6oSOs0ECLbuBXrxoyrr-wxK9r4qwCJeq1jN3Oeby4_DNFLp7uyKGxVZ5BESmW7mFKHj_Y7CwoC4_jpahh4OKe7ZC9OeaPR9xhOeDsKNNUDkEbNmi5CJKK43ZJGu-_WYrz-LolxPZo0/s1600-h/steve-jobs-weight-loss.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFP6oSOs0ECLbuBXrxoyrr-wxK9r4qwCJeq1jN3Oeby4_DNFLp7uyKGxVZ5BESmW7mFKHj_Y7CwoC4_jpahh4OKe7ZC9OeaPR9xhOeDsKNNUDkEbNmi5CJKK43ZJGu-_WYrz-LolxPZo0/s320/steve-jobs-weight-loss.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287966468107422786" border="0" /></a><br /><p>Job’s statement was followed by an official release by Apple’s Board of Directors stating emphatically that if Steve ever decides to move on from being the CEO of Apple, we will know it.</p> <p>Here is Steve’s announcement [ <a linkindex="83" href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/01/05sjletter.html" target="_blank">apple site</a> ] :</p> <p>Dear Apple Community,</p> <p>For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.</p> <p>Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.</p> <p>I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.</p> <p>As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.</p> <p>Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.</p> <p>The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.</p> <p>I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.</p> <p>So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.</p> <p>Steve</p> <p>And here is the Follow-up from the BoD [ <a set="yes" linkindex="84" href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/01/05bod.html" target="_blank">apple site</a> ] :</p> <p>It is widely recognized both inside and outside of Apple that Steve Jobs is one of the most talented and effective CEOs in the world.</p> <p>As we have said before, if there ever comes a day when Steve wants to retire or for other reasons cannot continue to fulfill his duties as Apple’s CEO, you will know it.</p> <p>Apple is very lucky to have Steve as its leader and CEO, and he deserves our complete and unwavering support during his recuperation. He most certainly has that from Apple and its Board.</p> <p>Steve Dowling Apple</p> <p>I know that it sucks that Steve is required to lay out his personal information to the world like that, but unfortunately that is the price of greatness, and I for one, am happy that he is “ok”.</p>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-52524333799510524022009-01-05T14:43:00.004-05:002009-01-05T14:48:55.931-05:00Ballmer to kick off CES 2009 this Wednesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4M0B9gvm8-D3cPw-WP9QtSRbaU2NpYyXKF0D0ZVI8moONXouJMH-AmnLCJwPlAOVwhT0fqLQug4GNIlYtm2P3FwiFe1cvlgeflW4u5LlW_2C2XRlAhahR5tP3QfYHparRSdCLu1cCwBI/s1600-h/ces.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4M0B9gvm8-D3cPw-WP9QtSRbaU2NpYyXKF0D0ZVI8moONXouJMH-AmnLCJwPlAOVwhT0fqLQug4GNIlYtm2P3FwiFe1cvlgeflW4u5LlW_2C2XRlAhahR5tP3QfYHparRSdCLu1cCwBI/s320/ces.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287898390301155010" border="0" /></a><a set="yes" linkindex="30" href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080107-gates-uses-final-ces-keynote-to-tout-next-digital-decade.html">Last January</a>, Bill Gates made his final CES keynote speech, and <a linkindex="31" href="http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2008/09/03/steve-ballmer-to-succeed-bill-gates-ces-keynote">in September</a> we were told that his replacement would be the man who had taken his position at Microsoft: Steve Ballmer. Ballmer, like Gates, will be assisted by Robbie Bach, head of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, during the 2009 International CES preshow keynote this Wednesday. <p> The festivities start at 6:30 PM PST in the Palazzo Ballroom at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. If you can't make it but still want to see the keynote as it happens, here are the links for streaming: <a set="yes" linkindex="32" href="http://wm.istreamplanet.com/customers/ms/100_ms_ces_090107.asx">100k</a>, <a set="yes" linkindex="33" href="http://wm.istreamplanet.com/customers/ms/300_ms_ces_090107.asx">300k</a>, and <a set="yes" linkindex="34" href="http://wm.istreamplanet.com/customers/ms/750_ms_ces_090107.asx">750k</a>. </p> <p> TechCrunch is reporting that Ballmer will be discussing the following Microsoft announcements: </p> <ul><li>Windows 7 public beta: Vista's successor will easily be one of the biggest topics of the show </li><li>Windows 7's HomeGroups will be demonstrated (<a set="yes" linkindex="35" href="http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/2008/12/30/at-home-with-homegroup-in-windows-7.aspx">read more</a>)</li><li>Windows Mobile will get Flash support by the end of the first quarter</li><li>Two new <em>Halo</em> titles will be released for the Xbox this year</li></ul> <p> I'm sure there will be more to it than that, as watching Ballmer speak is usually quite entertaining. CES 2009 will be taking place from Thursday to Sunday and you can bet that we'll be covering it thoroughly.<br /></p><p>source: arstechnica.com<br /></p>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-7511029697167581052009-01-04T14:53:00.002-05:002009-01-05T19:08:05.177-05:00An hour with Bill Gates<p>Interesting Charlie Rose video from last week, overlooked during the holidays: An hour with Bill Gates, founder and chairman of Microsoft.</p> <p>I’m not a fan, as I know that MSFT is(was) the Evil Empire, but its interesting nonetheless</p><br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="400" width="400"><param name="src" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?showShareButtons=true&docId=-6922732403350430364%3A12000%3A3308000&hl=en"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?showShareButtons=true&docId=-6922732403350430364%3A12000%3A3308000&hl=en" height="400" width="400"></embed></object>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-28191767977549608322008-10-17T12:32:00.002-04:002009-01-05T13:17:14.146-05:00Steve Jobs to quit Apple<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5t7jJFgbyeAPn1C_CB1uQr3ArNdAi8_5N-ISKESK7tgDCY67p4biLSVOuvWMaGXY6i9EuW5UAFi-8JAhMzhpAv39I5Fuzm_E14UZ_DwkWuX_jugQGKhhFTJQLalbshzpFa1Ck-Oz6n0/s1600-h/steve-jobs-3g-iphone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5t7jJFgbyeAPn1C_CB1uQr3ArNdAi8_5N-ISKESK7tgDCY67p4biLSVOuvWMaGXY6i9EuW5UAFi-8JAhMzhpAv39I5Fuzm_E14UZ_DwkWuX_jugQGKhhFTJQLalbshzpFa1Ck-Oz6n0/s320/steve-jobs-3g-iphone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258161885398626626" border="0" /></a>Shocking news for fruity Apple fans – CEO Steve Jobs is planning on doing the absolutely unthinkable – he will quit Apple!<br /><br />The revelation comes after Steve Jobs presented the new MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and an updated MacBook Air yesterday at an event. He told the audience present that the company is more than himself.<br /><br />"Hey, look, Apple is more than Steve.” He said, “These are The Guys, the Goodfellas, the A-Team. They share the same vision I have. And they are going to push the company forward when I change my office chair for a hammock and caipirinhas on my private beach in Hawaii".<br /><br />That was a downer of a statement from Steve Jobs, who generally is the star of the show. This was clearly a sign that he has transferred some money to a resort where he will spend the rest of his life in peace and tranquility, away from the bustling market.<br /><br />Steve Jobs NEVER puts himself after Apple, as selfish as that may sound, it was a good thing because Billions of people across the world love and worship him for his genius. The statement he made only strengthens belief that he is going to quit and that there are other people in Apple.<br /><br />In case you didn’t already know, Steve Jobs hasn’t quite been keeping well lately. Numerous reports of his health concerns have floated across tabloids, although Steve himself denied them. We know that Steve Jobs will remain with Apple the way Bill Gates will always stay with Microsoft, but Apple won’t be the same without its fruity guru.<br /><br />source: www.india.com/technology/gadgetsTony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-91395544527539057582008-10-16T11:56:00.008-04:002009-01-05T13:15:06.110-05:00Windows 7, The Future of Computing?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnu9XFDruqjsHnBWQbWwfroxuXUs-_pZrzSzfR3rwy3qxUH9HLujiPyDEyyWcsO2MK5BqkcUFfTHkCLpy4zd35DqwQ2aXcbRpfExo4jvwhUDyBwA-zj0o04tr_WHNjj1leDKwUZ0AuoE/s1600-h/windows75.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnu9XFDruqjsHnBWQbWwfroxuXUs-_pZrzSzfR3rwy3qxUH9HLujiPyDEyyWcsO2MK5BqkcUFfTHkCLpy4zd35DqwQ2aXcbRpfExo4jvwhUDyBwA-zj0o04tr_WHNjj1leDKwUZ0AuoE/s200/windows75.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257783884959337218" border="0" /></a>Now All Vista Users Might not have felt the heat while using Vista but after Grabbing Windows 7 They surely will. Here Is windows , soon to be released Operating System , Windows 7.<br /><br />Unlike it's predecessor , Windows Vista , which received Great changes from Windows XP version , Windows 7 has not changed so much.<br />It has Got around Three versions which are being tested currently, Milestone 1 , Milestone 2, Milestone 3 and some others are coming up now.<br />Windows 7 will be available for 32 bit and 64 bit but the server edition will only be available for 64 bit.<br /><br />It is not much different from Windows Vista , (as many claim) but until we use it we cant blindly believe it.<br />The release date , according to internetnews.com is set to be June 3, 2009 , But some of the microsoft representatives have said different dates but I am sure it will release somewhere in mid 2009.<br /><br />Milestone 2 of Windows 7 has a different taskbar than found in Windows Vista, with, among other features, sections divided into different colors.<br /><br />Features like support for multiple heterogeneous graphics cards has been added. A all new Windows Media Center has also been added. It might also have the Ribbon interface , which is the best part of it, i.e it has all new design for paint and wordpad and other Microsoft designed Softwares like Word.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_W-IXrTw-bc99oHmlUrfX05Vr14mzlruZ2abh7NLt17OBQaLmHuXtuZ72zPE-5MGIG7RbItQX0tMLqD-PB5qvfCTsx7nzbXZkO9yz3fz3F6CqIrTakyhf-35bR3Lg9Iha-akGs5QPkU/s1600-h/ribbon.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_W-IXrTw-bc99oHmlUrfX05Vr14mzlruZ2abh7NLt17OBQaLmHuXtuZ72zPE-5MGIG7RbItQX0tMLqD-PB5qvfCTsx7nzbXZkO9yz3fz3F6CqIrTakyhf-35bR3Lg9Iha-akGs5QPkU/s400/ribbon.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257785785613756482" border="0" /></a><br />In the demonstration of Windows 7 at D6, the operating system featured multi-touch , Just like your Hp touchsmart PC (somewhat)<br />The price still remains a secret.<br /><br />Few Leaked Screenshots - <br />source:www.etiole.com<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyvSh4YQmUiX_ZwjG2BvYVf0Kbz4ep_J9cO77U_f945qUlVDEAH_V_nfXrBjlKKclCAlQBb5JJ55i3EJXCM36Iuqg_HBm_6TFMu17VyuYhfFcFlYbnbl8SJIspnkMx5pvg_aRrdbcVvk/s1600-h/windows76.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyvSh4YQmUiX_ZwjG2BvYVf0Kbz4ep_J9cO77U_f945qUlVDEAH_V_nfXrBjlKKclCAlQBb5JJ55i3EJXCM36Iuqg_HBm_6TFMu17VyuYhfFcFlYbnbl8SJIspnkMx5pvg_aRrdbcVvk/s400/windows76.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257786151090030754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6oAcjUyhOJWGwEnQ33yMvqhnkKK0NKHsBBVhiRIN-XXIowL-xpDdqswCVr8lZPFIuxieeahzRfcCZU0TUrUoV30798f1PJ76R3KBO0HwnbsTE-97yw3iXi4CqzE4J3OzOLBi2dHJrf8/s1600-h/windows7.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6oAcjUyhOJWGwEnQ33yMvqhnkKK0NKHsBBVhiRIN-XXIowL-xpDdqswCVr8lZPFIuxieeahzRfcCZU0TUrUoV30798f1PJ76R3KBO0HwnbsTE-97yw3iXi4CqzE4J3OzOLBi2dHJrf8/s400/windows7.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257786582177817682" border="0" /></a>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-7517314466317423132008-10-14T22:53:00.004-04:002008-10-16T12:20:37.889-04:00Apple Notebook Event Oct 14 2008The highly anticipated Apple Notebook Event was held on Tuesday, October 14 2008. Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced us to the new Macbooks. We also see "The Brick" process, Apple's new production technique for notebooks. I would elaborate more on the event, but I think it would be better if you watched it yourself. Enjoy..<br /><br />Part 1<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nyiEnUEM7mA&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nyiEnUEM7mA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Part 2<br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DIa-oG_7r2w"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DIa-oG_7r2w" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object><br /><br />Part 3<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MVyPWRG8CF0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MVyPWRG8CF0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Part 4<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ahEqa0WZvpM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ahEqa0WZvpM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Part 5<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4mDFx6m9B8M&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4mDFx6m9B8M&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Part 6<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yqLPvIffq6g&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yqLPvIffq6g&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><div><script type='text/javascript'>addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src='http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12' type='text/javascript'></script></div>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-58720812140730650392008-10-13T14:14:00.004-04:002008-10-16T12:20:58.416-04:00iPhone Runs WindowsDual boot OS not just for Macbook but for iPhone too. Here is a video from myPhone2008 courtesy of Norwegian application developer. Apple iPhone running Windows Mobile.<br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WYNukpqmIFQ"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WYNukpqmIFQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><div><script type='text/javascript'>addthis_url='<http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/iphone-runs-windows.html/>'; addthis_title='<iPhone Runs Windows/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src='http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12' type='text/javascript'></script></div>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-3898151731052474792008-10-09T13:09:00.004-04:002008-10-09T13:27:19.952-04:00Apple to unveil new laptops Tuesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGm_G5cNREO6mZiAmJ0qjsi-ruZoqjzMwfBdth2XirrM2jgqoheKoBKF_aWndZ6Fb5tMuSGCbUKKcdm_0zJBUchNIN4d3VCm4RJg5wkBRl1rKFdDtKSQeSrBqvmX6-mb-VzXXsQMIYCjk/s1600-h/apple-1014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGm_G5cNREO6mZiAmJ0qjsi-ruZoqjzMwfBdth2XirrM2jgqoheKoBKF_aWndZ6Fb5tMuSGCbUKKcdm_0zJBUchNIN4d3VCm4RJg5wkBRl1rKFdDtKSQeSrBqvmX6-mb-VzXXsQMIYCjk/s320/apple-1014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255202764800222434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="captionname"><strong>This is the main image from an invitation Apple sent to some journalists on Thursday morning. </strong></span></span><br /><br />Apple has just sent out invites to a special media event on Apple's campus for October 14. The invite reads, "The spotlight turns to notebooks," and has a ray of light shining over the back of an unidentified Apple notebook.<br /><p> The invite-only event will be taking place at Apple's Town Hall in Cupertino on October 14, 10am Pacific Time. </p> <p> As you are likely aware, October 14 has been <a href="http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/09/11/latest-rumor-points-to-new-notebooks-on-october-14th">widely rumored</a> for several weeks now as the official date for Apple's update to the MacBook and MacBook pro line. Some of us had our doubts (myself included) that such an update would end up being announced during an Apple event, but Apple has come through once again. </p> What can we expect from this event? No one knows for sure, but <a href="http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/10/09/photo-of-rumored-macbook-pro-casing-said-to-be-accurate">supposedly leaked photos</a> have been spreading across the web as of late. Ars will be there (with photos this time!) covering it live on our front page.<br /><br />source:arstechnica.com<br /><div><script type="text/javascript">addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-39025106834684552762008-10-09T12:52:00.003-04:002008-10-09T12:59:30.865-04:00EXCLUSIVE: Apple to launch $800 laptop<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_x7CkoWcSu-EIMSSrR5IMLIph0pKhSFXykPCLiHoNSlhTjqfKiuxgXCNkPyUZvUZnkGYM79Hy3zQ32T6V59zOFao7q2a0Aum3Kud3wurJFT2hqIDju2F6qfZuiHIXaQRx5Glrstlcpc/s1600-h/question-apple.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_x7CkoWcSu-EIMSSrR5IMLIph0pKhSFXykPCLiHoNSlhTjqfKiuxgXCNkPyUZvUZnkGYM79Hy3zQ32T6V59zOFao7q2a0Aum3Kud3wurJFT2hqIDju2F6qfZuiHIXaQRx5Glrstlcpc/s400/question-apple.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255198927829003906" border="0" /></a>Some Apple retailers in the United States have been given price lists for a new Apple laptop line, and there’s a big surprise: an $800 laptop. The information comes from a source we would categorize as reliable, would have access to such information, and who has been accurate in the past.<br /><br />According to the source, Apple retail stores have been given price sheets that list 12 price points for the new range, with prices between $800-$3100. Current lines only have 8 price points, 3 Macbooks starting at $1099, 3 Macbook Pros and 2 Macbook Airs. According to the source, retail outlets usually get the price lists 10 days before products hit the market. Technical specs for the new laptops were not included on the price sheet.<br /><br />An $800 laptop would be the first sub-$1000 laptop offered by Apple, and would signal a shift from Cupertino to target a broader range of price sensitive customers for the first time. Whether this laptop is a sub-laptop or ultra-portable we simply don’t know, it could be Apple more aggressively pricing their new Macbook range, or it could be a completely new laptop altogether, presumably utilizing the much discussed “Apple Brick” manufacturing process (pic above). What we do know is that there will be four additional price points, so unless the updated versions of existing lines are offered with more options, we would presume that Apple may actually launch an entirely new laptop.<br /><br />source:inquisitr.com<br /><br /><div><script type="text/javascript">addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-70538137778357683532008-10-09T09:46:00.002-04:002008-10-09T13:51:39.826-04:00Strata Is The Codename of Microsoft's Cloud OS Environment<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7z9hmfBfCwyjTdjw1mby3CpuiCx392tVBvnnNjlVZNIpnVSJQEb39q370Ld0O2NmlZ1kjqhr1ACHyr56hj2ED37s_vQhSIvUaQUYC3fGrjgoESoyumfcHHyBeSXfnMTeEjH5QTw9tIAU/s1600-h/Microsoft_sign_closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7z9hmfBfCwyjTdjw1mby3CpuiCx392tVBvnnNjlVZNIpnVSJQEb39q370Ld0O2NmlZ1kjqhr1ACHyr56hj2ED37s_vQhSIvUaQUYC3fGrjgoESoyumfcHHyBeSXfnMTeEjH5QTw9tIAU/s200/Microsoft_sign_closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255213119494716834" border="0" /></a>Microsoft finally chose the codename for its Cloud OS Platform. Strata it is then. That's at least what the sessions page of Microsoft's Forthcoming Professional Developers Conference page pointed to earlier yesterday.<br /><br />The page, that has now been modified and no longer shows any Strata-related info, has been captured by fellow blogger Kit Ong's and shows eight sessions dedicated to Windows Strata.<br /><br />Microsoft though appears to be jumping "heavily" on the Cloud computing bandwagon, in a similar fashion to the u turn Bill Gate engineered back in the 1990's when it brought Internet (known then as the Infobahn) to Windows 95. No less than 34 sessions will be dedicated to Cloud computing.<br /><br />Steve Ballmer has already acknowledged that Microsoft needs a cloud based operating system - fast - in order to catch up with the likes of Amazon or Google, both of whom have already deployed large scale Software-as-a-service implementations.<br /><br />Not that Microsoft did not think about it before, it was just too early. They did speak about a Hailstorm project (which also comes from Clouds) back in 2001, described as a project to "make MSN-hosted user data available to the same users at non-Microsoft web site" - a bit like OpenSocial - and Lightning (which again, comes from Clouds), the original codename for Microsoft's Common Language Runtime.<br /><br />Microsoft's PDC will debut on the 27th October in Los Angeles.<br /><br />From Wikipedia, A stratus cloud (Plural = Strata) is a cloud belonging to a class characterized by horizontal layering with a uniform base, as opposed to convective clouds that are as tall or taller than wide (these are termed cumulus clouds). (ed: It also refers to geological layers as well)<br /><br />source:itproportal.com<br /><div><script type="text/javascript">addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-1030278479883140962008-10-08T13:51:00.005-04:002008-10-08T14:10:45.803-04:00Microsoft Touchless:Fresh from Office LabsMicrosoft lab rats have been in the dungeon cooking up some new software and technology and the results are very cool. I think the innovative side of Microsoft is starting to come out, about time, since Apple and Google have been been in the forefront of creativity lately. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What is Microsoft Touchless?</span><br /><br />A multitouch software from Microsoft Office Labs that uses a regular Web camera and everyday objects as input. Touchless enables touch without touching by using a webcam to track color based markers. Like <a href="http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/search/label/Surface">Microsoft Surface</a> and Touchwall, the Touchless software makes it possible to create applications that turn hand gestures and physical objects into an input device like a mouse.Touchless includes two parts:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Touchless Demo</span> is an open source application that anyone with a webcam can use to experience multi-touch, no geekiness required. There are 4 fun demos: Snake - where you control a snake with a marker, Defender - up to 4 player version of a pong-like game, Map - where you can rotate, zoom, and move a map using 2 markers, and Draw - the marker is used to guess what.... draw!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Touchless SDK</span> is an open source SDK that enables developers to create multi-touch based applications using a webcam for input, geekiness recommended.<br /><br />This project is an Office Labs community project, which means a Microsoft employee worked on this in their spare time. It is also an open source project, which means that anyone can view, use, and contribute to the code.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/__i7DGNERtE"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/__i7DGNERtE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/microsoft-touchlessfresh-from-office.html';<br />digg_bgcolor = '#ff9900';<br />digg_skin = 'compact';<br />digg_window = 'new';<br /></script><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div><script type='text/javascript'>addthis_url='<http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/microsoft-touchlessfresh-from-office.html/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src='http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12' type='text/javascript'></script></div>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-53618061746300463462008-10-08T11:56:00.004-04:002008-10-08T12:03:53.727-04:00Microsoft's New Boy Band<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vv2M4aIMc-8&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vv2M4aIMc-8&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Jerry Seinfeld's high cost ads for Microsoft may have helped get people talking about the company again, but a new low tech conference commercial making the rounds on the web is actually winning positive commentary for one thing that the Seinfeld and "I'm a PC" ads lacked: self-deprecation.<br />The Internet ad features fictional ad execs in a pitch meeting and an odd little boy band. Meant to publicize the upcoming Professional Developers Conference where Microsoft will give away 160GB hard drives loaded with Windows 7, it has been circling around without any prime-time buys.<br />While the ad features some of the institutionalized strangeness that seems to spark decisions at Microsoft, it boasts a song that will have Windows 7 stuck in my head for the rest of the morning. Also, it is funny, even if it takes until the end to learn that the makers of the ad are in on the joke.<br /><br />source:blog.wired.com<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/microsofts-new-boy-band.html';<br /></script><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div><script type='text/javascript'>addthis_url='<http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/microsofts-new-boy-band.html/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src='http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12' type='text/javascript'></script></div>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-49538049597675068802008-10-08T11:47:00.005-04:002008-10-08T22:42:18.016-04:00Apple to replace iPod with a Watch?!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfojnavXeJOHWwkx5FRc1-YvOd2kFnFMoUgdn5QAVyeSlztDwJeSFhDBELIaBrtopPaI1Ht_wC2YBb4-oArQkZqG9yts5r_GaI8slN7DFUVykQsqkeZrMSUzreJt73I4ONzmuLZBBLYtI/s1600-h/ipod-family.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfojnavXeJOHWwkx5FRc1-YvOd2kFnFMoUgdn5QAVyeSlztDwJeSFhDBELIaBrtopPaI1Ht_wC2YBb4-oArQkZqG9yts5r_GaI8slN7DFUVykQsqkeZrMSUzreJt73I4ONzmuLZBBLYtI/s200/ipod-family.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254811544436651538" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">In a candid and slightly bizarre interview, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has admitted that the iPod’s popularity could be on the decline, and that Apple’s future may actually be in watches.</span><br /><br />In an interview that is bound to have Apple’s PR team up in arms, Wozniak explained to theTelegraph about his fears that the iPod has run its course: “The iPod has sort of lived a long life at number one.<br /><br />“If you look back to transistor radios and Walkmans, they kind of die out after a while.<br /><br />“It’s kind of like everyone has got one or two or three. You get to a point when they are on display everywhere, they get real cheap and they are not selling as much.”<br /><br />iWatch<br /><br />And it’s not just the iPod that gets the death-knell treatment, as Wozniak believes that in these credit-crunching days, the whole computer industry should put the brakes on, saying that: “For 20 years we have been in this replacement and upgrade market.<br /><br />“It is very easy to postpone that when there are financial irregularities.”<br /><br />Perhaps most interesting of all, however, was what Wozniak thought may be in the pipeline for future Apple products.<br /><br />Although he admitted that nobody, not even Steve Jobs, knows what the future holds for the company, he did hint that Jobs let slip that Apple could well be investing in the humble watch, called, unsurprisingly, the ‘iWatch’.<br /><br />With no other details than Woza’s words, it’s hard to speculate too much, but the idea that Apple may try and revitalise the watch market is a very interesting prospect indeed.<br /><br />source:steveranford.co.uk<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/apple-to-replace-ipod-with-watch.html';<br /></script><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div><script type="text/javascript">addthis_url='<http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/apple-to-replace-ipod-with-watch.html/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-5741302032641808672008-10-08T11:36:00.003-04:002008-10-08T11:43:40.958-04:00Less than 6 days left before Rumoured ‘New Macbook’ Event<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbrp9jTvXLEc2GVprQCofJd4gl36G1MSzx8MJwm0RzJn44LGisMji5KOBPIfFIdASeTUYPRu4MsBaPHh_xhfcQ_KQjTysRE5sJvKS8SJEnLCDoAkdBxsgK7PHkedP483m6mvbPzC4RkY/s1600-h/macbook2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbrp9jTvXLEc2GVprQCofJd4gl36G1MSzx8MJwm0RzJn44LGisMji5KOBPIfFIdASeTUYPRu4MsBaPHh_xhfcQ_KQjTysRE5sJvKS8SJEnLCDoAkdBxsgK7PHkedP483m6mvbPzC4RkY/s200/macbook2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254808607463948642" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">With less than six days to go before Tuesday, October 14th and not a word from Apple, chances of a much-rumored media event on that day to introduce new Mac notebook offerings is growing slim.</span><br /><br />A lot of emphasis has been placed on next Tuesday as the day Apple might summon the media to another special event ever since Daring Fireball author John Gruber predicted in passing that October 14th would serve as a launch pad for the company’s next-generation notebook offerings.<br /><br />AppleInsider say that while the prediction remains sound and introductions on that date remain possible, history would suggest that the window of opportunity for Apple to do so in a media-filled forum is rapidly closing. Taking a historical look back at Apple’s surprise media events (below) reveals that only once in the last four years has the company issued invites to the media less than a week before the event was scheduled to take place.<br /><br />That one exception took place in October of 2005, when Apple gave a select few in the media a five day notice about a special East Coast gathering in New York City that saw the unveiling of several professional Macs, as well as the the first version of the Aperture post production photography software. In all other cases, the company offered between 7 and 9 days notice (and in one case nearly a month’s notice).<br /><br />The window of opportunity is not completely closed, however. Several scenarios for an announcement next week still remain. The company could simply provide reduced notice of an event next Tuesday or issue invites today for an event on Wednesday. Alternatively, it could elect to introduce redesigned MacBook and MacBook Pros next week without a formal presentation.<br /><br />Apple has defied expectations of a special media event at least once in the past. For example, it introduced the first 13-inch MacBook - complete with a fresh industrial design - in May of 2006 with little fanfare, posting the announcement to its website alongside a standard press release.<br /><br />Should Apple fail to introduce new notebooks next week, it would seemingly be in a race against the clock with the holiday shopping season rapidly approaching. The company would have approximately five weeks to introduce new models, fill pent-up demand, enter into a supply and demand equilibrium, and fill inventories around the world before the post Thanksgiving shopping bonanza kicks into play.<br /><br />source:steveranford.co.uk<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/less-than-6-days-left-before-rumoured.html';<br /></script><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><div><script type='text/javascript'>addthis_url='<http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/less-than-6-days-left-before-rumoured.html/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src='http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12' type='text/javascript'></script></div>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-44817285105277550442008-10-07T14:33:00.000-04:002008-10-07T14:33:27.286-04:00Amazing Apple Mac Music VideoThis video is worth watching, it was done by Dennis Lui, a young director (dennisaliu.com), on a Mac. I was extremely impress after seeing this, very good work. The actress in the video is Larkin Clark, and the song is "Again & Again" by the Bird & the Bee.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6kxDxLAjkO8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6kxDxLAjkO8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/amazing-apple-mac-music-video.html';<br /></script><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div><script type='text/javascript'>addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src='http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12' type='text/javascript'></script></div>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-76937208908527212702008-10-07T14:08:00.008-04:002008-10-07T14:28:22.341-04:00Review: Zune music player catching up to iPod<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3c3jc2GDcHqsKguJ8gJ2PntDeix6ILD0Tw011VFxfgZTkow_8yAIksSnsiw_FwTOENJQqPvc-Bu1iB5TSpyewh7lFl5yoCIoRaV03AwFiR2XRkobEd2wNcFsKevdo4ECqnxWHHQCuz9I/s1600-h/art.zune.cnet.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3c3jc2GDcHqsKguJ8gJ2PntDeix6ILD0Tw011VFxfgZTkow_8yAIksSnsiw_FwTOENJQqPvc-Bu1iB5TSpyewh7lFl5yoCIoRaV03AwFiR2XRkobEd2wNcFsKevdo4ECqnxWHHQCuz9I/s200/art.zune.cnet.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254475909179254322" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Slowly but surely, Microsoft's Zune is staking its claim as a legitimate alternative to Apple's iPod line of MP3 players.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px;font-family:arial;font-size:12px;"><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Last year, Microsoft focused its efforts on overhauling the Zune's hardware and public image.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This year, Microsoft has turned its attention to improving the Zune firmware and desktop software, while updating the storage capacity and pricing of new models to stay competitive.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Design</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The design of the Zune 120 is almost entirely unchanged from the Zune 80 we reviewed last year. The back of the Zune is now black instead of silver and the face of the player is covered with a glossy plastic that, although pretty, is more prone to smudges and scratches than the metal finish on last year's model.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">We're happy to see that the increase in the Zune's hard-drive capacity doesn't translate into a thicker design. The Zune 120 measures the same 4.3 inches high by 2.4 inches wide by 0.5 inch deep as the Zune 80. Also, no changes have been made to the Zune's navigation controls, headphone jack, hold switch, dock connection, and 3.2-inch glass-covered LCD.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Considering Apple's strategy of altering its iPod design every fall (for better or for worse), it's a little unnerving to see the Zune's hardware design at a standstill. The upshot of the Zune's lack of design tinkering is that it maintains the product's compatibility with the handful of accessories designed for the player.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Features</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The bulk of the third-generation Zune's improvements are found by flicking through its main menu. New menu items for Games and Marketplace have been added alongside existing selections for Music, Videos, Pictures, Social, Radio, Podcasts, and Settings.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The Zune's primary purpose as a high-quality portable music player hasn't changed. If anything, the enhancements offered by the third-generation firmware have bolstered the unique music-discovery and sharing features that have differentiated the Zune from the very beginning.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">One of the more notable new features on the Zune is a Marketplace selection in the main menu that allows you to browse, preview, and download music directly from Microsoft's Zune Marketplace online store.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Within the Marketplace submenu you can choose between browsing Top Songs, Top Albums, and New Releases, or search for specific music by keying in a few letters. Songs can be previewed for 30 seconds with the option to add them to your virtual cart or purchase and download immediately.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">By signing up for Microsoft's Zune Pass music-subscription service (a free 14-day trial is available), you can download unlimited music to your Zune for a flat fee of $15 a month. Otherwise, you'll need to purchase songs a la carte by setting up a payment account in the Zune desktop software.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Your Zune needs to be connected to a Wi-Fi hot spot in order to take advantage of the Marketplace feature. Fortunately, Microsoft has improved the Zune's ability to step through public Wi-Fi hot spots, and it's even struck a deal with fast-food giant McDonald's to have the Zune supported by the Wayport Wi-Fi hot spots found in many McDonald's restaurants.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If your local Wi-Fi requires you to enter a password, you can enter it manually using the Zunepad. The Zune will remember and associate your Wi-Fi passwords so that you'll only need to enter them once.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The Zune already had one of the best FM-radio tuners available on an MP3 player, including support for detailed station and song information by way of the Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS). With the third-generation Zune, Microsoft has taken the RBDS-enhanced FM radio even further, by allowing users to tag the songs they hear so they can download them later.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The radio-tagging feature only works with FM-radio stations that broadcast artist and song information over RBDS (we found five compatible stations in San Francisco). Tagged songs are added to your Zune shopping cart, just as songs added using the Marketplace feature are, and can be downloaded directly to your Zune over Wi-Fi or previewed and purchased using the Zune desktop software.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The radio-tagging feature is fun to use, but in our experience, the stations that were compatible with RBDS were typically mainstream radio outlets with a limited amount of new music in rotation. Still, we're happy to see Zune giving users as many ways as possible to discover and acquire new music.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The addition of games for the Zune helps keep the device competitive against the iPod, but it doesn't compare with the quality of games we're seeing for the iPod Touch. Two games, Hexic and Texas Hold 'Em, are included with the Version 3.0 Zune firmware, with new games soon to come for the Zune Marketplace.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The audio, video, and photo features of the Zune are largely unchanged from the previous generation--which isn't a bad thing, really. The Zune's music player supports MP3, WMA, protected-WMA (Zune Marketplace only), WMA Lossless, AAC, and Audible audio file formats.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The inclusion of the high-fidelity WMA Lossless music format on a high-capacity player like the 120GB Zune should make more than a few audio purists very pleased, and the continued support for AAC opens the door for iPod converts (although DRM-protected iTunes purchases are still unsupported). Audiobook enthusiasts should be happy to see a new gadget for taking their Audible and OverDrive audiobooks on the go.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The Zune supports WMV, MPEG-4, and H.264 video formats natively at a DVD-quality 30fps frame rate. Windows Media Center users will be happy to know that the Zune also imports DVR-MS recorded-video content. Although the Zune's screen displays at a 320x240 resolution, video files stored on the Zune can be as large as 720x480 and played at full resolution through the composite-video output built into the Zune's headphone jack.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">An optional Zune AV dock can output video using a higher quality component cable. Unlike the iPod, the Zune's built-in video output mirrors its onscreen display, which means that all of the Zune's features (including menus) can display on your TV.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Selecting the Social feature from the Zune's main menu gives you a window onto your friends' (or total strangers') listening habits. Within the Social menu, you have an Inbox for messages and friend requests between Zune users, a Friends tab displaying any current Zune users you've befriended through Microsoft's Zune Social network, and a Nearby tab that detects the Wi-Fi signal of other Zune's in physical proximity to you.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">You can dig deeper into the Social to preview and purchase the recent or favorite songs of people in your network, piggybacking on your friend's music tastes the same way you might with an online service such as iLike or Last.fm.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">We're all in favor of getting music recommendations from friends, however, the slow adoption of the Zune means that your actual friends are nowhere to be found on the Zune Social, requiring you to befriend Zune-using strangers in an effort to make the Social feature feel useful. Having used the Zune Social for the past year, however, the pseudo-friends forged in the Social have routinely provided some surprisingly good music recommendations.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If you're a fan of audio and video podcasts, the Zune is one of the only alternatives to the iPod that provides integrated, hassle-free management of your podcast feeds. Like the iPod, the Zune's closed software and hardware ecosystem is able to automatically download new podcasts, load them onto your Zune, and clear out the old content.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">The Zune desktop software</span> allows you to browse, search for, and subscribe to podcasts within the Marketplace directory, or paste in the direct link for the feed. Podcast playback on the Zune supports autoresume, episode information, and the ability to unsubscribe from podcasts directly from the playback screen.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Finally, if you're a Zune Pass music subscriber, Microsoft has added a new feature called Channels that offers a podcast-like automatic rotation of new music playlists for your Zune. Channels are sorted by genre, affiliation (Grand Ole Opry, Fader Magazine), or type (Billboard Top 20), and content is updated weekly.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If you don't hold a Zune Pass subscription, you can still subscribe to Channels and hear 30-second song previews of any of the music included on the playlist, with the option to purchase tracks a la carte. If you've been waiting to bite the bullet on a Zune Pass until it seems like a better value, Channels offers an appealing way to inject new music onto your Zune every week without you having to lift a finger.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Zune desktop software</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It wasn't pretty when Microsoft overhauled its desktop software alongside the release of last year's Zune. Thankfully, the upgrade to Version 3.0 has brought nothing but improvements and stability to the Zune's desktop client.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The software runs noticeably faster on our old Windows XP machine and includes menu settings that allow you to throttle the software's graphic performance to match the capabilities of your computer.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The latest software hasn't made any radical visual changes, but there are a few subtle enhancements. The software's background image is now white (goodbye pink swirls); there's a new Picks tab under Marketplace with personalized recommendations; your Zune Social card has now been integrated better; and the Now Playing screen offers an enhanced view with tastefully treated artist photos that float and fade like a custom screensaver.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The most interesting new feature included on the Zune 3.0 desktop software is a Mixview pane that graphically represents the currently playing song in relation to similar artists, songs, and top listeners. Using Mixview, you can explore the connections between artists, preview similar songs, and acquaint yourself with other Zune users, in a way that is much more visually engaging than the storefront design that permeates iTunes and Zune Marketplace.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The Zune software is far from perfect, however, and still lacks the fine-grain control that users can find in iTunes, Windows Media Player, and Winamp. If you're a power user, yearning to outfit your metatags with lyric data or import your FLAC music files, the Zune software isn't the place for you.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Unfortunately, the Zune hardware is only compatible with Zune's own desktop software, so if you can't stand the software's deliberately vanilla approach to music organization then you may want to consider another MP3 player.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Performance</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The Zune's audio, video, and battery performance haven't budged since last year's model. Microsoft rates the Zune 120 at around 30 hours of audio playback and 4 hours of video. When our CNET Labs tested the Zune 80 last year, they found the numbers for video to be spot-on, but audio playback came in at 22 hours with Wi-Fi off, and 18.5 with Wi-Fi on. We'll have our Labs test the Zune 120 to see if there have been any changes in battery performance and we'll update this review with the results.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Despite its lack of EQ controls, the Zune 120 sounds amazing over a good pair of headphones. Unfortunately, most users won't hear the difference now that Microsoft decided not to bundle its quality in-ear headphones with the player. Instead, the Zune 120 box includes an attractive, yet average-sounding, pair of earbuds and the higher quality in-ear headphones are sold separately.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Video quality on the Zune 120 is unchanged, however, it's still one of the best video podcast players you can buy (the iPod Touch, with its larger screen and video-zooming feature, is even better).</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Zune vs. iPod</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The Zune still has a hard road ahead if it wants to catch up to the iPod. Microsoft is doing an admirable job, however, of carving out a niche of music fanatics who value the Zune's emphasis on music discovery and subscription-music gluttony. When it comes to high-capacity MP3 players, Apple and Microsoft are the two best options available, offering comparable features, file support, and audio quality.</span></p><p class="cnnInline" style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; display: inline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">But, unless you have a grudge against Apple or are tempted by the Zune's subscription-music service, the iPod's superior battery life and accessory options make it a better option for most users.<br /><br />source: cnn.com<br /></p></span></div><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/review-zune-music-player-catching-up-to.html';<br /></script><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div><script type='text/javascript'>addthis_url='<http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/review-zune-music-player-catching-up-to.html/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src='http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12' type='text/javascript'></script></div>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-43809368208327661702008-10-07T13:47:00.007-04:002008-10-07T14:11:35.491-04:00Apple Doesn't Need Jobs, Analyst Says<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_7mrFeSC8qjLqRQB_kj4ceLkvLlyqnOLTxqtx-c-lsrA5X310jKqvL-RNd2CJfbJIT9k0tGaQP2q0CX44ES2QoyNcr_54g1oHEX_erSl4AhW6uA-d4cFP4QxippCrwCOsm28AdJEY50/s1600-h/steve_jobs.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_7mrFeSC8qjLqRQB_kj4ceLkvLlyqnOLTxqtx-c-lsrA5X310jKqvL-RNd2CJfbJIT9k0tGaQP2q0CX44ES2QoyNcr_54g1oHEX_erSl4AhW6uA-d4cFP4QxippCrwCOsm28AdJEY50/s200/steve_jobs.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254472911350469314" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">'No reason' to think others couldn't carry the company forward</span><br /><br />Apple Inc. doesn't need Steve Jobs, an analyst argued today.<br /><br />Early on Friday, Apple shares slid below $100 for the first time since May 2007 after a false report circulated that Apple's 53-year-old CEO had suffered a major heart attack. The report, posted on iReport.com, a "citizen journalist" Web site operated by CNN, was quickly denied by Apple, but not before the share price had slid nearly 11%.<br /><br />The panic was unwarranted, said Ezra Gottheil, an analyst at Technology Business Research Inc.<br /><br />"Apple doesn't need Jobs anymore," Gottheil said. "He's established three sound businesses -- Mac, iPod and the iPhone -- and the company knows how to execute his fanatical devotion to design and usability. There's a stable management team in place, and they know what they're doing."<br /><br />Investors have been nervous about Jobs' health since last June, when he appeared gaunt at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference. Although company spokespeople said Jobs was under the weather from a "common bug," his appearance fueled speculation that he was again seriously ill, a reference to Jobs' 2004 announcement that he had had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in his pancreas. Jobs in July told The New York Times that he is healthy.<br /><br />Since then, other incidents, including the accidental posting of Jobs' obituary by Bloomberg LP's financial news service in August, have caused investors to question the company's future sans Jobs.<br /><br />They shouldn't be so worried, said Gottheil. "Without Jobs, Apple would have to pay a lot more to get the world's attention," he said, referring to the CEO's knack for promoting his company's products. "But he's got a company and a brand and an organization and a strategy in place. There's no reason to think that those things can't be carried forward without him."<br /><br />If Jobs stepped down, Tim Cook, currently chief operating officer, would run the company, Gottheil said. Cook ran Apple while Jobs out in 2004 after his cancer surgery. Jonathan Ive, Apple's senior vice president for industrial design, would pick up the reins on product design.<br /><br />The July hiring of former Segway Inc. Chief Technology Officer Doug Field as Apple's new vice president of design, Gottheil speculated, is an attempt by Apple to free up Ive to take on a more strategic view of product design.<br /><br />That's not to say that Apple wouldn't be different. It would play things more conservatively without Jobs, Gottheil speculated. "It may not be able to make the inspired guesses that created the iPod and the iPhone," he said. But those leaps aren't necessary for Apple to continue. "We believe that sort of risk-taking is no longer necessary, and the current management can build very effectively on what Jobs has created," Gottheil added.<br /><br />And Gottheil did note that Apple's shares will likely take a hit when Jobs does leave the company. "All this is not to say that the market won't react," he said. "Investors will certainly panic until they see proof that the management team can continue."<br /><br />"But I see Apple after Jobs as Ford after Henry Ford," Gottheil said. "The acolytes have incorporated the main teachings of Jobs. He's created a process and a culture that will continue."<br /><br />source:computerworld.com<br /><br />I believe Apple would fail without Steve Jobs, just as they did when they fired him back in 1985. His return to the company has brought success, Jobs is the motivating force behind Apple's current success.<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/apple-doesnt-need-jobs-analyst-says.html';<br /></script><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div><script type="text/javascript">addthis_url='<http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/apple-doesnt-need-jobs-analyst-says.html>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-75524183454082954532008-10-06T13:44:00.002-04:002008-10-06T13:48:16.744-04:00No depression, major recession, from US finance crisis: Bill Gates<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvSnNsk8w7VRVnYnIM6flmdwjjGtSJPgOHDwSqAryWNQzZRRpdrkZTPYQFDW_VOqFodwZb-iT2KgUwyWpfdSFjaYhkj1nKhwPOvcjUGJfLdAfz0HkPqjrcIi3croAUcvyFT5GkSmFzJE/s1600-h/CPS.NUM49.061008005639.photo00.quicklook.default-183x245.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvSnNsk8w7VRVnYnIM6flmdwjjGtSJPgOHDwSqAryWNQzZRRpdrkZTPYQFDW_VOqFodwZb-iT2KgUwyWpfdSFjaYhkj1nKhwPOvcjUGJfLdAfz0HkPqjrcIi3croAUcvyFT5GkSmFzJE/s200/CPS.NUM49.061008005639.photo00.quicklook.default-183x245.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254098662667904866" border="0" /></a>The richest man in America, Bill Gates, said in a television interview broadcast Sunday that the US financial crisis, while does not spell the end of capitalism and will not lead to a depression.<br /><br />"It's a very interesting crisis," Microsoft founder told CNN, discussing the US Congress's 700-billion dollar bailout bill for Wall Street which was passed Friday to stem economic jitters spreading around the world.<br /><br />The slump triggered by the collapse of the subprime housing market requires "some type of correction," Gates added, "but fundamentally ... companies' willingness to invest, right now we haven't seen a huge disruption in that."<br /><br />"It looks like the economy may go down somewhat, but nothing like a big recession or a depression," he added.<br /><br />On some experts' misgivings about the US bailout plan, Gates said: "it doesn't look like fixing these problems is going to derail the economy in some dramatic way."<br /><br />Gates, who last month topped Forbes magazine's list of the richest men in the United States with an estimated 57 billion dollar fortune, said the future of the US and the global economies lies in the resilience and innovative spirit of businessmen and scientists around the world.<br /><br />"The amount of innovation taking place, the amount of investment is actually greater today than ever," Gates said.<br /><br />"Because you not only have more American companies with more scientists and engineers and innovators, but now you have ... people from all over, including lots of people in India and China, now contributing to new drug design, new software design, new energy generation design."<br /><br />Gates said on CNN that the quest for new technologies to increase food production and reduce global warming through cheaper and cleaner energy sources "will deliver those advances" to push the world economy forward.<br /><br />Gates retired from Microsoft in June to focus on running the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed at fighting disease, reducing poverty, and improving education around the world.<br /><br />He remains Microsoft's largest single shareholder and chairman of company's board of directors.<br /><br />source:breitbart.com<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/no-depression-major-recession-from-us.html';<br /></script><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><!-- AddThis Button for Post BEGIN --><br /><div><script type="text/javascript">addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12" type="text/javascript"></script></div><br /><!-- AddThis Button for Post END -->Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-73082855617274494842008-10-06T13:13:00.003-04:002008-10-06T13:20:10.404-04:00Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn’t know that Macs can run Windows<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXWE1RQjLeEYdurrpsRchS2PfkBof5jlSpS9P9m63lxPyur0_y_aJJY8WnJB1_AiiJNEf_ui6GkNKeeAcDPKtTMsouytHABa_CVfsclYkzeBAlfpO__1nkx12_x6uKiKmNhJXM4eGIbQ/s1600-h/060427_ballmer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXWE1RQjLeEYdurrpsRchS2PfkBof5jlSpS9P9m63lxPyur0_y_aJJY8WnJB1_AiiJNEf_ui6GkNKeeAcDPKtTMsouytHABa_CVfsclYkzeBAlfpO__1nkx12_x6uKiKmNhJXM4eGIbQ/s320/060427_ballmer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254090584157847442" border="0" /></a>PC Magazine recently sat down with <a itxtdid="6779820" target="_blank" href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/microsoft_ceo_steve_ballmer_doesnt_know_that_macs_can_run_windows/#" style="border-bottom: 0.075em solid darkgreen ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; font-size: 100% ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; padding-bottom: 1px ! important; color: darkgreen ! important; background-color: transparent ! important;" classname="iAs" class="iAs">Microsoft</a> CEO Steve Ballmer to discuss a wide range of topics and, as invariably happens, a portion of the conversation turned to Apple:<br /><br /><b>PC Magazine:</b> <i>Microsoft is the icon of the PC. What do you think about the Apple commercials: "I'm a Mac, and I am a PC"?</i><br /><br /><b>Steve Ballmer:</b> <i>I think they need a little bit of correction, and you'll see us be much more vigorous about stating the case for the PC. The truth of the matter is, this is ironic. The PC outsells the Mac 33 to 1—32 to 1. And despite the fact that we don't sell PCs, we only sell Windows to people who make PCs. And the attack is actually on the PCs, interestingly enough. You'll see us defend the PC. We're going to talk about why—look, PCs are better than Macs. That is not something that can be debated. 32 out of every 33 times, somebody buys a PC instead of a Mac. I'm not saying that there are not some things that people like about Macs, apparently there are. But have you ever seen a cheap Mac? No.</i><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b>MacDailyNews Take: </b></span>Ballmer's definition of "better" needs a lot of work. Apple doesn't make "cheap" junk, but compare a Mac to a similarly-spec'ed <a itxtdid="6592635" target="_blank" href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/microsoft_ceo_steve_ballmer_doesnt_know_that_macs_can_run_windows/#" style="border-bottom: 0.075em solid darkgreen ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; font-size: 100% ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; padding-bottom: 1px ! important; color: darkgreen ! important; background-color: transparent ! important;" classname="iAs" class="iAs">PC</a> and you'll find the Macs is very competitive and, oftentimes, even less expensive. And using every cash register and dumb terminal in the world in an attempt to diminish Mac "market share" is just plain pathetic.<br /><br />• <a href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/18638/">NPD: Apple took 20% market share of U.S. retail notebook sales in July and August</a> - October 01, 2008<br />• <a href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/18631/">Net Applications: Apple’s Mac OS share hit new all-time high of 8.23% in September 2008</a> - October 01, 2008<br />• <a href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/18490/">NPD: Apple vaults to 10.6% share in North American notebook market</a> - September 17, 2008<br />• <a href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/18268/">Gartner: Apple Mac grabs 10.4 percent share of U.S. home market</a> - August 26, 2008<br />• <a href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/18047/">Gartner: Apple Mac #1 in Q2 08 Europe education market share - again</a> - August 01, 2008<br /><br /><b>Ballmer continues: </b><i>You know, they like to act like Macs are lightweight, there are much lighter weight PC notebooks. Macs—do they have the best battery power? Of course they don't have the best battery power. Macs tend to have nice screens, but can you get nicer screens for a PC? Of course. Do Macs work in business? No, they do not.</i><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b>MacDailyNews Take: </b></span>Ballmer's fear is palpable. Does he understand that an entire business unit of his company is dedicated to making Microsoft Office for Mac? (This is why Mac users should not buy Office, by the way; Microsoft will take your money and then immediately turn around and ignore your very existence). Do PCs run Mac OS X Leopard and iLife and many other best-in-class Mac-only apps? No, they do not. Only Apple Macs run all the world's major OSes and applications:<br /><br />• <a href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/17004/">Apple Macs run Windows Vista less awfully than PCs</a> - April 17, 2008<br />• <a href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/13312/">Windows to Mac switcher finds comfort in ability to run Windows, then leaves Windows behind</a> - April 16, 2007<br />• <a href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/10469/">Apple Macs that can run Windows are bad news for Microsoft</a> - August 08, 2006<br />• <a href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/9412/">Couldn’t you just buy a Mac and run Windows? Microsoft CEO Ballmer: ‘No, we prefer real PCs’</a> - April 29, 2006<br /><br /><b>Ballmer continues: </b><i>You know, there are so many—you know, can you find Macs in—I'm very sensitive to exactly what mouse I have on my laptop. Can you find a range of choices? Of course you can't find a range of choices.</i><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b>MacDailyNews Take: </b></span>This guy runs a company? (Yeah, into the ground.) Virtually any USB mouse from any company works with a Mac and, oh, by the way, this one does, too (for just one example of many from <b><i>Microsoft</i></b> itself): <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=103" target="_blank">Microsoft Notebook Mouse for Mac</a>: "Microsoft’s most portable <a itxtdid="6961828" target="_blank" href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/microsoft_ceo_steve_ballmer_doesnt_know_that_macs_can_run_windows/#" style="border-bottom: 0.075em solid darkgreen ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; font-size: 100% ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; padding-bottom: 1px ! important; color: darkgreen ! important; background-color: transparent ! important;" classname="iAs" class="iAs">wireless notebook mouse</a> connects seamlessly to Mac’s using Bluetooth." <b>We heartily discourage Mac users from buying products made by companies whose CEO's do not even know they make Mac products and who routinely disparage Mac users.</b><br /><br /><b>Ballmer continues: </b><i>You know, anyway—can you find the applications you want on the Mac? Well, you don't really get full Microsoft Office.</i><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b>MacDailyNews Take: </b></span>Because I tried to have them cripple it in order to push more PC sales since we screwed the pooch with Vista, but it backfired: <a href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/17260/">VBA returns to future Office for Mac versions</a> - May 13, 2008. And, check this out, too: <a href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/18117/">Fortune Small Business: The best PC for Microsoft Office is Apple Mac</a> - August 08, 2008<br /><br /><b>Ballmer continues: </b><i>So 32 out of 33 times people chose PCs, there must be something better about the PC, and that's a story that deserves to be told. I think it's a story of choice.</i><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b>MacDailyNews Take: </b></span>Yeah, the wrong choice: <a href="http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/17427/">Mac vs. Windows in business case study: Macs have 1/3 fewer problems that are solved 30% faster</a> - June 02, 2008<br /><br />Full article <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2331363,00.asp" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b>MacDailyNews Take: </b></span>Someone really should let Uncle Fester in on the news: Only Apple Macs run Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, etc. and their attendant applications. In other words, not only is the Mac able to run the world's most advanced operating system, Mac OS X, it can also slum it as a fast PC when the user so desires (or is forced to by Microsoft's many attempts at lock-in). Because Apple Macs also offer the full "PC experience," Ballmer's criticisms — and $300 million ad campaign — fail completely.<br /><br />source: macdailynews.com<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-doesnt-know.html';<br /></script><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><!-- AddThis Button for Post BEGIN --><br /><div><script type="text/javascript">addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12" type="text/javascript"></script></div><br /><!-- AddThis Button for Post END -->Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-74011793472673793362008-10-06T12:47:00.005-04:002008-10-06T13:56:35.809-04:00The 'Brick' is....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFqwB8i4u4ZnU9DvP9mHb4A6ObZH-31WrVcTz8o10Z724t7TRU7j_7sIz7Ld6pF92KXeNM3Soc_XoLgM3VFm1tCJVHD_Pjn3cNUM8s1fmFUoAcDe-uIQU-h3_nsPUb2OTwENmHC57HI/s1600-h/apple-laser.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFqwB8i4u4ZnU9DvP9mHb4A6ObZH-31WrVcTz8o10Z724t7TRU7j_7sIz7Ld6pF92KXeNM3Soc_XoLgM3VFm1tCJVHD_Pjn3cNUM8s1fmFUoAcDe-uIQU-h3_nsPUb2OTwENmHC57HI/s320/apple-laser.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254084689847938210" border="0" /></a>The MacBook Brick is a block of high-quality, aircraft grade aluminum. It is the beginning.<br /><br />The beginning of what?<br /><br />It is the beginning of the new Apple manufacturing process to make MacBooks. It is totally revolutionary, a game changer. One of the biggest Apple innovations in a decade.<br /><br />The MacBook manufacturing process up to this point has been outsourced to Chinese or Taiwanese manufacturers like Foxconn. Now Apple is in charge. The company has spent the last few years building an entirely new manufacturing process that uses lasers and jets of water to carve the MacBooks out of a brick of aluminum.<br /><br />(Yes, this sounded a bit crazy to us as well. But our source is adamant so bear with us. He says Apple has built a manufacturing process that would make Henry Ford proud.)<br /><br />This isn't entirely new. Steve Jobs has always had a fondness for having his own plant to produce computers. In 1990, he built a totally automated plant in Fremont California (thanks PED) that could build NeXT machines with only 100 workers. It was a "plant with just about everything: lasers, robots, speed, and remarkably few defects." Unfortunately, the demand wasn't very high at the time. However, Jobs remarked, "I'm as proud of the factory as I am of the computer."<br /><br />One thing about Steve Jobs is that he seems to always return to his failures and then turn them into successes. That is where our information ends and speculation begins.<br /><br />What advantages are there to manufacturing with 3D laser and water jet cutting?<br /><ul><li> Carving out of aluminum eliminates the need to bend the metal and create weak spots or microfolds and rifts.</li><li> There are no seams in the final product, so it is smooth. </li><li> Screws aren’t needed to tie the products together.</li><li> The shell is one piece of metal so it is super light, super strong and super cheap.</li><li> You can be a whole lot more creative with the design if you don't have to machine it.</li></ul>As Peter Oppenheimer said at the recent earnings call, this innovation is something "Apple's competitors won't be able to match" for some time to come. We expect the process to drive down the prices of MacBooks over the next few years and at the same time allow Apple to continue to lead in the innovation department. Design changes should come much more rapidly with rapid prototyping.<br /><br />The newly designed MacBooks are still on target for an October 14th announcement and the press should be getting invites within the next few days. There are still so many questions to be answered. I am sure Steve Jobs will enjoy answering them.<br /><br />Where does PA Semi fit into this? What about former Segway CTO, Doug Field who was hired as Apple VP of product design a few months ago?<br /><br />We realize that a lot of people will be skeptical but bear with us for a few weeks. Remember when we said there were going to be aluminum iMacs? Fat nanos? iPod Touch? Slim, MacBook Air? Basically, every major product that Apple has released over the past 15 months. We are putting a lot on the line here for this mother of all rumors...wish us luck :D<br /><br />(oh, and sorry for the riddling...it was at the behest of our source)<br /><br />source: 9to5mac.com<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/brick-is.html';<br /></script><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><!-- AddThis Button for Post BEGIN --><br /><div><script type="text/javascript">addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12" type="text/javascript"></script></div><br /><!-- AddThis Button for Post END -->Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-68540274792330476732008-10-04T13:33:00.007-04:002008-10-06T22:44:00.645-04:00Craig Ferguson Apple & Microsoft JokesHere are 2 videos of Craig Ferguson telling some Apple & Microsoft jokes, enjoy.<br /><br />Microsoft, Wake Up and Smell Defeat!<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/f8o6Hx40Cvs&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f8o6Hx40Cvs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />iPhone Spanks Microsoft<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hh-eqWwOad0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hh-eqWwOad0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/craig-ferguson-apple-microsoft-jokes.html';<br /></script><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script></object><!-- AddThis Button for Post BEGIN --><br /><div><script type="text/javascript">addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12" type="text/javascript"></script></div><br /><!-- AddThis Button for Post END -->Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-45708777314496301452008-10-04T13:16:00.003-04:002008-10-04T13:21:45.744-04:00Windows XP Gets Another Six Months to Live: Will Not Go Gently Into that Good Night<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eNnDiJmFjaL7o6P9vOmxm-MQrZSLT_u8JdkaYCdvnLAXix7isduOElZ6F4bEtX2VhXUkKYYlMYjj4UWRiDD_JDSWsQ3RVLTIjriQKrqxPisewxX6mdM037nkItCyouUN8a7cuNof9Lk/s1600-h/windows-xp-home-box1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eNnDiJmFjaL7o6P9vOmxm-MQrZSLT_u8JdkaYCdvnLAXix7isduOElZ6F4bEtX2VhXUkKYYlMYjj4UWRiDD_JDSWsQ3RVLTIjriQKrqxPisewxX6mdM037nkItCyouUN8a7cuNof9Lk/s200/windows-xp-home-box1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253349055648769170" border="0" /></a>According to a leaked email from a PC OEM, Microsoft has officially extended the life of its now-beloved Windows XP, moving the date of planned obsolescence from January 31, 2009 all the way to July 31, 2009. In the wake of its very expensive ad campaign promoting (in a roundabout way) Vista, the move is a bit surprising. Essentially, Microsoft is trying to let users skip Vista completely, moving directly from XP to its forthcoming OS, Windows 7. The deadline for OEMs to include Windows XP recovery discs has been pushed back a couple of times already, and apparently some Microsoft hardware partners want it even further in the future than July. XP has become the Bill Clinton of OSs (stay with me here): yeah, it was great at the time, but it's showing its age and its enthusiasm for the new guy is sometimes suspect. Windows 3.11 in 2008!<br /><br />source:gizmodo.com<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/windows-xp-gets-another-six-months-to.html';<br /></script><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><!-- AddThis Button for Post BEGIN --><br /><div><script type='text/javascript'>addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src='http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12' type='text/javascript'></script></div><br /><!-- AddThis Button for Post END -->Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-44563655014805930392008-10-04T12:45:00.007-04:002008-10-04T13:10:27.442-04:00Sec Hunting for Steve Jobs Rumor Starter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7dTxpGdFhkPUcd1Pf1S-orFn34R7PydMmkA5DbTJlx4giRMHp8Tr3j6qSmRzWo9H7hRuajg9gzZbRRZfOqac-1eHE8WKcvKd3tWwJntIJknr6NvlecV9a2s9tp5RnFbw5wh_MTUNsMY/s1600-h/picture-69.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7dTxpGdFhkPUcd1Pf1S-orFn34R7PydMmkA5DbTJlx4giRMHp8Tr3j6qSmRzWo9H7hRuajg9gzZbRRZfOqac-1eHE8WKcvKd3tWwJntIJknr6NvlecV9a2s9tp5RnFbw5wh_MTUNsMY/s200/picture-69.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253344901662529538" border="0" /></a>I'm sure by now we all have heard about the Steve Jobs so called "heart attack" was just a rumor. The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating “Johntw,” the as-yet unidentified rumor mongerer who briefly drove Apple stocks down nearly 10% Friday before Apple PR finally broke its silence and let it be known that Steve Jobs had not, in fact, suffered a heart attack?<br /><br />Rumors are not uncommon for Apple, there have been negative and positive for the company. CNN says it is cooperating with the investigation, giving the SEC what information it has about Johntw (most likely limited to an IP number and an e-mail address), and it is possible that the Feds will get their man. Or woman.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3wlnP5_3Kyc3e7rscB6npmAkxaKk51jPSSxOxGHULZ2Kru2ATpq4zFxE_GoS4dmL17HPESNd8pqm94SdW6g8ZVpPvIkn4N2hTpcZ6SYIlnRjZJ01E78nE77PpyRyYViJr21MuU_9xII/s1600-h/picture-70.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3wlnP5_3Kyc3e7rscB6npmAkxaKk51jPSSxOxGHULZ2Kru2ATpq4zFxE_GoS4dmL17HPESNd8pqm94SdW6g8ZVpPvIkn4N2hTpcZ6SYIlnRjZJ01E78nE77PpyRyYViJr21MuU_9xII/s200/picture-70.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253345382483365826" border="0" /></a><br />I think if someone knowingly starts a rumor or passes on a rumor, they should be punished severely. This is even worse than insider trading. This is deliberate and malicious destruction of value and people’s lives. I hope the SEC gets this "Johntw" and make him an example for all those who find the need to start rumors.<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/sec-hunting-for-steve-jobs-rumor.html';<br /></script><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><!-- AddThis Button for Post BEGIN --><br /><div><script type='text/javascript'>addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src='http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12' type='text/javascript'></script></div><br /><!-- AddThis Button for Post END -->Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-75519373893306250222008-10-03T21:49:00.009-04:002008-10-03T23:12:46.332-04:00It’s Official: Microsoft Freezes Hiring<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxQ3d4R-YFeFvrAZT1k9JgyAIMMIF1tExPPvMFOVpfUDO-KAbsk26JKSGyMS03Fk4s7c2wNGB67LGtWjXZnIqZvlS_joZCuya6qAFdr1Q9P3K28L2DIp55B-8FQp5sxzJaUQaa9m0PLs/s1600-h/FE_DA_080201microsoft.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxQ3d4R-YFeFvrAZT1k9JgyAIMMIF1tExPPvMFOVpfUDO-KAbsk26JKSGyMS03Fk4s7c2wNGB67LGtWjXZnIqZvlS_joZCuya6qAFdr1Q9P3K28L2DIp55B-8FQp5sxzJaUQaa9m0PLs/s200/FE_DA_080201microsoft.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253111191364355458" /></a>I don't blame Microsoft for the hiring halt, with the economic uncertainties , most companies will be doing the same.<br /><br />Here is an article from gamercenteronline.com:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Today, according to AlleyInsider, Robbie Bach, who heads Entertainment and Devices (Xbox, Zune, etc), sent out an email last night announcing a freeze at his group at Micorsoft. Prior to receiving the news AlleyInsider questioned Microsoft for comment about the possibility of a companywide hiring freeze. Statement from spokesman Lou Gellos:<br /><br />“Microsoft will continue to grow and add thousands of new jobs this year, but given the current economic environment we are taking the prudent step of reviewing our hiring plans and will make some adjustments as appropriate. We are optimistic about our prospects for growth and will continue hiring the talent we need to ensure our ongoing success.”</span><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/its-official-microsoft-freezes-hiring.html';</script><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><!-- AddThis Button for Post BEGIN --><br /><div><script type='text/javascript'>addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src='http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12' type='text/javascript'></script></div><br /><!-- AddThis Button for Post END -->Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293759965264344724.post-32245310580470377642008-10-03T21:40:00.009-04:002008-10-03T23:13:42.060-04:00Microsoft Profits vs. $700 Billion Wall Street Bailout<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWS1Drd13-uVdmwb4S6DwJ1dB5sJTuWeoCAXXZ3YDoF9G9oH1njRYUz9zwf8PZOUyZm3wdVUjiN5ibGtH_V6cQWABpGcyGwp2RKt2e3UbEGWfWSI_dYNCP8xxDscG0qi3KfTAr40OkiI4/s1600-h/billgates-wall-street-bailout.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWS1Drd13-uVdmwb4S6DwJ1dB5sJTuWeoCAXXZ3YDoF9G9oH1njRYUz9zwf8PZOUyZm3wdVUjiN5ibGtH_V6cQWABpGcyGwp2RKt2e3UbEGWfWSI_dYNCP8xxDscG0qi3KfTAr40OkiI4/s200/billgates-wall-street-bailout.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253108648876270162" /></a>Microsoft has endorsed the $700 billion Wall Street bailout that President Bush signed into law on Oct. 3. But how’s this for some quick math: Microsoft’s annual profits could pay the entire $700 billion sum faster than some US homeowners can pay off their mortgages. Here’s how.<br /><br />Let’s do some quick math. Microsoft’s net income was $17.681 billion for its fiscal year ended June 2008. Now, assume those annual profits hold steady until the end of time. (Hey, it could happen.)<br />If Uncle Sam invoiced Microsoft for the entire $700 billion bailout (and let’s assume we don’t charge Microsoft interest…), the software giant could pay off the $700 billion balance in roughly 39 years and seven months.<br /><br />At that rate, Microsoft could pay for the bailout faster than some US homeowners will pay off their mortgages.<br />My Fellow Americans: Thank You<br /><br />Brad Smith, senior VP and general counsel at Microsoft, isn’t offering to pick up the $700 billion tab. But he is praising the government bailout plan.<br /><br />According to a statement from Smith released Oct. 3:<br /><br />Congressional passage of the financial recovery package is a critically important step to bringing back economic stability in the U.S. and around the globe. This crisis affects more than just the U.S. financial sector, it affects every corner of the world economy, and today’s vote will help re-instill confidence around the globe. Microsoft is pleased to see members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate come together to pass this important legislation. I particularly appreciate the support of the Members of the Washington State delegation who cast their vote today to help preserve jobs in all sectors of the economy of Washington state and across the U.S.<br /><br />Yada, yada, yada, thank you Main Street USA for bailing out Wall Street.<div></div><div>source:thevarguy.com</div><div><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://gatesandjobs.blogspot.com/2008/10/microsoft-profits-vs-700-billion-wall.html';<br /></script><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><!-- AddThis Button for Post BEGIN --><div><script type='text/javascript'>addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tedward83';</script><script src='http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12' type='text/javascript'></script></div><br /><!-- AddThis Button for Post END -->Tony E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17367301048804428672noreply@blogger.com0