I've been noticing the trend for enterprise acceptance for Macs for a while now. It started with some of the industry mags (not just MacWorld and Mac Addict) writing about Macs. Perhaps it was the introduction of XServe with its UNIX power, Mac ease of use, and cheaper licensing. Or maybe it was an offshoot of the move to Linux. Whatever the case, I've seen more and more actual stories in the different magazines that weren't simply bashing the Mac as in the days of old. Rather, the writers were talking about each new Mac OS release, the performance, etc.
I find it especially funny how it contrasts the "market share" numbers published. This is certainly higher than the 3-4% you commonly see. One could say "well these numbers are business numbers so they must have higher acceptance in the enterprise than for home users", which once again goes against everything we've been taught over the years. "If you want a home machine, a Mac is ok. But for business, you need a PC".
You've got a great point here. Some companies have a product or a store and try to drive traffic to their site. These sites have massive traffic flow already, so now all they have to do is sell a product or service.
This could be a new business model. Build a site that simply draws boatloads of traffic. It doesn't matter what the site does...just get the numbers. Once you reach critical mass, research the demographics and find the best fit of a product or service to sell. Hmmmm...
Well...I didn't know what to think of all this social networking when it first came out. I saw it as a "fun" little thing. Some catered to professionals, some to musicians, some to the people who just like to play on the web. I, along with many other people, simply saw it as a fad that wouldn't amount to anything. And now they're getting bought for loads of money? Are we going to have another dot com era?
People buy Macs not because of what chip it's running on, but because of the user experience. Sure, the PPC chip was great for bragging rights when it first came out, but that was only one of the things that supposedly made the Mac better (and unfortunately, the promises of the RISC chip didn't live up to the hype).
When the Mac first came out, it got rave reviews for being a nice interface and easy to use. It helped start the desktop publishing revolution with its graphics. But nobody really cared about the chip it ran on. Then came Windows which basically emulated the interface of point and click. That's when the chip became an issue.
Fast forward to now, with the "big switch". So Macs will run on Intel chips. What does that mean? Probably a boost in performance since Intel is actually speeding up their chips in a speed war with AMD (whereas Motorola and IBM didn't really seem to care) and perhaps cheaper prices. But the big thing to note...the Mac will still be a Mac. It will still have a pretty, usuable face on its UNIX underpinnings. It will be easy for newbies to use, it will be hard core for the geeks to use, it'll be a simple interface for everything you want to connect to it as a digital hub. So why leave? Stay with the Mac and see if it gets even faster.
This could turn out to be an interesting battle. Sony is already quite peeved that Apple has dominated the portable music market. Whereas the PSP looks like a rockin' game system, it also doubles as a sly entry into the portable video market. Apple has the distribution (with iTMS)...then again Sony owns quite a bit in the video realm. So, where do we go? With a pseudo-mini DVD player like the PSP or a video version of iTMS and iPod? And just in time for Christmas...
Even if it's not the heat that's killing you, I find surfing outside to be a major pain anyway. Viewing the screen is just too much trouble, so you need a dark and cloudy day...and then again, who the hell wants to sit outside on a dark, cloudy day? Sunny...it sucks. Dark and cloudy, bleh. I whole-heartedly agree that the public places would be the way to go and they need to REMIND their residents AND visitors that free WiFi is available...perhaps with little plackards or stickers. This would benefit the residents and it would also make the city's visitors go "wow, what a forward-thinking town I'm in".
Sounds great, doesn't it? Free WiFi for the entire city. No need to search for hotspots. No need to pay to surf while you're sipping your Starbucks coffee. But...realistically, who's going to use it? I'm a WiFi junkie and I keep forgetting about all these free WiFi initiatives. Also, we need to keep into consideration that first wee need a very mobile client base, people lugging around their laptops and then using them somewhere. When they do pull out their computers to work, it's usually at a hotel (which generally provides WiFi now) or at work (provided network) or at home (probably networked). I doubt anyone is going to cancel their Internet service at home simply because the city provides free WiFi. I'd much rather blame Comcast for a downed network than rely on the city. Like I said...it sounds great, but the logistics and cost of it all far outweigh the reality of the situation.
Are the desktop wars over as many had previously assumed. "Microsoft has won". There still seem to be some coals on the fire though. You've got a couple of these open source projects (OpenOffice, NeoOffice, etc). Then you've got Apple doing their thing...starting with Safari, then Keynote, then iWork...Then you've got the whole Apple moving to x86 and everything that brings such as developers showing how easy it is to port to x86 by doing a full conversion during the WWDC and nutty statements like Michael Dell saying he'd sell OS X if Apple decided to sell it as a standalone product.
I'm not really sure the desktop wars are over. Each announcement of stable, full-featured M$ replacement seems to solidify that assumption. Thoughts anyone?
Is there any good reason for a web startup to not be open about what it is doing? What about other kinds of software startups? What about hardware startups?
One giant reason for all of these is protecting your Intellectual Property. Assuming you're a small startup, you want to make sure your IP is protected against the big boys with loads of cash. Otherwise, M$ or anyone else with billions on hand can go "hm, look at that idea. Jones! You now have a $1.2 million budget. Makes something like this, market the hell out of it, and let's go".
2. There is not as of yet ANY truly branded hardcore computer repair group spanningt the country (cept maybe GeekSquad from best buy but that is stretching it). these people who get there names branded properly are going to do well..
BRANDING this is going to be HUGE...Franchising this out will be well worth it...
You hit the nail on the head with the whole branding thing. When Joe Average's computer breaks, what does he do? Aside from calling his geek brother-in-law first trying to get some free help, he ends up pouring over the Yellow Pages trying to find someone that can repair his computer. He has noooo idea who is good, who works out of the garage, who actually knows what they're doing, etc. All he sees is a bunch of 1/8 page ads, some listings here and there, and it's a big crap shoot for him. But now...now he sees the Geek Squad commercial on TV. He recognizes that logo. He's seen it in magazines. That's where he's going to go. Maybe the time is right to join in...
...and resinstall all of the programs that you have from the original factory disks that are carefully organized on your bookshelf, right? Oh, and somehow copy all of your docs and emails over to the new PC. Oh, and restore all of your settings, preferences, backgrounds, sounds. Sounds like a 10-minute job to me.
I hear tech support can help with all that. What a vicious cycle!
It's interesting to note that they talk about how Skype and Kazaa are encouraging people to adopt broadband usage. I do remember back in the day how agonizing it was trying to download mp3s on dialup. In fact, I didn't really want to download any for fear of bashing my head in from being so damn frustrated. I have used Skype also (still have it loaded on the 'puter) but I think it's more of the "established" businesses and practices that are pushing broadband (that and "Keeping up with the Joneses"). I now use Broadvoice for my VoIP at home and surely wouldn't do it without broadband. I also think iTMS is a HUGE influence on broadband adoption that is often overlooked. Who would have guessed the so-called iPod halo effect would not only push over to Mac sales but also to broadband sales?
I hope the Intel chip is capable of snagging all the different flavors of wireless. We already have a bunch in the 802.11 area. Now with WiMax...especially in the US...we have a bunch more. Scary thing is, the "The Federal Communications Commission has chosen to allocate radio spectrum in the 3.5- and 10-gigahertz bands to private WiMax providers. The rest of the developed world has WiMax allocation in different spectrum locations." Business Week Thus, we have a myriad of flavors here in the US, then the US standards of course don't conform to international standards. We may be needing laptops with a whole slew of different chips or for Intel to kick some major arse in their chip R&D.
Yeah...M$ MEANT for that to happen. Here's the real story:
M$ Exec 1: "Oh sh*t!!! We've got a security problem. One of our computers has been lured to a baaaaad network"
M$ Exec 2: "Crap. Wait, I know. Get MarComm on the phone. We'll tell the world we were running a test. We're finding flaws so we can fix them. Yeah, that's the ticket."
M$ Exec 1: "Good thinking! Maybe we should tell them to also release a statement that the BSOD is actually Microsoft's commitment to employee health. A soothing blue screen comes up, gently reminding employees to get up, stretch their legs, refocus their eyes..."
There's quite a hoopla about Steve's comments. I don't really see it as a "drop out, college is useless" comment that everyone (even the headline) makes it out to be.
More importantly, we need to look deeper into what he said and why he said it. For some people, college probably is a waste of time. If he had stayed in college (pressure from family, etc), maybe Apple never would have come to be. Maybe he would have lost all motivation or thinking differently and would have graduated with his degree and got a job as an accountant or programmer somewhere. For Steve, his personality conflicted with the structured ways of university learning. For others, it could be the kiss of death to not get that college degree. Some people need need the schooling to mature a bit. I'm glad he dropped out, scraped for food, and was willing to do whatever it took to survive and to take his "beleaguered company" back.
And here are a couple more for your list that makes AMD seem to be a better choice IMHO.
6) Both AMD and Apple are part of the HyperTransport Consortium. They're already been partnered up and working together for a while on technologies.
7) AMD is a scrappy little company that has come from behind Intel and pushed the x86 limits, often forcing Intel to scramble to catch up. On a tech level, AMD has proven itself. On a corporate culture level, I'm sure Apple appreciates AMD's "we're the underdog and still kicking ass" attitude.
Of course, Intel has been dumping loads and loads of money into research on a bazillion different fronts. AMD just seems to make sense though.
There was a coffee shop in New Orleans airport that had something similar to this. You had to buy coffee and printed on the receipt was a code you punched in which gave you access to their "free" network. I of course was too cheap of a bastard to buy coffee.
I think a 2 hour limit should be good enough for coffee. If someone blows through that two hours but is a legitimate customer, either the customer should have no problem buying another cup in 2 hours or the shop should have no problem saying "hey, you spent 2 hours on your cup. Please buy another or give your seat to paying customers"
It's funny to see how everyone here is an expert in business, marketing, general human psychology, and the like. "Charge for this", "put up signs for that", "only allow this"...it's not that easy.
There is a fine balance between welcoming people that will eventually turn into customers and attracting hordes of freeloaders, from enforcing a policy that keeps paying customers happy while they surf to appearing to be too harsh like you're running a police state in your store. Let's face it...each restaurant, each cafe, each location in a city has its own unique needs. The Panera Bread that offers free WiFi in a college town may need to have a monitor walk the store and ask abusers of the free WiFi to leave while the Panera in a DC suburb may have mindful users that monitor themselves as they come in, grab lunch, surf, and leave. Timed access codes may work for some places, purchase-required policies may be needed in others, and some may be able to offer it 24/7 without incident.
I for one would go back to a VCR before submitting to this.
While this sounds great in theory and it would be great to say "F you Mr. Man!", I severely doubt this kind of action would become a reality. Would you REALLY go back to VCRs? Losing your ability to skip forward or backward to certain spots on the DVD? Video stores are all making the transition to DVD anyway. I doubt you'll be able to subscribe to Netflix and have them send you a VHS tape.
Plus, are people saying "I will not buy all this DRM-stuffed music" and going back to audio tapes? CDs are starting to have it...and let's not even talk about all the online music that is nothing but DRM with some sound files on it. People aren't dumping iTMS and Napster and moving back to audio tapes.
It's a nice thought...it just simply won't happen.
Simmer down folks. Just because it may have the word "iPod" in the name doesn't mean it's going to have a tiny 1.5" screen. Hell, the iPod Shuffle doesn't even have a screen, yet it still says "iPod". What better way to capitalize on an amazingly successful brand name...use the term "iPod". Use the marketing muscle, the brand awareness, and put out a small video device that all Mac-heads, all trendy people, all geeks, and all consumers will want because "it's an iPod that plays video".
This is pretty damn cool if you ask me. All this time I thought we came up with solutions to complex problems (or even the band who does a particular song) while in bed was because we were more relaxed as we were getting ready to pass out and fall asleep. However, that could still be the case. Maybe there mere act of lying down puts the body in a more relaxed state and thus we get our solutions. More studies please!
It's true that the added infrastructure does cost more money for said companies. But how many companies have to be compromised? How many millions of identities have to be stolen before the government (or even companies with a concern for the people) puts some sort of regulations in place? We now have SOX compliance to deal with which will supposedly protect investors thanks to the Enron debacle. I would think that all this personal information would actually be a higher priority...but maybe I'm wrong.
One thing I don't understand is why our personal information has to be accessable to the entire world...ie, exposed to the Internet. It should be treated as any other item of high value and locked up or kept away from the public. A company doesn't keep their stock certificates or other valuables in the lobbies of their branch offices, so why should our data be "available" to the public? Why not just keep the computers that hold all this information on a separate network...one that is not connected to the outside world? Keep it guarded in a completely closed network and then workers can have a separate computer and network to interact with the rest of the Internet world.
In no time at all there are going to be a whole slew of Dashboard-centric sites, Automator-centric sites, Spotlight-centric sites, and so forth. Just like there are a myriad of PHP, Javascript, CSS, etc sties, we're going to see a bunch based solely on this new Mac OS.
You gotta hand it to Apple. They create an entire industry around an iPod (don't you love how Belkin, once a patch cord company, makes loads of money off iPod accessories) and are now already sporting sites all over for an OS just recently (and in some places not even out yet) released.
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I've been noticing the trend for enterprise acceptance for Macs for a while now. It started with some of the industry mags (not just MacWorld and Mac Addict) writing about Macs. Perhaps it was the introduction of XServe with its UNIX power, Mac ease of use, and cheaper licensing. Or maybe it was an offshoot of the move to Linux. Whatever the case, I've seen more and more actual stories in the different magazines that weren't simply bashing the Mac as in the days of old. Rather, the writers were talking about each new Mac OS release, the performance, etc.
I find it especially funny how it contrasts the "market share" numbers published. This is certainly higher than the 3-4% you commonly see. One could say "well these numbers are business numbers so they must have higher acceptance in the enterprise than for home users", which once again goes against everything we've been taught over the years. "If you want a home machine, a Mac is ok. But for business, you need a PC".
You've got a great point here. Some companies have a product or a store and try to drive traffic to their site. These sites have massive traffic flow already, so now all they have to do is sell a product or service.
This could be a new business model. Build a site that simply draws boatloads of traffic. It doesn't matter what the site does...just get the numbers. Once you reach critical mass, research the demographics and find the best fit of a product or service to sell. Hmmmm...
Well...I didn't know what to think of all this social networking when it first came out. I saw it as a "fun" little thing. Some catered to professionals, some to musicians, some to the people who just like to play on the web. I, along with many other people, simply saw it as a fad that wouldn't amount to anything. And now they're getting bought for loads of money? Are we going to have another dot com era?
People buy Macs not because of what chip it's running on, but because of the user experience. Sure, the PPC chip was great for bragging rights when it first came out, but that was only one of the things that supposedly made the Mac better (and unfortunately, the promises of the RISC chip didn't live up to the hype).
When the Mac first came out, it got rave reviews for being a nice interface and easy to use. It helped start the desktop publishing revolution with its graphics. But nobody really cared about the chip it ran on. Then came Windows which basically emulated the interface of point and click. That's when the chip became an issue.
Fast forward to now, with the "big switch". So Macs will run on Intel chips. What does that mean? Probably a boost in performance since Intel is actually speeding up their chips in a speed war with AMD (whereas Motorola and IBM didn't really seem to care) and perhaps cheaper prices. But the big thing to note...the Mac will still be a Mac. It will still have a pretty, usuable face on its UNIX underpinnings. It will be easy for newbies to use, it will be hard core for the geeks to use, it'll be a simple interface for everything you want to connect to it as a digital hub. So why leave? Stay with the Mac and see if it gets even faster.
This could turn out to be an interesting battle. Sony is already quite peeved that Apple has dominated the portable music market. Whereas the PSP looks like a rockin' game system, it also doubles as a sly entry into the portable video market. Apple has the distribution (with iTMS)...then again Sony owns quite a bit in the video realm. So, where do we go? With a pseudo-mini DVD player like the PSP or a video version of iTMS and iPod? And just in time for Christmas...
Who the hell wants to sit outside and surf?
Even if it's not the heat that's killing you, I find surfing outside to be a major pain anyway. Viewing the screen is just too much trouble, so you need a dark and cloudy day...and then again, who the hell wants to sit outside on a dark, cloudy day? Sunny...it sucks. Dark and cloudy, bleh. I whole-heartedly agree that the public places would be the way to go and they need to REMIND their residents AND visitors that free WiFi is available...perhaps with little plackards or stickers. This would benefit the residents and it would also make the city's visitors go "wow, what a forward-thinking town I'm in".
Sounds great, doesn't it? Free WiFi for the entire city. No need to search for hotspots. No need to pay to surf while you're sipping your Starbucks coffee. But...realistically, who's going to use it? I'm a WiFi junkie and I keep forgetting about all these free WiFi initiatives. Also, we need to keep into consideration that first wee need a very mobile client base, people lugging around their laptops and then using them somewhere. When they do pull out their computers to work, it's usually at a hotel (which generally provides WiFi now) or at work (provided network) or at home (probably networked). I doubt anyone is going to cancel their Internet service at home simply because the city provides free WiFi. I'd much rather blame Comcast for a downed network than rely on the city. Like I said...it sounds great, but the logistics and cost of it all far outweigh the reality of the situation.
Are the desktop wars over as many had previously assumed. "Microsoft has won". There still seem to be some coals on the fire though. You've got a couple of these open source projects (OpenOffice, NeoOffice, etc). Then you've got Apple doing their thing...starting with Safari, then Keynote, then iWork...Then you've got the whole Apple moving to x86 and everything that brings such as developers showing how easy it is to port to x86 by doing a full conversion during the WWDC and nutty statements like Michael Dell saying he'd sell OS X if Apple decided to sell it as a standalone product.
I'm not really sure the desktop wars are over. Each announcement of stable, full-featured M$ replacement seems to solidify that assumption. Thoughts anyone?
Is there any good reason for a web startup to not be open about what it is doing? What about other kinds of software startups? What about hardware startups?
One giant reason for all of these is protecting your Intellectual Property. Assuming you're a small startup, you want to make sure your IP is protected against the big boys with loads of cash. Otherwise, M$ or anyone else with billions on hand can go "hm, look at that idea. Jones! You now have a $1.2 million budget. Makes something like this, market the hell out of it, and let's go".
2. There is not as of yet ANY truly branded hardcore computer repair group spanningt the country (cept maybe GeekSquad from best buy but that is stretching it). these people who get there names branded properly are going to do well.. BRANDING this is going to be HUGE...Franchising this out will be well worth it...
You hit the nail on the head with the whole branding thing. When Joe Average's computer breaks, what does he do? Aside from calling his geek brother-in-law first trying to get some free help, he ends up pouring over the Yellow Pages trying to find someone that can repair his computer. He has noooo idea who is good, who works out of the garage, who actually knows what they're doing, etc. All he sees is a bunch of 1/8 page ads, some listings here and there, and it's a big crap shoot for him. But now...now he sees the Geek Squad commercial on TV. He recognizes that logo. He's seen it in magazines. That's where he's going to go. Maybe the time is right to join in...
...and resinstall all of the programs that you have from the original factory disks that are carefully organized on your bookshelf, right? Oh, and somehow copy all of your docs and emails over to the new PC. Oh, and restore all of your settings, preferences, backgrounds, sounds. Sounds like a 10-minute job to me.
I hear tech support can help with all that. What a vicious cycle!
It's interesting to note that they talk about how Skype and Kazaa are encouraging people to adopt broadband usage. I do remember back in the day how agonizing it was trying to download mp3s on dialup. In fact, I didn't really want to download any for fear of bashing my head in from being so damn frustrated. I have used Skype also (still have it loaded on the 'puter) but I think it's more of the "established" businesses and practices that are pushing broadband (that and "Keeping up with the Joneses"). I now use Broadvoice for my VoIP at home and surely wouldn't do it without broadband. I also think iTMS is a HUGE influence on broadband adoption that is often overlooked. Who would have guessed the so-called iPod halo effect would not only push over to Mac sales but also to broadband sales?
I hope the Intel chip is capable of snagging all the different flavors of wireless. We already have a bunch in the 802.11 area. Now with WiMax...especially in the US...we have a bunch more. Scary thing is, the "The Federal Communications Commission has chosen to allocate radio spectrum in the 3.5- and 10-gigahertz bands to private WiMax providers. The rest of the developed world has WiMax allocation in different spectrum locations." Business Week Thus, we have a myriad of flavors here in the US, then the US standards of course don't conform to international standards. We may be needing laptops with a whole slew of different chips or for Intel to kick some major arse in their chip R&D.
Yeah...M$ MEANT for that to happen. Here's the real story:
M$ Exec 1: "Oh sh*t!!! We've got a security problem. One of our computers has been lured to a baaaaad network"
M$ Exec 2: "Crap. Wait, I know. Get MarComm on the phone. We'll tell the world we were running a test. We're finding flaws so we can fix them. Yeah, that's the ticket."
M$ Exec 1: "Good thinking! Maybe we should tell them to also release a statement that the BSOD is actually Microsoft's commitment to employee health. A soothing blue screen comes up, gently reminding employees to get up, stretch their legs, refocus their eyes..."
There's quite a hoopla about Steve's comments. I don't really see it as a "drop out, college is useless" comment that everyone (even the headline) makes it out to be.
More importantly, we need to look deeper into what he said and why he said it. For some people, college probably is a waste of time. If he had stayed in college (pressure from family, etc), maybe Apple never would have come to be. Maybe he would have lost all motivation or thinking differently and would have graduated with his degree and got a job as an accountant or programmer somewhere. For Steve, his personality conflicted with the structured ways of university learning. For others, it could be the kiss of death to not get that college degree. Some people need need the schooling to mature a bit. I'm glad he dropped out, scraped for food, and was willing to do whatever it took to survive and to take his "beleaguered company" back.
And here are a couple more for your list that makes AMD seem to be a better choice IMHO.
6) Both AMD and Apple are part of the HyperTransport Consortium. They're already been partnered up and working together for a while on technologies.
7) AMD is a scrappy little company that has come from behind Intel and pushed the x86 limits, often forcing Intel to scramble to catch up. On a tech level, AMD has proven itself. On a corporate culture level, I'm sure Apple appreciates AMD's "we're the underdog and still kicking ass" attitude.
Of course, Intel has been dumping loads and loads of money into research on a bazillion different fronts. AMD just seems to make sense though.
There was a coffee shop in New Orleans airport that had something similar to this. You had to buy coffee and printed on the receipt was a code you punched in which gave you access to their "free" network. I of course was too cheap of a bastard to buy coffee.
I think a 2 hour limit should be good enough for coffee. If someone blows through that two hours but is a legitimate customer, either the customer should have no problem buying another cup in 2 hours or the shop should have no problem saying "hey, you spent 2 hours on your cup. Please buy another or give your seat to paying customers"
It's funny to see how everyone here is an expert in business, marketing, general human psychology, and the like. "Charge for this", "put up signs for that", "only allow this"...it's not that easy.
There is a fine balance between welcoming people that will eventually turn into customers and attracting hordes of freeloaders, from enforcing a policy that keeps paying customers happy while they surf to appearing to be too harsh like you're running a police state in your store. Let's face it...each restaurant, each cafe, each location in a city has its own unique needs. The Panera Bread that offers free WiFi in a college town may need to have a monitor walk the store and ask abusers of the free WiFi to leave while the Panera in a DC suburb may have mindful users that monitor themselves as they come in, grab lunch, surf, and leave. Timed access codes may work for some places, purchase-required policies may be needed in others, and some may be able to offer it 24/7 without incident.
I for one would go back to a VCR before submitting to this.
While this sounds great in theory and it would be great to say "F you Mr. Man!", I severely doubt this kind of action would become a reality. Would you REALLY go back to VCRs? Losing your ability to skip forward or backward to certain spots on the DVD? Video stores are all making the transition to DVD anyway. I doubt you'll be able to subscribe to Netflix and have them send you a VHS tape.
Plus, are people saying "I will not buy all this DRM-stuffed music" and going back to audio tapes? CDs are starting to have it...and let's not even talk about all the online music that is nothing but DRM with some sound files on it. People aren't dumping iTMS and Napster and moving back to audio tapes.
It's a nice thought...it just simply won't happen.
Simmer down folks. Just because it may have the word "iPod" in the name doesn't mean it's going to have a tiny 1.5" screen. Hell, the iPod Shuffle doesn't even have a screen, yet it still says "iPod". What better way to capitalize on an amazingly successful brand name...use the term "iPod". Use the marketing muscle, the brand awareness, and put out a small video device that all Mac-heads, all trendy people, all geeks, and all consumers will want because "it's an iPod that plays video".
This is pretty damn cool if you ask me. All this time I thought we came up with solutions to complex problems (or even the band who does a particular song) while in bed was because we were more relaxed as we were getting ready to pass out and fall asleep. However, that could still be the case. Maybe there mere act of lying down puts the body in a more relaxed state and thus we get our solutions. More studies please!
It's true that the added infrastructure does cost more money for said companies. But how many companies have to be compromised? How many millions of identities have to be stolen before the government (or even companies with a concern for the people) puts some sort of regulations in place? We now have SOX compliance to deal with which will supposedly protect investors thanks to the Enron debacle. I would think that all this personal information would actually be a higher priority...but maybe I'm wrong.
One thing I don't understand is why our personal information has to be accessable to the entire world...ie, exposed to the Internet. It should be treated as any other item of high value and locked up or kept away from the public. A company doesn't keep their stock certificates or other valuables in the lobbies of their branch offices, so why should our data be "available" to the public? Why not just keep the computers that hold all this information on a separate network...one that is not connected to the outside world? Keep it guarded in a completely closed network and then workers can have a separate computer and network to interact with the rest of the Internet world.
In no time at all there are going to be a whole slew of Dashboard-centric sites, Automator-centric sites, Spotlight-centric sites, and so forth. Just like there are a myriad of PHP, Javascript, CSS, etc sties, we're going to see a bunch based solely on this new Mac OS.
You gotta hand it to Apple. They create an entire industry around an iPod (don't you love how Belkin, once a patch cord company, makes loads of money off iPod accessories) and are now already sporting sites all over for an OS just recently (and in some places not even out yet) released.
Silly people! Dont' they know Apple is going out of business? They have been for the past decade or so.