... as long as it is Apple Computer Google is teaming up with.
For Microsoft to deal with Apple, there is always the "MS Office for Mac" whip at hand. This whip does not even have to be shown to Apple, just mentioned in an occasional way.
What Microsoft has to worry about (and they do worry) is Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) - which has been funded also by Google.
"... while the Zune certainly would make me very, very afraid if I were the CEO of Creative..."
My guess: Not even Creative's and Cowon's CEOs will have to be worried too much about that "Zune plus online store" combo.
Remember: Microsoft will not only have to establish their hardware (the Zune player) and their content download shop system in the market. Most important, they have yet to start establishing their own media formats (WMA for music content) and this will not merely be a fight against Apple's AAC, but more like a fierce uphill battle against MP3 and others.
When MS will start pushing sales later this year, problems in launching the MS content store would servely hamper Zune hardware sales and vice versa, delays in hardware manufacturing will keep demand for MS' songs and movies on a very low level.
Ballmer would be well advised to get some kind of subscription agreement with an office furniture firm, say two dozen fresh chairs (or so) per week, and to get it soon.;-)
Just don't forget to let me know when Steve Jobs presents the really ultimate "one more thing" to a baffled world... err... WWDC crowd, such as the iCan, a can opener not seen by mankind before. And boy, will he be "excited" as he is habitually on such an occasion...
... cruising approximately at the speed of light, yeah.
This time, and as far as Apple is concerned, that is.
In contrast, when the Administration of the EU as a whole has to scrutinize Microsoft's business practices based on their near-monopolistic position in the market, this is being done at a pace that makes that of a glacier look fast. "Dear Microsoft, we found out this, so let us have your statement within two months." "Now, we are considering that, so please, Microsoft, let us know what you think about it in the next couple of months."
And yes, I am living in one of these EU member states.
Ralink earns some extra points here for being implemented in a wide variety of devices, like CardBus, MiniPCI and USB wireless, as well as making their own open source drivers available (the latter is true for ZyDAS and Realtek as well).
From any of these URLs, you can reach similar pages for the "lower end" companies, like Conexant and even Broadcom.
Also, Microsoft as any other late-comer, should start talking to three dozen or so existing hardware manufacturers that share the 20 per cent of the market that is being left over by Apple, *and* of course talk to them in a very kind and fair manner, *and* sympathetically talk them into dropping support for MP3 and any other format except WMA, *and*...
Rather, we might see Steve Ballmer dancing in the public or doing workouts with some unusual gymnastics utensils...:-)
On a different page of their site, this same law firm HBSS explains what a class action is all about, from their special point of view perhaps:
--- Step 3: The judge directs notice be given to all parties having a similar claim during a particular time period so they may be informed and have input on the case. This first notice gives people an opportunity to "opt out" (not be part of the class or represented by the party who brought the case). --- http://www.hbsslaw.com/class_action_faq.jsp
If the due procedure were indeed "opt out" (as opposed to "opt-in") then the law firm would possibly not need an attorney-client agreement in writing.
As my sympathies are with Mr. Tomczak rather than the law firm, I hope the "opt out" version is not applicable.
I am not a lawyer - shouldn't that be "opt in" instead?
Oh yes, I'm sure the EU officials will be very pleased to hear yet another attempt of the "The name's Microsoft, we are just a bunch of idiots who don't remember what they have been told last week, let alone last year" variety...
Windows XP Home (not OEM or upgrade, if you want to do it legally... retail license) $199
Why not OEM? You're buying hardware.
You certainly remember Microsoft's policy regarding OEM Windows versions? It's something along the lines "For this Windows, you will get support solely from the hardware vendor."
In this given case, you would have to turn to whom for Windows support?;-) This should be a good enough reason for Apple never to bundle any OEM version of Windows with a Mac.
If it were a full retail version of Windows ($199 for XP Home, hehe) that came with the Mac (along with OS X) support obligations for the Windows package would rest with Microsoft, not Apple.
"... allowing Apple to concentrate on being a hardware company."
Remember the "Macintosh - it's not the hardware, it's OS X" (or something very similar) mantra that has been repeated over and over by Apple executives in the last months?
But then again, in most cases it has been Steve Jobs who said this. So you might be perfectly right referring to the next great thing.;-)
"If I were running Apple, I would milk the Macintosh for all it's worth -- and get busy on the next great thing. The PC wars are over. Done. Microsoft won a long time ago." -- Steve Jobs (Fortune, February 19, 1996)"
Walter.
P.S. As to "a Microsoft purchase of the Apple OS" - I'm not convinced that MS is willing to do such a thing as long as their own products (inferior and late as they are) are still selling great with minimal efforts in terms of R&D.
You really think selling machines to software developers is big-scale business?
Think again.
Developers who are doing native coding for Windows as well as for Mac OS X will have a very hard time to justify the extra expenses for dedicated Mac-development as soon as Windows on Mac has become official and commonplace.
There are bean counters in the smaller third party software companies as well and they will not be going after the programmers' machines, but after the programmers' jobs, I'm afraid.
... in the background come from the half-a-dozen (or so) "port-to-Mac OS X" software projects that are being dropped today. And this will continue tomorrow, of course.
What's Apple's rationale behind this, if there is any at all?
Actually, in earlier stories on Gates' view of the $100 laptop, he is clearly aware that they don't have adequate telecommunications, and said that what they need is not laptops, but cell phones and the associated infrastructure. He said what we should be making and giving them cheaply are basically cell phones that you can hook up to a TV and keyboard and use as a computer.
That's what Craig Mundie, one of Microsoft's vice presidents, said in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Most probably, Mundie has earned Gates's applause for saying this, but it was not Gates himself to say this.
If you sum up Gates's and Mundie's views, you get the concept of a cell phone running Windows XYZ, attached to a TV set, with an external keyboard plugged into it and featuring broadband connectivity. Sounds great, doesn't it?
Meanwhile, the currently latest and greatest from the MS propaganda kitchen, UMPC a.k.a. "Origami," is still a different thing.
Microsoft does not seem to be trying to dominate the world lately, they might be trying to confuse it to death by means of their announcements instead.;-)
The MIT concept looks very straightforward in comparison.
Note that the Mac Portable came in two releases (the second one of which had a back-lit display). Both of them had lead batteries, adding some more weight apart from the sturdy case. Neither of them was called "PowerBook" officially.
The first PowerBook proper (i.e., also called by this name) was the PowerBook 100, see:
At 5 lbs., the PowerBook 100 can be called a true portable, even by today's standards. It had a processor very similar to that in a Mac Portable (a special version of the MC68000 running at 16 MHz).
Regards,
Walter.
P.S. The PowerBook G3 Series "Wallstreet"/"PDQ" and G3 Firewire "Pismo" - the best of the best among notebook hardware. Maybe the IBM Thinkpad T-series comes close...
Of course, "Eggo" doesn't sound like a nominative noun to a Latin speaker
Not quite. There's a whole class of Latin nouns ending in -o in their nominative form, such as aptitudo, magnitudo, amplitudo, beatitudo, incertitudo, servitudo, etc.
All of them are of female gender and are obviously referring to terms of abstraction.
As far as I remember, with these words dative and ablative singular forms are different; the dative ending in -ini, whereas the ablative ends in -ine.
Slashdot Mirror
There's still the "Ubuntu 6.10" etc. nomenclature you can use if you like it better.
... as long as it is Apple Computer Google is teaming up with.
For Microsoft to deal with Apple, there is always the "MS Office for Mac" whip at hand. This whip does not even have to be shown to Apple, just mentioned in an occasional way.
What Microsoft has to worry about (and they do worry) is Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) - which has been funded also by Google.
Walter.
There will be Windows inside after all, you know, (har, har). ;-)
Enough Windows to bring a poor little ARM CPU down to its knees, let alone a humble battery.
Walter.
"... while the Zune certainly would make me very, very afraid if I were the CEO of Creative..."
;-)
My guess: Not even Creative's and Cowon's CEOs will have to be worried too much about that "Zune plus online store" combo.
Remember: Microsoft will not only have to establish their hardware (the Zune player) and their content download shop system in the market. Most important, they have yet to start establishing their own media formats (WMA for music content) and this will not merely be a fight against Apple's AAC, but more like a fierce uphill battle against MP3 and others.
When MS will start pushing sales later this year, problems in launching the MS content store would servely hamper Zune hardware sales and vice versa, delays in hardware manufacturing will keep demand for MS' songs and movies on a very low level.
Ballmer would be well advised to get some kind of subscription agreement with an office furniture firm, say two dozen fresh chairs (or so) per week, and to get it soon.
They didn't.
;-)
There are some countries (with a combined population of a 100 million) where QWERTZ keyboards are the way to type.
Walter.
P.S. Yes, Im sure, a QWERTY version will follow suit. Maybe a while after an AZERTY version, of course
... not just to Tipperary (as the Irish say).
In the meantime, don't hold your breath.
Just don't forget to let me know when Steve Jobs presents the really ultimate "one more thing" to a baffled world... err... WWDC crowd, such as the iCan, a can opener not seen by mankind before. And boy, will he be "excited" as he is habitually on such an occasion...
Walter
... cruising approximately at the speed of light, yeah.
This time, and as far as Apple is concerned, that is.
In contrast, when the Administration of the EU as a whole has to scrutinize Microsoft's business practices based on their near-monopolistic position in the market, this is being done at a pace that makes that of a glacier look fast. "Dear Microsoft, we found out this, so let us have your statement within two months." "Now, we are considering that, so please, Microsoft, let us know what you think about it in the next couple of months."
And yes, I am living in one of these EU member states.
You are right, Broadcom is one of the least "open-minded" wireless (54) chipset manufacturers.
On the opposite end of the scale, there are Ralink, ZyDAS, and Realtek.
For a reference which chipset is being used in which wireless (54) device, see
http://ralink.rapla.net/
http://zydas.rapla.net/ (mostly USB wireless devices)
http://realtek.rapla.net/
Ralink earns some extra points here for being implemented in a wide variety of devices, like CardBus, MiniPCI and USB wireless, as well as making their own open source drivers available (the latter is true for ZyDAS and Realtek as well).
From any of these URLs, you can reach similar pages for the "lower end" companies, like Conexant and even Broadcom.
Regards,
Walter.
Also, Microsoft as any other late-comer, should start talking to three dozen or so existing hardware manufacturers that share the 20 per cent of the market that is being left over by Apple, *and* of course talk to them in a very kind and fair manner, *and* sympathetically talk them into dropping support for MP3 and any other format except WMA, *and*...
:-)
Rather, we might see Steve Ballmer dancing in the public or doing workouts with some unusual gymnastics utensils...
Walter.
On a different page of their site, this same law firm HBSS explains what a class action is all about, from their special point of view perhaps:
---
Step 3: The judge directs notice be given to all parties having a similar claim during a particular time period so they may be informed and have input on the case. This first notice gives people an opportunity to "opt out" (not be part of the class or represented by the party who brought the case).
---
http://www.hbsslaw.com/class_action_faq.jsp
If the due procedure were indeed "opt out" (as opposed to "opt-in") then the law firm would possibly not need an attorney-client agreement in writing.
As my sympathies are with Mr. Tomczak rather than the law firm, I hope the "opt out" version is not applicable.
I am not a lawyer - shouldn't that be "opt in" instead?
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong please.
Oh yes, I'm sure the EU officials will be very pleased to hear yet another attempt of the "The name's Microsoft, we are just a bunch of idiots who don't remember what they have been told last week, let alone last year" variety...
Go, Microsoft, go (har, har).
Walter.
Windows XP Home (not OEM or upgrade, if you want to do it legally... retail license) $199
;-)
Why not OEM? You're buying hardware.
You certainly remember Microsoft's policy regarding OEM Windows versions?
It's something along the lines "For this Windows, you will get support solely from the hardware vendor."
In this given case, you would have to turn to whom for Windows support?
This should be a good enough reason for Apple never to bundle any OEM version of Windows with a Mac.
If it were a full retail version of Windows ($199 for XP Home, hehe) that came with the Mac (along with OS X) support obligations for the Windows package would rest with Microsoft, not Apple.
Walter.
"... allowing Apple to concentrate on being a hardware company."
;-)
Remember the "Macintosh - it's not the hardware, it's OS X" (or something very similar) mantra that has been repeated over and over by Apple executives in the last months?
But then again, in most cases it has been Steve Jobs who said this. So you might be perfectly right referring to the next great thing.
"If I were running Apple, I would milk the Macintosh for all it's worth -- and get busy on the next great thing. The PC wars are over. Done. Microsoft won a long time ago." -- Steve Jobs (Fortune, February 19, 1996)"
Walter.
P.S. As to "a Microsoft purchase of the Apple OS" - I'm not convinced that MS is willing to do such a thing as long as their own products (inferior and late as they are) are still selling great with minimal efforts in terms of R&D.
You really think selling machines to software developers is big-scale business?
Think again.
Developers who are doing native coding for Windows as well as for Mac OS X will have a very hard time to justify the extra expenses for dedicated Mac-development as soon as Windows on Mac has become official and commonplace.
There are bean counters in the smaller third party software companies as well and they will not be going after the programmers' machines, but after the programmers' jobs, I'm afraid.
Walter.
Not just gaming, I presume.
:-(
The better Boot Camp works, the faster it will kill most of third party development for Mac OS X.
Maybe with the exception of Microsoft MBU
Walter.
... in the background come from the half-a-dozen (or so) "port-to-Mac OS X" software projects that are being dropped today. And this will continue tomorrow, of course.
What's Apple's rationale behind this, if there is any at all?
Walter.
But as to Ballmer, who might enter the ring as the good guy? ;-)
W.
Actually, in earlier stories on Gates' view of the $100 laptop, he is clearly aware that they don't have adequate telecommunications, and said that what they need is not laptops, but cell phones and the associated infrastructure. He said what we should be making and giving them cheaply are basically cell phones that you can hook up to a TV and keyboard and use as a computer.
;-)
That's what Craig Mundie, one of Microsoft's vice presidents, said in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Most probably, Mundie has earned Gates's applause for saying this, but it was not Gates himself to say this.
If you sum up Gates's and Mundie's views, you get the concept of a cell phone running Windows XYZ, attached to a TV set, with an external keyboard plugged into it and featuring broadband connectivity. Sounds great, doesn't it?
Meanwhile, the currently latest and greatest from the MS propaganda kitchen, UMPC a.k.a. "Origami," is still a different thing.
Microsoft does not seem to be trying to dominate the world lately, they might be trying to confuse it to death by means of their announcements instead.
The MIT concept looks very straightforward in comparison.
In this context, it's all about what _consumers_ are meant to be able to do.
In my view, Microsoft (and their media formats) would be affected as well as Apple.
... instead of Skype.
Also, Gizmo Project is SIP based (which is a documented standard), not proprietary like Skype.
http://www.gizmoproject.com/
Agreed, but ... in my view they are already ;-)
and if he were talking to a real professional about the job, he wouldn't even have to add "make sure it looks like an accident". ;-)
W.
Agreed.
Note that the Mac Portable came in two releases (the second one of which had a back-lit display). Both of them had lead batteries, adding some more weight apart from the sturdy case. Neither of them was called "PowerBook" officially.
The first PowerBook proper (i.e., also called by this name) was the PowerBook 100, see:
http://www.lowendmac.com/pb/100.shtml
At 5 lbs., the PowerBook 100 can be called a true portable, even by today's standards. It had a processor very similar to that in a Mac Portable (a special version of the MC68000 running at 16 MHz).
Regards,
Walter.
P.S. The PowerBook G3 Series "Wallstreet"/"PDQ" and G3 Firewire "Pismo" - the best of the best among notebook hardware. Maybe the IBM Thinkpad T-series comes close...
Of course, "Eggo" doesn't sound like a nominative noun to a Latin speaker
Not quite. There's a whole class of Latin nouns ending in -o in their nominative form, such as aptitudo, magnitudo, amplitudo, beatitudo, incertitudo, servitudo, etc.
All of them are of female gender and are obviously referring to terms of abstraction.
As far as I remember, with these words dative and ablative singular forms are different; the dative ending in -ini, whereas the ablative ends in -ine.
W.