The Problem with Microsoft - Too big and lack of focus?

What is Microsoft's core mission? Who does Microsoft really want to serve? As big as Microsoft has gotten, can that question be answered? Is the problem with IE security in that it was designed to be as flexible as possible for 3rd parties or focused on the end-user? Can you design an OS to be über-friendly to developers and yet secure and safe enough for the end user? Even if you could make it secure and safe, for whom?

Forget the "Microsoft is teh ev!l" comments for a minute... It seems to me that Microsoft is trying to serve too many groups and so paranoid about being overtaken by the next big thing that it not lacks a core mission and core customers but that even Microsoft doesn't know "where [they] want to be tomorrow." Total domination of everything might be a goal for Pinky and The Brain but not for a company.

Taken from their corporate "Missions & Values" site:

"At Microsoft, we work to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential. This is our mission. Everything we do reflects this mission and the values that make it possible."

What does full potential mean? Who are we talking about? It just seems that without a clear sense of direction, when you're as big as Microsoft, you lose focus and get pulled in a myriad of directions. And before you accuse me of being anti-MS, I checked out Apple and I can't even find their mission statement.

Browser Update - 2/16/05 : More Bad News for Beleaguered Microsoft

Nearly another month later and the numbers are essentially the same but no surprises. Beleaguered Microsoft must be seeing similar numbers because now they're talking about an IE7 update ahead of the oft-delayed Longhorn. Here's how it's breaking down on my website:



Firefox and Mozilla now command 28% of the browsers used to visit my site. IE is down once again - summing up all the different versions gives them 61% and the significant lead is still intact... but getting smaller everyday? Safari is a surprise and has crawled up from 2% to 10% (usual caveat - I tend to talk about Apple & Macs and therefore, those numbers are a bit skewed). Nonetheless, These numbers mean that open-source based browsers are a significant presence on the web and developers should stop developing solely for Internet Explorer.



No real surprises here other than Linux does not seem to be gaining any traction on this site. Mac OS X is up at 10% and that correlates to the increased Safari traffic (refer to above caveat). The endless security and spyware threats are a real concern to users and that has resulted in a change of browser usage but still not enough to get people to change platforms.

I will post updates roughly once a month, see more recent posts for updates.

Don't Be Evil

I updated my favorites page and finally eliminated the last vestiges of Yahoo! After nearly a decade, I am tired of their prejudiced stance against non-Windows platforms. Lately, they've made an overture towards Firefox but it's too little too late. Why Yahoo! when there's Google - and their motto: "Don't Be Evil."

As Google's offerings grow, I'll selectively add them to my page (who in God's name actually uses it as a start page, I don't know but I know it's more than me). So, anyhow, I've made the changes. Enjoy!

The Difference Between Apple & Microsoft - Security

I'm not going to pretend that the Mac OS will always be a safe haven from malware and virus attacks. Undoubtedly, if there were more Macs out there, there'd be more hackers trying to take those systems down. However, there is a critical difference that the average home user needs to consider.

First, read the link above. Professionals in corporations take care of Windows installations. The average home user (who is not a techie) does not have this luxury. Do you have the time to do all this maintenance? Are you tired of all these headaches associated with running a Windows installation?

Google Maps - Yet Another Reason to Love Google

So, computing power (and browsing technology) on the average user's machine has increased dramatically since 1995. Yet, you wouldn't know this if you used Mapquest or Yahoo! Maps. Well, today, Google introduced Google Maps and it's awesome. Currently available on a beta basis (and covering the US and Canada), it has a semi 3D interface and lets you interact with the map the way you would a real map. And you can search for "gas" while looking at a map.

Google has had my allegiance since 1999 and everyday, I find that Google to become more indispensible. Way to go!

Napster versus iPod - Is Napster Better than iTunes?

So, Napster finally unveiled their latest and greatest attack on the iPod. Again, it totally misses the point of why people like the iPod but I'll leave that for later.

Napster: you RENT

I have had an iPod since May 2003 and my wife got one in 2002. In that time, we've purchased nearly 50 tracks. That's right $50 spent on iTunes. It's just a bit shy of that $10,000 Napster claims you'll spend - in fact, the only way to describe their statement is to say that it's an outright lie and their underlying assumption is that -you- are stupid. Nonetheless, both of our iPods are full. How you ask? Well, we have an extensive CD collection and we both prefer to have a CD with non-compressed music to touch, feel and more importantly, own!

Napster: didn't download this month, sorry, you still PAY

To arrive at their $10,000, they believe that you will only fill it up by buying individual songs from the store. That's a very unlikely situation (just ask 10 random iPod users and reach your own conclusion). The far more likely scenario is that you'll do what we did, buy a song here or there and otherwise, use your existing collection. Under the Napster scenario, you pay $15 each month regardless of whether you download new music. So, if one month I spent $10 at iTunes, the next 2 months, I might not buy any music. With the iPod, I spent $10 in 3 months - with Napster, I paid $45 because of what I call the Napster tax. Regardless of whether or not you got new music, you pay the piper. Great deal? I didn't think so.

Napster: you can't BURN

Napster and Microsoft think that rentals are the way to go. Well, anyone who has the inclination to fill up a player with thousands of songs is likely a hardcore music fan with a large library... and I refer you to the above paragraph. They want to own their music. Paying Napster in perpetuity is not my idea of ownership. I want to burn my music collections to CDs and yes, I want to share them with my friends.

Napster: stop paying... say bye-bye to the music

You see, they think that having lots of choices is better. Yes, choice is good but what happens when none of those choices work without hassles? What Omar Shahine (a blogger at MS) and Paul Thurrott and ultimately, Bill Gates don't realize is that after 20 years of computing, people are finally sick and tired of the hassles that come with being wired or going digital. I think the massive interest in the iPod and the second looks Apple is getting is because people are holding out hope that maybe, just maybe, someone other than Microsoft can offer them a solution that just works... and to most people's delight, the iPod plus iTunes just works!

Napster: having trouble, not our problem - call someone else!

And sadly, Microsoft simply doesn't get it. We're tired of products that create more hassles. We're tired of relying on the brainy neighbor that can fix whatever happened to the Windows installation. We're tired of pop-ups pushing porn in front of our kids. We're tired of your inability to make their life easier and no matter how cheap you make a Windows machine, eventually, it's going to succumb to all those virii and malware. We're tired of each company pointing the finger at someone else when something doesn't work. Ever heard this: "It's not a hardware problem, it's a software problem. Try calling XXX or reinstalling Windows." Argh!

There's a reason why we love our iPods! They're easy and more importantly, a pleasure to use. When was the last time anyone said that about a technology product?

Why I Love my iPod (I'm not the only one)

I don't think I've written about my love affair with the iPod. At first, I didn't get it and thought it was a stupid idea. When I bought into it, I never thought it would be what it has become and when I finally got my own in May '03, I didn't see how I could fit into my life. The medical environment doesn't really lend itself to being left alone to listening to music.

For the past 8 months, though, I can't live without it. After setting up some Smart Playlists in iTunes, I have my own private radio station that plays whatever I want to listen to... it plucks songs that I've rated highly and haven't listened to recently and then plays them randomly. It does seem to prefer my favorites a bit more than I'd ever expect, though.

Tell me how does it feel, when your heart grows cold, grows cold?

I love having most of my music with me. The hardest part was getting all of my music onto iTunes... it helps to have a fast computer with a big drive. I love rediscovering music that had been tucked away and forgotten on my shelf and have it resurrected and brought to my ears unexpectedly. It also sparked a resurgent desire to buy more music. I never particularly participated in the Napster craze... and if I'm going to pay for music, I think I should be allowed to share it with friends. I don't support uncontrolled piracy but music is shared. That's how you grow up listening to music - mix tapes (now CDs) and letting people borrow your CDs. Don't get me started on this music rental thing Napster is pushing... Um, clearly, they never really loved their music. As a teenager, I spent hours reading (and re-reading) the CD inserts while listening to my newest purchase.

And why specifically an iPod? Um, because it really does work as advertised. I have a Mac and it always worked as soon as I plugged it in. Even on Windows, I've never had a problem getting it to work. I've played around with the others... the idea of hard drive and movement scared me at first. I'd long grown frustrated by Sony Discmans and their perpetual skipping with the slightest movement. But to paraphrase Steve Jobs, the non-iPods of the world simply suck. And now, millions will agree with me as the latest numbers (1/2005) report that almost everyone who buys these things loves the iPod as well. Try Google - there's a lot of happy iPod owners these days.