Rumor has it that it was a mac

I enjoyed this story.

The Ultimate Computer stood at the end of the Ultimate Computer Company's production line. At which point the guided tour eventually arrived. The Ultimate Computer Company's top salesman stepped forward to give his prepared demonstration of the Ultimate Computer's abilities."This", he said, "is the Ultimate Computer. It will give an intelligent answer to any question you may care to ask it".Skeptical about the Ultimate Computer's abilities, one man from the tour named Smartass Sam stepped forward and spoke into the Ultimate Computer's microphone."Where is my father?" he asked.There was a whirring of wheels and flashing of lights (that the manufacturers always use to impress lay people), and then a *ding* as a little card popped out.On it were printed the words: "Fishing off Florida".Smartass Sam smirked and then laughed in smug satisfaction."Actually,", said Sam, "my father is dead. Your Ultimate Computer is a flop!"It had been a trick question!!The salesman, carefully chosen for his ability to think fast on his feet, immediately replied that he was sorry the answer was unsatisfactory, but as computers were precise, perhaps he might care to rephrase his question and try again?Smartass Sam thought once more, went up to the Ultimate Computer and this time said into the microphone: "Where is my mother's husband?"Again there was a whirring of wheels and a flashing of lights.And again there was a *ding* as the little card popped out. Printed on it were the words: "Dead. But your father is still fishing off Florida".

Geek Humor - The Ultimate Computer

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Cell Phone Revolution

I want to talk about something that has the potential to be very revolutionary in the Cell Phone Market.

It's definitely an exclusive product; one that I am anxious to see how it does.

Believe it or not...I'm not talking about an iPhone.

Click here to read about it.

To me, this is innovation.

Think about it...you will no longer have to juggle 2 phone lines (home and cell) - you can now have one-phone-fits-all.  And when you're at home, you don't have to pay anything to talk all you want (save the $10 monthly fee).  The system is even designed to be rigged - if you start all of your phone calls at home or a WiFi spot...you will use zero minutes for the month!  If you make a conscious effort to do this...you might actually be able to cut your cell phone plan!

I am somewhat bothered that the article above doesn't talk about incoming calls; however, I imagine they operate the same way as outgoing...if you start with GSM, Cell minutes are used; starting under WiFi means you get free VoIP minutes.  However, that's just speculation on my behalf.

I'm not saying this is a perfect product for everybody; some people (like myself) hardly use up all of the minutes we have available, making the extra monthly fee hard to justify...

On the other hand, there are some people that complain that their home is the only bad spot for their cell phone.  This would be a godsend to them...especially if they can afford to get rid of their home landline.

So...will this product take the cell and landline market by storm? Or will it just be a niche player?  I think it has the possibility to go mainstream (especially if T-Mobile can get more phones on board).  It will definitely be an interesting space to watch.

Disagree with me? Think I'm missing something big? Leave a message in the comments.

-RDubs

technorati tags:T-Mobile, Cell Phones, @Home, Wireless, VoIP, Phone, WiFi

Palm Foleo - Brilliant idea or $500 waste?

Before I start, take a look at the Palm Foleo website.  Go ahead; I'll wait.

http://www.palm.com/us/products/mobilecompanion/foleo/index.html?creativeID=US_BB_foleo_announcement

Palm has an interesting prospect here with a $500 "laptop" that can connect to a smartphone and surf the information superhighway.

Since it's announcement, I have been trying to determine if this is brilliant, cutting-edge technology...or a huge waste of money.

At first, I was very unimpressed by it.  While a business user may be able to afford (or talk a company into buying it) the price tag, I continually asked "WHY?"  I know that the "Crackberry" generation is tied to their mobile computing devices, but still...paying $500 for what appears to be a bigger screen and monitor seems like a waste to me.  When you think of it as exclusively connecting to a smartphone and being limited to those smartphone tasks...it's a high price point to pay.  It makes even less sense when someone can purchase an inexpensive laptop for roughly the same pricepoint, running one's favorite Operating System and with all the applications (s)he wants.

After doing a little more digging at the Palm site, I discovered one thing that makes a world of difference in the potential of this product.

Wi-Fi.

With 802.11 built in (I forget if it's g or n), this machine can connect to the internet on its own, without a smartphone by its side.  This means that, technically, the product isn't restricted to those who have Blackberrys and Treos.

I can see your expression straight through your computer screen.  "So what?" you ask, impatiently.

Go back 2 blog entries, to where I talk about the end of the Desktop PC and the diminishing importance of the local OS.

This machine fits that model perfectly!!!!

You still think I'm crazy, and that's fine.  But when you think about it...this is a possible tool that will turn on instantly, connect you to the internet, and let you run all of the internet programs (and applications) that are out there.  It's a laptop thin client!

Despite this revelation, I have to be pessimistic about the near-future growth of the product.  I'm sure there will be some people who can justify it to attach to their smartphones - think of the too-old-to-read-the-small-screen-but-too-important-to-not-be-out-of-touch type.  But for everyone else, the pieces are not yet in place to make this a logical purchase.  Internet applications, while available, are still in their infancy.  Wi-Fi is still available in pretty select locations, making it tough to guarantee you'll be able to use the Foleo for anything.  A 10" screen, while nice for portability, does not make for a good home computer, and I don't believe there's any way to attach it to a full-blown KVM setup.  Finally, the product is in its first iteration, meaning bugs are bound to be present.

For now, I think this product will be hanging on for dear life.  But if it can stick around long enough to the point where WebApps dominate the world and WiFi is present almost everywhere...look out.  We may have found our flying car for the Information Superhighway.

technorati tags:Palm, Foleo, Laptop, Internet Applications, Product Review

DRM-Free music does not spell the end of iPod/iTunes domination

Much like the previous post, this post is not a new article.  However, I do not believe I have published this anywhere else.

This article was written on or around April 9, 2007.

In February, Steve Jobs, the co-founder and CEO of Apple, Inc., wrote a somewhat controversial piece entitled “Thoughts on Music”.  In it, he wrote that Apple would gladly sell music DRM-free, if given the opportunity by one of the Music labels.  Many people were surprised by this, believing that, if such a deal was struck, it would break the link between the iPod and iTunes, and end the dominance of Apple in both markets.

One of the music labels was listening, and on April 2, EMI announced that it will sell all of its music with a DRM-free option.  The tracks, which will cost 30 cents more than the DRM’d counterparts, will also be encoded at 256 kbps, making them “indistinguishable from the original recording”, according to an Apple press release.

Some people believe this will hurt Apple, because people will now be able to purchase tracks from the iTunes store and put them on non-Apple MP3 players.  While this may be possible, the iPod will not take a significant hit.  The iPod was a success because of its simplicity – both navigating the device and transferring songs between the Computer and iPod (using iTunes).  Though they have changed the form factor and added capabilities (photo, video, podcasts, etc), the iPod has stuck to its simplistic roots – and that is why it is the best-selling music player.

There is a belief among people that the iPod has had continued success only because people feel ‘locked’ into the iPod/iTunes system.  In reality, the average iPod carries very few tracks that were actually purchased from the iTunes Store.  According to Steve Jobs “Thoughts on Music”, the average iPod has only 22 iTunes-protected songs on it, although iPods are almost always full.  This means that, if someone wanted to get out of the iTunes ecosystem (and was not smart enough to burn the tracks to CD and re-import them in their new music player), they would lose around $20.  This cost is negligible compared to the cost of a new music player, such as the Zune or Sansa Connect (both which retail upwards of $200).

I do concede that there will be some people who will take this opportunity to purchase a non-Apple branded MP3 player, upgrade to DRM-free tracks, and leave the iPod and iTunes behind.  However, there will also be people who start purchasing from iTunes to cover some of this lost revenue.

Overall, the transition to DRM-free music is a win for everybody.  Consumers now have more rights over the music which they purchase; Apple will see stronger music sales (which will compensate for the slight drop in iPod sales), and other music players will see a slight uptick in sales of their players.

technorati tags:iPod, iTunes, Apple, DRM

The Death of the current PC

For the record, this is not the first place I am posting this.  However, I think that it does contain some important points that relate to computing technology...and I will be referring to this article again in a later post.

This article was written on or around March 22, 2007.

    Computers were once thought to make everyone’s life easier and more enjoyable.  It certainly has done that – computers are now used to write letters, watch movies, and even play games. As computing technology evolved, it dramatically changed other markets, such as communication and home entertainment.  Therefore, it is very ironic that these very markets are now in a position to squeeze the home computer into oblivion.  Entertainment systems, communication devices, and the Internet are now in a position to make the average home computer obsolete.
    As one of the few Mac users during the mid-1990s, I confess that I was somewhat jealous of PC users and their games.  I played graphically intensive games like Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? and a variety of Hypercard-based games, while my PC counterparts were enjoying Heroes of Might & Magic or Command & Conquer.  Today, however, PC gaming is becoming a niche market. With few exceptions (ie World of Warcraft), gaming is now done in front of the television – with either a Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony-made gaming console.  These consoles provide more than adequate graphics and guaranteed compatibility.  If I have a gaming console for entertainment, why do I need a computer to do the same?
    Communication has also dramatically changed with the computer – especially the rise of the Internet.  However, the computer is hardly the only way to reach all of that information.  Mobile computing platforms, such as RIM’s Blackberry series, the Palm Treo, and Apple’s soon-to-be-released iPhone, are growing in popularity – especially among the business crowd.  In addition to acting as a phone, these devices can be used to check and send e-mail, surf the Internet, and even modify Word & Excel files.  Granted, working on these small devices for excessive periods of time can be a bit cumbersome, but the Treo is essentially a mouse, keyboard, and monitor away from replacing the computer.

    The ability to store a wide variety of data has been one of the reasons the computer has been so successful.  However, the home computer lacks a good method for making this data accessible all the time.  While flash drives and file e-mails are adequate for moving documents, they fail to allow re-synchronization of documents if changes are made away from the home computer.  This is what makes online applications, such as Google’s ‘Writely’ and Spreadsheet, look so attractive.  As such, the computer is no longer needed to store documents.

    So, if the computer isn’t being used for gaming and entertainment, it’s not needed for e-mail and web browsing, and document editing and storage can be done online…what do I need my computer for?  In short…nothing!

    In the next decade or so, the personal computer (as we know it) could easily be replaced with a thin client ‘computer’, or equivalent technology, and a broadband connection to the Internet.  Imagine plugging your Treo into a monitor, keyboard and mouse.  A couple clicks and you’re on the Internet, streaming music while working on web applications and talking with friends.  Then, if you need to leave, simply pick up your handheld device and go; your documents are stored on the web, accessible from almost anywhere.

    So, take a second to give your computer a great big hug.  You might not need it in the next few years.

technorati tags:PC, Mac, Palm, OS Wars, Desktop, Laptop

Welcome to the Missing Core

Congratulations for finding "The Missing Core", a blog where I discuss my perspective on the world (specifically, what's happening in technology). Topics can range from E85 and America's fuel crisis to the impact of DRM-Free music to the iPod/iTunes ecosystem to a cool application I found to...almost anything tech. For the most part, I'm going to try to keep a semi-serious tone to the posts; I'm not here to rant about my personal life.

Posts will be relatively irregular; if I have time and something to say, I'll say it; if one of those conditions doesn't hold for a while...so be it. Just add my blog to your RSS Reader (I like www.newshutch.com for online use; Google Reader also works...Mac Users can check into Vienna or NetNewsWire; Windows Users can try RSS2Email or Internet Explorer or Firefox, just to name a few...) and check back occasionally.

I'd love to get comments from anyone and to hear other viewpoints - whether they agree with mine or not. I'll attempt to defend my position (or clarify it as necessary) but ultimately, I'm content with agreeing to disagree.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

-RDubs