Bill Gates is One Rich Guy

Some time ago I ran across this interesting article by Brad Templeton about Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Brad states that since Microsoft's founding in 1975, Gates has made about $300 a second during a 14-hour work day. That's a lot of dough, for sure.

The article also includes links to charts, Bill Gates Net Worth Page and Bill Gates Personal Weath Clock. It's definitely worth a look. Brad has done his homework! Check it out here.

IBM Helps Promote Linux

By Steve Lohr

Linux is a rising star in the geeky back office of computing. Its gains have come as an operating system for the data-serving computers that run corporate networks and serve up Web pages. On the desktop, Microsoft's Windows still reigns supreme.

But I.B.M. and the Open Source Development Lab, whose membership includes Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Intel, are beginning a drive to promote Linux as an alternative to Windows on the desktop.

One indication of their more aggressive approach came yesterday when an I.B.M. executive, Samuel J. Docknevich, delivered a speech at a technology conference outside Boston titled "The Time Is Now for Linux on the Desktop."

The Open Source Development Lab - a nonprofit organization to advance the use of open source software like Linux - is planning a program to encourage corporate adoption of desktop Linux, set to begin in January. "We're going to push a big desktop Linux initiative," Stuart F. Cohen, chief executive of the Open Source Lab, said last week in an interview. "It's clearly something our members want."

Mr. Cohen and others at the organization gave few details, except to say that the lab would try to broaden the base of support for desktop Linux. That, for example, might include helping with technology that could make it easier for Linux users to exchange data and documents created with Windows-based software. It might also include persuading the makers of popular personal computer software, like RealNetworks' media player or Adobe's desktop publishing software, to create Linux versions.

Any inroads Linux makes on the desktop will probably come slowly. More than 300 million people worldwide use the Windows desktop operating system and Microsoft's Office suite, which includes the Word, Excel and PowerPoint programs.

But Linux advocates say that the full complement of Microsoft desktop software has far more features, and is far more costly, than most workers at many companies really need.

And corporate technology officers are concerned about the cost of upgrading tens of thousands of PC's every couple of years to new versions of Microsoft software and about the security flaws in Microsoft products that have been exploited regularly by digital vandals writing viruses and worms.

Linux has gained desktop converts for specialized uses like software development, computer animation and in scientific computing. Abroad, some governments and municipalities have championed the use of Linux. Earlier this year, for example, Munich announced that it would move from Windows to Linux on 14,000 desktop machines used by city workers.

Yet Linux on the desktop has not really made its way into the mainstream corporate market, especially in the United States. And I.B.M., whose entry into the personal computer business in 1981 made the PC a respected business tool, has the influence with corporate customers to give Linux on the desktop real credibility, analysts say.

"There is a lot of interest in Linux on the desktop from customers; this is definitely a trend with traction," said Scott Handy, vice president for Linux strategy and market development at I.B.M. "But we're being very pragmatic."

Long gone are the days of OS/2, I.B.M.'s desktop operating system, when Big Blue tried to confront Windows head on and wrest dominance of the operating system market from Microsoft.

The I.B.M. plan now is to use Linux as the desktop operating system in a simplified computing environment that relies on delivering, updating and maintaining desktop applications over high-speed corporate networks. Faster, low-cost telecommunications and improved Internet software make the transition possible, Mr. Handy said.

Studies have estimated the total cost of ownership of a PC in a corporate setting at $5,000 to $7,000 a year. The hardware and software costs are typically less than 30 percent of the total, with the expense of maintaining, updating and debugging accounting for the rest.

Deploying Linux and having applications centrally distributed and managed on server computers, using Internet technology, can cut the cost of owning a desktop machine in half or more, Mr. Handy said.

"The discussion with customers usually starts with Linux," he said. "But the huge gains come from using this server-based architecture, which is made possible by these Internet technologies. And Linux is one of them."

I.B.M., Mr. Handy said, is conducting dozens of assessments for corporate customers of Linux desktop use as part of a program to reduce costs. The companies, he said, do not want to be named because they have not decided to switch desktop technologies.

The Linux desktops tap into the applications on server computers, using a browser. E-mail, calendar, customer relationship management and word-processing applications are included. Mr. Handy said this kind of computing could be easily adopted by bank branch offices, sales people, insurance agents, auto dealers and others.

I.B.M. is trying it itself. About 15,000 workers use Linux desktops, mostly software developers and researchers. By the end of the first quarter of next year, I.B.M. plans to increase the number of Linux desktops to 30,000 as sales, marketing and administrative workers try it.

Still, Linux on the desktop has a long way to go. Shipments of Linux rose to 2.8 percent of desktop operating systems in 2002, up steadily from 1.7 percent two years earlier, according to IDC, a research firm. Windows accounted for nearly 94 percent of shipments last year.

Could Apple be Microsoft's Worst Nightmare?

By Tim Yarbrough
MacDoor Editor
zxmac8384@yahoo.com

"Today, in a time when people are looking for easy access to technology, Apple can lead out with devices that provide this accessibility to the masses. By doing so it can accomplish something in computers that companies like Sony have been able to do with electronics such as the Walkman. While this opportunity certainly is within reach of Apple, I am not convinced it is ready to take on this role. While Apple is without a doubt one of the most innovative computers companies ever, Apple is not the risk taker it once was. I recognize that Apple has had to become more like other PC companies in order to survive."

Above is from the my column, "It’s Time for Apple to Innovate Again" written for The Macintosh User in January 2001. It appears Apple has decided it will innovate rather than fade into computer obscurity. What’s interesting is how it may "innovate" in the future.

Apple is getting serious. By all appearances, Apple’s "iApp" strategy will move way beyond the home and education user into, dare I say, the enterprise market? Consider these recent events:

• Apple introduces 17-inch "iMac for education" in the form of the affordable eMac. Apple is once again "attacking" the education market.
• Apple announces "Jaguar" OS X. Among other things, Jaguar features iChat, which accesses AOL's instant messaging servers: see "Apple’s New Gig: Smooth Interoperator" http://www.business2.com/articles/web/0,1653,40592,00.html; and Rendezvous, a technology that allows users to search out IP Networks and to share network "aware" devices; as well as other cool network stuff.
• Apple’s integration of Microsoft technologies with the apparent strategy to "embrace and extend" (see "Could Apple be Stealing a Page from Microsoft’s Playbook?") http://www.mymac.com/mccormick/5.15.02.shtml.

All noteworthy stuff indeed, especially that about Microsoft. Actually, it would be a funny turn of events if Apple really did pursue the "embrace and extend" strategy. It would be hard for Microsoft to stop Apple from "cherry picking" its technologies … but I’m sure it would try. It would be harder for MS to pursue such a policy considering the Federal antitrust lawsuit that continues to dog it … in addition to the fact that Apple hardware is based more and more on industry standards and the UNIX operating system.

Apple is certainly capable of delivering all types of devices based on its technology and the technology of others. The key is the strategy it decides to pursue. As Jason Brooks of eWeek points to in the article, "Bluetooth will Provide Strong Spokes for Apple’s Digital Wheel" http://www.eweek.com/article/0,3658,s=1870&a=26999,00.asp.

It appears Apple is planning to embrace a wireless and integrated device strategy that once again could move it ahead of the computer pack. Bluetooth, as you probably already know, is a wireless technology that links mobile computers, mobile phones, portable handheld devices, and theInternet. For more about Bluetooth, check out the web site www.bluetooth.com.

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Alsop Gets Real

The more I read Stewart Alsop’s columns on technology in Fortune, the more I like him. Not only is he giving the new iMac an extended test drive (and liking it), his latest On Infotech column "XP Means Extra Pain" in the April 29 print edition hits at the core of what has become Microsoft’s legacy:

"I agree with the reviewers. There’s nothing in Windows XP to cause anyone to go out of his way to get it. In fact, I wonder why such an amazing giant of technology as Microsoft — which argues vociferously for its right to integrate new technology into its operating system — can’t do better than this."

Alsop continues to break down why XP doesn’t deliver on its promises: XP isn’t all that new or stable; MS is the same old company; and XP is not easier to use.

It will be noted that in the same column he also states, "As many readers know, I’ve been using the Macintosh more and more at home. Apple recently upgraded its operating system to what’s known as OS X. That is based on Unix. You don’t have to restart your computer all the time. Managing programs and data is even easier than before. Of course, Apple is still the same old company too. But I’m beginning to think that Apple might actually be able to use such advantages to compete effectively."

Great column, Stewart. We’ll continue to walk with you as you seek enlightenment.

Mac: The Original 'Windows Experience'

Recently, while digging through some old Macintosh promotional pieces I've managed to hang on all these years, I began to think about the machine, it's makers and the literal revolution in computing the Mac created.

Those of us "old hats" who have been around have a different perspective on the Mac experience than more newer converts to the platform. I'm am constantly amazed by the number of people who marvel at Windows and proclaim what Windows is the "greatest thing since buttered bread." If any connection with the Macintosh is suggested, these same people quickly discredit the original GUI (Graphical User Interface) platform that made it all possible.

When Macintosh hit the market in 1984, it was unlike anything most of us had seen. Yes, some computer junkies knew of the existence of GUI-interfaces; but most of us were still computing happily along with a command line. Steve Jobs and the Macintosh development team changed all that. Many said it couldn't happen, but it did.

Despite the fact that the Mac was somewhat under powered at launch, Jobs and his team made it happen and clearly put Apple ahead of GUI development for the next six years. What made the Mac interface so great in the early days: simplicity of design, drop down windows, a mouse, etc., has been replicated over and over again in millions of Macintosh and Windows computers sold throughout the world. The Mac did bring computing to "the rest of us."

While Apple clearly won the battle to get GUI to a mass market, it also clearly has lost the war. As Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said a few years ago at a college commencement service, "We won. Every computer is a essentially a Mac." This is true to an extent, however, Apple lost mind share and all-important market share through the years. I think Apple and Steve Jobs are happy now being a niche player in the world of computers. As I looked through clippings, brochures and other items from the dawning of the Mac era, I couldn't help but thing how things could have been different if there were more Macs in the world than Windows-based machines.There are some thoughts:

Personality. For one thing, more people would consider their computers more an extension of their personality than just a work tool they must tolerate. That's what has kept me loyal to Macintosh all these years. It's just a better computing platform. There are few headaches using a Mac than Windows. It's that simple.

Ease of Use. More people would be organized. While no computer has ever truly been "easy to use" with no prior instruction, the Macintosh is the best thing we've been able to come up with. I like the way everything on a Mac is consistent in implementation. Everything works the same. All programs work the same. It brings peace to my life.

Innovation. There would more innovation. Apple Computer, with the research and development resources of Microsoft, would be something to behold. Most of the major innovations in personal computing have come from the laboratories of Apple. It's a fact. I could name them, but I will not. If you're the curious sort, check out the following The Most Hugest Page of Mac Facts at http://www.13idol.com/mac/macfacts.html. As you read, you'll smile … a lot!

Obviously, these are just a few of the many things I could mention. I count it a joy to still be a Mac user and free from what I call the "Windows Form Factor." The next time you boot your Mac, count it as a joy as well.

The Arrogant Ones

We all know them. They disrupt the flow. They are the arrogant ones.

Recently, the billionaire heiress of one of America's most successful retail chains exhibited "the trait" after being stopped on suspicion of drunken driving. She said to a state patrolman, "Do you know my last name?" Apparently the officer did not care what her last name as as he wrote her a ticket.

Many years ago in a land far away, the creators of the world's first mass-marketed graphical computer exhibited the same trait. They didn't cooperate. They created and pushed proprietary technologies when industry-standard technologies would have worked just fine. They were brash...they were the arrogant ones.

That's all changed now. With the operating system war seemingly lost forever to Microsoft, these arrogant ones almost lost their shirts. They almost had to close shop. They had to make changes. And they did.

Everything I read tells me that the words "not invented here" have for the most part disappeared from the hallowed halls of Apple Computer in Cupertino, California. Steve Jobs, co-founder and self-appointed "savior" of the company, has brought the likes of Microsoft into the fold, and has proclaimed that Apple will not longer snub its nose at technologies birthed outside Apple.

What is ironic is that Jobs, father of the Macintosh, pushed a closed system that had few upgrade avenues in the 1980s. Today, Jobs' mentality lives on in the iMac, an impressive, but at first glance limited of computer technology. However, let's remember that it's not you and me -- devoted Macintosh users -- that Jobs wants. He wants the first-time buyer and computer user. He wants a positive and exciting user experience. He wants to sell them the Volkswagen Beetle they have read about but never owned.

What a brilliant move! After all, isn't everyone is into "retro" these days? The iMac certainly fits the bill for something completely different and exciting. What's more exciting is that Apple's new "innovation" streak won't stop with the iMac. The iMac is only the tip of the iceberg of what we'll see from Cupertino in the years to come. With the OS wars over, Apple needs to continue to focus on its core strength Big Time -- which is innovation, innovation and more innovation!

Get ready Mac users and Mac users to be. Get ready to hang on for the ride. Steve and the Mac are back and they're ready to rumble!