F. J. Taylor

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    • Tue Jun 24th 02:33 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      'Best of Breed' Business Model a Chink in Apple’s Armor?
      Agreed with almost all the posters comments here - incl. the chap who straightened Mr. Jamie4419 out on the origin and use of the word "chink." Another case of PC (in this case political correctness) carried to the extreme. I suppose Jamie would also want people to refrain from using the word "mick" because it has occasionally been used as a derogatory term for Irish people. That would make life very hard on the very many Irish Michaels I know who go by Mick - not to mention the many who use the term to describe themselves on occasion... as have I; "I'm a mick." (Oh gosh! The "M" word!!! Shocking!!)

      As to the author - the poor soul obviously hasn't a clue as to why the Mac is superior - but his self-description as a "corporate type" tells us all we need to know (think Dilbert's pointy-haired manager).

      As for the droll notion that one needs a Windows box to run Windows apps on - that wasn't true even in earlier times - for example, Mac Office would open and run, or "save as" Windows documents - they were cross-compatible. With MacLink, you could open almost anything.
      And of course, now with Mactel, there is no earthly reason not to run a Mac - in fact, XP (I refuse to use Vista!) opens faster, runs smoother, and (so far) hasn't crashed on my wife's Macbook.

      As to enterprise, etc., see the comments above - large and small enterprise is starting to go Mac - propelled by the endusers who are adopting Mac products including the iPhone, and forcing their companies to adopt it as well - despite the sand-bagging by some IT departments who see their pink slips written on the wall.

      Last, the author clearly doesn't comprehend either the cloud computing concept, or the fact that iPhone is not a "cell phone" - it is the first true mobile, hand-held computer.

      But hey, at least the comments here have tried to straighten him out...
      View article »
    • Mon Jun 23rd 02:00 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      A Real iPhone Challenger - Barron's
      HO-hum... yet another "iPhone killer" - yeah, right! Like Zune and the rest killed iPod?

      HTC? Never heard of it till now. Never even SAW one. (I've seen hundreds of iPhones, however.) AND it runs Windows??? If it doesn't run Apple OS, I am not interested. I am a former DOS / Windows user and systems administrator who migrated to Apple about 10 years ago and have never looked back - so I want as little to do with MS dreck as possible.

      The only close competitor iPhone had was Blackberry - and with the new generation, that is going to be sucking eggs soon.

      I have no idea where these gentlemen are getting their outlandish ideas - but I can make a guess... Redmond.
      View article »
    • Fri Jun 13th 02:57 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Palm Girds for a Smartphone Comeback
      Palm is passé. They lost me when they bought Handspring and immediately dropped Apple development, and they have gone downhill ever since. They also use Windows Mobile OS now (oy!) and have no redeeming features that I am aware of. They will be lucky to remain in business within a few years, let alone stage a come-back that could match, let alone beat, iPhone. They have as much chance of doing that as Zune did of killing iPod. (You DO remember Zune... ?)

      (Writer has Apple stocks and is long on Apple - for a good reason - they are the superior OS and product!)
      View article »
    • Wed Jun 11th 15:11 PM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Smooth Sailing Ahead for Research In Motion
      Mr. "dicki obviously hasn't seen or used an iPhone - and / or possibly has stock in RIMM, MS.

      Both he and Mr. kandola are missing a major point (which, to be fair, many others have been missing) - iPhone is not just another "smartphone" - it is a true hand-held mobile computer - as well as a phone.

      The Apple products, once people experience the ease of use and overall quality of the user experience, are far superior to any of the other products out there. Blackberry was a good unit in its time - and will remain so for a while - but it is not what the iPhone is. As for Palm, it is all but defunct - partly due to poor management decisions.

      As to people looking for "technical aspects" not buying iPhone - I can only conclude from this that dicki has been living under a barrel. All the engineering and programming wonks I know are enthralled with it, and the fact that it is selling off the shelves in some very sophisticated markets (incl. Europe and Asia, before it was even officially released there) is evidence in itself of its appeal and strength. It is already No. 3 in the world (and no. 2 in the US), and that figure can only grow with its official roll-out in the European and Asian markets.

      My advice to all of you (except dicki, who is obviously oblivious to reality) is buy Apple and wait for the roll.

      (Disclosure: writer holds Apple shares and is long on Apple.)
      View article »
    • Sat Jun 7th 02:30 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Microsoft: iPhone Envy Is Starting to Show
      Yet another iPhone killer... ho-hum! No doubt as successful as Zune was at "killing" the iPod...

      It always amazes me when I hear ANYBODY telling me how great MS and its products are - after over 20 years in computing, and having dealt with MS from 3.0 forward in every capacity from end-user to sys admin, I can state with complete confidence that MS is not even in Apple's league - and never was, but especially since the advent of OS X.

      As MS loses market share to Apple AND Linux, I am sure their attempts to regain their former status will continue - but unless they change their entire model, they will continue to be unsuccessful...
      View article »
    • Fri May 23rd 00:52 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Is an iPhone Air Hybrid in the Works?
      Mr. mlambert890 and Mr. Webster obviously are not fans of Apple. One assumes they are die-hard Windows users and / or investors. My sincere commiseration.

      While they have raised a few interesting points, they have missed the mark widely.

      Sony VAIO TZ is indeed a nice little book, but it has one major failing - it runs Windows Vista, or for those able to reload it, XP (or Linux - which would be a vast improvement over either).

      Vista, as is now widely known, is the worst OS that MS (who have always made poor OSs) ever dumped on a heretofore largely helpless public. Now, however, the long-suffering public has had enough of buggy, unstable, and bloated software, and are decamping in droves to Mac and Linux (despite Mr. Webster's figures - which seem to me to fall under the same onus as most statistics used with a bias or agenda, i.e.; "...lies, damned lies, and statistics.").

      As a former DOS / Windows user (from DOS 3.0 through XP) who has also run Novell networks, and a former sys admin for both Windows and Mac networks, I think I can state with some authority that Mac is a far superior system in every respect.

      Having made the change from Windows completely some years ago, I can heartily echo the statement of an engineer friend who recently made the switch - "I only wish I had done this 20 years ago!" This seems to be the general opinion among those who have made the switch - and it is a growing one, whether the gentlemen above like it or not. In fact, many of the converts now are former Windows die-hard techs. One said of Vista recently; "I waited six years for THIS???" He has since completely converted to Mac.

      As for the UK and EU iPhone sales - I don't know which UK he is referring to, but all over the EU (which I recently returned from after a year and a half sojourn) the iPhone was in great demand even before its official release - the only problem they had afterwards has been keeping them on the shelves! Some of my colleagues even flew to NYC to get theirs, and brought back others for friends. (I was asked to send some over on my return, but declined due to the legal issues.)

      As for iPod, it continues, with iTunes, to dominate the digital download market, and draw thousands to the Mac platform by their elegance and ease of use.

      In addition to the outstanding OS X, Apple has the best customer service, the best design and style, and the all-around fastest and best computers.

      Mr. Webster also goes on at great length about Apple's lack of innovation - while in fact, their second machine, the Apple II (1977), has been credited with creating the home computer market. In 1983, the Lisa, the first commercially available computer using GUI was introduced. (Yes, the innovation was based on the original XPARC design, as so many other things we associate with computing today - but Xerox foolishly decided not to develop this technology.)

      Mr. Jobs' NeXT computer, running on the Unix kernel that would become OS X, though not strictly speaking an Apple, introduced important concepts and served as the initial platform for Tim Berners-Lee, while he was developing the Web concept. The Apple PowerBook (1991) prototyped the form and layout of the modern laptop. The Newton PDA, though a commercial failure due to some early shortcomings that were widely satirized (most notably in the popular Doonesbury cartoon by Gary Trudeau), was the prototype of the later Palm Pilot and other PDAs. Apple had true "plug and play" years ago - while Windows is still often "plug and pray."

      As to the charge of "never manufacturing their own computers" etc., he is also obviously blissfully unaware that all Apple products were made by Apple in the US from the first Apple I (assembled in Apple co-founder Mr. Wozniak's garage) until rising production costs and heavy competition from other firms in the 1990s forced them (as almost everyone else in the industry) to begin off-shoring.

      As to labor conditions, companies in almost every field now use off-shore labor, and conditions and pay in every sector are pretty poor compared to the US. (At least until recent times - now we're in a race to the bottom.) However, they are often far better than the usually few alternatives the people in these exploited countries have. For that matter, even the Japanese have been "outsourcing"... in recent years, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn Sony is among them.

      All this is a factor of investors (perhaps like you, sir?), driving businesses to cut more and more costs so they (and the investor) can make more and more profit - i.e.; the "greed factor" - but as I understand capitalism, that is always what it's been all about. "Greed is good" according to Gordon Gecko and capitalist conservatives, right? So what is an investor doing complaining about exploiting labor? That's what capitalism is all about.

      (That said, I, for one, disagree with that philosophy, and use my small investment platform to agitate for improvements in labor and working conditions, pay, and social and environmental responsibility. If the company doesn't respond, I yank my investment and take my business elsewhere. I don't care if my own profits are diminished thereby. Better I make less - or nothing - than that people or the planet should suffer to make me rich. I don't know how effective my campaigning is, but I hope that as others see the light, they will join me in doing the same. Together we can effect change - individually, it is harder.)

      As to the exploding and burning batteries - Mr. Webster seems to have forgotten that Dell, Sony, and a number of others had the same problem - because they all used the same suppliers. In fact, in the case of the Osaka, Japan, couple whose Mac burst into flames, the battery had been manufactured by Sony. Apple and Sony promptly recalled all defective batteries, and paid all damages. (One hopes Dell and the others did as well, in the case of their batteries.) The story is here:

      news.softpedia.com/new...

      However, I suspect that Mr. Webster (and perhaps Mr. mlambert890), whatever the source of their dislike of Apple are unlikely to be convinced by anything that disagrees with their pre-ordained world-view. In fact, Mr. Webster's antipathy seems to border on some sort of serious disorder. Perhaps he should seek some form of counseling. It would appear he has been the one to "drink the Kool Aid," rather than those of us who can clearly see a better system and investment.

      I suggest that they just continue to suffer along with their Windows machines, if they so choose, and any MS investments they might have - and watch as Apple once again sets the standards as the herd tries vainly to catch up. Though they might sway a small percentage of the people who have never used Mac, they will certainly never convert a Mac user to Windows - at least not one who has seriously used both platforms.
      View article »
    • Wed May 21st 18:22 PM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Will Apple Be Dragged Kicking and Screaming to the Business Market?
      I am in accord with the majority of the statements re: the emergence and future of Mac in Enterprise, and where it is going. It doubtless will replace Wintel as the tool of choice, as it should and would have done many years ago except for MS's clever cornering of the market by teaming with IBM initially, licensing its OS, and later by strong-arming all competition.

      Macs were superior before OS X, but MS, driven by its early gains and monopolistic business practices, gained so much cash and control that they were able to sideline Apple for years, and gain the lion's share of the market share, so to speak. Also, Mr. Jobs' elitism and drive to keep control of the whole thing in-house, while understandable from his POV re: ensuring QC and the user experience (which it does) also helped MS in that it alienated some supporters (even Mac fans).

      However, with the utter failure of Vista and many other dismal products (Zune, the vaunted iPod "killer" being one of many), they have now started to disintegrate - and about time.

      This disintegration is being hastened by the rapidly spreading dissatisfaction with the many problems associated with Windows, and the spread of the Apple experience through iPod, iTunes, and now, iPhone (which is not just a "smart phone" BTW, but the world's first fully fledged mobile computing platform - which also happens to have phone and camera capabilities).

      Perhaps MS, if it survives, will get smart and stop making OSs, which it has always done poorly, and concentrate on making apps, some of which have been pretty good - like the older, pre-bloat version of Word, which was originally designed for Mac.

      However, there are real migration issues which revolve around the "legacy" software for the REALLY old systems, such as those run by many major corporations. For example, many insurance companies still have huge proprietary programs written in COBOL, which would be so costly and difficult to migrate that it is actually cheaper for them to train and maintain teams of COBOL programmers than to put the money and effort into migrating the data. This will continue to be a major problem.

      However, for the daily tasks of the average worker in businesses large or small, Mac and its many useful apps will be more than adequate.

      No doubt Linux will continue to make great strides with GUIs like Ubuntu and all the great Open Source apps it offers, but IMO, if you want the stability and security of Unix, with the best user experience, the Mac GUI is the ultimate.
      View article »
    • Wed May 21st 15:47 PM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Time to Buy Gold
      I agree in most respects with the article and comments. I'd only add what a wise Jewish gentleman who had survived the Holocaust told me once when I asked him for advice; "Put 2% of what you're worth in gold - and hope you never have to use it."

      IMO, gold is a hedge against disaster, not an investment in the traditional sense.
      View article »
    • Sun May 18th 00:29 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Samsung, Apple and Vertical Integration
      One would suppose from this article that it was Samsung products which were all the buzz everywhere - when in fact it is Apple products.

      The lady is clearly oblivious to the fact that Apple has recently inked deals with a great many "emerging markets" incl. India and Latin America - or that there are already 400,000 smuggled and unlocked iPhones in China - and that there is a rumored deal pending there with their largest mobile supplier.

      In fact, I believe there is another article here detailing the activity.

      I also seem to recall her knocking Apple on numerous occasions. Don't know what her problem is, but obviously it is getting in the way of her seeing the future - not only of "smart phones" but of the real new trend - mobile wireless computing which is where Apple is clearly not only heading, but the leader by light-years...

      However, if she, or any of those who might be short-sighted enough to listen to her, choose to invest in Samsung or Nokia instead, good luck to them. It is their money, and not (thankfully!) mine.
      View article »
    • Thu May 8th 21:56 PM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Synchronoss: Turning Out to Be a Rotten Apple
      All quite right. There are a LOT of unlocked iPhones out there judging from the numbers sold vs. the number activated via AT&T. I debated buying and unlocking one, but am waiting to see what the new one turns out to be. (Currently rumored to be 3G with more features and possibly sold on an open basis.)

      However, if not, I may just activate my iPhone (when I get it) through AT&T - just because I don't want the hassle of the "brick" updates and losing the great warranty and service Apple gives.

      I know a lot who are pursuing the same "wait and see" strategy, and I imagine there are many more out there as well. If so, there will be a huge boom in both iPhone sales (esp. if they are available legally unlocked), but if not, still a boom, and therefore a boom in AT&T from me and others like me. Unfortunately, I cannot tell how many this would be. (If I could, I'd be buying the appropriate stocks!)

      As for Apple itself - everyone and every product is likely to take a beating in this market. (Unlike Mr. Soros and Mr. Buffet, who I think have been "asked" to quiet the mob's fears), I think it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better... However, Apple is strong financially, has terrific products, and is likely to weather the storm as it has before.
      View article »
    • Thu May 8th 21:40 PM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Microsoft Adds Content to Zune Marketplace
      What's a Zune...? OH, you mean Microsoft's "iPod killer" - the one that nobody buys or listens to...

      Seriously, NO amount of "content" can save that dog - and NBC is foolish for moving that direction. 2 million since 06 is "respectable"... In whose calculations?

      Zune is an irrelevance, and MS is increasingly becoming one as well.
      Invest in them if you want to - after all, it's your money, and you can waste it as you wish. I would rather use mine to start a fire - that way at least you'd get some good from it!
      View article »
    • Sun Apr 20th 01:29 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Wanted, Dead or Alive: The iPhone Killer
      I would like to order some of Mr. Yag is smoking. It is clearly of great potency. The notion that Windows ANYTHING is equal to, let alone superior to, Apple is such an absurd notion that it is difficult to know whether to laugh or cry. FYI, I was a DOS and later Windows user for over 15 years - and I only wish I had transitioned sooner! Even before OS X, Macs were clearly the superior machine and experience. I know many former Windows sufferers who feel the same way.

      As to Voyager being an "iPhone killer" - Right! Like Zune killed the iPod, eh? I love Verizon, and dislike AT&T for a number of reasons - but I am switching as soon as iPhone 2.0 is out...
      View article »
    • Thu Apr 10th 01:44 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Windows Collapsing Under Its Own Weight - Gartner
      NOTHING Windows does can fix their lethargic, bloated, and essentially crappy OS. Windows should do what they do best - software for the office environment.

      To was_fred and the others: Classic apps DO run on Mactels running 10.4.x under Rossetta Stone (I am using them on this MacBook Pro!), but I am not sure about Leopard.

      To rampman and his fellow Windows lovers and fanboys - the ONLY reasons MS ever took the lead from Apple and other innovators was that Gates made the decision to license, and tied his fortunes to Deep Blue's Deep Pockets and powerful sales team. They had a fairly good WP (Word - originally made for Apple!), and later other good office apps - but their OS was always lousy. (And I would know - I ran it from DOS 3.0 forward!)

      Also, Google's FREE office apps are making serious progress, as is Linux and other Open Source stuff - and Apple is gaining market share by the minute! (Much of this thanks to Vista!)

      Windows is going down the tubes - it may die hard, but unless they totally change their model and M.O., they are going down...
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    • Thu Apr 3rd 01:13 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Apple, Microsoft Run for the Clouds in the New Client Software War
      The author and many commentators have some interesting and valid points.

      However, I agree with several of the comments re: the fact that web-based apps, while having great potential, will not likely dominate the market any time soon - especially since many (perhaps most) of us prefer the security and ease of use of device-based apps.

      Apple is fully aware of and pushing the envelope of web-based computing, and is on the cutting edge of web-based computing as several comments correctly point out. Leopard, the iPhone, and Air were intended to inaugurate this, but Mr. Jobs soon learned that the public are not "there" yet.

      An analogy might be Net-based sales vs. "bricks and mortar" - a few years back, the dot-com bust was littered with great and innovative on-line sales ventures that failed for only one reason - the Great Unwashed was unready for the concept. Now, Net sales are a large and growing segment of the economy.

      I love iPhone and Air, and intend to get the former shortly. (I am waiting for Gen 2 and ( hopefully ) an eventual open provider system - or at least a fool-proof hack!) If I were still a Road Warrior, I'd have an Air in a heartbeat!

      I differ strongly with the author's opinion that hardware innovation is finished - quite the opposite.

      As some commentators correctly pointed out, this merely betrays a lack of knowledge about what is happening right now in computing - though retired, I have friends who are still deep in tech, and though they cannot speak in detail, there are developments afoot in the coming "Computer Revolution" that will make the first one pale by comparison.

      Re: MS - they are far too slow, clumsy, and ungainly to ever come close to out-maneuvering Apple in products or in the web-based world.

      Re: gentleman from MS's comments on Zune - with all due respect, I cannot think of a single aspect of any MS product that outdoes Apple - let alone Zune, which in my opinion is a singularly clumsy and unlovely attempt to knock off the iPod - much as Windows was a clumsy and unlovely attempt to knock off the Apple GUI. I would say Zune sales and usage vs. iPod sales and usage adequately reflect this.

      MS's early success had much less to do with product superiority (none) than with the early decision to license, early teaming with Deep Blue, (and Apple, for that matter), etc.

      (Disclosure: I DON'T work for Apple, though I am a user, and I previously used every MS system and product from DOS 3.0 through XP, as well as Unix and Linux. I have run LAN networks of both Apple and Windows, and I wouldn't return to Windows under pain of death, nor would I touch the extremely clumsy and ugly "Vista" with a fork.)
      View article »
    • Wed Apr 2nd 02:40 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Who iPhone Owners Are - And What They Want
      I have no idea where this "poll" got its rather bizarre info. I am upwards of 60 and long-time Apple user and enthusiast. My stepson (who does fit the demographics described LOVES his and dumped his existing cell and account almost immediately.

      As to keyboards - WHY would anyone want a keyboard? The touch board featured works perfectly. It is already QWERTY - unfortunately, as this, though industry standard, is an extremely inefficient layout compared to Dvorak or other designs.

      As to "smaller" - why would you want to restrict iPhone's chief advantage - a screen you can actually see and read?
      View article »
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