Wayne Mulligan_

Could Earthlink and United Online Still “Dial up” Big Profits?

Hey guys,

You're right, I misspoke, I was mainly directing that comment towards United but it certainly came out wrong (I think I was looking at ELNK's annual data as I wrote this blog entry). UNTD hasn't done much in reducing its SG&A, EarthLink clearly has over the last several quarters. My apologies for stating otherwise.

However, I still think that from a competitive perspective their moves have been fairly weak and haven't produced any meaningful results. It's clear both companies are trying to diversify their businesses...which one will successfully do so is the real question.

Do you think high-speed is enough to keep EarthLink in the black? Their bottom line has improved due to the cost reductions but their top-line has been getting weaker.

Thoughts?

-Wayne

What's Better: BlackBerry or iPhone?

Hey Apple Heavy,

Would love to read your blog - what's the address?

-Wayne

What's Better: BlackBerry or iPhone?

The one thing I will certainly say for Apple is they sure have passionate customers :)

Good job defending the brand you love guys...but truth be told, I used the iPhone for quite some time before writing this, and spoke to dozens of people who all, just like you, defended the iPhone but conceded that the keyboard on a BlackBerry is much more friendly for the email/text heavy user.

Does the iPhone have a better web browsing experience? Sure it does. But that's not what I, nor many business users, use their mobile phone for throughout the majority of the day. Most of the time we're checking messages and making calls. That's not to say the trend won't shift in the coming years, but that's where we are now due to this country's antiquated mobile networks. Thankfully companies like Apple and RIM are pushing for 3G and an enhanced mobile experience.

I think the most interesting thing I personally can take away from having written this article is the passion with which Apple customers will defend Apple products...very impressive Mr. Jobs.

-Wayne

Why I'm Leery of Monster

The picture could certainly continue to improve for Monster and the economy at large...but I'm going to stick to my original thesis for a bit longer. I don't think we've seen the real employment picture take shape yet, and once we do, that's when this stock will take a beating. But we shall see.

Google's New 'App Engine': Why Microsoft Should be Shaking in Its Boots

No problem Mick, thanks :)

Google's New 'App Engine': Why Microsoft Should be Shaking in Its Boots

@shair - I'm not sure why Wall Street should be terrified either...I didn't put that title in here, the fine folks at SeekingAlpha did.

You both raise great points about Google not being an enterprise software provider and the inherent competition in the web. As for the enterprise software issue all I can say is that Amazon isn't an enterprise software provider, but yet their AWS services now get MORE traffic than all of Amazon.com. Google has already done them one better and it's my belief, when it comes to building scalable/developer friendly systems, they'll continue to do so.

As for the rapid adoption of new technologies on the web - you're right fxtrader, that's a HUGE risk to Google and I should've mentioned it in my analysis. It's my belief, however, (and speaking from a bit of experience) that once a company finds a vendor in the infrastructure space that they absolutely love, they don't move unless they absolutely have to. It's tough to build a web application that can scale -- it's even harder to take that off one platform and put it on another. So I think the best strategy for Google would be to LOVE their customers each and every day -- keep building new features, provide great service and support and get as many folks on the system as possible.

Great comments guys, thanks!

-Wayne

XMSR and Sirius: Bigger Problems Than FCC Approval

I own Apple stock? I wish somebody told me ;)

XMSR and Sirius: Bigger Problems Than FCC Approval

163888 - Music is trending towards free...Apple came out with its own study showing 95% of content on someone's iPhone has NOT been paid for. This trend will continue and eventually we'll be left with either a) incredibly inexpensive music subscription services, or b) an ad supported model (this doesn't include the continued boot legging, which is what most folks do anyway - whether or not that's what they want to call it).

Never before - TV is a bad comparison - have we have access to such a vast amount of consumable content on our fingertips.

Forget WiFi - look at the Amazon Kindle: it uses the high-speed Edge network and it's FREE.

Me an idiot? Maybe, but definitely not for making a call like this :)

XMSR and Sirius: Bigger Problems Than FCC Approval

@alexr78 - Full disclosure: I don't own, nor have a shorted, a single share in ANY of the companies mentioned in this article.

Saw a question come up on my site (tickerhound.com) and decided to weigh in on it. Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong...what I REALLY enjoyed out of this whole process was the discussion that this article prompted.

For me, it's about engaging a community of intelligent people and hearing what they have to say. So, with 43 comments and counting, I can proudly say, mission accomplished!

I love sites like SeekingAlpha for this reason - it brings multiple opinions to the forefront and makes it all available for regular, retail investors.

And that's why I write these articles...that's why I run TickerHound.com...it's NOT to make money off of the stocks I discuss. It's to engage a community of intelligent people and hopefully help some folks make better decisions as a result of the debate/discussion that occurs.

XMSR and Sirius: Bigger Problems Than FCC Approval

@porcelain altar - I guess we're just looking at it from different perspectives. I'm not arguing as to what the business models will be behind this - subscription vs. ad support or a combination of both - what I am saying is that by giving users more control, piggy backing existing distribution platforms and technology and the falling prices of everything from bandwidth to storage, Apple is in a better strategic position than sat rad.

We're seeing this in many industries, not just music - Amazon's kindle (while I think they should be discounting the price of the device and just making money off of the books they sell) is giving away the wireless internet access in order to increase book sales/downloads.

Only time will tell how this situation will play out, but I definitely respect the debate and arguments you put forth.

Do you have a blog or a site you publish on regularly?

-Wayne

XMSR and Sirius: Bigger Problems Than FCC Approval

@Porcelain Altar - you make some good points, no doubt...and I'm not totally writing off satellite radio.

The thing to keep in mind however is that with a distribution channel already locked down (having 53 million+ iPods in people's hands) gives Apple a HUGE competitive advantage. Now let's throw in wireless connectivity (as we're seeing with the iPhone), the falling prices for storage, bandwidth, etc. and you could have the equivalent of radio-on-demand coming to your iPod whenever, wherever.

Your arguments are certainly valid, but for all you know about the coming technical innovations in satellite radio, you're certainly ignorant of the existing technologies available on the web and mobile devices.

-Wayne

P.S. After I go to school? Damn, I knew I forgot to do something :)

Why Buffett Would Not Buy Google

Adam, you're obviously correct...I was trying to illustrate a point and probably could've been more accurate in my description of what Google does. In any case, the company makes its money selling ads -- it's a "simple" business to understand as opposed to trying to understand how the company's search solution works.

I merely meant to "check off" the simple/understandable business part of "Buffett's checklist".

Thanks for the great comments though!

-Wayne