Idle Speculation

Since Google’s Chrome OS has been announced and the idle speculation of what this will mean for Microsoft has begun, I want to share my two cents worth, as the owner/user of a netbook, and someone who supports several non-tech netbook users.

Recent articles have said that this is an aim by Google to take over the low end of the market, by targeting the underpowered netbooks.  Maybe.  If so, it is going to be harder going than the pundits are realizing.

The tech oriented users, like me, have more on their netbooks than just the OS.  I have a few simple games that I like, as well as a few productivity tools, such as Windows Live Writer, which I’m using to create this post.  (Some would argue that posting to a blog isn’t productive, but that’s for a later post.)  The games in the Linux world are certainly available, and similar to what I’m currently playing (card games, slot machines, puzzles), but they aren’t as polished and professional looking for the most part.  I like what I like, and playing the game I’ve grown fond of on the netbook as well as on my desktop machine is important to me.  Since Microsoft owns my desktop, I want to play Windows based games, and use Windows based tools.

For my non-tech friends for whom I am their user support, they want something familiar.  They don’t like learning new ways of doing things.  Even I complain about the Microsoft UI and how things work in Internet Explorer, but getting them to switch to Firefox or Chrome isn’t going to happen.  I know, I’ve tried and I’ve suffered for it.  Tech types also know about the problems with Microsoft’s use to web standards in rendering pages, but when users get used to seeing something, they always want to see the same thing.  Complain as much as you like about the way the web portal for Outlook renders on Internet Explorer versus the other browsers, but my friends want to see the IE version, not the Chrome or Firefox version.  They will never install a game on their netbook (unless they make me do it for them) and will probably never consider any productivity tools.  They truly will just use it for surfing and email, but they want the surfing and email to look exactly like, and work exactly like, their desktops at work and home.

Apple has aimed at the top of the market, and this gives them an income and some bragging rights.  Google might be aiming at the bottom of the market where they will promote speed and simplicity.  Microsoft might be in the middle of the market, but just like my body, it is a HUGE middle, and the folks there are comfortable with what they have, and want that same comfort and experience.

For Google to succeed, it has to convince the buyers/users of the devices that they are doing something “different” just like they do something different when they use their smartphones for email, texting, surfing, etc.  On the phones the UI is different, and folks learned because they were told they had to learn, there was no other way.  By the way, when users get to see Windows Mobile, and see that it works very much like their desktop, they do get hooked.

It is going to be fun to watch.

Lords of Content – Update

Jim Louderback from Revision 3 has an interesting tale of paying for content to be delivered anywhere.  It is a cautionary account to compliment my earlier post of wanting to view the content I pay for on the devices of my choosing at the time of my choosing.  I wasn’t thinking of live events, but Jim was.

Kindle for PC

If you’ve gotten the bug, or been bugged by someone to look at or get the new Amazon reading device called the Kindle, you can now do the same thing for free from your PC (sorry Mac lovers, that version is coming soon but not yet ready.)

Of course if you must have the actual Kindle device, please do buy one from the links below, or just buy the books and use the free reader for the PC.  One of the big attractions is that they sell the electronic version of the book generally for about 1/2 the price of the printed book.  It makes sense.  It costs them next to nothing to churn out another electronic copy to you, so they are making even more profit than selling and shipping a real book.

But now you can increase Amazon’s bottom line by using the free software from them and still buying the electronic book.

The software can be found at this link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311

The devices and books can be found at these links:

Caught a Wave

Well, I got my Google Wave invitation. When I heard about Wave, I went to the Google site and signed up. I guess my patience paid off since I got my invitation just the other day.

I really see potential here as a workplace collaboration tool. Right now, with the very limited participation I'm mostly seeing very familiar instant messaging/email type usage. I'm also watching some different groups form, so it will be fun to watch what kind of collaboration starts up between people who hardly know each other. Until some friends or co-workers of mine get on the system, I'm kind of stuck watching and reading the public waves.

Youtube XL

Youtube has released a couch-size version of their site at www.youtube.com/xl

I can use my media center remote to navigate the site, but not for input.  I’ll have to play around to see what else I can and can’t do.  But this is definitely a move in the right direction for Youtube as more and more PC’s get hooked to televisions in the living room.

Roomba Pac Man

Too much fun

iTunes vs Cable vs OTA

Might this be the end of cable TV and the resurgence of the broadcast networks?

I’ve been reading that Apple wants to start a $30/month subscription TV service through its iTunes store.  I have no inside knowledge what that might mean and how it would work, but it does make me want to juggle some numbers around right now.

I just made a list of all the shows I watch regularly.  I took this list from the DVR list I’ve got on my cable box.  It comes to about 12 shows that I watch regularly.  So I went to the iTunes store to see if these 12 shows were available.  They were.  I can purchase almost of them in individual episodes and most in high definition.  I can also purchase a ‘season pass’ which automatically downloads the next available episode for me.

So I put together a little spreadsheet for costs.  If I purchase the season pass for each show in HD when available and SD when not (which comes out a little cheaper than individual episodes), it will cost me $357.73 for everything for a year which averages to almost $30/month.

My current cable bill (which includes my internet service and all the sundry set top boxes I need plus some movie channels that I almost never watch) is almost $186.00/month.  I can save over $100 a month, or $1,200 a year by dumping the TV portion of cable, buying the shows I want, and using the free over-the-air (OTA) to watch local programs and sports (go Cardinals – Suns – Diamondbacks - Coyotes) and just channel surfing.

I went to go see the Microsoft Store

I had a very rare Saturday morning free, and since we’re one of two places that has a Microsoft Store, I went for a look-see.  But I didn’t go inside.  Even after driving 15 miles to see it, I just didn’t feel the need.

If you’ve seen an Apple Store, you’ve seen a Microsoft Store.  It was a blatant rip-off.  At least from the outside looking in.  I didn’t venture inside for a number of reasons, most of them having to do with it being a blatant rip-off of Apple.

It  was Bauhaus and chic and seemed designed for the ‘pretty people’ of Scottsdale.  I lived in that area for many years, and know the ‘pretty people’ well.  One magazine writer said it best.  Watching the mommies and nannies pick up the school kids is like watching a Playboy tryout.  He was right.

Microsoft, I’ve gotta ask . . . why the Apple envy?  For all intents and purposes, YOU’VE WON.  I know those “Mac/PC” ads sting a little bit, but you can almost buy and sell them in an afternoon with your spare cash.  You dominate the desktop and office productivity software.  They only thing they choose to compete on is image.  They even switched over to YOUR hardware platform with the Intel move.  Image, that’s it – ephemeral opinions, that’s all.  So if you want to live and die by image – here’s the image you painted with me.

It is that image that turns me off about their stores, and now your stores.  I’m not Bauhaus or chic.  I’m middle aged, overweight, and decidedly unbeautiful.  I don’t walk around like I grok the whole Apple image/mystique thing.  When I look at the Apple store (and now the Microsoft store), I feel unwelcome.  First it reminds me of Grandma’s formal living room, covered with plastic slipcovers that put you on notice that this room (and these products) are not ever for ordinary use – keep your grubby self out of there – you don’t measure up – this is for important people – and you ain’t it.  Second it oozes that smug gnosticism that those inside are among the enlightened few.  The fact that the Microsoft workers wore the minimalist uniform of pants and a colored t-shirt (colors taken from the Windows flag) didn’t make it folksy, warm, or inviting – just the opposite for me.

Microsoft, what about ditching the image thing and showing us what you really do – how the software is going to make my life as a small business owner or consumer all the better for using it?  I’m guessing that a retail store is not to attract large businesses with giant I.T. staffs.

Show me your business platforms.  I’d like to learn more about this Sharepoint stuff.  I’d like to see how your Hyper-V technology will help me save money and do more with my meager server capabilities.

What about showcasing all the ways that Windows 7 will help the family with multiple PC’s?  How about showing off in a decent way the wonderful Media Center you’ve buried inside but never really gotten around to showing the world.  Don’t get me started on Windows Home Server and the ways it has saved my bacon countless times already with its backup feature, and how it can be used in the home.

Educators are the biggest sheep on the planet.  Convince one of the braver ones that your products help schools save money and prepare students and they’ll beat a path to your door.

Sure, if I walked inside I would probably have been met by the super-friendly staff who could have shown all this to me – but I just didn’t want to run that gauntlet.  The minimalist decor also made it possible for everyone to see everything that everyone was doing.  That way the customer can also be treated to the experience of the car lot – something we all love – where you are seen approaching a mile away and can be descended upon like a gazelle in a pirahna pond while the manager watches through a minimalist monocle and sniffs disapprovingly.

Am I being fair about this?  Probably not.  Am I showing that I am a disturbed individual with obvious issues of confidence?  Probably.  Am I going back to the Microsoft Store?  No.