Microsoft Sux0rs: In support of Dick Brass
The following article was witten and published by William Szilveszter.
In case you haven’t read the recent article by Dick Brass, former VP over at Microsoft, let me provide you with a precis. He condemned the Redmond Giant for their ridiculous internal “internecine warfare,” claiming it (and other poor decisions) have seen the company spiral into a stagnant pool of anti-innovation. He claims, due to internal struggles and myopic R&D, Microsoft has not only lost their edge, but also their vision (tell us all something we don’t know Dick). Anyone interested in a terrific read can jump over to the New York Time for the full story.
I have no reason to doubt Dick. He seems like an intelligent man, with great insight. Moreover, Frank Shaw, VP of Communication with Microsoft, responded to Dick’s sassy column, but never disputed the actual allegations. As a matter of fact, it was a rather limp-wristed reply that rambled on about how successful a company they still are. No facts. No evidence. Kind of like telling someone they’ll get to taste a rainbow if they join your organization. (If you’re into fluff, you’ll find his article almost frame-worthy.) So until anything surfaces, I’ll take Dick on his words. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it is nice to have another citation when you feel the need to drag Bill Gates’ legacy through the mud at your local Linux rally.
Wireless Carriers Put Poison in Your Soup, Daily
The following article was witten and published by William Szilveszter.
New York Times reporter Jenna Wortham recently called Apple’s iPhone “the Hummer of cellphones,” in that, they just love to guzzle up bandwidth. With the release of iPhone 3.0, Apple introduced support for MMS and tethering, both of which are still currently absent if you are an AT&T customer (although AT&T now says that September 25th is the day). And since the iPhone is exclusive to this US carrier, its citizens are, for the lack of a better word, fucked (and I imagine rightfully prickly). However, AT&T has promised major updates to their currently insufficient network, but says it will take time. A 2011 date seems far away and if it were me, considering the price of cellphone ownership, the company should have prepared for these kinds of surges. (After all, it’s not like research firms haven’t conducted data collection on mobile phone usage trends.) Excuse me if I’m not won over by AT&T’s self-promotional statements of being at the forefront of innovation and commitment to its customers. And if that is the case, then all cellphone users can shed a tear.
Adobe Not Supporting CS3 for Snow Leopard
The following article was witten and published by William Szilveszter.
2005: Adobe bought out Macromedia. Some analysts theorized the move to acquire the competing slew of design software was not because they need or wanted to expand the Adobe catalog, but rather because Adobe was afraid of competition. To put bluntly, they have no clue how to drive innovation and just gobble up those around them, ala Pacman style.
Those accounts stick with me till this day. I’d like to say that I see signs of cracks in Adobe’s armour, but sadly, there is just no viable Ps alternative. And I’ve quite completely given up expecting an iteration of Ps to deliver anything more than a handful of new features, flashy panels, and another big, hefty price tag. But now, Ps (especially older versions) are being trampled on by Apple’s next big cat: Snow Leopard. What’s worse, Adobe has not shown up on white stallion with sword and shield.
Sony to Stop Including Knives with Care Bears? Maybe
The following article was witten and published by William Szilveszter.
I applaud responsible business. On that, Sony has never been remotely close to a socially responsible company. They wouldn’t know responsible business if it bent them over the knee and spanked them silly. Choosing rather to lock down their customers in Sony Land. Sony memory sticks, power supplies, peripherals, and the avoidance of having to follow up on their warranty and service agreements are all SOPs for Sony. They also sold a boat load of shoddy batteries. And let’s not forget the Sony rootkit debacle—legendary.
Don’t get me wrong, they make wonderful products, but when a company is so abrasive, so spiteful, and so heavy handed to those that pay their bills and keep them in the life style they are accustomed, it’s really hard to like them (and I’ve tried, trust me). Their products are elegant, gorgeous, and well delivered, but their Gestapo tactics and almost Hitlarian attitudes upset and hurt a lot of people. Yours truly has not purchased a Sony products since they refused to cover a screen replacement on an old mobile phone (invariably finding a loophole in the system) some three years ago. But they got something right in the JK Wedding Youtube video.
Put the Kibosh on (Some) Telemarketers
The following article was witten and published by William Szilveszter.
I used to receive repeated calls from strange 800-numbers. When I picked up, nothing but silence, then a click, followed up the lovely dial tone. I eventually traced the call and discovered they were coming from my local cable company. Once a week they would come, like clockwork. After repeated attempts, I was finally greeted by a salesperson, trying to peddle the usual promotion. I asked her why I had picked up so many times, yet never spoke to someone with a pulse? She informed me that they have an auto-dialer that randomly dials a list of numbers… when one caller picks up, the others are disconnected. First come, first served.
I thought, “Great, it’s not bad enough they are bothering people, but now they are bothering swarms of people at the same time.” Technology sure can be used for great evil it seems. It was a joyous day when I purchased my first cellular phone. No more calls from the local ambulatory burn ward looking for donations. No more calls from marketing agencies and smarmy cable companies. But it seems like the dream has since ended.
Almost overnight, I’ve been plagued with calls from Mexican lottery agencies (I actually won $12 million in a lottery I never entered? Really? I’m more interested in how you got my cell number), my bank (it’s not enough I let you play with my money, making you rich?), my service provider, a slew of marketing agencies, and even my university. And they just don’t give up either. If they don’t talk to a living person, they incessantly call back. I guess if they gave up too quickly, people would be out of a job. I suppose everyone has to pay the mortgage. But enough is enough, seriously.
