Digital Living

Eee PC - The "Open PC" That -- One Day -- Might Revolutionize The "Boring" PC Industry?

Eee PC is a new breed of PC that probably show the world -- for the first time -- the true potential of open technology.

While the "Eee" embodies Asus' Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play, the most interesting aspect of this technology is that it provides first case example of how:

1. PC could be made so affordable and usable, even without Windows attached inside.
2. PC could be made so portable, very convenient, feather-weight (0.98 kg??) and easy to carry around.
3. Right size PC could be created, packaged and sell -- at a profit -- at a price point of around $400+ only.
4. PC computing and operating environment could be made open, so that everybody can also start to program on it, and enhance its key concept further, to eventually establish the "perfect" open PC environment that is both easy and most convenient for everybody who is using it.
5. Computing doesn't have to always mean more all the time (e.g. mean memory, more disk, more capacity), instead by choosing the "right balance mixture", a right size, truly affordable, truly mobile and reasonably functional PC can indeed be created.
6. In the hand of an everyday user, cheaper (aka more affordable and better priced )PC -- which is already equipped with integrated connectivity to the internet, embedded with software that is powered by open operating system (Linux) and open  office system (openoffice.org), and connected  with many open services that is available on the net -- is something that is sufficient for everyday usage and activity.
7. Open PC could become something that is truly as powerful as the latest Vista, minus the bloated and unnecessary stuff that Vista bring -- but people doesn't want.
   
   1. e.g. who want Vista bloated memory requirement?
   2. e.g. who want Vista virus-friendly capability?
   3. e.g. who wants Vista troublesome driver compatibility? 
   4. Who want to tinker with all that??

Overall, Eee PC might mark an era whereby open computer might eventually become the "ideal" right sized computer in the future. It might also mark an era whereby a reminder is being put for all major "closed vendor and equipment maker" in the world, that if they continue being lazy and keep on producing lauzy bloated software that is being priced and sell at ridiculous price, then the customer might soon one day got an alternative to avoid such ridiculousness.

We will see whether Eee PC will succeed or not in the market. But whether it succeed or not succeed, the most important thing is the fact that the world start to realize: if current PC doesn't improve significantly (and quickly) in the near term future, then people and society in the market might have a chance to progress to a new stuff:

1. Upgrade themselves to a better designed, more appealing and fully breathtaking Mac systems.
2. or Migrate themselves to the "Open PC" environment.

Overall, doing such might be better rather than "get stuck" with the craziness of bloated, memory hog, uninspiring, boring, ridiculing and virus-friendly PC that Mr. Ballmer of Redmond keep throwing out these days.

June 30: The End Of XP ??

Microsoft formally announced that June 30, 2008 would be the end of XP. Under such scheme, beyond June 30, basically no more computer with XP system shall be released. Everything will be moved to Vista.

While Microsoft eagerly try to push Vista on the map, the hardware maker, and the XP fans doesn't seem to agree. Dell for example just recently announce that it will keep selling computers with pre-downgraded Vista after June 30. And XP fans are running a rally to ask Microsoft to "save XP" from vanishing.

It might be Microsoft's greatest interest to have its Vista sales revenue looks shine, no matter what. Microsoft will need it to justify their future. But with bloated feature, incompatible driver, memory hog capability, and no significant innovation on the Vista side, both request to "downgrade" to XP (as being done by Dell) and to "save XP" from vanishing (as being done by XP fans/community) is  fully reasonable, and understandable.

Who wants a bad software anyway.

But beside the fact that Vista is bloated and memory hog software at the current moment, it would also be interesting to understand how Dell could still legally offer their customer an XP system (aka a "downgraded" OS), after June 30?

Basically this is what Dell do: Dell is embracing a clausul in Microsoft Vista license permission. This clausul basically say: manufacturer (and customer) can pre-downgrade their computer operating system from Vista back to XP -- as long as they/customer requires it.

Hence, through this permission, basically the process is legal, and:

1. Dell customer will receive a machine with predowngraded OS: means it will run Windows XP -- the downgraded version of Vista -- which is more robust, less power hungry, and less bloated than Vist is.
2. Because the machine is equipped with a "downgraded Vista", Dell will then report such transaction as a Vista sales. Such sales figure will enable make Microsoft team -- under the leadership of Mr. Ballmer -- to run revenue plan, progress and actual as if: "Vista sells!".

While above is pretty "tricky", the most important thing I think is not whether the downgraded Vista (aka XP) sell, or the Vista itself that sell. What is most important -- I think -- is that Microsoft quickly realize that this time they are really screwed the market and their loyal customer base with a bloated, lazy, crazy product, and act fast to handle it fast.

• If Microsoft can do that, the market might be pleased again.
• But if Microsoft doesn't do that (and Mr. Ballmer keep doing those "ugly Monkey dance stuff", those "pooh-pooh the competition" and those "developer-developer-developer" stuff), then Microsoft -- for the first time in its history -- might start gradually to become disresonate ... overconfident ... and finally become irrelevant.

As Charles Darwin said: "only those that can ADAPT ... survive". Those who don't: vanish.

What Charles Darwin said true for the non-business world is probably -- again and gain still true and relevant in the world of business.

So: Beware. Dopends on what (and how) Microsoft respond to this latest market realities, another major  transition is probably about to come.

Great Presentation By Garr Reynolds!

Garr Reynolds presentation graphics and style is always superb, entertaining and excellent. This is one of his latest creation: a write up on Dan Pink's latest book. Enjoy!

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Jeff Bezos Did It Again!

Jeff Bezos did it again. A few years ago he shocked the internet world with his amazon.com creation. Now, he turn the basic foundation of the amazon.com to become the internet infrastructure of the world!

His new "infrastructure" company slogan said it best:

"We create electricity, so you don't have to".

What an awesome proposition.

Some people -- perhaps -- are just born with truest entrepreneurial spirit of all time. Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Akio Morita are living examples of people, business leader and business builder who -- through their work, idealism, ideas, dedication, effort, persistance, hardwork and creative process -- repeatedly  invent, produce and deliver string of exciting product, services and ideas, which turn the world for the better.

This probably reflects the truest (and reatest) entrepreneurship spirit of all time!!

The Future Shape & Formfactor Of Pen + Palm + Phone Computing Combined ...

While many people today focus on the magical "touch" interface from Apple, I still believe that the best form factor of the future is a combo touch computing + pen computing combined.

Imagine something like this:

and imagine that we can:

1. Type on it (on a soft keyboard) when we need to type.
2. Touch on it when we need to scroll, zoom, and navigate around.
3. Write on it (using comfortable pencomputing stylus) when we need to jotdown, annotate, underline and draw!
4. And of course .. (video) talk on it when we need to discuss and talk.

These four capabilities combined is perhaps what the world could one day call the "key crucial factor of modern, integrated palm+pen+phone computing combined".

In it, we see a powerful combination of the form-factor innovation of scale-down PC, the ingenuity and mobility of PALM computing infrastructure, the strength and power of wireless communication and data access connectivity; all fully integrated and seamlessly combined with the superb simple yet intuitive interface design extraordinarity of APPLE computer mass digital device today.

When such device eventually emerge the way the world see and do computing might again be transformed for the better.

China Now Has The Largest Number Of Internet User In The World

After becoming the largest mobile phone user in the world, China -- with internet user population of 220 million as of February 2008 -- now become the country with the largest number of internet user in the world -- surpassing USA, and the rapid growth seems not yet about to stop.

Amazing! Click here for more.

New Approach In User Interface Design

More than ever, modern user interface design seem relies on simplicity, intuitiveness and workability. It makes the whole multi-featured system easier to grasp and to understand.

Sony pioneer this with their beautiful PSP interface design a few years ago. Now seem everybody follows through.

Google Is No Longer "Just A Software" Company!

Google expenditure for hardware (a.k.a massive data center) increase -- this quarter -- to an all time high of $800 milllion.

Indeed, since the very beginning, Google is not just a software company. Every internet business will rely on its ability to do both great software and massive scale hardware (a.k.a "infrastructure") combined.

But the recent massive transformation at Google really shows that it tries to become not just a vertically integrated internet software+hardware company, but also a horizontal internet software infrastructure company, AND a horizontal internet infrastructure company, at the same time.

• Would this increase in infrastructure spending mark Google's aspiration (and transformation) to become  the greatest massive computer provider of the world?.

• Would it mark Google's most significant transformation  to become the giant infrastructure provider of "cloud computing" around the world where every single transaction that happen (in the world) eventually will be related with Google's massive cloud-computing infrastructure?

• Would this initiative eventually become Google's next biggeest revenue stream? Something that is eventually becoming larger and more continuous than its current per-click advertising revenue?

• Would this strategic investment bring the NEXT strategic position for Google in the web internet market, something that can bring it future returns that would be even better than what it had today ??

We shall see.

Gartner: Microsoft OS Is In Danger Of Collapse

Microsoft's flagship operating system has become so poorly designed for modern computing needs that it risks becoming obsolete, according to two senior technology analysts.

Claudine Beaumont, Digital Channel Editor, written the complete article here. Or you can also read it below.

My comment is this: If Mr. Ballmer approach to "tackle" this architectural-obsolence-problem is by "pooh-pooh"-ing the competition some more, then surely it won't remedy the situation for the better.

Gartner executives Neil MacDonald and Michael Silver said that Microsoft's position as the dominant desktop computing giant could be eroded by a new wave of technologies muscling in on their traditional space, including the delivery of software and programs via the web rather than installed on hard-drives, as well as the shift towards low-cost and open-source computing. "For Microsoft, its ecosystem and its customers, the situation is untenable," said the analysts at a technology conference in Las Vegas.

Users want a stripped-back, more streamlined version of the operating system, said the analysts, capable of running on cheaper and more basic portable devices, such as mobile phones and notebook computers, such as the hugely popular Asus Eee PC. "Apple introduced its iPhone running OS X, but Microsoft requires a different product on handhelds because Windows Vista is too large, which makes application development, support and the user experience all more difficult," said the analysts. "Windows as we know it must be replaced," they added.

The analysts also indicated that the increasing complexity of the operating system has meant that release times for new versions have become unpredictable, and that there was a growing reluctance among consumers to upgrade to new software that offered only a marginal performance improvement. "It takes Microsoft too long to introduce new versions of Windows and once a new version is released, it takes significant time for the ecosystem to support it and for the release to stabilise," they said. "Organisations need to wait for that support and stability, and then deal with the enormous task of deployment and management for increasingly nebulous benefits."

Other companies, such as Google, have moved into Microsoft's traditional market by offering similar products and services to the technology giant but for free, across the web. Google Docs, a suite of word-processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs, is a direct competitor to Microsoft Office, but can be accessed on any computer connected to the internet, and is free to use.

Microsoft also faces the problem of market saturation. The sale of personal computers is growing between only about two per cent and eight per cent a year in mature markets, according to Gartner. By contrast, the rate of growth in emerging markets is about 16 per cent per year, but these developing nations often favour low-cost machines, manufactured using cheaper, more basic components which struggle to run a power-hungry operating system such as Windows Vista. MacDonald and Silver also highlighted the fact that technology is now more mobile and dynamic than ever, enabling people to do business anywhere, on any machine. As such, Microsoft's business model of tying hardware and software together is less useful and relevant, they warned, because increasing numbers of applications used by individuals and organisations are able to run fluidly across multiple platforms.

However, Microsoft strenuously denied claims that its operating system could soon be obsolete. "Microsoft disagrees with Gartner on the state of Windows," said a spokesperson. "Unfortunately much of the data presented was based on relatively small sampling of Gartner conference attendees and doesn't align with more rigorous research."

"New Approach" In Choosing & Evaluating Digital Cameras

Choosing digital camera is not something that is easy to do today. There are so many options, and sometimes the technical jargons are not something that we -- everyday people -- fully understand.

For example, this week I to understand whether Canon IXUS 960 IS or Panasonic Lumix FX33 would be more suitable to my needs.

Canon IXUS 860 IS, IXUS 950 IS: Does these cameras truly fit my needs?

or would this Panasonic Lumix FX33 fits better?

While reading the review that is available on the internet provides really good insight, in choosing digital camera I always wish I could somehow converse with a camera expert, he/she show me how the camera works under different condition, and I can see the displayed result.

Recently that dream probably come true.

I found this very useful site: http://www.cameras.co.uk/html/sample-images-1.cfm that I believe could help us a lot.

Instead of "making us" confused with many technical jargon that only professional photographer understand, this site allow us to choose camera models that we want to compare, then it list down samples of resulting pictures that each camera produce under different conditions (outdoor, indoor, low light, etc).

Here's a sample of how the comparison looks like:

I usually research the internet before I buy things. I read many specification and review about the product before I walk into the store. In selecting digital camera, I found being able to compare the pictures and see the result each camera produce, helps me build a better understanding that a long technical jargon review document can not do.

Once the basic is understood, and I can narrow down to few choices, I would then walk into a store, and consult with the shop person's expert, and try out the camera in real -- in and out. I could learn further from his/her knowledge and/or from my own personal experience handling the real thing as well. Depend on my need, I might also ask about the video recording, the direct printing, and the file transfer capability too.

With these complete and deeper understanding, decision probably can then be made, better than ever it can be done before.