Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
Dell to Sell Linux PCs
After collecting some 1,800 new product and service ideas from IT users and customers using an online "suggestion box," Dell Inc. has announced that it's taking the user suggestions seriously and will soon debut and sell a new line of certified, user-ready Linux-loaded desktop and laptop computers.The Dell IdeaStorm Web site, where customers and other IT enthusiasts can offer recommendations about future Dell products and configurations that they'd want to buy, was started on Feb. 16 by CEO Michael Dell, who is looking for ways to re-energize the company's sales and financial performance after several disappointing quarters.
One post that got a lot of interest was the idea that Dell bring back a reasonably priced laptop computer that runs Linux.
Source: pcworld.com
Tags: performance | Laptop | Desktop | Technology | PCs | Linux | Dell
BitTorrent Opens Online Store
It is strange to see a company who's product is used widely by music, video and software piracy got into business doing the same thing legaly!
BitTorrent rolled out a paid music and movie download service today, leveraging its fast distribution system infamous for the massive piracy it facilitated when it debuted in 2001.The BitTorrent Entertainment Network -- launched with movies such as "Superman Returns," TV shows including "24" and PC games -- will be a new entrant challenging other download services such as Apple's iTunes Store and Amazon.com's Unbox. BitTorrent's service is stocked with 5,000 movies, TV shows, PC games and music.
BitTorrent, based in San Francisco, has reached agreements with more than 35 entertainment companies including 20th Century Fox, Viacom's MTV Networks and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios to offer their content using its peer-to-peer (P-to-P) technology.
Source: pcworld.com
Tags: SERVICE | piracy | download | distribution | Technology | Stuff | store | San Francisco | online | money | BitTorrent | Amazon
Google planning office war
GOOGLE is planning to sell Australian users licences for its web-based office productivity suite, Google Apps, under a local-currency pricing scheme.Enterprise product manager Kevin Gough said the company wanted to give its customers as many purchasing options as possible.
Licensing for the application suite, which is widely viewed as a test of Microsoft's domination of the desktop office productivity market, is currently only available in US currency.
"We're going to work hard to make it available as quickly as possible because we want to make this easily accessible to local markets, especially Australia," Mr Gough said.
Source: australianit.news.com.au
This is a strange move for Google, as the services that it offers rarely go from "beta" to premium service.
Tags: suite | purchasing | productivity | pricing | Planning | US | Technology | Office Suite | LICENSING | Google | enterprise
How Sony Killed the PlayStation3, and NOT Just in Europe
Almost everybody in the media inside and outside Europe slammed Sony’s decision to change the hardware configuration of PS3 for PAL areas, considering it a state-of-the-art PR disaster. But I would call it simply a management disaster.Those guys at the PR department are not guilty for others’ blunders, on the contrary, they are the ones that try to cover the mess as deftly as they can. The real problem is Sony’s top management, who seems to consider that the company’s resources are limitless and that they are the smartest people on Earth.
A short history of Sony’s failures with the PS3 shows that the PR did the best, while the ones in charge with the production and design did the worst possible. I will not go over them again in this article, but if you are interested in the subject try this.
I will mention though the latest blunder that Sony committed with PS3, concerning the backwards compatibility of PS2 games with PS3 hardware. Sony transformed this famous compatibility in early stages of development into one of the key features for its product, triumphantly declaring that the HD experience of PS2 games played on PS3 will likely increase the level of satisfaction for hard-core gamers.
Source: playfuls.com
Tags: mess | Management | hardware | disaster | decision | Technology | sony | Playstation | Europe
