Aug 15, 2006 | blog
Is anyone else tired of listening to Gartner Study reports? Their ability to state the obvious is amazing, even to me.
Every time my employer starts looking at a new technology or a solution, the typical, tired, old Gartner report is trotted out to parade around in front of the execs to demonstrate how useful or cost-affective it is.
Doesn’t anyone else notice that the crap in these reports is not worth the TP its printed on? I mean, the amount of filler in these documents is silly, wasteful and still doesn’t present the reality of a given technology, solution or company.
And that last one really gets me – companies actually pay Gartner good money to present the (again) obvious information about them.
The only redeeming thing about a Gartner report is that unknowing nitwits in the EIEIO club think their getting valuable information that can’t be found anywhere else; especially from their lowly staff members who live and breath the knowledge supposedly represented in these reports.
If they only knew what these reports are not tell them.
Aug 14, 2006 | blog
FYI – I’ve had some thoughts floating around in my head for weeks and never posted on them. While they are not completed, I’ve decided to post away, just to get them out “there”. I may be back to update this over time.
Here are my ideas for Microsoft after Bill Gates is not in direct control – or even if he is in control. I think these are things that the company needs to either investigate or simply do.
- Support Linux
- Port the Office Family to Red Hat, Fedora, Mandrake, Suse, etc…
- License the Windows networking protocols under a free method to all comers
- Create bulk pricing for end-consumers for all products
- Create an inexpensive licensing program for consumers in the same light as corporate SA programs.
- Keep it cheap – initial license $100, each additional $25 or whatever
- Move all products to a subscription model, with quarterly builds that are available to all customers for no additional cost.
- Leverage the “Live” Internet properties to support the SAAS model as needed (already there in some areas)
- Spin the “controversial” software like IE and Media Player out as separate products that compete within the market place
- Deliver on promises you make – or if it is not technically possible (i.e. see WinFS), then talk about the issues in an open conversation with your customers Realize that you are increasingly not everything to everyone. You have tremendous resources – focus on the things you do best.
- You’re not hip – don’t try to be
- Learn better naming practices – (hmm, “Microsoft Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition” or “Palm Treo” or “BlackBerry”? – ’nuff said). There is/was nothing wrong with software versioning instead of “year” names – Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000? Give me the version info – and don’t try to say that the average consumer didn’t understand, that excuse was rubbish.
- Corporations depend on your systems – make them bulletproof
- Don’t rely on others to write stable code – pretend any code not written by MS is a virus, then you will be able to isolate and eliminate all potential problems that 3rd party software and drivers can cause to the OS. Of course this means that your code simply cannot fail – there is no other answer.
Aug 14, 2006 | blog
Well I’ve had about enough – with work that is. Seems like whenever someone doesn’t understand something and is unable to stretch or grow, that they simply choose to say no. Or “prove it to me”.
HA! Pay attention and you may get it some year.
I’ve got more to say, but it’ll have to wait – work to do here,
Aug 1, 2006 | blog
Antoine Wright over at Brighthand makes a great point on the industry needing to meet needs of the average user by simplifying the smartphone/pda devices. In his article Looking Down the Wrong End of the Barrel: How PDAs Got It All Wrong, he discusses how sophisticated devices such as the Palm and Pocket PC require understanding the feature set, and that means reading the manual.
Many people will agree with me that a smartphone and a data package is a much better way to be connected than a simple “dumb” phone. However, the top selling phone in the U.S. is the Motorola RAZR. Why? It’s sleek, it’s simple, and it does what it does (make calls). For it to do more would make the target audience freak out because they would have to learn something new.
Now the part I take issue with is the “they would have to learn something new” piece. Now I know the average person just wants to use the device for what it was designed for. I also understand that all these fantastic devices available on the market (or on their way to market) really do need to go to Toaster University for a dose of KISS 101.
It just bothers me that people insist on not learning something new. Does this apply to everything in their life? Is it that people just do not want to learn anymore? Are they too busy to pick up some new techniques, tools, tips, or {gasp} ideas? If the drive by media is any indication, it may be too late to worry about.
To keep myself from getting too worked up I’ll take the glass-half-full view and believe that smarter simpler devices will free up a person’s time. That additional free time to be spent with family, friends, or just reading one of those old-fashoned paper books we all used to know so well.
~Later
Jul 18, 2006 | blog
Wow – didn’t really think I’d see this, even though it does make sense. Mark Russinovich and co-founder Bryce Cogswell are some smart fellas. It looks like Microsoft will incorporate the WinInternals products, support, forums and blogs into their vast structure, though they would not commit to specifics at the moment.
Good luck to Mark, Bryce, and Microsoft!
Via: News.com
