Saturday, March 11, 2006

Microsoft 'Leaving Door Wide Open' For Google - Forbes.com

Microsoft 'Leaving Door Wide Open' For Google

I blog a great deal about Apple and my company's use and love of their products. However, it is interesting to watch the developing (or, already developed) animosity between Google and Microsoft. I used to loath Microsoft, but hey, at least they kept developing products for Mac. Enter Google. They are starting to take over the world. Slowly but surely they are becoming the new super-power that everyone loves to hate. Now, it seems, as this Forbes article points out, they have a pretty good word processing product to add to their portfolio.

"Goldman Sachs said Google's recent acquisition of Upstartle, the maker of the Writely online word processor, brings the company one step closer to competing with software giant Microsoft.

The analyst said the news was 'directionally negative' for Microsoft .

'We disagree with Microsoft's approach of ignoring the consumer market for a hosted solution and leaving the door wide open for Google to come in and establish a presence in the consumer or potentially the small business market,' the analyst wrote in a recent note."

Does Apple Need A Security Czar?

This sounds like a great idea to me. For us Mac users, we revel in the fact that we don't have to scan our computer each morning for viruses, we don't have to think twice about opening questionable files, and we snicker when another "Worm" headline makes the news. Just ask Microsoft - if they had gotten ahead of the security pitfalls and issues effecting their OS years and years ago, they would be ahead of the curve today.


MacSlash | Does Apple Need A Security Czar?: "Anonymous Coward writes 'BusinessWeek's Arik Hesseldahl asks if perhaps Apple should appoint Chief Security Officer. 'This person would be a well-known computer security expert, ideally from outside Apple, who would wave the flag for all things related to Mac security, debunking myths, correcting the record, and providing a public face when issues crop up.' He says. He also says it would be a good way to get ahead of public perceptions that Mac security may be 'eroding.' 'In matters related to product marketing, it's the public perception, not the reality that really matters....And once you've lost a user's confidence, it's hard to get it back."