Sure, if you really wanted to, you could dig through the ReadMe to find the installation instructions:
“To install Camino, simply drag the Camino icon onto your hard disk. We recommend that you copy it to the Applications folder. You can then Eject the disk image.”
But you probably already know what to do, because when you mounted the disk image for Camino 1.0a1, this is what you saw:
HP and Apple Partner to Deliver Digital Music Player and iTunes to HP Customers
LAS VEGAS — January 8, 2004 — Working to provide consumers with the most compelling digital content whenever and wherever they desire, HP (NYSE:HPQ) and Apple (Nasdaq:AAPL) today announced a strategic alliance to deliver an HP-branded digital music player based on Apple’s iPod, the No. 1 digital music player in the world, and Apple’s award-winning iTunes digital music jukebox and pioneering online music store to HP’s customers.
As part of the alliance, HP consumer PCs and notebooks will come preinstalled with Apple’s iTunes jukebox software and an easy-reference desktop icon to point consumers directly to the iTunes Music Store, ensuring a simple, seamless music experience. This offering is yet another way that HP is helping consumers enjoy more from their personal digital entertainment content.
“HP’s goal is to bring the most compelling entertainment content and experiences to our customers,” said Carly Fiorina, chairman and chief executive officer, HP. “We explored a range of alternatives to deliver a great digital music experience and concluded Apple’s iPod music player and iTunes music service were the best by far. By partnering with Apple, we have the opportunity to add value by integrating the world’s best digital music offering into HP’s larger digital entertainment system strategy.”
| Product | Purpose |
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Hewlett-Packard to Stop Reselling Apple iPods
SAN FRANCISCO — July 29, 2005 — Computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE:HPQ) will stop selling Apple Computer Inc. (Nasdaq:AAPL) iPod portable music players under its own brand, the two companies said on Friday, ending an unusual but short-lived alliance.
“They don’t have any plans to put out a competing player,” said Shannon Cross, an industry analyst with Cross Research in Short Hills, New Jersey, of HP, who had been briefed by the computer and printing giant on its decision.
“HP has decided that reselling iPods does not fit within the company’s current digital entertainment strategy,” Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said.
“As a result of this decision, HP plans to stop reselling iPods around the end of September,” HP spokesman Ross Camp confirmed. “The bulk of our strategy remains unchanged with respect to digital entertainment.”
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I received a CD from Intuit in the mail today. Here’s what it says in the insert:
Welcome Back!
It’s Here!
Just Insert This CD.We’re continuing our timesaving tradition for our loyal TurboTax customers by sending your 2003 TurboTax Deluxe CD directly to your home. As a previous customer, you’re already familiar with the benefits of using TurboTax software. Just insert your CD and follow the payment and installation instructions….Within a few minutes, you’ll have America’s #1 tax software installed on your hard drive. We’ve made it that easy! So…welcome back.
This is brilliant. They know that as a “loyal TurboTax customer” I’m already inclined to buy the product again this year. By proactively sending me the software and providing me with a quick and easy way to pay for and activate the product, I’d actually have to go out of my way not to remain a “loyal TurboTax customer.”
It would have been even more brilliant, however, if they had noticed that their “previous customer” has been using TurboTax Deluxe for Mac for the past four years. Thus, this TurboTax Deluxe for Windows CD they sent me probably isn’t going to do me much good come April 15th.
Pardon me, folks. I’m sort of thinking out loud here…
I used to set the corporate hardware and software standards for Novell. As part of that job, I had the opportunity to do thorough technical evaluations of nearly every desktop, notebook, and server that came out of Compaq/HP, Dell, IBM, and Toshiba. I tracked industrial design, technology, quality control, and service trends like most guys track sports scores. I can recite chipset minutiae on command.
I’ve done it long enough that, at this point, my skills are almost instinctive. Within seconds of getting my hands on a piece of hardware, I can tell you whether it’s even worth considering. Give me your budget, your level of technical sophistication, what hardware you’ve used in the past, and your current technical requirements and I can probably give you at least two purchasing recommendations that would take your breath away with their exquisite appropriateness.
Between setting corporate standards and making personal recommendations for family, friends, and countless other acquaintances, I’ve helped literally thousands of people find the perfect computer for their lives and jobs. So, why is it that I can’t, for the life of me, decide what computer to buy for myself?
For one thing, I’m so burned out right now that I am almost incapable of making even the most basic of decisions. Just deciding what shoes to wear in the morning makes my brain hurt.
But, beyond that, the problem is that my question isn’t really a technical one. It’s philosophical and financial in nature and it’s one that requires a certain level of clairvoyance.
Since I’ll be leaving my current job next week, I need to purchase a new computer for myself. That’s all I know. Where’s my next paycheck coming from? I don’t know. What is my next job going to be? I don’t know. Am I going to be making a living with this computer, or will it just be my “home machine?” I don’t know. Do I need a notebook for travel? I don’t know.
As I see it, here are my three options (brand names and most technical specs removed as this is a philosophical exercise):
Buy a practical, relatively inexpensive, mid-range desktop system.
Rationale: Since I don’t know where my next paycheck is coming from, now is the time to be safe and frugal. I should buy something “adequate” right now with the idea that if I land a decent job I can always turn it into the kids’ machine in a year or so and buy something better.
Buy a nice, fast, capacious notebook.
Rationale: If I get any consulting/contract gigs, I’ll need the portability. Besides, even though I’ve always had a desktop computer to go with it, I’ve carried a notebook for the past 12 years. My whole computing life has been based on the idea that I can do my work whenever/wherever I am and I’m a little afraid of giving that up.
For instance, I’m taking my girls to Disneyland this October. If I had a notebook, I could take it along and upload all of the digital photos and video we’ve shot at the end of each day and keep on top of email after the girls have gone down. That kind of freedom means a lot.
A notebook would cost a bit more and the overall performance wouldn’t be spectacular (about even with the mid-range desktop), but I would be using it as a true desktop replacement.
I would also need to decide between the 15” model or 17” model. I’ve carried an older version of the 15” model for almost three years now and I’ve loved it. But for only $400 more I’d get a faster processor and (obviously) a larger, higher-resolution screen. (The higher resolution would be especially nice.)
My only worry about the 17” is that it would be just too darn big. I’m not concerned about the weight. At 6.9 pounds, it’s a marshmallow compared to the 8-pound ThinkPads I carried for years. But at 15.4” x 10.2”, I’m afraid it’d feel like I had a card table strapped to my back.
I’ve never actually been able to pick up a 17” model to ascertain its overall heft. The only local retail store that carries these particular models has them bolted to the counter with a big bar across the keyboard. I asked if they would be willing to unbolt it so I could pick it up and turn it over in my hands and the guy looked at me like I was insane.
“Well, I can tell you how heavy it is,” he said, as he fumbled for a spec sheet.
“I already know how heavy it is. It’s just hard to tell if a notebook is going to be easy to handle if you haven’t actually handled it.”
“Well, I can tell you how thick it is,” he said, as he fumbled for the spec sheet again.
“No, sorry,” I explained. “I already know its size and weight. But knowing those specs isn’t the same as actually holding it in my hands. I mean, when you buy a car, you do your research beforehand and compare the specs of all the various models, but you can’t really tell how a car performs if all you’re allowed to do is look at it on the dealership lot. To get a real feel for the car you need to actually get in and take it for a test drive.”
“Well,” he explained, obviously bored with me, “we never unlock our notebooks, for security purposes.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to go somewhere else, for purchasing purposes…”
Buy a gorgeous, fast, dual-proc workstation with a nice, big LCD screen.
Rationale: Now’s the time to take that serverence check and buy the best computer I can possibly afford. Chances are I’ll be earning a living with it (at least to some extent), so I might as well have the best tool for the job.
Besides: portability, schmortability. Part of the problem with being able to take your work anywhere is that you inevitably end up taking it everywhere. In a way, a desktop computer enforces a separation between what you do and who you are. (If such a separation actually exists.)
And if I ever get around to putting my aborted film school experience to work, it’d be ideal for video editing.
My friends Ben and Dan have been steering me toward the gorgeous, fast, dual-proc workstation (mainly because they’ve been trying to push me toward filmmaking as a profession), my brother Chris is leaning toward the 17” notebook, and my wise and frugal sisters have been recommending the mid-range desktop.
Me? I’m leaning toward the 17” notebook, but what do I know…
Well, the creative mind(s) at Dell is/are at it again. Having had almost two years to work on it, today they announced their new iPod killer: The Dell Digital Jukebox.
And the only thing worse than the dull, unimaginative name is the dull, unimaginative device itself.
As some of you may know, VW and Apple got together a while ago for a special promotion:
Pods Unite
Buy a New Beetle. Get a new iPod.
Well, Saturn and Dell announced today that they, too, are getting together for a special promotion of their own:
Buy a Saturn, get a Dell.
They probably left off the first part because “Dull, Unimaginative Products Unite” was a little wordy.
With the former, you had two products that were at least somewhat related: you bought a funky, stylish little car and you got a funky, stylish little accessory to use in your car. With the latter, you buy a boring, unremarkable car and you get a cheap, low-end computer that you can…um…take home in your new car and then…uh…take out of your new car and put on your desk.
Oh, wait. You don’t actually get to take the computer home in your new car. You get to take a certificate for the computer home in your new car, which you then mail to Dell, and then Dell turns around and mails you your computer…thus bypassing your new car altogether.
Brilliant…
And speaking of “brilliant,” here are a few quotes from today’s press release:
“Our research reveals a strong relationship exists between the younger Saturn target buyer and their use of, and desire for, the latest technology,” said Jill Lajdziak, Saturn’s vice president for sales, service and marketing. “At Saturn, we believe our success is dependent on building customer enthusiasm and this is another innovative way to exceed expectations at the beginning of the ownership experience, right in time for back-to-school.”
My research reveals that if all they’re getting out of it is Dell’s lowest-end desktop, this “younger Saturn target buyer” of theirs is going to have to keep on desiring the latest technology, because they certainly won’t be driving home with it. (Nor will it be arriving in the mail a few weeks later.) And it seems to me that they missed “back-to-school” by at least a couple of weeks.
Then there’s this:
“Saturn’s philosophy of putting customers first, delivering solid value at a fair price as well as being a relationship marketing pioneer is paralleled at Dell,” said Joe Marengi, senior vice president, Americas, Dell Inc. “It’s a win-win for two brands that have much in common and share a desire to take care of their customers.”
So, let’s see what else these two pioneers of mutual mediocrity have in common:
They both make dull, unimaginative products.
Their dull, unimaginative products have cheap, ugly, plastic exteriors.
Their assembly and distribution models get more press than the dull, unimaginative products they assemble and distribute.
They’ve both had to recall over a quarter of a million of their dull, unimaginative products because there was a danger they might spontaneously burst into flames.
Wonder twin powers, activate! Form of…fire extinguisher!
One of our local fast-food megaplexes recently underwent a major facelift. As part of the makeover they gained a large outdoor LED sign, but the sign has had problems from day one. Half the time it isn’t working correctly, the other half it isn’t working at all. But after driving past the sign this morning, I finally have a window(s XP) into what the source of their troubles might be.
In related news: yes, as a matter of fact, I do need to get a real camera. Any suggestions? The Pentax Optio 550? The Canon PowerShot S400 Elph? Maybe I should be semi-prudent and just go with the Canon PowerShot A70? Or maybe I should I be even more semi-prudenter and go the low-tech Lomo route? Hmmm…
Big Blue Files Counterclaims Against SCO
from CNET’s News.comIn a 45-page document filed late Wednesday, IBM argues that because SCO distributed a version of Linux under the open-source General Public License (GPL), it can’t claim that Linux software is proprietary. IBM also argues that SCO software violates four IBM patents and that the company interfered with IBM’s business by saying it had terminated IBM’s right to ship a Unix product, AIX.
IBM is seeking unspecified monetary damages and an injunction stopping SCO from shipping its software. The counterclaims came as part of Big Blue’s answer to SCO’s amended suit and were filed in the same federal district court in Utah.
A SCO representative declined to comment immediately on the counterclaims.
The patent claims will be expensive to handle, said Brian Ferguson, an attorney with McDermott, Will & Emery. “That’s a real smart move by IBM,” he said. “I think that alone could cause some kind of early settlement negotiations that are going to really swing the pendulum around in IBM’s favor, or at least to a situation of equipoise.”
Hold Everything
San Francisco, CA 94120
To Whom It May Concern,
As I was leafing through your August 2003 catalog today, I came across a photo of your Palmer Desk on page 79:
I couldn’t help but notice that your Apple Cinema Display is perilously close to slipping off the back of your desk:
With its rear support leg less than an inch from the edge, all it would take is one small bump to send it plummeting to a certain death. The berber carpeting on the floor looks like it would only provide about the same amount of cushioning as a thin layer of saltines, so I wouldn’t count on that to save your bacon.
Also, that Orangina could tip over at any moment and ruin your keyboard or CPU. I noticed that the keyboard and mouse you are using are not the same ones that shipped with the Power Mac G4, so my guess is that you’ve experienced at least one disaster already.
You really should:
This would not only ensure the safety of your computer equipment, I think it would really open up the room, as well.
Sincerely,
Grettir Asmundarson
Dear Office Furniture Manufacturers,
Since the mid-90s, most mainstream computer systems have shipped with operating systems that have a graphical user interface. To take full advantage of these operating systems, one must use a pointing device of some kind. While there are many different types to choose from, most people have found the computer mouse to be a satisfactory tool for the job.
According to the definitive Wikipedia, a “mouse” is a small, handheld input device that typically sits directly beside the computer keyboard. It has a sensor on the bottom that detects the mouse’s motion relative to the flat surface on which it sits. The mouse’s motion is translated into the motion of a “cursor,” “pointer,” or “arrow thingy” along the x- and y-axis of a computer display.
Since most computer displays are wider than they are tall, the x-axis tends to be the more crucial of the two. This is reflected in the design of the “mouse pad,” a small office/fashion accessory that sits underneath a mouse and defines the space in which the mouse is used. The traditional, rectangular mouse pad is 9 inches wide by 8 inches tall.
It has come to my attention, however, that the x-axis is getting short shrift when it comes to the manufacture of most office furniture; specifically computer desks with keyboard trays. Take, for instance, this stylish offering from PB Teen, Pottery Barn’s new teen-oriented furniture catalog:
While I’m sure this homage to the high school locker is certainly “funky fresh” and “all that,” the keyboard tray on this unit is a mere 24-and-a-half inches wide. The Apple Pro keyboard that is featured in the photo is 18 inches wide and is one of the narrowest keyboards there is (not having fallen victim to the amoebic keyboard design trend that is all the rage). That leaves a mere 6-and-a-half inches of usable space to the side of the keyboard for a mouse and, as women have said to me over and over again, 6-and-a-half inches just isn’t enough.
If the size of the average mouse pad is any indicator, it would seem that 9 inches is what most people would prefer. To test this theory, I took an informal poll among the administrative assistants where I work and they were in total agreement: 9 inches sounded great to them.
I receive many e-mail messages every day with offers for products that are guaranteed to “add inches.” Perhaps I could forward you a few to see if they have any helpful suggestions. I’ve only glanced at the offers, but they insist that their solutions are both simple and effective.
Sincerely,
Grettir Asmundarson
As I was doing my semi-monthly browser cookie purge, I came across a couple of cookies whose names caught my eye. Most browser cookies have exquisitely leaden names like:
But amidst the usual gibberish were the following:
| Site | Cookie Name |
|---|---|
| www.lucasfilm.com | Wookie-Cookie |
| www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com | biscuitsNOTcookies |
I have accumulated approximately 16,257 different educational computer programs and games for the kids over the years. (That estimate may be a little high but, based on the total number of CDs and cases that are strewn across the desk right now, I’d say it’s pretty close.) We’ve got software from Jumpstart, the Reader Rabbit series, and just about every Disney Interactive title known to man, woman, child, or beast.
So, do you know what my kids want to play day and night? The demo version of Commander Keen: Episode 6 (Aliens At My Babysitter!) — a DOS-based arcade game that was released in 1991.
A description:
Billy Blaze, eight year-old genius, working diligently in his backyard clubhouse has created an interstellar starship from old soup cans, rubber cement and plastic tubing. While his folks are out on the town and the babysitter has fallen asleep, Billy travels into his backyard workshop, dons his brother’s football helmet, and transforms into…
COMMANDER KEEN—defender of Earth!
In his ship, the Bean-with-Bacon Megarocket, Keen dispenses galactic justice with an iron hand!
That iron hand wields a ray gun but, fear not, it only freezes what it hits. So, even though it is a shoot-‘em-up arcade game, it’s a surprisingly non-violent shoot-‘em-up arcade game. “Surprisingly” because Commander Keen was the very first game that came out of id Software, the company that went on to develop the ultraviolent Doom and Quake. (It even has John Carmack’s name listed 3rd on the original high score list.)
In the game, Commander Keen goes around with his trusty pogo stick and collects chocolate bars, pop bottles, and other kid paraphernalia while occasionally zapping/freezing aliens on the search for his purloined babysitter. At least I think he’s searching for his babysitter. Since we only have the demo version of the game we’ll never really know how it ends, but my kids don’t seem to mind. I guess that’s a good thing. Without that traditional narrative arc, with it’s predictable climax and denouement, they learn to appreciate the process, not just the (non-violent) trouncing of the alien horde in the end.
And it’ll give me some great (non-violent) ammunition when they become gadget-crazy adolescents. When they turn 16 and start pouting because I won’t buy them that cell phone with the built-in camera and lip-gloss dispenser, I’ll just remind them that at one point in their lives their minimum system requirements for true happiness were a 286 with an EGA monitor.
http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=5&sid=29450
Three million pages of Microsoft documents, once part of a suit against the software maker, are being shredded and are destined to become toilet paper.
That’s right. Within a matter of days, you could be wiping your bottom with my deposition.
With the recent installation of a high-speed Internet connection, my parents were a little concerned about the security of their home computer. First of all, they had the standard security concerns associated with any high-speed, always-on connection to the Internet (hackers, worms, etc). But my Mom was also concerned that the increased access/speed might increase the chances of one of the grandkids wandering into one of the seedier neighborhoods in cyberspace.
So, a few weeks ago I purchased Norton Internet Security and installed it on their computer. In addition to Norton Personal Firewall and Norton AntiVirus, the suite includes Norton Parental Control which provides basic URL-based content filtering.
“URL-based content filtering” simply means that Symantec maintains a giant list of naughty sites. Whenever you try to access a Web site, Norton Parental Control checks the requested URL against its list and, if it finds a match, blocks access to the site. While this isn’t a perfect solution by any means, it will keep most young kids from inadvertently stumbling upon displays of livestock in situations never imagined by the local 4-H Club.
A few days after I installed the content filter, my niece was helping her boyfriend look for a new apartment and every site she tried to access was blocked. I popped open the hood to see what the problem might be and started going through the different categories of sites that were blocked by default:
Real Estate?
“Dear, before you go out on your date with Russell tonight, I’d like to have a little talk with you. I’m sure that Russell is a fine young man, but you need to understand that there are some young men out there who might not have the noblest of intentions. They might try to pressure you into a 30-year adjustable rate mortgage with a low initial rate, but they’ll charge you points on the back end. Or maybe they’ll try to get you to sign a lease that you’re just not ready for. You need to understand that it’s O.K. for you to say, ‘No.’
“I also read the other day about some poor young girl whose date slipped some sort of drug into her drink and when she woke up she owned a timeshare in Lake Okeechobee, Florida. Just be careful out there and use common sense.
“Now, where are you two going tonight? The Home Show? Well, don’t get any ideas…and I want you back here no later than 10:30. And if he starts talking to you about ‘fixer-uppers’ or ‘starter homes,’ give us a call and we’ll come pick you up. No young lady should have to put up with that sort of thing.”
As an update to my Unvalued Non-Subscriber blog entry a few months ago, I just got an email message from ConsumerReports.org. They aren’t down to $11.97 yet, but they did say:
Right now is a great time to resubscribe to ConsumerReports.org. We are offering a special rate of just $19 per year - that’s over 20% off the regular subscription price!
There were two things about the message that struck me as a bit odd.
First, the email message employs the use of a web bug. There’s an invisible one pixel image embedded in the HTML code:
<img src=”http://cme.cr-mail.org/images/blankpixel.gif/Key=875.LyP.G9PMSb”>
It’s purpose is to surreptitiously track peoples activities. This web bug allows them to tell exactly when a person has opened the email message and records the IP address of the computer on which the message was read. This seems like a rather blatant invasion of privacy for a consumer advocacy organization.
And second, there’s this at the end of the message:
This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address that cannot accept incoming e-mail. Please do not reply to this message.
If you do not wish to continue receiving subscription updates from us, you may reply to this message by typing the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line.
Make up your mind, people…
If you use the Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer on your PC, you may have noticed a “New!” button that appeared on the toolbar this morning. If you click on the button, it gives you the opportunity to enable a new Google Compute feature that essentially turns your Google Toolbar into a distributed computing client.
To start with, Google is donating the processing cycles to Stanford’s Folding@Home project, which, in my opinion, is the best of the distributed computing projects going right now. While the dedicated Folding@Home client may not be as sophisticated as that of some of the others out there, Stanford is making the raw data that is generated available to anyone for the downloading.
Most of the other distributed computing projects are a little too vague about what is going to happen to the data they get back from the kind folks who choose to help them out. In most cases, these other projects have corporate or organizational sponsors who will retain sole ownership of all of the results returned…which seems to me to run contrary to the spirit of communal computing that they are trying to exploit in the first place.
It’s like Mickey Rooney shouting, “Hey, kids! Let’s put on a show!” And then muttering under his breath, “But I get to keep all of the box office.”
I currently run the dedicated Folding@Home client on my PC, but if you already use the Google Toolbar and you’d like to do some good without really having to do anything, go enable Google Compute.
In this week’s “I, Cringely” column, Robert X. Cringely talks about the importance of knowing where a Web user is located geographically in order to localize/personalize information for him/her.
In the article he talks about a new technology called CountryHawk that “provides a way to take an IP address and determine with 95 to 98 percent accuracy the country in which it’s based.”
But, as one of the 3%-5% of users that they’re going to get consistently wrong, I would recommend that they provide an easy and obvious way for users to counteract their clever little homing tricks so we can get the information we need in a language we can actually read.
You see, I work for a multi-national company that has IP subnets allocated from all over the world. And even though a subnet might be allocated to our office in, say, Hong Kong, that doesn’t necessarily mean that that is the only place that subnet runs. The IP address of the machine on which I am typing right now belongs to a subnet allocated to our office in Duesseldorf.
Google is clever enough to know this and automatically redirects me to their German site. Lycos does the same thing. Even when I visit many English sites based in the U.S., I still get pop-up ads in German.
The problem is…I’m not in Dusseldorf, nor do I speak german. I’m sitting in a small office 5099 miles away trying to figure out whether I should be concerned by the fact that “Gottschalks Wett-König benutzte uralten Rechentrick.”
It’s an honest mistake, but it’s one that they won’t let me correct very easily. If I go back up to the Google URL and change it from “http://www.google.de/” back to “http://www.google.com/” it automatically redirects me to “google.de” again. In fact, it will never let me get out of this endless loop until I’ve clicked at least once on the “Google.com [English]” link at the bottom of the German page. From then on, I’ll be allowed to go directly to google.com without being redirected, but there’s nothing to indicate that on the page. Just looking at the available options, you’d think the only way I could get an English page would be to go into “Einstellungen” and set both “Google-Suchtipps und Meldungen anzeigen in” and “Nur nach Seiten in der/den ausgew?hlten Sprache(n) suchen” to “Englisch” and click on “Einstellungen speichern.”
Lycos is also kind enough to provide a link to their English site from their German site, but it isn’t very easy to find. Lycos’ home page is rather dense and long and if you try to speed things up by searching for the word “English” on the page, you won’t find it. The word “English” is in German.
This doesn’t just apply to geographical guesswork. I’ve run into similar problems when Web sites wouldn’t accept my Zip Code because it was a brand new one and they hadn’t updated their database yet. I’ve been told that the expiration date on my credit card was invalid because it was too far in the future. And I have never successfully purchased anything from Macromedia’s Web site (even though I’ve tried four times) because it doesn’t like something about the combination of my address and credit card information. I can go buy competing products on Adobe’s Web site without a problem, but Macromedia thinks it knows best.
That’s always the danger of trying to be too clever when automating processes on the Web. You’re going to get it wrong occasionally, and if there’s no easy way for a user to recover from your unhelpful attempts to help, they’ll just get in the habit of visiting (and spending money on) sites that aren’t quite so clever….and all you’ll get is a swift “sto? in den hosen.”
In a previous incarnation I worked in the IT department of WordPerfect Corporation before it merged with Novell. Part of my responsibilities there included evaluating all of the new hardware and software products that were coming out to see if we wanted to include them on our list of approved corporate standards.
Hardware and software companies would often send us samples of their products in hopes of getting their products on the standards list. After taking a good look at the products and testing them in our lab for a few days, we would often write up a product evaluation for the vendor. This evaluation would explain what we liked and/or didn’t like about the product along with a recommendation on whether it should be added to the corporate standards list.
When the merger of WordPerfect and Novell was announced in early 1994, I was in the process writing a less-than-positive review of Novell DOS 7. This obviously put me in a rather awkward position. How does one go about writing an unflattering evaluation/review of a product from a company that would soon hold your destiny in its hands?
The answer to that question was a document entitled “Novell DOS 7: Waltzing Through The Minefield.”
I turned the document over to my superiors so that they could make a decision on the product one way or the other and thought no more about it. The document surfaced briefly after the WordPerfect/Novell merger when it made its way into the hands of the Novell DOS 7 marketing manager. He was not pleased. But shortly thereafter Novell stopped development on the product and eventually sold it to Caldera.
Fast-forward to late 1999 when I get a call from lawyers representing Microsoft. Caldera had filed suit against Microsoft alleging that Microsoft had engaged in anticompetitive behavior in order to crush DR-DOS/Novell DOS 7/Caldera DOS. (Quelle surprise.)
As part of the litigation Novell had been required to turn over all documents pertaining to Novell DOS 7 and somewhere in the chaos Microsoft had found my evaluation. Now they wanted to use it to prove that DR-DOS/Novell DOS 7/Caldera DOS had failed in the marketplace, not because of any anticompetitive behavior on its part, but because it was a lousy product. After all, here was a “Novell employee” who said so!
(Of course, this only highlights that fact that Microsoft may not be getting the best bang for it’s legal buck. Even the most cursory research would have revealed the fact that I’m a total idiot and haven’t the slightest idea what I’m talking about.)
I received a subpoena from Microsoft and had the pleasure of going through the whole deposition process only to have the case settled a week before I was going to have to testify.
<whew>
But fast-forward to 2001 when I get another call from lawyers representing Microsoft. Another day, another lawsuit, another chance to be dragged back into court as an instrument of the evil empire.
Amazon.com Launches New Lawn & Patio Store in Time for Spring; Eliminates Shopping Hassle for Customers Who Can Now Spend More Time Enjoying the Outdoors
SEATTLE—(BUSINESS WIRE)—April 5, 2000—Leading online retailer Amazon.com today launched a new Lawn & Patio store, with thousands of popular and hard-to-find products for lawn and patio decoration, care, and enjoyment.
The store features an extensive selection of outdoor grills, patio furniture, birdfeeders, lawn mowers, garden tools and decorative ornaments from more than 50 leading brands, including Weber, Fiskars, Rubbermaid, Rain Bird, Melnor/Gardena, Gilmour, Ryobi, Echo, Weed Eater, Corona and Miracle-Gro.
“Shopping at the Amazon.com Lawn & Patio store is convenient because we carry a vast selection of the many brands that consumers want,” said Joe Galli, Amazon.com president and COO. “Shoppers can now spend more time outdoors doing the things they enjoy and less time fighting store crowds for their lawn and patio needs.”
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Amazon Trims Offerings
NEW YORK—February 2, 2001—Online retailer Amazon.com confirmed reports Friday that it will eliminate unprofitable items from its large selection of offerings.
The move, first reported in Friday’s edition of the Wall Street Journal, is being made as part of Amazon’s effort to post an operating profit by the fourth quarter of this year, according to Bill Curry, a company spokesman.
“We are absolutely committed to being profitable by the end of this year, and one way to do this is to make sure that every item contributes to profitability.”
The program — which CEO Jeff Bezos dubbed “Get the Crap Out,” in an internal memo, according to the Journal report — is a detraction from the company’s previous strategy of selling nearly anything people want to buy, including patio furniture and beauty products.
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Tiny Pineapple is the personal website of Grettir Asmundarson, single father of two tween girls, information security wonk, writer, film school drop-out, and actor (semi-retired).
Caldera Inc. v. Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Corp. Antitrust Litigation
