I just love that word, “Plethora.” If I wrote this blog in November, I would us “cornucopia” in deference to Thanksgiving. Descriptive words are just fun to find and use.
Anyway to the business at hand: I went to a fascinating lecture yesterday given by Ken Segall…the man who put the “i” in Apple products. For many years he worked as the creative director for Steve Jobs at Apple and Next. He wrote a book titled “Insanely Simple,” which describes Apple’s methodology to a tee. Why are they successful? Simple…they keep it simple.
That was the motto of Apple under Steve Jobs. And it works. His products are simple in design and almost anyone can use them. Here is another example of simple: Dell has 42 different laptops for sale…HP has 49…Apple has 6. That’s it…and Apple outsells them both…combined.
Segal worked for Dell and IBM and others. According to him, they are the opposite of simple. They are mired in complexity. Jobs ran his company as a startup…they had no committees…just the best people he could find for the job. Remember when Jobs took over Apple, they were near bankruptcy. Now they are one of the most valuable companies in the world. Simplicity, if done right, seems to work. But it is not easy. Keeping products simple is complex job for product developers.
As a side note, if you want to see a short, but hilarious video that compares Steve Jobs to Steve Ballmer, head over to YouTube and enjoy. It’s worth it.
This edition has some good information in it: Part 3 of the series on home networking; a good look at Microsoft’s free Office on line; the 100 best iPad apps; and Evernote’s honest and correct response to being hacked. So let’s get on with it! - JRC
Online note service Evernote latest firm to get hacked
Company behind application used by about 50 million people says some user data was accessed and it requires all users to reset passwords.
White House: It's time to legalize cell phone unlocking
White House's stance is that "neither criminal law nor technological locks should prevent consumers from switching carriers when they are no longer bound by a service agreement or other obligation."
The 8 mobile OS upstarts that want to topple iOS and Android
Ubuntu, Firefox, Tizen, Sailfish, WebOS, Nokia Series 40, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone want a piece of the pie, but it won't be a cakewalk
47% Of Potential Tablet Buyers Want An iPad
This survey should be very worrisome to Windows 8 tablet makers as only 1% of those surveyed wanted to purchase a Surface or Surface Pro. Dell and Acer, two popular Windows 8 tablet makers, also scored pretty low on the list.
Are Microsoft's free Office Web Apps good enough for you?
When you think of Microsoft Office, you probably think of retail software that commands a premium price. Surprise! The latest iteration of the Office Web Apps are free and surprisingly powerful. How do they stack up against Google's offerings?
Home networking explained, Part 3: Taking control of your wires
This edition of home networking explains how to get down and dirty with network cabling.
Best Free Instant Messaging Client
These applications not only allow you to connect to multiple IM networks, but they are also advertisement free, more secure, and have features that allow you to easily manage your various IM accounts.
Canon vs. Nikon: Choosing the Right Camera System
Canon and Nikon are the two largest players in the digital SLR market. We break down the differences between the two systems to help you choose the right camera and lens combination.
How to Sync Your Browser Data in Any Browser and Access it Anywhere
Browsers were once self-contained pieces of software that ran on a single computer, but most popular browsers now offer integrated synchronization services and mobile apps.
The 100 Best iPad Apps
The App Store contains some truly magnificent apps and some... that are not. So the vital question is this: How do you find the gems?
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