MIcrosoft loses one battle- is Apple next?

If Apple does not win on a violation of touch screen technology, they will owe a lot of money. How much your guess is as good as mine. The question really is did Apple know that it knowingly was impinging upon copyrighted technology?

by Stevie Smith - Apr 9 2009, 15:30
http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200915/3417/Apple-accused-of-violating-touch-screen-technology-patents

Microsoft loses Uniloc patent case and $388 million
by Stevie Smith - Apr 9 2009, 16:00
http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200915/3419/Microsoft-loses-Uniloc-patent-case-and-388-million

Microsoft Balmer CEO puts some hurt on Apple software : He is sore at Apple ads:?

I don't think that Microsoft likes the Apple ads. Microsoft is pushing back and using their "muscle"

http://www.macobserver.com/article/2008/10/10.7.shtml

Apple gets a patent for its dock

This took a long time but Apple finally got the patent for it. What does that mean for other companies?
http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/10/08/apple.gets.dock.patent/

Seinfeld ads to target Apple

Microsoft is feeling a little slighted because their products aren't as "cool" as Apple's products and ads on TV and that show it up. So starting in September, Jerry Seinfeld will show up on TV ads promoting Vista. The new Microsoft campaign ($300 million worth) will focus upon " Windows, not walls" (stressing breaking down barriers that prevent people and ideas from connecting). Will this make a dent against Apple's coolness and rising sales (second quarter sales up 41% since the same time last year 15.3%) ?

The article in Wall Street Journal (8/22) stressed " can you ever remember a cool Microsoft ad?" For this makeover Seinfeld is getting $10 Million and possibly helps to keep in the spotlight his Seinfeld series (which left in 1998) which most college kids don't remember at all.

OSX Applenized on a PC?

Will Apple try to go into the operating system business against Windows? When I first heard about Panther years ago, I thought , great finally Jobs might try to take OSX head to head against Windoz. That did not happen of course . But when I read this article (below) my ideas about this surfaced again. Why not try OSX on PC and show PC people what an opreating system can really do?

the argument "The problem is that the personal computing market has already demonstrated that users want a choice of hardware at least as much as they want a choice of software." I don't thing that is exactly right though. People are just or were used to DOS or Windoz and don't want to change because they are comforable with whatever they have no matter how crummy it is. Case in point --> windows.

Most people want cheap. They pay for it, many times in the long run. But considering that many people have software that Apple can't run (I have personally not found many so I really don't care and many Mac users don't either), they have to go with a PC. Too many people are comfortable, cater to and like that there is a business for taking care, fixing and working on all sorts of problems related to the use of Windows and PCs. And we are not just talking about the fact that more viruses can invade the PCs.

Yeah OSX Tiger and Leopard are more elegant. They are not bloated. They are constantly updated. They look beautiful and they work nicely. But would Apple let PCs use OSX. Many people have gotten used to iTunes, iPod, trying Safari (I personally do not like it at all and prefer Firefox). But if given the choice, some people might try it, switch OS and do more with Macs either side the Apple side or the PC side.

http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17450&Itemid=1023&mosmsg=Thanks+for+your+vote%21

Top 10 terrible tech products

Top 10 terrible tech products
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9821071-1.html?tag=nl.e729

includes the Tamagotchi (1996) - Yeah I remember that one

I was hoping to NOT find an Apple product but alas there was "Apple Puck Mouse."
I also hated the "Apple Puck Mouse" that I used in some schools. However the puck was the first mouse to use USB standard as method of connectivity.
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gadgets/0,39029552,49293700-6,00.htm

But #10 and sneaking in there was drum roll please...... VISTA.
Hurray -Microsoft was not immune and had a scathing rebuke of Windows Vista

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gadgets/0,39029552,49293700-10,00.htm

"Any operating system that provokes a campaign for its predecessor's reintroduction deserves to be classed as terrible technology." It was noted for being an operating system that has a downgrade-to- previous-edition option introduced for PC makers deserves to be classed as terrible technology. Took six years of development was instantly hated by hordes of PC professionals and enthusiasts deserves to be classed as terrible technology.
Windows Vista conforms to all of the above. Its incompatibility with hardware, its obsessive requirement of human interaction to clear security dialogue box warnings and its abusive use of hated DRM, not to mention its general pointlessness as an upgrade, are just some examples of why this expensive operating system earns the final place (#10)in our terrible tech list. "

But will it make any difference? Most will still supportt Microsoft and buy it

Microsoft can't use market power 80 percent profit margin to harm consumers by killing competition on any market

I have to hand it to Bill Gates and company. They new from the start ,that they would a lot of companies and businesses "by the balls." With the fact that most people did not care of the shoddiness of windows and did not want to buy Apple stuff made it worse. They thought they can do anything they wanted. I commend the European union for finally standing up to them.

Microsoft Yields to European Regulators

the company can no longer use the market power derived from its 95 percent share of the PC operating system market and 80 percent profit margin to harm consumers by killing competition on any market it wishes," Neelie Kroes, the E.U.'sSoftware Giant Ends Years-Long Antitrust Fight

By Catherine Rampell

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 23, 2007; Page D01

Microsoft yesterday capitulated to European Union regulators, ending a decade-long antitrust battle that some say could shape how U.S. companies operate in Europe.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/22/AR2007102200425.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

creative differences or ?:Microsoft, 'Halo' Creators Split

Microsoft, 'Halo' Creators Split
By JESSICA MINTZ,
AP
Posted: 2007-10-05 16:25:06
SEATTLE (AP) - Bungie Studios, the "Halo" video game developer acquired by Microsoft Corp. in 2000, is once again operating as an independent company, Microsoft said Friday.
http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/microsoft-halo-creators-split/n20071005162509990002

Microsoft Suffers Stunning Antitrust Blow

The money penalty is still a dr0p in the bucket but this ruling says much more what is really at the heart: the software which is the main focus and is anti trust worthy
Microsoft Suffers Stunning Antitrust Blow

By David Lawsky and Michele Sinner,
AP
Posted: 2007-09-17 09:20:36
BRUSSELS, Belgium (Sept. 17) - A European Union court rejected Microsoft Corp.'s appeal of a landmark antitrust ruling and record $613 million fine on Monday, a resounding victory for the EU that confirms its role as a major global regulator.
http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/microsoft-suffers-stunning-antitrust/20070917064609990001

Internet explorer

No mac user should be using internet explorer.
Why?

(1) It is not the best web browser on the market
(2) others have more versatility and flexibility
(3) others like Firefox (which I like to use) have special add on , free features and more including tab browsers (which I think are very helpful)
(4) If you use internet explorer you are just siding with Mr. Bill and his minuns

If when or how ? Microsoft can beat iTunes

How Microsoft can beat iTunes
By David Carnoy
Executive editor, CNET Reviews
(April 2, 2007)

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6449_7-6722226-1.html?tag=nl.e729#talkback

Microsoft still 'abusive,' says Europe gee I did not think this would happen yeah right why am I not surprised?

Microsoft still 'abusive,' says Europe gee I did not think this would happen yeah right why am I not surprised? What is the matter with those Europeans.
Do they think a couple Billion dollars in fine will solve what they perceive as a problem? Microsoft could care less and you know whose fault it is - pc users
Top antitrust official tells European Parliament that software giant is still illegally abusing Windows dominance to gain market share.
03/22/07 09:44 AM, EDT
The European Union's top antitrust official, Neelie Kroes, told the European Parliament on Thursday that software giant Microsoft continued to gain market share through abusive behavior.
FULL STORY
http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/22/news/international/bc.microsoft.eu.kroes.reut/index.htm?section=money_email_alerts