WE Technology, Strategy & Business

WE Technology, Strategy & Business is a part of the greater Weekend Economist, which is an interactive space aimed at being both a source of information and a place for discussion on developing stories related to Economics, Business, Technology, Finance and Geo-politics. Please feel free to post your comments and/or send us your own articles for publication by contacting us at weekendeconomist@gmail.com. Also, if there is a relevant topic you would like us to write about, please ask and we will be glad to meet your request. Finally, our other two blogs, the flagship Weekend Economist "Quaerere Verum" and The World Beyond The Weekend Economist, might be of interest as well. We hope you enjoy our site(s), Benjamin Valk & Jeroen van Bommel.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Blueray vs HD DVD = Darfur

The whole discussion between blue ray and HD DVD is going to be rather superfluous when we look back at the so called "disc" wars of 2007/2008. The comparison's the the failed betamax and video 2000 versus the victorious VHS is an overused parallel. In fact, I don't believe they are as much comparable as "lazy" publi-shits claim them to be. Secondly, the whole battle is a rather useless one looking at the current trends of media consumption. So my word of advice is: it simply doesn't matter. The very conflict between the two media types is merely a clever marketing trick to bring either format to the fore of your attention.

Don't get me wrong, blue ray and HD DVD are a stark improvement when compared to either VHS or DVD. But the very struggle is somewhat reminiscent to a far away conflict in Africa: everybody has an opinion, but for the rest not much is happening. And in that regard history will soon judge the uselessness of the whole choice between HD DVD and Blue Ray.

The Internet, not a content monopoly utility such as HD DVD/Blue Ray is going to define the way that we enjoy entertainment in the future. Blue Ray and HD DVD's are just a quick fix for those with deep enough wallets and too little patience to wait for the next big thing. In my opinion, all discs, be it DCD, CD, Blue Ray or HD DVD are at the end of their life cycle. In the same way that cd's are obsolete, so are digital video disks. The difference is that most people haven't realized this yet. In that respect I'd rather give my money to Darfur than spend it on obsolete technology.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Gubuntu- Google and Linux

Gubuntu, Glinux or Ginux could all be worthy names if Google were to seriously consider entering the platform battle. A more united and professional Linux front headed by a behemoth such as Google could help Linux achieve a mainstream market.

Dell's move to offer computers with linux instead of the standard windows configuration is indicatory of future trends. Dell has realized it needs to listen more carefuly to what consumers and business wants, instead of complying to the usual Microsoft platform hegemony. Google's wellestablished name and market access could act as a fitting catalyst to make this possible. A linux strategy would make them more independent from Microsoft and allow them to capture and access a growing market share of Linux based platforms.

Looking at the adoption rates of Apple Computers in family homes, I do believe that Google's venture into the desktop market would come at the right time. Many current computer users either have to opt for a new pc to comply with the hefty standards of Microsoft Vista or instead buy an Apple. Google could capture significant market share from those people unwilling to buy a new computer, but who are fed up with the limitations of Windows XP.

More and more applications are web based, therefore an OS should only serve as a platform to serve those applications. This platform should be secure, lean and efficient. Currently XP and Vista are far too clunky to offer the support and dedication that a web based platform requires. The internet, not the OS, is the sandbox of human-computer and human-human interaction. Microsoft only seems to accept this unwillingly with their OS. On the other hand, Xbox 360 is a far better future oriented product than Vista will ever be.

Coming back to Google, they do have the pockets and engineers to make Gubuntu or Glinux possible. As both a mac and pc user I can only applaud it if this ever happens.