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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
July 16, 2010
/ 5 Menachem-Av, 5770
Steve Ballmer's slate dreams
By
Mark Kellner
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft Corp.'s CEO, is one of the brightest people I've ever encountered in computing. His comments Monday (July 12) at the D.C. Convention Center certainly garnered attention: Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system, Mr. Ballmer declared, will soon power a line of devices that will compete with Apple, Inc.'s iPad.
Though not using the i-word, his intent is clear from what he said: "Windows 7-based slates, they'll come with keyboards, they'll come without keyboards. They'll be dockable. There will be many form factors, many price points, many sizes. But they will run Windows 7. They will run Windows 7 applications. They will run [Microsoft] Office. They will … be very good for the kinds of scenarios that all of us are going to see for knowledge workers … that want to have something that works super well at work, but also supports their kind of personal interests…."
Except for the "run Office" part, isn't all that more or less what folks get from Apple's i-you-know-what?
Mr. Ballmer's words are not to be taken lightly: I have no doubt that Microsoft and its partners - Asus, Dell, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba were names he mentioned - will soon offer these devices, and probably at attractive prices. The iPad starts at $499 and bulks up to $829. Within those price points, there's a fair amount of room for Microsoft's hardware partners to work.
The question, of course, is what these hardware makers will deliver. Let's say it's a slate with a 9-inch or 10-inch (diagonal) touch screen. So far, so good. What's the battery life? What kind of Intel processor will it use? Wi-fi is a given, and so would be Bluetooth. How about 3G wireless communications? And what other connections will it have? One USB port, or three? Will there be a slot for a SecureDigital card?
Mr. Ballmer and his colleagues, presumably, have these answers figured out. But how far can the "slate" go without bumping into the very popular netbook platform which Microsoft quickly glommed on to a couple of years back? Will the $399 tablet or the $399 netbook represent a better value, and can anyone be persuaded to buy both? Oh, and what will then happen to the $499 desktop PC?
Coming up with a super-successful computing platform isn't easy: that's obvious. What's less obvious, and more like alchemy, is coming up with a product users will want to snatch up in droves. That is a rarity, and a great challenge as Microsoft, even without saying it, steps up against Apple's iPad, which in its first 80 days sold a mind-bending 3 million units at retail.
One of the key elements that has made the iPad such a success is, of course, the two-year-old iTunes App Store, which has made the creation and marketing of applications, or apps, for the iPad such a delight. Yes, Apple gets a nice bite out of sales of each application, but users get stuff Apple has reviewed and approved, an easy way to buy new programs, and everything is designed to a certain level of standards - at least in theory.
How this will shake out for Microsoft is anyone's guess. The firm's previous attempts to puree Apple's app prowess have been, shall we say, less than fruitful. The Zune media player is a nice idea, but you probably couldn't find a Zune user on Metro if you tried. That "Kin" Windows-based phone with social networking features? Scrapped after way less than 60 days on the market. Ouch.
It'll probably come down to what Microsoft's software developer community creates, something Mr. Ballmer tacitly acknowledged: "If we don't build good stuff, you can't drive it. And if you don't drive it, we can't have great success and keep the wheel spinning."
As they used to say on a certain 1960s TV show: tune in next week, same Bat-time, same Bat-station.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Mark Kellner has reported on technology for industry newspapers and magazines since 1983, and has been the computer columnist for The Washington Times since 1991.Comment by clicking here.
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