__/ [ BearItAll ] on Tuesday 20 February 2007 11:14 \__
> Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>
>> Google edges into wireless e-mail
>>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>> | Last Thursday, Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive officer,
>> | told an analyst meeting that his company needed to push back
>> | against the emerging trend of free Web-based software.
>> `----
>>
> >
>
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070218.wgooog0218/BNStory/Technology/home
>> http://tinyurl.com/2q9j97
>>
>
> Google is only nine years old? If that had been my question for the million
> pounds on who wants to be a millionaire I would have lost it. I would have
> guessed much longer than that.
Yes, it's astounding what a good motto can do. People still sidle with Google
as though it's the force that'll combat all evil (it's beginning to change
though). But one has to admit... they got a good search engine off the
ground and used Open Source to expand affordably. The idea of weighing
citations wasn't very novel (same with anchor text). They also had the great
support of Stanford with people like Don Knuth and the head of the CS
faculty (Hector?). Family and extended family threw in the credit cards and
the rest is history. They are still both "on leave"...
> So here we are,
>
> Google building on the free online applications, real applications,
> starting with the spreadsheet but no reason why it can not now grow to a
> full suite after the success of the spreadsheet.
>
> IBM with what is more likely to be the choice for a company with WebSphere.
> With highly secure collaboration, all of the usual tools you tend to assume
> plus a few that are particularly nice touches that may come as a surprise.
>
> Google Applications + IBM WebSpere, now that would be a powerfull
> combination. I've just made that up by the way, I haven't seen it written
> anywhere.
>
> It is an incomplete formulae, but still shows promise. Both would benefit,
> IBM are famous for coming up with great ideas and implementing them well.
IBM collaborated with Yahoo... enterprise search, IIRC. I don't know if it
ever worked out because the battle there appears to involve Google and that
company which prebundles things to make use of an illegally-obtained
monopoly (yes, that's Microsoft).
> (Ok, so they have also come up with some daft ideas too, but it is only
> because they are not afraid to apply innovation, it doesn't matter if some
> ideas don't work, it is the ones that do work that make a difference and
> you only get those because you are willing to have a go).
>
> IBM's poor side is actually letting people know what they are doing. IBM
> have for example done a great deal for Linux, they were one of the first
> very big names that ploughed money and resources into the Linux arena, long
> before the true potential of linux as more than a server was obvious. But
> how many Linux folk really know IBM's input into our beloved OS?
A recent study showed that Sun Microsystems actually contributed to OSS the
most. I guess it's a matter (or meter) of criteria though.
> With the likes of WebSphere, well, just have a look at the IBM pages on
> this and see if you can gather enough information to know exactly what it
> is and what it is capable of. The information is there, but you might need
> Columbo to come and fit the pieces together for you.
>
> Google on the other hand have a knack for making things simple and obvious.
>
> At this point Cognos deserve a mention too, it is a good product. In a
> sense it comes under the Xforward application type but it brings too much
> to the client, rather than just the display, which can make it very slow,
> actually if makes it deathly slow so users tend to use it's file browser
> and edit on local applications, which sort of defeats the object. But still
> it is otherwise well put together, nice and stable and could be a good
> choice, particularly for Windows clients. (who are used to the slow life
> :-) ).
--
~~ Greetings
Roy S. Schestowitz | Useful fact: close elevator button = Express Mode
http://Schestowitz.com | GNU is Not UNIX | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
roy pts/4 Tue Feb 20 05:06 - 05:06 (00:00)
http://iuron.com - proposing a non-profit search engine
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