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There was a time when buying a Dell desktop or notebook computer was like buying an original Model T Ford - you could have it in any color you wanted so long as it was black.  Or, in the case of their notebooks, some shade of black.  Like the automobile industry, the computer industry has changed and no longer following the pack, Dell has become a leader and is offering computers in a variety of colors and styles that are both unique and, dare I say, attractive.

With their push to more retail storefronts, it’s not becoming apparent the the changes at Dell are about more than slapping on a layer of paint.  Dell is changing as a company, maturing and being forced to use something other than “the lowest price” to compete.  For one, I like the change, and I look forward to what Dell will be offering in the years to come.  I just hope that the company can keep changing and growing and do it all without losing what it is that makes them special - competitive pricing, complete product offerings, and a relatively simple buying experience.

 ~geek

It’s been a rumor, and now it’s official.  CompUSA has announced that they will shut their doors after the heavily discounted holiday season.  My recommendation: don’t buy any extended warranties.

Sorry to see this group go, but it’s difficult to compete as number three and their advertising, customer service, and management haven’t matched the competition in recent years.

More information at Bloomberg.

~geek

For those of you that remember, the Sega Dreamcast was one of the best, highest quality video consoles ever made.  Unfortunately, like so many other good technologies it failed and left the market very quickly.  A rumor recently surfaced that there might be a Dreamcast 2 on the horizon and today there’s another rumor that there will not be a Dreamcast 2.  My feeling - never gonna happen.  Good and bad for the consumer, but the world just doesn’t need another console right now.

~geek

In 1984, CompUSA opened it’s doors and consumers and businesses stormed them to take advantage of value, knowledge and selection.  In recent years, it seems that the company lost it’s edge and quickly lost consumer marketshare to companies like Best Buy and Fry’s Electronics and business marketshare to companies like CDW and Dell.  In February of 2007, they shuttered 126 stores, including a handful in the Silicon Valley.  If a computer store can’t make it here…?

Therein lies the rumor - will CompUSA be closing the rest of their stores and logging out of the marketplace?  I suspect yes, but only time will tell.

~geek

Rumors are now circulating the web thta the iPhone will be getting a 1.1.3 update by the end of this week and with it two new features: voice recording and hard drive storage capabilities.  Nothing too revolutionary, but a great step forward that shows Apple will continue to enhance an already successful product.

Of course, for those of you that have hacked your iPhone… expect the usual problems.

Geek

I don’t know that I should be excited about it, because I do realize that the point of the internet and blogging as a whole is to allow researchers to easily quote and reference other works, but I am very excited that I was recently quoted in It World Canada. Apparently Briony Smith liked what I had to say about Microsoft’s sacking of CIO Stuart Scott, and I’m glad for it! Thanks for the mention, guys.

Michael

I can’t be alone in thinking the iPod mania has gone on for more than the normal 15 minutes of fame, and while I do believe that the personal media player is the one of the greatest inventions of the last 50 years, I’m quite done seeing all the iPod docks and accessories that come across the wire every day.  And, now, moving the iPod accessories into “fine furniture” just seems to me to be over the top.

Pottery Barn (one of my favorite stores) is now selling the Piedmont iChair, which is being marketed as “one of life’s classic comforts.”  Come on, it’s a chair with some speakers built into the headrest.  Somehow I doubt that this is going to create the “first-rate listening experience” that is being claimed.  What I really think is that companies have gone too far followingthe fanfare that Apple has created with their star.

~geek

According to media reports, select users of both Photobucket and Picasa were sent an email saying their onlnie image collections could now be viewed from their TiVo.  Because they already have an internet connection required, TiVo will be able to leverage that to allow users to browse through their entire online media catalogs.  I’m hopeful that this will ultimately mean that users can share their photos with others, too, as that would truly be a panacea to my family always calling to demand new photos.

~geek

In what may soon prove to be a sign of the times, Verizon announced Thursday that it would be using LTE (Long Term Evolution) as it’s fourth-generation wireless technology, aligning it for the first time with AT&T and European carriers.

Up until now, Verizon Wireless has been part of a different crowd, backing technologies based on Qualcomm’s CDMA standard. LTE would be a departure from this and would move Verizon to the global GSM standard.

What does this mean for you and me? In the short term, nothing. Verizon isn’t suggesting that they’re going to roll out a new GSM network and scrap their current CDMA, but instead that they will take baby-steps (think 2010, 2011) to move into the LTE standard. In the long term, this means a lot, and I’m very excited about the potential. And that potential starts with the obvious - handsets galore. Companies like Nokia, that has long been weak in CDMA and Apple could offer products on Verizon’s network without having to completely change their product-line. Considering that Nokia is the world’s #1 mobile phone manufacturer, this might leave many thinking “about time.”

~geek

I think that everyone knows the networking industry is tough, but who would believe that a company like Linksys might move to the more profitable phone sex market to improve their bottom line? A misprinted toll-free number on a product from Linksys led to a sex-talk chat line, promising “nasty girls” for just $2.99 a minute. Nice… and Happy Holidays.
~geek