Vista on Time -- This Time
If you're late to work four days in a row, but get there promptly at 9 a.m. on
Friday, can you still claim to be on time? If you're Windows Vista, you can! This
OS has been late more times than Dagwood Bumstead, but come November,
Microsoft
promises it will be there on time and with bells on. There will even be a
version for Europe next month with all the stuff the EU objects to ripped out.
Vista's Strange Holiday Celebration
How can you party when you miss the party? For Windows Vista, the answer is
to make so much noise, people actually think you're there! Microsoft, as I'm
sure we all suspected, is working with OEMs to promote Vista-ready
PCs and laptops this December, including Vista-ready games, productivity
apps and hardware add-ons. What we're really all waiting for are coupons for
free upgrades to Vista for any machine bought during the holiday rampage!
IBM Moves Sourcing Office Closer to the Source
IBM may have sold a big chunk of its business, the laptop business, to Chinese
company Lenovo, but that doesn't mean Big Blue's balance of trade is off-kilter.
Like any good Fortune 10 company, IBM buys billions worth of goods every year
from China. And like any good company with its supply chain act together, IBM
is inching closer to the source, moving
its global procurement office from the mean streets of New York to the exotic
avenues of Southern China.
Microsoft, which has a pretty rippin' supply chain of its own, is now moving
aggressively into the supply chain software market with Dynamics. The only problem
is figuring out which of the four supply chain solutions to go with!
Doug's Mailbag: Should We Put Bill on Capitol Hill?
A while
ago, I proposed that we elect
Bill Gates for our next president. Just when I thought my revolutionist
ramblings had fallen on deaf ears, readers began sending in their opinions, some more tongue-in-cheek than
others. Here's a healthy sample:
I'm not sure why, but I think you may be on to something. When my toilet
broke last week, I didn't call the electrician. On that same logic, why should
we trust a politician to fix something a businessman can most likely do better?
-Steve
Bill for president? Yeah, but you'd have to reinstall him more often than
you think!
-Anonymous
Well, the good news is he wouldn't be easily bought by anyone in or out
of Washington. And if a small country was being a problem, he could just personally
buy them. Or better yet, give everyone in that country a free computer and
that will keep them busy (applying patches and updates, checking e-mail, deleting
spam, etc).
I wonder if a government that needed to be rebooted every four years would
be any good. Clearing the government cache could be good. Clearing memory
of old issues seems like it would be good, too.
-Russ
The United States already tries to act like it has a monopoly on the world,
so Bill Gates should have no trouble stepping into the position. Who else
is really more experienced today? Additionally, if he could get the finances
of the country in line with those of Microsoft, then we might have reason
to let the United States act like a monopoly. Personally, I'd like to see
what a nonpolitician could do for this country.
-Anonymous
Great idea -- yet another power-mad bloody Yank with his finger on the
nuclear button. What's his first act going to be? Ban Apple and Linux.
-Anonymous
The question is: Could he be elected? Think of the millions of people out
there that were trained at an early age to believe that Microsoft is the evil
empire. Sure, now he is a rational supporter of reasonable, viable approaches
to solve large problems. He will, however, forever be associated with Microsoft.
Yesterday, I wore one of my old Microsoft T-shirts to the market and someone
really asked me if I wasn't a little afraid to wear it (I live in a techie
county).
-Bettie
I've been telling my co-workers this same thing for years now. I think
the man would do a terrific job and it doesn't matter which party he runs
for -- I would vote for him and encourage everyone around me to do the same.
He will run the United States like MSFT. He will eat countries like North
Korea for breakfast, just like he did the technology companies that threatened
MSFT. Go, Bill!
-Ron
Sure, Doug, I'll vote for Bill. But only if he runs as a Libertarian. It
would be the best chance the Libertarian party ever had, and it would avoid
Bill's having to pledge allegiance to the dregs of public policy offered by
both major parties.
-David
I would vote for Bill. At least we know what he is capable of and he's
been in the public eye for as long as most of the current politicians. Unlike
some current politicians who couldn't make any company run, Bill has built
a company that is now the world leader and shows no signs of falling to any
competition. Yes, I would vote for him without even a second thought.
-Mark
You should maybe ask people to write in Bill's name on the ballots. I think
I will. I would also like to see a worksheet as to where he might stand on
today's issues, not one from the parties that leans toward what they think
we want to hear. It would be all in fun, but from what I know of Mr. Gates,
he seems like a very respectable person and that is a good start.
-James
I'd vote for him! I'm with you, Doug -- I'm tired of all of the career
pols and their false promises and political bickering. The only people that
the pols are looking out for are themselves. They don't give a damn about
us, at least in my opinion. I have been of the opinion lately that all incumbents
should be voted out, and new blood be installed to invigorate the government
and let the pols know who they really work for.
-Rick
Great article on Bill Gates for president. I was just listening to public
radio on the way in this morning, and there was a quick blurb of a speech
by Bush. I realized how tired I was of hearing his speeches. I have a complete
lack of trust for the current political regime -- not to say the Democrats
are any better.
-Brian
OK. You got me. I also am shocked you received no response. But come to
think of it, most techies are fairly apolitical. I'm with ya on this one.
No foreign policy experience? That's OK. He'll bring in anybody he needs.
How's this for a ticket? Bill Gates/Wesley Clark. The general is also fairly
apolitical (although he currently is a Dem), has experience defeating dictators
(see Milosevic) and has a mind like a steel trap. Alas, it will never come
to pass in our system of government. The days of a dentist (Thomas Jefferson)
running for president are behind us, unfortunately.
-Kevin
I'd much rather see Robin Williams or someone else who's not a lawyer,
businessman or politician run for and get into office. If you think about
it, they couldn't do worse than some of the previous persons filling that
office. It's a sad state of affairs, how this country started out with such
wonderful ideals and a great document to back it up, only to get twisted and
polluted. Let's quit 'playing politics,' get back to the basics and do what
is right for the country, not just particular segments.
-Bruce
We could probably do much worse, and probably will, but if you're going
with results-oriented people (and a frame of reference with which you are
familiar) with technical backgrounds, you might consider William Halter (now
of Akamai, I believe) or Jim Preissner (formerly a deputy commissioner at
SSA). Both of these gentlemen were excellent in moving Social Security forward
in the information technology area. SSA has over 60,000 employees and workstations
and considerable mainframe power, and tends to be socially liberal and yet
fiscally conservative.
-Charles
Want to add your 2 cents? E-mail me directly at
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About the Author
Doug Barney is editor in chief of Redmond magazine and the VP, editorial director of Redmond Media Group.