Microsoft's domination of the OS market.

Credit: Steve Rhodes from Flickr

     We both looked at the computer in grim acceptance. It wasn't working, and that was pretty much the last trick I had up my sleeve. After trying for hours, there was simply no getting passed it. Microsoft had prevented, by all means, that more than 10 computers connect in a work group at any given time. Recently my father, not being aware of this, had bought his eleventh computer for his small, medical office which exclusively uses electronic medical records. This essentially gave him two options: throw away his computer, or spend over 3,000 dollars to buy Windows 2003 Server for his office.

     Both of these options seem just as ridiculous. Windows XP and the network in my dad's office can certainly handle a substantial number of computers. However Microsoft forces the consumer to purchase their insanely expensive server software if anyone wants to connect more than a meager 10 computers. In this day and age, in which everything is being computerized, small businesses are regularly connecting larger numbers of computers. Microsoft takes advantage of the fact that they have control over everything Windows XP can and can't do, and the vast monopoly they have over the operating system market. More than anything, they take advantage of customers that have certain needs, and have absolutely no choice but to buy Microsoft's blatantly overpriced software.

     Microsoft's smug confidence in their market position shows up in every mediocre product they release. And yes, I'm absolutely talking about Windows Vista, Microsoft Office 2007 and every other nearly unusable piece of software they come up with. Microsoft clearly thought that no matter how bad Windows Vista was they would still be able to sell it by having it pre-installed in every new computer, like they always did with XP. With this mentality, there is absolutely no reason for Microsoft to try to make Windows decent, it's going to sell no matter what simply because it's the only thing people can use when they buy a computer. There's no incentive for innovation or real improvement at all. 

     I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm sick and tired of Microsoft's control over the computer industry, and I think a lot of other people are too. There are even some manufacturers that are beginning to install Ubuntu Linux on their computers, to save people money and save them from Vista. Hopefully this trend will continue and manufacturers and consumers will continue to push Microsoft back and create a competitive environment in the computer operating system market.

Abortions: is there a solution?

    As I drove back home with my mother this weekend we began to talk about the growing issue of abortions in the U.S. today. She believed that the problem was primarily rooted with irresponsible and promiscuous young people who recklessly killed unborn children due to their fear. While this may be true, I later began to ask myself what the original cause of this issue is, not just the actions, but what the root cause of these actions is. My thought brought me to a flashback of my recent High School career.

     Throughout my entire four years of High School (which ended less than a year ago), I heard an incredible amount of talk about sex from my peers. What I realized was that I don't remember hearing a single word about sex from a responsible adult. Not a single word, and certainly not a thorough explanation about possible negative outcomes of sexual activity and how to protect yourself from such outcomes.

     After speaking about this further with my father the problem became all too obvious; it is the material, so to speak. You see, the controversy is not over whether students should be educated about sex, it's what about sex the students should learn. Certain religious groups have insisted on having abstinence only education in schools, which means teaching students that their only possible option is to completely abstain from sex until marriage. On the other hand there are people who believe that students should be taught the full range of facts about sex, including using protection and birth control. In the end, it seems that some high schools prefer not to educate their students about sex at all for fear of offending either of these groups.

     So, with a complete lack of education regarding sex students have absolutely no reason to be responsible, and thus they get pregnant at young ages resulting in thousands of abortions. The obvious solution to this problem is to find a way to put sex education in high schools. There must be a bill passed that makes this mandatory for all high school students. Not only would it prevent the spread of disease, but it would save countless lives.

Can Apple Survive Without Steve Jobs?

Steve Jobs   Credit: acaben from Flickr

     For weeks now, people all over the country (and the world) have speculated over the health of Apple's precious CEO, Steve Jobs. And, perhaps more importantly to some, speculation has swirled ever violently over whether Apple can "survive" without him. The truth is, Apple inevitably does have a certain degree of dependency on their CEO. For one thing, many would say he was solely responsible for bringing Apple back up from shambles 12 years ago. Furthermore, he has been a great public icon for Apple and his enthusiasm for the company has spread like an iPod-buying fever.

     In addition, however, I believe Steve Jobs has built up a strong foundation for the company to work off of. He has consistently set up an example of what Apple should and should not be as a company. He's made sure that the ideals and values Apple stands for are clear (dedication to quality, user friendliness, etc.), and people Steve Wozniak and Tim Cook are more than capable of continuing to uphold those values.

     Regardless of anything, there's a chance that Steve Jobs is perfectly fine and is perfectly capable of continuing to work at Apple. Speculation on that aspect of this situation, in my opinion, is useless at best. By now, it's simply a waiting game.

Also, on a somewhat related note, Apple recently stated that the iPod Nano is, in fact, never coming out. Just as I predicted.

Barack Obama is not a miracle worker

     Now, before you get worked up over the title of this post let me first say that I am an avid Obama supporter and I have been since he first began to run for office. He is a brilliant man and an amazing visionary. However, I also believe it is especially important to note on this day of his inauguration that the problems this country is facing won't suddenly be solved now that he is in office. The newly elected president has, on many occasions, mentioned this himself. Even in his victory speech he stated that "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term..." Personally, I don't expect this country to rise out of its current economic and political state in anything less than a decade.

     That being said, I do believe that we are taking steps in the right direction. I am confident that many of President Obama's plans for this country will be effective, and will move this country to a brighter future. A future where our presidential administration doesn't make moves behind the people's back, or worse, makes frightening and even illegal decisions without reason or consent. A future where our country is actually progressive in respect to the environment instead of remaining stuck in old, destructive ways for the sake of large corporations and special interests. A future where the government doesn't madly go into dangerous, costly wars with support earned through lying and false evidence. A future where we can confidently say the government is working for us not in spite of us.

     Nevertheless, even for a government of the highest caliber, the path ahead will still be truly difficult. The United States will have to come together towards a common purpose of returning our country to its former glory. After all, President Obama can't do it alone.

iPhone naNO

     As I finished returning a few pounds worth of books at my college I noticed a man with white Apple ear buds in his ears in front of one of the iMacs on display at the store. When he saw me he asked me if I used a Mac, and, being a Windows to Mac switcher myself, we got into a conversation about switching computers. Eventually, he mentioned that Apple might come out with an iPhone Nano, or a miniaturized version of the current iPhone, and he even said that cases had already been made for it!

     Just to clarify to anyone who might actually believe this, let me make myself clear: the chances of Apple actually coming out with an iPhone Nano are right on par with the chances of the instantaneous destruction of the internet or spontaneous childbirth. First, thousands of applications have already been written and designed with the iPhone's current screen size in mind. I doubt all of these developers are willing to reformat their applications for a different screen size. Furthermore, the iPhone operating system, by its nature, needs a certain size screen to be functional, practical, and usable. If the screen were any smaller, you wouldn't be able to effectively use gestures and you most certainly wouldn't be able to see what you were doing while performing a gesture. Overall, there is practically no reason Apple would come out with a miniaturized iPhone.

     So, please, stop talking about an iPhone Nano, it isn't coming out. And even if I'm wrong, you still shouldn't be pre ordering a case for a product that doesn't even exist!

About the author

     Seeing as I will be reviving this blog I thought I would tell my readers (all 2 of you) a little bit about myself.

     To begin with, I was born in Miami into a family of Cubans and Puerto Ricans, after which I moved to a small, rural town in North Florida. 10 years later (at age 16) I found myself in Port Saint Lucie, Florida starting a semi-new life. I have always had a passion for technology of all types, which explains why the first part of this blog was dedicated entirely to discussing varying web technologies. I truly enjoy figuring gadgets, computers, and programs out and I especially enjoy educating people about how to use technology in their daily lives.

     As I was quite pleased to hear, my savvy news reporting professor allows his students to blog about any topic they please (unlike the previous course for which I originally wrote this blog). Consequently, I will no longer be writing solely about web technology, however, seeing as it is a topic of personal interest to me there will still be numerous posts on a wide range of technology and gadgetry.

     I hope you come to enjoy this blog as much as I will enjoy writing it!

Daniel