Modern day pirates

If you're a geek and proud of it, then one of your favorite movies (and if you haven't seen this yet, the link to the video is below) in your list should be Pirates of silicon valley. Never seen it? here's a brief on it:

It's the history of the two most well known companies on the planet...Microsoft and Apple. When I first saw it I was loving it so much I watched it again and again. When you watch it and let the reality sink in, you start to understand a key point to Microsoft's success: Bill and his group rose to power in the earliest days by making it seem as if his company was this immense and all powerful company that had the keys to the kingdom, the only ones in the world with the code, the only ones with the goods. BUT, they had very little back then (as in claiming they had an actual OS and didn't and so on...). Steve Jobs and the awesome Woz (more Jobs than Woz) claimed the same when it came to their first Apple computer as well.

Is this how you get to be a top dog in todays world...


Here's a question for you, and please feel free to comment on this: What would happen to a person or persons if they were to try and market or lay claim to the latest new OS, computer or gear, AND used the same approach...having only one working prototype of that OS/computer/gear etc., and trying to market it to the world promising to deliver say 1,000 units and only actually having 1 or 2 units? As opposed to the 1970's and how Microsoft & Apple became successful during that economic/legal/marketing era.

Yes, I do understand that today, a person would get sued beyond belief for trying to sell products like that, but other than slick salesmanship, what allowed Microsoft & Apple to get away with it all and become the 2 most powerful companies in the world, when it comes to software/computers etc., back then? Why weren't they shut down early on for the blatant deception? Anyways, go and get this movie. You'll thank yourself for doing it!

Computing from the past

I was going to talk about a pretty interesting idea/theory about our military and the use of virtual reality. But I became a little busy today and didn't get the time to set down and type out an actual full blown blog session on what I really wanted to write about.

I do however want to drop a quick post about a site I found with videos of the last 20 years or more of computers and technology. If any of you remember the good old days of services like The Well (predates the Web), which was a BBS service, then you'll get a huge kick out of all the great videos that you'll find at this site: cchronicles.com - The Computer Chronicles. Which was on PBS and a few other networks I believe. The same content can be found at archive.org & other sites, but this site has all of the shows in one convenient place.

If you're into old computers, old such as PCs that had only 12 or 20 gig HDs, 64 megs of RAM etc., (hell, back then if you had a PC with all that, you were the big dog on the block LOL), then you are going to love watching these videos for a trip back to the past when tech was in the middle ages compared to today! I'll post more sites like these as I find them. Enjoy!

Here's one of the videos from cchronicles.com:
A look at new email systems in 1985, comparative advantages and pitfalls and new email accessories and tools.

A chance to try a differant road now

Woke up this morning to a missed phone call. It had been from a local company that I wanted to try and get a position with. I must have over slept, I don't normally do that. Anyhow...the company is decent size. From the individuals I had met there so far, a good group works there.

What's this post got to do with technology? Well, other than the fact I'm using tech to distribute this message to you right now...not really much at all!

But remember now, I will be more than likely posting something of either a rant or a rave here, aside from my musings on technology and so on.

Ok, how about I rave about something tech related now? Yay, you must be thinking...or not at all since I am a stranger to you and not a well known like say Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton (well knowns if your into geek living and all).

My rave...it's about the Mini Dell UMPC.
Why on earth would I or anyone else ever want one of these? Well, I can't speak for you, but for me...the portability factor, the "it's pretty damned cool anyways" factor. Not to mention the fact that even though todays laptops are ultra portable, there's a new type emerging getting super ultra portable now. Still infinately as functional (sure, if you start shipping them with WinXP, not Vista) or even better...Linux!

But anyhow, this time I want you to go to the link and check this mini out. Pretty cool.

Oh yes...I am going to be talking about a real subject next time around. I wanted to start on whether or not the real possibility exists that we are developing (we meaning the U.S. government/military) a mass used virtual reality application used for...

Guess you'll have to come back around again to see where all this is going ;)

When I think about all the lost times...

16 Years ago I was so set in my ways. I had a "plan", or so I told myself: get those degrees and certifications. Apply myself accordingly, make a great income and life will take care of itself. Along the way "things" happened. I made a few very stupid decisions. I was offered a good paying job, took it, ran with it and ended up pushing my love for technology off to the side and allowed my then new job to dominate everything.

Had I just remained focused, just settled on a so-so job and went on to complete those certs and degrees, today I would be in a professional position. The almighty dollar would be so much more mightier than it is now. I would be making a differance in life not only to myself...but to others in a way that would be so much more satisfying to me now.

But anyhow, the time is now, that was the past and I have learned a great deal of a lesson from all those lost times: Stay focused!

But you know what? The journey is really just starting for me. So come along for the ride and let's see where this road ends up.