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Short post – more of a call to arms, to discuss burning point for many people today. That is, What Platform to choose to purchase this iconic Steve Jobs biography eBook. I am completely at a loss – what could have been price war between heavyweights in this category, turned into a paralyzing situation for consumers (like me) preventing our purchase completely. My interpretation is that Publisher insisted on same pricing across all platforms! What Gives?

Anyhow, let’s recap the contenders

• Kindle – Interestingly, I don’t own any – and yet I have Tons of options for reading Kindle books (iPhone, Tablet, PC, Mac, etc) and already own many books on the platform. This is truly an achievement, which I applaud Amazon for!
• Nook – I really have nothing against them, but I have virtually no prior books on the platform and no dedicated eInk reader. Still, their readers looking better all the time and they caught up to Amazon with Nook software reader being available on most platforms. Good job, B&N!
• Kobo – Once partner of failed Borders, is an independent maker of eInk devices and the software platform. They are also present on many platforms and ironically I do own that eInk reader I picked up at Borders closeout. We use it once in a while, but who knows about long term prospects?

Not in the running:

• iBooks – Apple insists on closed platform ways – show me Android iBooks reader? Or how about PC reader? And not even corporate discount Nope, no go…
• Google Books – Serious contender and I am glad to see they have the book available. Brand is strong with this one, but I just don’t know if this is another “Google experiment” with books, or are they in it for the long haul? Plus, no native clients on laptops detracts from reading experience a bit – although Web reader is mighty enticing. In fact, I almost forgot about this option…
• Microsoft eReader – Um, anyone remembers this one exists? Exactly…
• Adobe Digital Editions – I don’t even know if any store uses this… In fact, Adobe themselves didn’t post this free eReader on their Download page – seriously?!?!

So, chime in – help me decide. Weigh in your Pros and Cons and tell me where you got this book, and why! And yea, I am so crippled with this decision that I walked into retail store to buy Real hardcover. But then I got sticker-shock – where B&N employee politely explained to me that their pricing is completely different from their own Web pricing and That’s that.

Seriously – we have industry behemoths trying to set platform trends for ages to come, where should we vote with our cash – and WHY ON EARTH would publisher insist on fixed pricing!!?! I am certain everyone would be selling this one At A Loss at this ciritcal platforms’ junction, given a chance.

The Apps Store is all the rage nowadays and everyone says how “Apple Invented this Revolutionary Concept”. As I recall – Windows had a Marketplace for Apps and Accessories going way back…

Still, the true revolution in Apple’s iOS is the seamless end-to-end experience of discovering and purchasing / installing Apps. And, in my opinion, the “installing” part is even more critical here!

It is pretty obvious that with Windows 8 Microsoft will take App Store to the next level to try and “stay with the times”. But will they be able to take the bold re-engineering steps necessary to make install / uninstall finally a Seamless experience?

Why is this critical? Because of “experimentation” empowerment – with iPhone users feel Free to install Applications (either Purchase or Demo) just to Check them Out. This, combined with social “What’s Hot Now” aspect, leads to huge Boom in the Marketplace – ultimately bringing huge payoffs to Platform ecosphere.

iOS appears to have this art down. In my experience iPhone can easily have hundreds of Apps installed, yet it starts up just as quickly, uninstalls just as cleanly once you’re “done with it” and really releases the space back to the user.

For Windows to get to the same place is a huge challenge, but if they do – perception is an even harder thing to fix. Today’s Windows Apps require weird “install” wizards, force themselves into PC Startup, add slow “Services” and buggy “Drivers”, seed computer with Temporary files and often create countless duplicates “per user account” to operate. Even worse, we accepted as “norm” the fact that our Shiny New PC’s come with Crapware from the Computer maker, and the fact that anything we install is likely to slow our computer down and we will never be able to fully uninstall it.

Meanwhile Google’s Android Marketplace is showing us that it is possible to keep an Open marketplace and still maintain decent platform quality. Microsoft does have some right ideas there, but I wonder how much will come to fruition and most importantly, how soon will it materialize for Windows to stay relevant.

Biggest thing that Windows has going for it is a large user base which is familiar with it. Few Great Games and MS-Office are also helping to keep Windows alive, but for how much longer?

In the future, there will be No More Files (and most likely No Folders either).

Have I completely lost it, you probably wonder just about now?

All modern Operating Systems, from latest Linux to upcoming Windows 7 or Mac OS Snow Leopard, still share this fundamental flaw. I think designers and engineers have long known that Computer Industry has a major trouble with how it gets our generation brought up and used on the concept of “Files”. Bill Gates was very bold to try and change this notion with a Database based file system, but it was too soon and the biggest issue of backwards compatibility couldn’t be properly solved at the time.

But What am I talking about, seriously!?!

“File” is a primitive concept that brings nothing but challenges as we start to realize that we live in the Ocean of people, places and devices. While many Corporations out there still struggle to figure out how to connect the TV with Internet, think about the future where all devices are ubiquitously connected to one big Net. Does it really seem natural for you to have to “transfer” your latest version of that document from your Central Home System, to iPhone 5.5 GSQ, to Office Presentation Board and back to home system, as you move about your busy day?

Simple limited “Files” as we know them today will have to evolve into interconnected and Live pieces of Content. From the simplest thing (think Corporate Slogan on that Sales Pitch email you sent out) to complex living documents (like Service Level Agreement between major service provider and large Corporation(s)), everything should be “alive”.

Of course it’s hard! We still can’t figure out something as simple as Photo or Video format that everyone can agree and standardize on. How can you expect that corporate board room to show your awesome presentation automatically when you stroll into that meeting, if there are hundreds of video codec standards?!

Ok, short summary – think Tags (same concept as XML and what used to be Categories on this blog), think timelines and collaborative work of many people. But the biggest thing I am waiting for? It’s for that “Ah Ha” moment when developers realize that their software should not come as “Files” or “Packages”, or even be Developed as “Files” or “Packages”.

Ok, now you can officially confirm that I lost my marbles

Related Post: Part 1 of the series.

I have decided to have a few posts focused on discussing what’s next in the world of computing. The idea is to look at progression thus far, and see what makes sense to be researched and improved next. This simple formula can be surprisingly effective, due to collective “creationism” that defines computing industry. In other words – we create our future (just like in real life) by focusing research efforts (aka: wishes) on particular things. Thus, we can foresee now what will the future bring, simply by assuming that our research pans out.

And now, the actual point – For a while now, everyone agreed that a lot of our collective progress was often hindered by the infamous “backwards compatibility” syndrome. The base dilemma thus, for engineers not just of operating systems, but of many core technologies, was “Do We Make It Faster and Break old software” or “Do We Keep it slow, but not Break anything”. Traditionally, Microsoft preferred not to simulate old software standards fully, probably because it would end up being too slow to properly run older software.

But now, with faster CPU’s and built-in virtualization on chip level, they can finally move forward and just run that old Windows XP stuff inside “Virtual PC” – a full computer simulator running a “real” copy of Windows XP SP3. This “magic” finally allows the developers to Revolutionize, as we often like to do.

This magic comes to Windows 7 officially now, though I used Virtual PC in Vista as you all know, happily running Windows 98 and some 1995 software in it, without a hitch. Even in Windows 7 it feels like an “add-on” to me, hopefully in Windows 8 and beyond, the engineers will fully realize the potential “simulating” past, and allow themselves to Rethink every layer of the Operating System! What will result is prettier, faster, better technology. But where would we want to take it? Stay tuned, we’ll discuss that in the next parts of the series!

[via Within Windows blog]

I am calling upon you, my readers, family, friends, everyone, Save Me from this madness that is iPhone 3G Mania! Everything and Everyone and Everywhere, all they talk about is the new iPhone 3G.

I am really trying to resist the urge. Though my contract is long up, and my Windows Mobile Smartphone, which I really love, is started to act up, I am still trying to fight the temptation. I know I posted about this before, how I don’t really need an iPhone, but I did not know then about the App Store!

As the old saying goes – It’s the Software, silly! What!!! Do I need to recap again how Microsoft made Billions Trillions and virtually created a Monopoly in many markets (not just Operating System), by focusing on Software?

So are they missing the next computing revolution again, just like they almost missed the whole Internet thingy, back on Billy G’s watch? The mobile revolution is just as critical, if not more so!

What’s more, this is a monumental shift away from bulky desktops, to tiny, powerful and mobile devices, which naturally lend themselves to cloud computing. These devices will rapidly become faster internally (CPU), with faster connection speed and more sensors (like GPS, Accelerometer, etc.). Bigger screens, projected screens and virtual input devices, precise speech recognition – such features are a given. But the most exciting are the capabilities that extra sensors bestow on our computing experience. Geo-tagged photos, virtually unlimited world of streaming Video over the air, purchasing items from Vending machines with your device, are just few simple and existing computing experiences right now.

Try to do that with your desktop PC! And therein lies a problem — pretty soon we won’t need the old clunky desktop computers, that used to run Windows (remember that monolith!!?). Already most people rapidly shifting to Laptops, for example.

So where is Microsoft? I am not just concerned as a client and user here, but as a shareholder! Windows Mobile is something I have been using for years, on all kinds of devices, from version 1.0 in fact! And it has rapidly went Nowhere! Here we are in 2008, all we got is barely version 6 and it offers no major features. Where is the long overdue Deepfish browser? Will it support JavaScript or Flash or some fancier features that people need on the mobile platform? Why no Java on Pocket PC editions of Windows Mobile!? That kills thousands of applications that could really enable that bigger touch-screen!!?

It’s the Apps, stupid! Windows Mobile is still way too complex to develop for. There is the need to support virtually any resolution, plus touch or non-touch screens, plus different built-in device capabilities and CPU speeds. Does that sound simple to you!!? Versus, the iPhone Apps — One platform, modern operating system, AND developers have a trusted set of features and capabilities! Plus, their programs go through Apple quality control, before being released to device. That is actually good, IMHO.

So why this post, why the blues? Because It’s the Echo-system!!! I will be the last to accept iTunes, in fact I don’t allow it on any of our computers here at home, but given the iPhone, it will have to “sneak-in”. This is just a stepping stone, I already see myself buying our first ever Mac down the line, perhaps to develop iPhone Apps. And I HATE Mac OS X !!! Starting with the insulting single button mouse, all the way to supposed “simply works” moniken, which simply isn’t true!

Here I am, torn between the “need” to enter the Cloud Computing age, and the resistance to enter the whole new Apple echo-system, via the iPhone 3G? I am not really viewing it as a Music Player, nor a Video Player, and not even a Phone! I mean gosh, every $0 phone can do these things today!

It’s the REAL BROWSER and the Application Platform, and of course the big screen, these are the exciting things! So friends, family, readers, and just Apple haters, join in and Save Me by commenting below.

Better yet, Microsofties, come and comment and tell me why are you missing the party! Help save me and perhaps thousands others from switching over to the “other-side”. Please, only something that really coming, and no insulting references to limited devices. I have looked at technologically impressive Samsung Omnia, but no USA carrier picked it up, nor there is any serious Browsing or Java features promised! And where is the amazing Android mobile OS from Google? It is also promising, but a huge challenge. Thus far I hear more delays are on the way, not good… Heck, even the mythical Zune Phone (Yea, I know it’s coming, no secrets from me!), with gaming, video and audio, is still unconvincing! Why? Because they will “forget” the Real Browser, and Apps platform, especially if they rush it out in less than a year…

Save Me……!!!!