Founder

He may be a Black Man and you might be prejudice. You might be a conservative republican and you might be seeing your less wealthy friends and family losing their house to foreclosure, under the Bush Administration. You may not like his name Obama, which is only one letter off from Osama.

But, there is no doubt about it. The godly powers that be, have given us a second chance to, pick the right president -- this time around -- in light of allowing John Kerry to slip away in return for another four more years of the Bush Administration.

Barak Obama is the first Candidate in History to really be a Polititian with all the traits of a firm assertive male but with the heart and morales of a Mother fearing for what her kids future may bring. This is a man of many spectrums. He isn't about the little picture. He is able to truthfully come right out and lay out the cold hard realities of life, seed them in your brain with meaningful yet easy to understand choice of words and not worry about the Political correctness of it all.

In fact, what most Politicians fail to convey with words is what they really mean. It is very hard to speak what your heart is telling you by using your brain and words. It takes most of us an aweful lot of words to really represent what we truely mean. Yet, Obama is able to represent what he actually means in the confines of a speech, because he is able to feel his way through things using his passion and morales yet smart enough to translate them correctly using his brain's logic and words. This is a man that gets it.

These are some funky times we live in, and we need a Funky Black Man to set us strait. We are the Funk, gotta have that Funk.

Let me sum up Obama for those that gave up on Politics, because of the last election, in regards to rigged voting booths, fear of Iraq's future and losing to yet another term of the Bush Administration.

• Obama is for the little guy.
• Yet Obama is for the bigger picture.
• Will cut taxes for all working class Americans.
• Close the corrupted Corporate Tax loop holes. Duh!
• Spend 150bn on renewable energy like wind, solar and biofuels.
• Cut our dependancy on forgein Oil within 10 years time.
• Open factories back up in the U.S. instead of outsourcing them to China.
• Spend 10bn on the education system in America.
• Support Small Businesses by cutting taxes and making Health Care affordable to them.
• Ensure that Insurance Companies are not allowed to withhold aide to those that are sick or dieing.
• End to war in Iraq.

All of these things mentioned, to me, seem second nature. It does not take a Political genius to know that if the poor can not find work, means the Government can not tax them, so the system as a whole begins to collapse. What is worse, is that wealthy Americans, those making 5 million a year or more, get huge tax breaks.

In the short term having a tax system, like the one described above, will not be felt right away by the Middle Class. The Middle Class really translates to the work force and therefore the Engine that drives the American Economy. But, give it 5 years time, and the Middle Class start to become depressed because as the poor get poorer the Middle Class has to work harder and harder to fight crime and put out the fires, so to speak, that occur as a result. Foreclosed housing and rising gas prices are all a result of poor management of our resources. If the Upper Class, the ones that manage the Middle Class, are allowed to trample and take advantage of those that are beneath them only doom themselves, because eventually something has to give.

With global warming, gas prices, no healthcare and a full blown senseless war, all of which are sucking the very life and hope of everyone, it's going to take some serious reform to fix the mess.

The Internet Tidal Wave was the subject line of a famous Email, addressed to Top Executives at Microsoft, from Bill Gates, in 1995. It was in response to the formation of Netscape Navigator -- the world's first commercial Web Browser. The world's first Web Browser was called Mosaic. Bill Gates and Microsoft are famous for oblitorating -- making bankrupt -- Netscape Communications and Navigator. This enabled IE -- Internet Explorer -- 95% market share. Starting around 1998 until the release of Firefox in 2004.

Why was Microsoft and Bill Gates so uptight about Netscape Navigator? Because, they knew this single Software Application could threaten Microsoft's Monopoly. Microsoft managed to destroy Netscape's Web Browser market share, but this resulted in the creation of the Publicly Free and Open Source, Firefox Web Browser, that is now used by 42+% of all Internet users. As of Aug 2008.

The Web Browser is the 'Killer App', if there ever was one.

As most of us are witnessing, it has changed the way societies think. The Web Browser is the ultimate tool for connecting people and enabling anyone, the ability to create their own Web page(s). Using text, images, video and sound, anyone can share their thoughts to anyone willing to pay attention. Tie that in with 'Search Engines' and you now have the collective consciousness of the human race. Even a New Religion has been formed in it's wake.

Unimaginable amounts of Information, at just about everyones' finger tips.

Why was (and still is) Microsoft -- this 1000 pound gorilla -- literally 'crapping their pants' in light of the Web Browser?

Google Docs competes with Microsoft Office Suite, which is one of their 'cash cows', making up to 40% of Microsoft's Annual Billions in gross profits. Google is just one company that is making headlines, there are literally thousands of smaller, Mom and Pop Internet 'Startups' that are also redefining the Computer Industry. Technically and Business, alike.

Indirectly, Microsoft is affected by the Internet, in regards to their other 'cash cow', called Windows. The idea that anyone can review and make opinions about products they may or may not like, can lead to profound effects about the views the public can have on those reviewed products. Microsoft Windows Vista has been continuously bashed to death by bad reviews. There is nothing, that even a Multi-Billion dollar company can do, to even as much as prevent people from writing reviews about their products.

Something to think about, next time you are in the Blogosphere reading all those reviews, reading the user comments and perhaps even typing in your own comments! You and the BlogOsphere can have a huge impact on things. Thanks to the Internet, we can educate each other about anything we want.

Not to pick on Microsoft -- although everyone seems to these days -- but every company is now at the mercy of the Internet and public reviews, not just Microsoft.

Anyways, back to my point about this 'Killer App', the Web Browser.

The Browser has become more than just a text, image, video and sound sharing program. It has become a Word Processor, Spread Sheet, Presentation Maker, Email Client, Television complement (youtube.com) and social outlet like; Facebook and MySpace. The Web Browser is a mixture of Television -- that's extremely interactive --, multipurpose application software, Encyclopedia, Dictionary, News paper, Weather Reporter and so much more. Even Flash based games.

However, the Web Browser has potential, yet to be unleashed! I believe the true state of the Web Browser is only just starting to take form.

The current Web Browser is very limited in what it can do, when compared to software we can install.

1. Web Browsers are granted limited access to computer hardware, like the Hard drive to save/load data.
2. Web Browsers rely on a very slow programming language called Javascript.

Those are only two of the major limitations of a 'Web Browser App' vs 'Traditionally Installed Apps'. Again, they are slow and do not have full access to computer hardware -- like the graphics card and hard drive -- that a Software Application needs, in order to be as functional as locally 'Installed' Software. The reason for this is because the Web Browser was never designed to do anything more than View simple Web Pages. The other major reason has to do with computer security and the fear of Internet spread Viruses.

Guess what? All of that is changing, slowly, but surely! Listed below are the two current solutions to the two limitations the Web Browser is experiencing.

1. Google Gears - Allows local storage of Data on the machine the Browser is running.
2. TraceMonkey - Allows Javascript to run up to 37.5 times faster, which means Web Browser Apps will run faster!

Google Gears, as you might have guessed, was created by Google. However, Google is trying to promote it by just calling it 'Gears'. This is because the technology is Free to use and the source code is Open. This means, it belongs to the People and the Internet and not just Google the Company. Google wants to make Gears a common, preinstalled plugin with all browsers, much like Adobe's Flash plugin.

Gears connects your Web Browser to a locally installed database. This means, that if a Gears enabled Web App needs some data, it can fetch it locally, without having to get it from the Internet. This results in faster load times, because the Browser may not need to connect to the Internet at all!

This results in the concept of offline mode. Meaning, it is possible to either run the Web App partly offline or completely offline. In most cases, partly offline is the main usage case, but it is theoritically possible to design an entire Web site to never need to go 'online' other than to initially load all the data. There isn't much point in an 'always offline' Web App -- or Web Site, as the case maybe -- as it would than not technically be an Internet or Web based App! Either way, the possibilities are interesting.

Also, since data can be stored locally, on each users' computer, makes it a lot easier to associate data/information with a specific user, because even if that user deletes all their Browser Cookies, a Gears enabled Web App can continue to operate because it does not use browser cookies to store the data.

It is possible to store data on computers that do not have Google Gears installed, by way of Browser Cookies. However, Cookies were designed to hold very small bits of information, like a username or user preferences. But, Gears allows a Browser based App, in theory, to store any amount of data, limited only by the size of the hard drive.

Additionally, the Google Gears data store is actually a simple, yet powerful Database Engine -- a modified version of SQLite. This means that data is stored per transaction and is organized and indexed, much like large and sophisticated Databases, such as; Oracle, MySQL and MS SQL Server! The database itself is so tiny in size and memory usage, that it becomes transparent.

Majorly popular websites, like Facebook and MySpace, allow their users to optionally install/use Gears -- Google Gears -- if they want better performance. This is a good thing because, users only need to install 'Gears' once and other websites that may use Gears too, simply require the user to allow or disallow Gears permission to operate, per Website, without having to reinstall Gears. Popular websites like Facebook and MySpace will help spread the acceptance of Google Gears and eventually may become a default preference and preinstalled in all Web Browsers!

Google Gears is great. But, what about the other limitation mentioned, in regards to Javascript executing unacceptably slow?

Introducing, TraceMonkey. If you can't think up a good name for a technology, just pull one out of your ass and you will be good to go.

Tracemonkey claims to speed up Javascript execution by 37.5 times. Spidermonkey is what Firefox currently uses to run it's Javascript. Tracemonkey is the up and coming replacement, that will be doing the Javascript optimizations, to make Javascript run faster.

For those that don't understand the significance of Javascript, let me quickly explain. Javascript is what programmers use to instruct a Web Browser on how to react to user input and activity. Javascript can also turn a regular old Web Page into a Web Application using menus, tabs, buttons and other User Interface Controls that resemble Traditionally Installed Applications.

Some of you may have heard about AJAX. AJAX is a function, literally, of Javascript, made popular in 2005. But, actually invented by Microsoft in 1999. Some of you may have heard about Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is the new way of thinking about Business on the Web and writting Web based Applications for use in business and fun. Javascript is at the center of Web 2.0 and this new way of thinking about the Web Browser as more than just viewing static and (boring?) Web Pages!

Javascript's achilles heal, has always been it's slowness. Javascript takes forever to get something done. Javascript is slowed down, the more fading menus, expanding and contracting window effects and User Interface features that are added. Yet, in order to turn a Web Browser into what more closely resembles a Traditionally Installed Application, we need more Javascript to make it happen.

Firefox 3.1, which is due to be released in late 2008, will include a new Javascript engine called, Tracemonkey. It promises to turn all Web Apps that use Javascript, into a much speedier and responsive Web App. If all goes well, Tracemonkey will live up to it's promises and only get faster and make Javascript Web Apps screaming with speed, to help Web Browser Apps compare and perform like Software we install locally on our computers.

Now, some of you might be thinking, 'Why not use Adobe Flash?'. There are a few reasons why Flash has not turned all Web Browsers into this Universal -- all in one -- Software Program people are raving about. In fact, Adobe Flash has for years now, been capable of Local Storage (google gears), Partial Web Page Refresh (Ajax) and amazing vector graphics for use in creating beautiful User Interfaces.

Firstly, Adobe Flash costs money. You have to buy all this software from Adobe to make Flash movies and apps. Secondly, Flash is complicated to learn and work with. You literally have entire professions fully turned to knowing and using Adobe Flash and related products. Thirdly, Flash is not 'indexable' by the Search Engines, which means, if you have an all Flash site, you will never get it Indexed by Google or Yahoo Search. Only in the recent months have they finally made Flash movies 'Search Engine Friendly', but a little too late to matter.

Additional reasons why Adobe Flash has not completely filled the 'Web App' creation tool of choice, is as follows.

Flash, to me, is more a 'painters tool' or an artist's tool. There are very few programmers that can lay claim to also being a good designer or artist. Programmers are anal and too logical or left brained. Flash does have it's own programming language, called Action Script -- which looks identical to Javascript in everyway possible. But unfortunetly, just like the 'unfriendly with Search Engines' problem, Action Script was added to Flash too late and in small increments. Introduced in 2000, but did not mature into it's current state until 2006 as version 3.0.

Also, Flash can crash your computer or make it hang, forcing you to reboot. The possibility of a Web Page taking down your computer by visiting a Web Site, is simply not acceptable. The crashing may have more to do with poorly written graphic card drivers, but the possibility of a computer crash still exists. Javascript on the other hand will pop up a warning that a problem is occuring and allows you to shutdown the Javascript that is causing the problem. To be fair, there are cases were I had to force my Web Browser to close, but it never required me to reboot my computer, because someone wrote a crappy Javascript program.

What makes Gears, Firefox, Javascript and the Internet so popular, is the fact, that it is all Free of Charge and relatively easy to work with. Also, it is very easy to put the artists on the art and design and the Javascript with the anal programmers. Seperating out the art from logic to then assign to the right or left handed brains is very difficult under Adobe Flash.

Finally, anytime something new happens to Javascript, Gears and Firefox is a direct result of a committee that is non-profit and not under a corporate CEO's control. It is what is called Standards Compliant that volunteers, not for profit foundations decide what will be the Web Standard. It is impossible for a single corporation to correctly pick standards that the masses will follow and adopt as technology they will use. That is why the Internet is built entirely from Open Standards and not based on the narrow decisions that almost always results from what a lone for profit company would decide. Grow a little hair, become a hippy for a moment and look at the really big picture and those are the standards that the majority will follow.

No single company owns any of the parts that make up the 'plumbing' of the Internet. This leads to wide spread adoption/usage and we need not worry about any greedy Corporations springing up Licensing Fees and/or Restrictions on the technology.

Conclusion...

Google Gears or just Gears, Firefox and a faster Javascript will certainly not erase the need for installed Software Applications on your computer, but we will begin to see the Web Browser be used as a way to deliver full blown Software Tools and Applications, all running inside what was once ment to serve up Simple Web Pages!

Stay tuned, because the Web Browser is becoming more and more powerful each passing year. Now, more than ever, is an exciting time to be a Web based Programmer!

This article is a chronical of how I got to where I am today. I will mostly focus on my Internet Experiences.

I am the creator and the guy behind planetxmail.com, pxmb.com, freeadplanet.com and planetxforms.com.

I am writting this for readers to know better who is the person behind these websites, but mostly, to record it down as history, before I forget the details of what actually happened.

So, I will begin briefly by saying, I started as a dedicated programmer at a very late stage in life, at the age of 26.

Before that, I lived in Anchorage, Alaska where I remember my Dad bringing home a Commodore 64. I played one or two games on the C64 before Nintendo was released, then I forgot all about the Commodore. I did no programming on it at this time. I was 12 years old.

In 1990-1992, after my parents got divorced, I escaped back into the Commodore 64, by connecting to BBS's or Bulleton Board Systems, where you had to wait for the text to scroll across the screen, line by line. This was before the Internet. My first programming took place during this time, as I learned BASIC, a very old a popular and simple to use programming language. I made, frame by frame, small cartoon like story lines entitled, Mighty Matt vs Iron Balls Jack, using ASCII bars, corner, diaginal and such text characters to draw the Hero, Villan and props.

Once on, these BBSs, I joined chat channels, and went to Commodore user 'get togethers' or GT's, as we called them, and met many friends there. One such friend was a Native to Alaska or an Eskimo named Jimmy or Jimbo.

Jimmy, had a Commodore 128, which I was jealous of. My Mother, being a single parent to 3 kids, make money tight. As a result, there may have been more powerful computers out there, but I had no clue of there existance. You tend to made do with what you have, and I was happy as I'd ever be.

After, a few years using the Commodore 64 to log into BBSs, chatting with people and not doing much else with the machine, I decided to take the 1200 baud modem from the C64, and smash it to bits with a heavy rock -- out in the backyard. I guess, after years of doing the BBS thing, I decided enough was enough. I found myself constantly going back to the BBS, which was not bringing me happiness. I decided the only way to free myself, was to destroy the modem. A bit drastic, but it worked.

I had many outside, real life friends and a well balanced life -- I thought anyway. I was and have always been, quiet, polite and reserved. I was the quiet, 'nice kid'. But, not so much so that you need worry I might one day come to school with a gun, mind you. Everyone called me, Mellow Matt.

Anyhow, I destroyed my modem in 1992. I would never own another computer until 1996. Instead, I made other friends, joined a band, playing Bass Guitar, and found that I actually did have some musical talent for the Bass.

After high school, and 2 years of college for Basic Electronics. During my Basic Electronics, I remember learning circuit design and theory. I remember, using the 8088 8 bit CPU chip to make some LEDs flash and how logic gates worked. Also, my first attempt at Boolean Algebra was a failure, for which I received an F and had to retake, which got me an A, the second time around. We also learned theory and built small audio amps using MOSFET transistors. Little did I know, but this training was exactly what all computer hardware is based on, circuits and transistors. Although, I did have a few short lived jobs as being a Circuit Repair tech, I was not very good at it and never when very far, career wise.

I decided to Join the Alaska Air National Guard in 1996. During this time, the Internet was well on it's way in the mid 1990's, but I had no idea of this. After boot camp, I took a 7 month series of course, for Aircraft Aviontics. During that time, I met a very good friend, that owned an IBM PC, or what is now just your regular Windows PC computer. He had one, so I decided to buy one, so we could connect them and play networked games against each other, to pass the time. The machine cost $2000 and was something like 66MHZ with 4 Megabytes of RAM. I also remember using 'vi' and the UNIX command prompt, for the first time. I can't remember if they were running Linux or not, but probably so.

After the Air National Guard training ended, in 1996, I came back home to Anchorage, Alaska and to my family. That was when I got my first dwelling, paying my own rent and living on my own. I had a few good friends in Alaska. But, when not working at the Guard or God Father's pizza as a driver, or bar hopping with my Pizza manager, Mike, I would be playing on my PC.

This was when I discovered the Internet.

I also had a very close friend that played Guitar, Keyboards and other musical instruments as I played Bass Guitar. I used my PC as a recording device for our songs. I also played a few games, like Command and Conquor and Deathlock, sometimes online using the Internet.

I was informed, I could have my own home page, hosted on my ISP's server domain, by using FTP to upload web pages and images. I had to call the ISP customer service a few times to understand and get the FTP working, but they pointed me to some simple and free FTP programs and how to upload and download my home page files.

For the first time, since programming my cartoon ASCII animations in BASIC, I was now making basic Web Pages, using Front Page. I didn't know HTML, but Front page made it easy to create a Web Site.

I created a Bass player's Website, where I talked about the current Sound Cards like Creative Labs Sound Blasters, as well, writing about the most expensive, specialized cards that cost thousands of dollars. In any case, this was my first introduction to the Interent. I did not do much on the Internet, other than, search for things, I think using altavista or yahoo, reading about random things. I knew the Internet was a broader source of information, but I had yet to really get into it, as I am today.

I started to have dreams of moving away, from the cold darkness that are the Alaskan winters. I had dreams of going to College at the University of Washington, getting an apartment there, and starting a new life. Most of my friends had moved, and the one's that did not, either got married or seemed stuck, with no ambitions. I also, wanted to live in a more populated area, which would mean more opportunity. I did not know Microsoft was head quartered there, as well as, many other technology related businesses.

My mother always said, 'Matt, you just know what you want, and know what to do to get there.'. I was never one to 100% follow the normal crowd. I always gravitated toward artistic type friends, mostly musical. I knew no one that cared much about computers.

I decided it was time to pack my 2 door hatch back Dodge Colt, with everything I owned and start driving to Washington, via The Alaska Highway or Yukon. A trip of 2,500 miles heading south, through Alaska, into Canada, finally to the Washington/Canadian border. My destination was to go live with my blood father in Camano Island, Washington. He lived in a 2 story home he built nearly single handedly. He had a daughter and son, which where my 1/2 blood's, but unfortunetaly, I didn't grow up with, hense did not know well.

The plan, as my Father is a very conservative planner type, required me to have a plan from the start, which I did. I wanted to get out into the city of Seattle and forefill my dreams of going to college and doing something. But, before that could happened, I had to wait for the Air National Guard of Washington to decide where and when I would go to retrain. Remember, I was still in the Alaska ANG and I had requested a transfer from Alaska to Washington State.

As we all know, things never turn out the way we dream them to be. Things cost money, time and dedication. In the end, I moved out of Camano Is and into one of my dad's rental homes, where my brother Keegan lived, as manager, along with his friend. During this time, I meet back up with an old Alaska friend, Rich.

Rich, was a musician, Body and Soul. His parents where both musicians and were very nice, well rounded, good people. During this time living in Everett, Washington, at my dad's rental, I bought my first CD-R Burner. It operated at 2x record speed and Rich and I both started burning CDs of our music and his old tapes. This CD-Burner was first generation at $500 for a 2x recorder, but never the less was cool stuff, at the time.

This was also when I tried to start my own Internet Business, where I hoped people would mail their audio/music and I would remaster it and burn copies. I knew enough about Audio Editting Software to be pretty good an Computer aided Audio Editing and Mixing. But, blank CD-R cost $10 a CD, back in 1996-1997.

I placed an Ad in a magazine, set up the only phone line into the house, and using the computer modem to create voice mail boxes. I figured when a customer called, they would get a message saying press 1 for Keegan, 2 for Mike and 3 for Digital Reality Studios. I got one call, which I missed and never returned! In the end the whole thing was just an experiment of an idea.

Also, during this time, I bought my first Microsoft Visual Studio 5.0 programmers kit. I had NO idea what to do with it. I remember looking at the fold out poster, that listed all the MFC Classes, and just wondered, what in the hell it all ment! I knew the kit was a developer IDE, to write Windows programs in C++, but I had no idea how to program in C or C++, in the slightest. I went through some of the tutorials it came with, but it all went over my head, leaving me confused.

However, the bulk of my time was spent learning 3D animation, using 3dsmax or 3D Studio Max 2.5. I got obsest with 3d modeling and rendering virtual worlds that I was able to create, using the program. I was able to animate a few scenes, and learned basics in mesh building, lighting, materials and all that.

Finally, on top of all this, I was answering requests in the News Paper, from people looking for a Bass Player, to join their band. I met some pretty interesting people that way, and was able to more broadly reach out into the Seattle area, where I eventually wanted to move to.

My mind at the time, was very much boggled with my new surroundings I was living in, called Washington. Anyone coming from Alaska, knows moving to the lower 48 states, is a big deal, after growing up in a place like Anchorage, Alaska, for 14 years. Also, my Washington Air National Guard re-training was coming soon and would last 3-4 months.

I had to fly to Biloxi, Mississippi for the training. I completed the training. While there, a hurricane hit the area, so that was interesting.

After, returning from the schooling. I had to find a new place to live, as I decided to move from my father's rental in Everett. My idea was to move to Seattle, and live in the big city! I ended up sharing an apartment with a friend. Money was tight. I had $3000 I had saved, while in the military schooling, and my room mate was financially broke.

During, this time I decided to train for my MCSE, which is a Microsoft Cert entailing 4 core tests and 2 self-selected tests. I passed all 6 on the first try. I also was trying to start a business on the Internet as a Web Designer. I tried to teach myself Adobe Photoshop, but I was also using Dream Weaver. This meant, I still had not learned HTML or any programming, yet.

Well, money ran out, in a matter of months and my room mate bailed. I had to borrow money from my mother, to get by. As a result, I decided to try and use my MCSE and military background to find a job in the computer industry. My dream was to be a System Admin for Windows. At this time, 1999, or any time before, I had no clue about the existance of Linux and the Free / Open Source movement that was going on. All I knew was, Microsoft and Windows.

A few hit and misses, and I finally landed a job at Microsoft, as a Beta tester for Windows 2000 Server. This was a big deal for me and my Dad, as he was as proud as I was of myself. This was in June 1999.

Microsoft introduced me to what computers where really about, on a HUGE scale. The place I worked, was in a secure lab, full of thousands of computers, all running and stacked like books on a bookself. It was loud. However, the people that worked there where great. None of us where programmers, per say, only some shell scripting, to ease the Admin tasks. During this time, I also was first introduced to the beta testers calling on the Programmers, to come fix the bugs we had found.

I found the mystic of The Programmers, to be very interesting. They were smart, focused and mostly quiet. They just seemed to have all the keys to all the doors of these machines, called a computer. I wanted to be a Programmer. So, a co-worker, in the lab with me, brought me down to the Microsoft, on campus store, and I bought Microsoft Visual Studio Pro 6.0, by using his 50% employee discount. Since, he was a Full Timer, her had this option, which I did not.

1/2 way through my 1 year contract at Microsoft, I decided to go for it. I enrolled in C, C++ and Java Programming courses, at the University of Washington. I would study C programming, while also working at MS, as a beta tester. My boss, at the time, jumped on my case for having the study material out. I told him that this material WAS relative to my work, as it is all computer based, Right? As long as I got my work done, I could study while the machines ran their diagnostic tests and so forth.

Living alone in my Seattle Apartment, riding the bus to and from work, I would study at home, and sometimes pass the time with TV or Xbox. Life was Microsoft at day, and my schooling on the weekends and at nights. Sometimes, I would take the online class, and other times go to the University and sit down at a desk with a teacher. I found the online classes to be better, as the old saying goes, "Those that cant't do, Teach.", and I quickly proved that I had it in me as a programmer, when one of my C programming teachers saided, "Slow down!".

Year 2000, was the release party of Windows 2000, at Microsoft. They had go carts, beer and games located under the buildings in their parking lots. It was memorable, as I watched Bill Gates quickly get on stage and gives a thanks, for the Wonderful Software we all helped create. Than some shitty band started playing, and I decided to go home a little early, full of bear and good spirits. :-)

My contract at MS ended in June 2000. I had no desire to try and go full time, as I did not want to be stuck, as a Beta tester, all my life. I was about 2/3's the way done with my C, C++ and Java Programming courses, and saved up $6,000 dollars. I also decided to file for unemployment checks.

A small note about unemployment checks. Get them, if you can. If you work for 6 months of more, full time, you are entitled to Unemployment money, that came out of your paychecks anyways! Since, I worked at MS for 1 year full time, was able to receive $125 / week for about 4-5 months. I recommend anyone, inbetween jobs, to do this. If you don't, you will not be able to get the money after a year.

Now, I was making 25% of what I was making at MS, only now the unemployment checks ment, I did not have to work! The checks just arrived! Also, the $6,000 I had saved, during my stay at MS, was there as well. I lived in a one bed room apartment, in Seattle, in the Capital Hill district. My rent was about $700 / month, all utilities paid. I had no car, so no car insurance, and I rode the great Bus system Seattle has. My monthly living expenses came out to be around $1000 / month. At that rate, I could continue to study, without having to worry about rent, for about a year's time. Again, I lived very minimally, and didn't have anyone to take care of, other than myself.

As a side note, I do not think I could have pulled off, what I am about to describe, unless I lived the lifestyle I did. When learning to program into the wild blue, not knowing where it may take you, or even if you will succeed, is a very scary prospect. In other words, if I had a family, a needy girl friend, or whatever, I think that would have been a major distraction. Not saying it is not possible, but the way I was, at the time, I needed my full concentration. Sure, I got lonely at times. But, when you have an ambition, goals, and now the means to actually set aside some time do them, you tend to get wrapped up in it, forgetting you are alone, in the first place!

I was on mission. My mission, become a programmer of decent skill and knowledge, to better myself in my field of study, and see where it would take me. So, I set forth on my first major project, called Quazar. It was a 2d shooter game like space invaders, but with scrolling back grounds and various aliens to shoot. I learned so much about computer programming, by doing this gaming project. And, best of all, I was having the time of my life. Because, games are interesting things, in that, they use Art, Sound, AI, physics and is entertaining to play. Those years studing 3dsmax and 3D came in handy for rendering the ship, aliens and asteroids and props and such. The explosions of the game required knowledge of basic Audio editing, which I had from recording my songs on the computer with my band.

The game taught me, C++, C and the various styles of programming, such as, Structured and Object Orientated Programming. Learning how to program collision systems, Artificial Intelligence, Keyboard and Mouse, Graphic Blitting/Drawing, Timing Cycles and Sound Effects. Game programming tends to be what most programmers first dive into, in order to learn to code. This is because, 1) It is Fun to program something you can later play and 2) Game programming introduces you to so many things, that most other programs you will later write, will actually use.

So, for 3 strait months, I was on my computer, 18 hours a day. My brother, Dave lived with me at the time, as he was in Seattle, exploring it like I was, because he was coming from Anchorage, Alaska as well. He was my only social human companion. He would keep me 1/2 sane during my compressed programming stent.

I made many online friends, as well, that where game programmers. These guys where already years ahead of me, but some how they did not mind me asking questions, in return, I was a friend to them. So, I learned just about everything from Internet tutorials, using what I learned at the University, as a base, and from a book by, game guru, André LaMothe, Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus.

After 3 months I had a decent Direct X Microsoft Windows 2d Shooter. It was no were near finished, but I was running out of money. I guess things were going to be a bit more than $1000 / month to live on, as I still had to pay $600 a pop for each University Class I was also trying to complete.

So, I decided to try and do free lance work, as a Web programmer. I knew that trying to sell games, was not within my capabilities, as to make a game in the first place is hard, let a lone learn to market. So, I turned to the Web and back to my roots as a Web Design dabbler. Only this time I had new programming skills. I had the impression that web programming would be boring and unchallenging. HTML and CSS hard? Come on, they weren't programming languages, but rather, Markup Languages. I would find that way of thinking, to be completely wrong.

I instantly ditched, Front Page and Dreamweaver, and started to write everything by hand. No more WYSIWYG tools. To me, HTML was a breeze compared to C++, Direct X Game programming. So, I felt very confident I could tackle just about anything on the Internet.

My first paid job was to make a Windows screen saver, for someone I met on IRC or Internet Relay Chat. For $50 I made his custom screen saver, and that was when I first learned about Paypal. In order for him to pay me, he asked if I had Paypal, I did not, so I signed up earned my first $50 as a free lance programmer. To me this was very rewarding.

I also posted my resume on a site called, monster.com, which is a place for employeers to look for talant. Doing so would change my life, forever, and start a whirl wind of new discoveries and opportunities, I never imagined possible. Let alone, they would happen to me.

While waiting for responses to my resume on monster.com, I decided to do Pro Bono work for people I met on IRC chat. People that wanted to make their webpages do different things like, connect to a database, or use Javascript to make their sites functional or more interesting.

Now, at first I thought, that Web Programming would be easy, a walk in the park, compared to the C++ game programming I had been doing earlier. This was due to the Netscape vs Internet Explorer, Browser Wars. Since, the Internet was only about 5 years old, there were no standards to speak of. As a result, Microsoft would do it their way and Netscape would do it their way. This resulted in a mess for the Browser programmers, using Javascript, to figure out the differences, to make your code run on both Browsers. To this day, 2008, that same problem exists, but to a lesser degree. Now there are standards, that the browsers should follow, but Microsoft continues to lag behind in being a standards compliant browser. But, that is another story!

Anyhow, I learn quite a bit about HTML, CSS, Javascript and introduced me to PHP, because of the Pro Bono work I was doing for random people on the Net.

Then, the Email that would drastically change my life, arrived in my email INBOX, sometime around June 2001. It was from an Australian man, by the name of, Phil Basten. His Email was very interesting. It was a proposition, in that, he was looking for a programmer, to create his ideas, and all the profits would be 50/50. His writting style and choice of words really caught my attention. With phrases like, 'We can make a lot of money doing this.'. You could tell he was a well educated man, but able to communicate in a clear and convicing way.

I know, everyone gets emails that promise you this or that, which turns out to be fraudulant or a pipe dream, never to make any money, for anyone. But, since he responded directly to my monster.com resume, made him much more creditable. Also, I had nothing to lose, as I was doing Pro Bono work. I did proceed cautiously, drilling him with questions, and in fact, demanding I have password access to his Paypal account, for which the profits, if any, would be sent. He provided everything I asked, with no hesitation. I was suprised since, he too had to be careful about me, as I was new to him, just as he was to me. In the end, this gave me a great sense of trust for him.

We immediately established a relationship using MSN Messenger, as our primary line of communication. He had ideas and seemed very confident money was to be made. He was in it, for the sole purpose, of making money. Phil was 60 years old, and I was 26. I think this made us a good match. I was young with tons of enthusiasm and without any preconvieved notions on how an Internet Business would work. Phil, on the other hand, was much older, wiser and already had a back ground in Marketing and Counselling, on and offline. He understood people, and was already very well connected with others, in a world I had never heard of called, Internet Marketing.

I had little interest in Marketing, because I remembered that Amway guy I met years ago, as well as, watching my brother being all brainwashed about Amway. My main interest was the technical side of things. If I could do what I like to do, and make money, why not? Also, this was all to be done from home! A home based business, where we were the boss of ourselves. Phil was 1/2 around the world from where I was. This is what is amazing, when it comes to the Internet.

Also, keep in mind that the year 2001 was the year the Internet Bubble or Boom had hit rock bottom, in terms of Technology Stock values. Every business in the Computer Industry from Apple to Microsoft was hit hard by the Internet Bubble that lasted from 1997-2001. I had no clue this was happening at all. I was oblivious to any politics, high level business or any kind of inclination that maybe trying to start an Internet Business might not be a good idea because of this. Luckly, I didn't know about any of that. Whether or not that would have changed me mind or discouraged me from trying in the first place, I do not know. One interesting things that I have memory recalls about, was the remark my father had made when I told him I was trying to start an Internet Business, and his reply was, "You don't want to get into that Business.". He didn't bother to explain why, or if he did, it went in one ear and out the other.

So, thus began our partnership. We did not bother to register a Business name. He did already have a few domain names, like, elitescripts.com and global-lists.com.

Phil also had 2 of his very own servers, which he actually just rented, called a Dedicated Server. This was a far cry from what I was using on the web, which was free web hosting or working on others' projects, that also used a shared hosting plan. Phil having his very own Dedicated servers, for which we could remotely log in and do anything to, really got me excited to this new avenue of possibilities!

At this time I was fresh to just about everything.

Phil also had a partner he had been working with for many years prior, named Dean. He was a Linux System Administrator. This would be the first time Linux, entered my vocabulary. Since, that was what Phil was using as servers, that is what we would use. All I knew, was that Linux was an alternative Windows Servers, and was free of charge and completely configurable, unlike proprietary software, such as a Windows Server. I did not give this new Linux OS, much more thought than that, at this time.

Prior to Phil's Email, I had done a small $400 job for a man, weeks before Phil contacted me, which required some PHP mending. I told him I knew PHP, but I really didn't, and that is how I was first introduced to PHP. Other than that, I was completely green to Linux, PHP and the Server Side of web programming. Note, that I did a very good job in mending the PHP for which I was paid to mend.

Again, I was young, fresh and had the mind set that, I could figure it out, given enough time to research any challenges, through trial and error.

During the time between June 2001 - Feburary 2002, a mere 9 months, I learned more about Business on the Web, Marketing tactics and Web Computer Programming, than I ever thought possible. A range of products where produced a sold, which include; MultiURL Tracker, Biz Board Pro, MultiList Pro, MultiList Enterprise, Ezy List Pro and a few other tools and ideas.

The two products that really took off, were MultiList Enterprise and Ezy List Pro.

MultiList Enterprise is what powers planetxmail.com. It uses MySQL as the database, and is programmed in PHP. It is about 200 files and around 200,000 lines of PHP code. First, we tried to sell the program for others to host on their own machines. But, luckly we caught on quickly to not sell the program, but instead, use it ourselves, and open a Safelist Hosting Services Company. The scare, was that anyone who bought MultiList Enterprise, which we charged anywhere from $3000 to $5000 per copy, might resell it, but at a much lower price. Not only that, but we also wanted to use our own Software to make money with. Initially, we were a software maker, trying to sell the programs to others. But, MultiList Enterprise was a big PHP program, which contained innovative, never before used ideas.

Hosting our own programs, is a method of using Software as a Service. Now a days, SaaS or Software as a Service is a common term, often associated with the new Web 2.0 craze. So, that meant, we were doing things with the software that the general Internet had not caught on to, yet. Google, which is reknown for providing multitudes of services, but writting programs and not selling them, but instead hosting the software on google.com server to be used as a service. Like Google AdSense and AdWords, which they didn't invent until 2003! Also, MySpace, Facebook, Digg, wordpress, Wikipedia and so many super popular websites did not yet exist in 2001. These are all MultiBillion dollar companies that all do Software as a Service, instead of selling software to be installed on other computers.

The other winner for us was, Ezy List Pro. It was programmed using Visual Basic and Visual Studio Pro 6.0, which I purchased a year before, while working at Microsoft, as a beta tester. ELP was a very simple Web Browser, that allowed the user to program it, by simply recording the actions of the user, which allowed automation of many Safelist tasks. Tasks like, logging in, submitting an AD to the Safelist, logging off and then repeat. This saved users, hours a day, because many users had dozens even 100's or more Safelist accounts, all of which, they had to manually log in, submit, log out and repeat.

Phil had the brillant idea, to recruit Ezy List Pro Partners or ELP Partners. The ELP Partners would be allowed to sell Ezy List Pro and we would charge a small licensing fee per copy they sold. The great thing about this was that, not only were we able to reach a lot more customers, but the ELP Partners would use their own Paypal, or other merchant accounts. This meant, that an ELP Partner would be paid first, and every two weeks, we would send a bill, asking for the Licensing fees from the ELP Partners, for each ELP program they managed to sell. Also, Phil was able to arrange it, so that to become and ELP Partner, cost a $1000 entrance fee. We managed to get around 10 ELP partners.

Not only that, but ELP was a subscription based program. This meant, that for each copy sold would continue to bring in residual income, every month!

All of this meant, that I had to program, not only ELP, but also, the tracking and billing system needed to manage all of this. Each ELP copy sold required to be activation, before it could be used. This was done, by requiring a valid and paid username and password, along with other security data, that would then be sent back to the ELP program, to activate and verify the user was up to date on their monthly subscription payments. This also made it nearly impossible for anyone to simply hand out the program to others, for free.

Since, we had 10 ELP Partners, we needed to give each ELP Partner, the ability to log into an Administration panel, so they could monitor and manage their customers that signed up under them, as well as, easily view profits made, and how much was going to be owed to us, as well as see a complete history of accounts paid and when accounts were to become due.

There was also, a Master Administration Panel, for Phil and I to use, to manage each ELP Partner! This also included a way to Mail all the Partners and micromanage any account, down to each individual ELP user account, that had purchased ELP. Finally, a way to make corrections to accounts, manually, in case any automation had failed to complete, such as, setting up an account after payment.

The system was brillant, both in terms of design and in terms of marketing. I automated the process as much as possible, which meant, there was virtually nothing anyone had to do, except monitor the system was correctly configuring new accounts and sending out bills with the correct amounts.

My philosopy from the beginning, was to make the computer do all the work where possible. This meant, less work for us, but also, making the whole system accurate, by avoiding human errors, that may occur, because of manual configuration of all the accounts. If the code is bug free, meaning it is well tested at every step in the transactional process, will nearly guarentee a smooth, automated money machine!

Ezy List Pro, or ELP, was the first of it's kind and made over a million dollars in total, spread across the 10 ELP Partners. Although, only 3 ELP Partners did any significant sales.

ELP was later cloned. Than someone had the bright idea of making the whole ELP thing we invented, work entirely from software running on private servers. This meant, no one had to download anything, they just logged into a web site, created an account and their private servers would do all the work. This is another example of, Software as a Service. This killed ELP, in time. But, that is the way business goes. And is a lesson in itself. If you come up with a good idea, it is recommended, you try to hit the market prepared and ready to bring in as many sales as possible, because if your idea is worth anything, it will be cloned and possibly rendered obsolete, but someone brighter than yourself.

However, I still have the code and database for ELP, and plan to keep it as a major project I can proudly reflect on, as a well thought out and useful product, that we were able to perfectly draw profits from, by allowing others to market it and by automating the process so that the whole things was nearly automatic and accurate, as a result.

Phil and I would in 2003, part ways, and move on to other things. Phil would later find another, star programmer, and I would leave the partnership with the knowledge of all the Marketing and Business skills I learned from the whole process. I would later create pxmb.com, planetxforms.com and freeadplanet.com, all on my own.

Someone that was key in all this, which I have not bothered to mention yet, was a man living in Finland, that was a Master Linux System Admin and a very good Perl and C Programmer. Viha was his name, and he would also become a good friend, which I communicate with, to this day.

I first met Viha, when he pointed out that I had a major security hole in my website I used to showcase Quazar, my 2D Shooter Game. He impressed me, as I got to know him. During the period, from June 2001 - February 2002, he was our System Administrator for Linux. Phil's prior Linux Admin, left the Internet, which than required use to find a System Administrator of our own. Viha was my guy, as Phil did not like the way Viha worked.

Viha would often leave the computer without notice, and was very sporatic and at times, and hard to work with. Phil and I assured him, we would pay him when we ourselves began to make money. But, Viha, did not have the same vision as Phil and I. He also found things, about Phil's Internet passed, that he did not like, but Phil was clear of all that now. The only reason we were able to work with him, was because I myself was a programmer, and so knew how to work with him to keep his attention.

Why was Viha worth the trouble to keep around? Let me just say, out of all the Linux Guys I talked to, he was the only one that knew the answer to all of my questions, about Linux, and then some. He seemed to know everything! Not only was he good, but he was also very security minded, as in computer security practices. I knew he was, the one.

I did not learn much, about linux, during the time I was working with Phil and Viha. It was only after Phil and I parted, that I was able to pay Viha fair amounts of money to motivate him. I had my own projects I wanted to do. So, for each job that Viha did on my Linux machines, which by now I had bought my own, I would require a report on how he was able to accomplish the Linux Administration job. As a result, and over time, I was able to learn Linux, from one of the best.

I learned most of what I know about Linux, which is quite a bit, because of the project pxmb.com / planetxmailbox.com. An Email box service geared towards the demands that Safelist users need. The process of making this Emailbox service, happen to be a long and hard one. It entails setting up Web, DNS, Mail, Database, Filesystems, Kernel Customizations and general server administrations like, Log Rotating, techniques in troubleshooting problems and learning how to compile custom versions of all the software needed, to run an Email Box Service.

Not only all of this, but also Load Balancing the incoming Email, across 3 servers! Networking skills, and trouble shooting were also learned and honed, as a result. Not to mention, correct security practices to prevent access to your server and database.

As a side note. Any programmer, that also tries to think, like a malicious programmer, will make that programmer, even better. This means, that as you write code, and configure the Linux server, you do it in a way as to imagine, what possibilities might allow an intruder, the ability to access your Linux server, by using an exploitable hole you left open, in your code or system. If you set things up right, in a secure manner, meaning multiple layers of security, will make that programmer, not just a good programmer but, an better one. Sure, a programmer might be excellent at writting code that, just works. But, there is a big difference between a program that, just works, and one that, just works and prevents a bad hacker from exploiting something, that could have been avoided, had the program been written, in a way to illiminate those exploits.

That was a mouthful. But, it just shows how hard and important, computer systems security is, and how hard it can be to ensure that happends. The only way to do this, is to think like a malicious hacker, in order to stop them.

Later, after the first failed attempt at the Email Service, I put off the idea. I would later try it again, but this time designing it the way _I_ thought it should be setup. I decided to look for the best software and picked the most efficient ones. Postfix as the Mail Server, Courier as the POP/IMAP servers and ditching MySQL as the database Postfix would use. I knew this would make things run as efficiently as possible, but I did not know exactly how to set it all up.

I asked Viha to set up each part up, and report on how he did it. This was when I became self sufficient under Linux. Not only Linux, but in Mail, DNS, Filesystems, Web and so many other Linux subsystems. I finally got my Email Service up and running, and able to handle the loads placed on the server, using only one server, instead of 3!

PXMB.COM was stable and running in 2003, and that was when I could say I reached a point were, no longer did I need Phil for his marketing ideas, but I also did not need a Linux Admin, as I was one myself now! I could fix any problem I had. I would later redesign things that Viha had done, but in a more simplistic, efficient way. After this, I knew I could self sustain everything, myself.

Anyone that says they learned everything themselves is lieing, unless they are an Einstein. I learned everything I know, from other people. I thank the stars, I have a good memory, which allows me to learn from others. This means throwing out one's Ego and listening to others. Also, the best way to learn, in a really meaningful way, is to start a project, and try to make it happen. Simply, doing random tasks, is not only boring, but you can't hope to piece them together, in a meaningful way, like a project can.

Anyone wanting to know my personal secrets to success are the following, and in terms of Coding to make money, eventually, all on your own.

• Drop the Ego.
• Listen to other people and their ideas.
• Develope a Project and complete it.
• Take good notes.
• Try to do something that is rational, before investing too much time in it.
• Think out side of the Box.
• Observe trends, but put a twist on them, to make them your own.
• Stay humble and never become greedy, this will only corrupt you and your projects, only to lose it all.
• Use Open Source Software

Thank you for reading.

Apple's iPhone has started a new wave of innovation in the MID or Moble Internet Device markets.

Traditional devices, previous to the iPhone include; The Blackberry, Palm and Smartphones in general.

Your flippidy-floppidy cell phone using synthesized ring tones and extrememly limited Internet Connectivity and Applications do not fit into this 'smartphone' category.

The Cell Phone Market has so much more potential than anyone was utilizing. To put things into perspective read the following bit of information.

The fastest-growing consumer electronics device market in the world for several years has been the cell phone. In 2007, there were about 1.12 billion mobile phones sold, which compares to the 271.2 million PCs and laptops sold last year.

Apple released the iPhone to the world, spanning 20+ countries. Apple supercharged 'the wimpy cell phone' by gaving it a larger viewing area, a touch pad for navigation and Applications/Programs that rival the features you'll find on your PC Desktop/Laptops. But, the iPhone isn't just about innovative technology that was unleashed on millions of drooling consumers and business folk. Apple also negotiated a new way of doing business with the Cell Phone Carries. Carries like AT&T, Verizon, T-Moble and Sprint.

Traditionally, it was the Cell Phone Carriers that called all the shots on what technology they wanted connected to their massive wireless networks as well as how it would be delivered to the customers. This slowed down innovation and is the reason why we keep seeing the same old cell phones that do the same things, year after year.

Apple and the iPhone presented a different view, in that Apple wanted complete control of the iPhone hardware and software and insisted that the Carriers simply focus on suppling the connectivity and cell phone coverage. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, broke the boundries set by the carriers and rightfully divided the cell phone market into two businesses, working together.

The iPhone's future hardware and software 'road map' would be controlled by Apple and the carriers would offer what you would naturally assume, and that is the connectivity and wireless coverage. Since, Apple's iPhone looked so good and Steve knew it, Steve Jobs had something he could negotiate with, to open 'the carriers' eyes to a broader approach to what kind of amazing hardware and software could be built to utilize the carriers connectivity.

Wireless Carriers are not in the business of Hardware and Software Device Development, they simply own the Wireless Networks that connect all the devices to connect together. It took something as beautiful in form and function, the iPhone, to get the Carriers to lossen their powerful grip and allow a Device manufacter more freedom, which was Apple. If one Carrier refused, Steve would simply offer it to the next Carrier.

Now, the cell phone market has entered into a new Era. One where the Cell Phone Hardware and Software can be more freely developed, while leaving the carriers to just deal with providing wireless coverage and 'as many bars' they could offer.

Naturally, any new explosion of innovation will be copied. It is no suprise that since Apple's iPhone has drastically 'raise the bar' in cell phone technological standards, others that wish to compete with the iPhone must be at or above this newly raise bar set by Apple's iPhone. And, there is no shortage of companies now in full swing development to jump in the band wagon of what the iPhone got rolling.

• LiMo
• Linux Phone
• Mobilinux
• OpenMoko
• Open Mobile Alliance
• Qtopia
• Moblin
• Android
• Maemo

The list above represents mostly, if not all, Open Source companies actively and aggressively developing this new generation of Cell Phones, now called MIDs or Mobile Internet Devices. Basically, putting the traditional cell phone on steroids. BlackBerry's have been doing Mobile Smart Computing for years. However, what makes these new generation of devices or MID's different is because of what the iPhone set as a new standard. Touch pads that do away with the need of a mini-keyboard, CPU's or Computer Chip speeds have gotten very fast and small coupled with less power needed therefore longer battery life. Memory and hard drive storage, as well, has exploded in amount as well. All of this coupled with low prices.

It is expected that Apple's iPhone will come to dominate this Mobile Device space for quite some time. However, the emergence of a new software development model called, Open Source, could very easily put Apple in a less dominate place, simply because Open Source is so efficent in terms of cost and in terms of speed of developement. Apple is closed source and very much a proprietary business, just like Microsoft. But, Open Source, is a more flexible and broader model which builds momentum so fast because of the sheer numbers of people using Open Source.

Intel has also joined the Open Source model of software developement in order to compete with the ARM chips that dominate 99% of all Mobile Devices. ARM cpus have been around much longer in this Mobile space and so has engineered super fast and highly efficient hardware computer chips, specifically tuned for low power small devices.

Intel has dominated the PC Desktop, Laptop and now High Performance Super Computer Clusters since it all began. Intel has already spent 4 years developing the Centrino ATOM computer ch‬ips and is now begining to market them to companies. Intel wants to now do what it has done in the Desktop/Laptop markets, but now in the MID or Mobile Internet Device market. However, it is not the best performing chip when compared with the current ARM chips.

The newest ARM processor, the Cortex A8, consumes less than 50 mW of power in active mode, compared to the active power range of 65 mW to 240mW for the five variants of the Intel Atom, according to information from the two companies.

As you can tell Intel has a way to go to beat or even meet the specs of the ARM chips. But, if you look at Intel's history, it will be no suprise if they come to dominate the market anyways, as they have done against AMD. Even though, in reality, the AMD brand of chipsets are actually better performers in terms of raw speed and efficiency, Intel has a greater grasp on how to market and whom to market to in order to win that dominance. So, Intel will do the same thing in the MID market by embrassing Open Source as their software.

What Intel ATOM chips also have as a huge bonus is the fact they will be x86 based, which means most of the worlds software will run on without having to port any new MID centric software to a new chip set spec. Open Source uses the Linux Kernel along with a massive Open Source Developer Community that is well versed in programming for the x86 Intel Instruction Set or Machine Code.

As a result, there are already Mobile Devices coming out that use the ATOM chip running Linux and Open Source, which give a compelling user experience to that of Apple's iPhone. The big Open Source players are Google's Android Platform, Canonical's Mobile Ubuntu and Moblin. There are many more other such Open Source companies as well.

It will be very interesting to see where all of this produces in terms of new Devices and what kinds of Applications they will be running all feel and look like. Apple has a huge head start and a picture perfect product for the consumer and business person and will continue to innovate so others will simply copy, using ARM chip sets.

While, at the same time Intel's ATOM chips running highly efficient and massive Developer numbers all working together under the 'Open Source' banner. While, Apple has a genius CEO and Innovator by the name of Steve Jobs which gave us iPods, iMacs, iTunes, Apple TV, incredible user friendly software and of course the iPhone. Open Source and Intel are massive in terms of number of people contributing to the software development using Linux and Open Source and Intel's massive resources in terms of chip labs for research and an already solid hold on the PC/Laptop markets that ensures no shortage of cash to poor into their new ATOM chips to compete with the seasoned and matures ARM chips used by the iPhone and 99% of cell phones.

Wireless and being Mobile is the wave of the future. Cable companies like Comcast look out! Wireless may be knocking on your Market share sooner than you might hope!

For additional reading on this subject, visit by clicking here.

Based on my review of the Linux Foundation's 'Open Voices' PodCast Interviews of the Leaders in Open Source .

The IT Computing Industry 'pie' was once very easy to define. It was of only one flavor, the Microsoft Flavor. But, now things are changing, especially now that Bill Gates has officially retired himself from his own Corporation to be replaced by Ray Ozzie.

The pie is finally starting to be 'cut up' and shared a bit more evenly. Vendors like SuSE Enterprise Linux , Ubuntu Desktop Linux , Mandriva Linux and Red Hat Enterprise Linux are finally beginning to enter into the Enterprise. This means large Corporations are starting to use Linux by installing it on ten's of thousands of networked machines which make up their Enterprise or Corporate Business.

An interesting find, if you listen to the PODCast Interview of the CEO of SuSE Linux, is that SuSE in the last two years has seen 200% growth year after year. Major players in the Enterprise or Corporate World of business has been convinced by SuSE Linux that Linux is indeed, 'Ready for the Enterprise'. The uptake of Linux is probably not completely realised just yet, since trying to imagine a world where Microsoft did not rule the Enterprise Sector of Business is sometimes hard to believe. Yet, a huge shift or 'cutting up of the Enterprise Pie' is occuring right now.

CEO of SuSE Linux may have finally 'cracked the Enterprise Entry Code' to compete with Microsoft for Desktop Market Shares in the Enterprise. Interestingly enough, Microsoft itself is actually helping this succeed! In 2006 Novell, which aquired SuSE Linux, was forced to make an agreement with Microsoft, where Novell is to buy 'Microsoft Certificates' in order to avoid Microsoft Patent Law suit threats against the alleged Linux Operating System.

By the way, whether these patents actually hold any merit is under huge skepticism. But, Microsoft was successful at 'scaring' Novell and a few other Linux Commercial Enterprise Companies to pay for 'Microsoft Certificates' or face a Law suit from Microsoft.

But, what Microsoft has effectively done, knowingly or not, is allow SuSE Linux and it's new Enterprise Customers peace of mind, in the legal sense, that SuSE can be used in the Enterprise without fear of the Patent Lawsuits. As a result, adoption of Linux in the Enterprise has begun to take shape! Microsoft may have made this decision on purpose, knowing they could leech cash from each sale that SuSE makes via purchasing 'Microsoft Certificates' for immunity from Microsoft's self proclaimed 'patent infrigement'. On the flip side, Microsoft may have signed it's own death warrant by allowing Customers that wish to run Linux with the peace of mind that Microsoft will not try to sue.

The latter of the two reasons maybe the truth, because Microsoft didn't have a choice or legal grounds to begin with!

The following maybe the reasoning behind Microsoft's actions.

Microsoft has enough lawyers, money and time to research the 'Software Patents' and determine whether or not they could hold up in court, but instead, found that such Law suites would NOT hold up in court. Knowing this, Microsoft decided to take whatever cash income they could get from this losing battle by scaring Novell and others to 'pay for protection' from Microsoft's massive bank roll and teams of lawyers. Essentially, to scare the crap out of smaller companies that would not be able to wage war in the courts to contest the 'Microsoft Software Patent' claims. And it worked. Microsoft receives 'Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt' (FUD), money out of Novell and others for each Linux install they manage to roll out to Enterprises.

It is like a game of Chess. Microsoft is thinking many moves ahead of it's competitors and taking advantage of that. However, Microsoft is also aware that they have no legal ground to stand on. Microsoft has known for over a decade about the 'threats' Open Source has in dismantling Microsoft's Lock down and Monopoly of the Desktop and Enterprise Business World.

So, you may be seeing Linux Desktops appearing at a Job near you! Why? Because, companies want to save and make money. Linux Desktops are far more cost effective and affordable than pricy Windows or Apple operating system software. Since, Linux has matured to the point that it CAN be used by non-technical everyday users and Linux is built using Open Standards and essentially given away free of charge, makes Linux hugely competitive in the Enterprise market. Or any market, for that matter!

The best thing about Linux is that for every Enterprise that adopts SuSE Linux will not only benefit SuSE, but also benefit every other Linux Distribution as well. Ubuntu, Redhat, Mandriva and more all use Linux and it's Open Source and Standards. For every improvement that SuSE makes to it's Software, they must share them and made openly available to the public, because of how Linux is licensed. The license of an Open License, meaning all improvements must be openly shared as source code. So, other Linux Distro's like Ubuntu, Redhat or other can use those same innovations in software!

Companies that develope proprietary solutions, that run on top of Linux, can still hold those innovations (code) secret. However, companies must becareful not to violate the licenses that govern Open Source Projects, for which that company may be leveraging.

Not to fear, Open Source licenses are typically geared to simply keep the Source Code 'open' in order to prevent formation of monopolies that may result by using code that the offending company did not write.

It's a no brainer.

No one, not even people that Openly share their source code and innovations want to feel disrespected by allowing another to get rich by cheating and selling code.

What this boils down to is that the Operating System will become a commodity.

No one pays much attention to an Operating System while running programs they want to use.

An Operating System is not the point of computing. In fact, they are actually quite boring when compared to how fun it is to use a Web Browser to read for hours or watch videos with. How about your favorite Computer games? Notice how we tend to forget about the Operating System altogether while using our computer for what they were ment for?

The point is...

A good Operating System should be one that is running in the background, that allows it's user to operate a Web Browser, play a Game or type up an essay. Operating Systems should be as transparent as possible, for the sole purpose of allowing it's users to do what they need/want to do, without getting in the way and without using too many computing resources as to not take away from the performance of the programs the Operating System is running.

One might think, well what is the difference between Linux ruling the world and Microsoft? The difference is that Linux is an Open Standards and Open Sources Platform. The barrier to entry into starting your own Linux Operating System is zero. Therefore, there will never be a vendor lock in or monopoly to fear. If Enterprises view SuSE as not good enough, they can choose a different Vendor like Redhat or Ubuntu or Mandriva, which use the exact same technology and License!

Finally, when an Open Operating System becomes the norm, we will look back and laugh at the fact we actually had to pay for an Operating System at all! Remember, Enterprises will not be paying for the software itself, but rather the technical support and Certifing that the System created by the Open Source Community is stable, secure and consistant. This supplies reassurance and confidence that Enterprises can rely on Linux and Open Source, because that Enterprise knows it can call for support and feature requests, just like any proprietary solution can.

Software is becoming more of a service rather than having to buy the software and the service. In this new Open Source model, companies will be paying for Common Services instead. Services like tech support when something breaks, certification the Open Source Software will be secure and stable and able to run the day to day operations of a Business.

So, why hasn't any of this happened yet? Why are companies taking so long to adopt the Open Source Model? The reason is because Open Source Coders are not in it for Business itself. Each software component that makes up an Operating System is created by thousands of individuals. These individuals are coders, programmers or geeks. It is rare for a Geek to be genius at computer science and coding to also be business savvy. In fact, many hardcore coders have a hard time designing software that can be easily handled by non-programmers in the form of a 'User Friendly' Interfaces and well written Documentation.

It is the connection between The Coders and The Customers, that is fueling this shift towards Open Software. Companies like OpenLogic are bridging the HUGE gap that exists between The Coders and The Customers. These Support Companies are selling a service that allows non-technical Business and Marketing Savvy people to utilize the innovations of The Coders. OpenLogic gives Businesses legal reassurance and technical support to companies that want to run Open Source Software in their mission critical day to day Business Operations.

We can now assume a new stereotype called, 'The Supporters'. These maturing Open Source Software Support Companies are enabling the once non-existant or very hard to establish communications between 'The Coders' and 'The Customers'.

Everyone was wondering, how can we monitize Free and Open Source Software, when the software itself is given away, free of charge? Well, the answer is, Support the Coders by impowering 'The Customers' with the ability to use the software innovations that 'The Coders' want people to use. Why else would coders code Open Source? Every artist wants their art to be known and are willing to give it away for this to happen.

A Coder is usually a smart person when it comes to technical means, often working in isolation via Mailing Lists and Chat Sessions. But, the world needs these amazing software services to make it a better place for all.

That is the spirit of Open Source.

Here is another view point, from another blogger on this subject. Read Here

Sleeping Giants have been building momentum and are slowly lumbering into the Main Stream both at the Home User, Enterpise Corporate Business, Mobile Devices and finally HPC or High Performance Computing.

This article is a prediction on what is to come in the near future and is a wake up call for everyone that uses Computers. Don't worry the changes are far from scary, and in fact, will level Marketing Playing Fields and better the economy for smaller and diverse markets.

In this age of Foreclosed Housing, Credit Card Fraud and Stealing in general going on, not to mention the on going SPAM problems that we all seem to now, "just accept", now is the time to start introducing better ways of computing to protect our children. And give them a secure Internet and Computing Experience.

This is not another Anti-Microsoft, hippy-love, adopt Linux article. These new developments are, 'The Real McCoy'. The changes are happening right now.

The BIG FOUR

1. Google and its new Web-as-a-Platform
2. Apple OS X and it's rise in the User Desktop World, replacing angry Vista Users
3. Linux and it's on going take over of Servers, Desktops, Embedded, Mobile and High Performance Computing
4. Microsoft and it's, slowly but surely, loss of it's Monopoly on the Computing World

1) Google

Google has grown from nothing to becoming the world's collector and sharer of all the information in the world. Examples: Google Search, Google Earth, Google Checkout, Google Advertising, Google Finance, Google Analytics, Google Gmail, Google Docs/SpreadSheets/Presentation, Google Gears, Google Open Social, Google Social Networks, Google-411, Google Health, Google Javascript and Code API's, gPhone or Google Phone, Google Open Source Hosting and Youtube.

As you can see from this list, it is staggering. And all of it... 100% FREE to use. The reason? Google makes Billions and Billions of dollars a year selling Advertising in the form of Ad Sense and Ad Words. Advertising is Google #1 source of revenue, beating Yahoo! and Microsoft by a stagging 80% market share.

This allows Google to 'experiment' with projects, as they see fit. These experiments are driven by Developers and not Corporate CEO's or CTO's. Essentially, Google allows it's coders 50% of their time devoted to doing their assigned work and the other 50% of the time allowed the freedom to try out any random ideas they may have.

This is why Google has become a household name. They let the coders delegate themselves using the proven, Open Source Model of Development. After all, Google already makes BILLIONS with Advertising, the side cash they make from these side projects just adds to the already enormous Google money pot.

Google recently announce the availablity of Real Time Streaming Stock Quotes! Before, one had to sign up to an online Broker, pay a fee, pay more fees per Market Transaction to finally get the Real Time Stock Quotes. Well, no more... Google gives it away, Free.

Google Analytics is also FREE. A way to track your Advertising Profits and how much traffic comes into your Website. Using very nice Flash driven display charts and trends. All for Free.

Google Docs. An online version of Microsoft Office, using the latest and greatest web technology called AJAX. You can now Word Process, Create Spread Sheets and Create Presentation Slides ( like MS Powerpoint ) all for FREE.

A new addition to Google Docs Online, is the ability to use Google docs in OFFLINE mode. This means, that if I lose Internet Connectivity, and I have Google Gears installed in my Web Browser, as a plugin, I can still use Google Docs, as if I were online! Once your Internet Connection kicks in again, you can re-sync your Data that was saved locally with your data online on the Google Servers.

As a side note. Does this worry Microsoft? You bet it does! Microsoft Office costs hundreds of dollars PER license! You can get very similar functionality for FREE using Google's solution. By the way, there is also the OpenOffice Suite, which is not Internet dependant, that is also 100% free of charge. Commercial support is an option, but you have to pay for that. But, the software itself is free. Who needs to buy support for how to use a Word Processor anyways?

There is so much to be said about Google, that it doesn't end here.

Google founded the Open Handset Alliance to develop an open platform for mobile services called Android. This will help to unify the fragmented mobile cell phone industry so that a single platform can be used to develope on. Currently, Mobile Cell Phone Platforms are in the dozens. As a result, stunts any sophistication that the Cell Phone used as a small computer connected to the Internet could potentially provide. And yes they have a phone called the gPhone Google plans to develope using their own Android Open Mobile Platform!

It looks suprisingly like the iPhone that Apple developed! Poor Apple. Everyone is always taking huge bites out of Apple's own ideas and coping them.

If all of this was not enough, Google is now sharing it's massive computing power of 450,000 Computers they call, The Cloud. Their feeling is that it takes millions of dollars to build a 'Cloud of Computers' or a Huge Scale Cluster of machines all working together, so are willing to give everyone a piece of their ENOURMOUS computing power. All 100% free of charge.

What this all boils down to are two key things Google wants to accomplish. 1) Bringing in everyone and their dog to use Google by giving it away for Free. 2) is to ensure that Google will remain the #1 place to spend Advertising money, using Google Ad words and Ad Sense.

Why a gPhone? To put Google ADs on the phones Web Browser, of course!

2) Apple OS X

Apple has seen it's share of ups and downs. In fact Steve Jobs, one of the founders of Apple, quit the company for almost a decade, only to return to revitalize Apple, again. He was the brain child of the hugely popular iMac, which catered to being a purely Internet, easy to use computer with stylish colors to add. Then came the iPod which changed the way we share and listen to music, with the help of compression technology called MP3 format which makes a song 10-20 times smaller in file size so it can fit on a hand-held device you can clip on your jacket and go for a jog with.

Apple is also a pure innovator of the computer UI. Remember, those tiny little Machintoshes that you could write letters with and draw with? Apple was the first to introduce GUI Interfaces. The User Interface which makes computing so easy using only a mouse, keyboard and monitor. Apple also is built from a Unix variant called BSD, so it is Multi-user from the core and very stable. This design helps to stop the spread of Viruses.

Unlike, Microsoft Windows, which is built at it's core to be a Single User Operating System, can not figure out how to combat the Viruses that infect them.

Apple produces the very best software like Pro-Tools, for Music Editing and Final Cut Pro, for Movie Editing. No one can match the features, stability and easy of use these 'multi-media' applications can do. As a result, all major Film and Music Studios use Apple Mac G3-5's and concider any PC or Microsoft Windows spin off copy to be unstable and a shame to even concider as an artists tools for Music and Movies.

Then, Apple releases the iPhone. The iPhone is concidered a 'wonder' of technology. It is purely touch screen based, and comes with the well known ease of use through intuituve UI design to make using it a joy. Apple is always ahead of the pack in terms of Multi-Media. The iPhone, iPod, iMac, Apple TV and so many of their superb applications have kept Apple a float, even in a world dominated by Windows and Microsoft's monopoly.

Now that Vista is recognized as a piss poor Operating System. Or what most call a Down Grade instead of an UpGrade, is driving most college kids to buy Apple Laptops, instead. Way to go Vista!

3) Linux

Now we come to a very misunderstood and an alien technology called Open Source and Linux.

Linux is the kernel for which all Linux Distributions or Operating Systems run on. But, more importantly, is the development model that Linux and all of it's applications use, which is called Open Source. Or Free Software. Or Free and Open Source Software.

Linux and Open/Free Software entails so many ideas, people, innovations, philosophies and down right numbers of people supporting it. It is sometimes hard to describe to people, that are not familar with Linux, what it means. Open Free Source is capable of doing anything.

EVERYTHING in the Open Source World is free of charge. Free Databases, Mail Servers, DNS Servers, FTP Servers, Secure Communications, Secure Shell, Scripting languages like the enormously popular Web Development language PHP, and Perl, 'the duct tape of Linux Servers'. Python a Purely Object Orientated programming language that has been growing so fast and furious, it is capable of any programming task. Ruby on Rails, which is a Development Platform aimed to create projects, by typing less code.

The Desktop world of Linux and Open/Free Software and Source code. Ubuntu, Redhat/Fedora, Debian, Mandriva, Xandros, Novel SuSE, Puppy Linux, Damn Small Linux, gOS, Slackware, Knoppix, PCLINUXOS. There are so many more. But, the ones listed are the more popular ones.

Remember, all of this is Free of charge, as in to buy. But, was created with the idea of Free as in Freedom to collaborate with other programmers. Being FREE, as in no License fees, makes Open Source Linux, price competitive. Freedom to see the code and share your code ideas, so that others can improve apon them, makes Open Source Linux technologically competitive.

Open Source Linux also drives innovation like no other collaboration model, because there are a lot of geniuses looking for ways to express their genius to the world. Using the Internet and using Open Source to share and expand apon their own genius ideas.

Now enter the HPC world. Or High Performance Computing. The Super Computers capable or computations that make our regular home computers seem stone age, as far as how much they can process per second. Linux leads the way and has been used to build the largest, most powerful computers in the world.

A famous HPC called, Deep Blue, was able to beat the best human chess player in the world. Later, larger more powerful Linux Super Computers would be built that make Deep Blue even seem infantisimal. These computers are usually built by IBM, for NASA and Universities. For instance, NASA Physists used one such Linux HPC to prove the theory that our Moon was actually created when another object the size of Mars hit the young Earth, which then spewed out debri to then, through accretion, collect and form our Moon and giving Earth more Mass in the process. This was possible, because the HPC Linux Super computer was able to take quantum mechnics, physicals and an enormous amount of variables and data to them create a 3D movie of what the theory proposed. This is just ONE example of the power of theory testing and shear number crunching HPC, High Performance Computing, can do for science and the human species.

Linux is simply EVERYWHERE.

Embedded computing, where you can put a tiny computer in a Microwave or Toaster to give it more features and safety mechanisms, like heat overload and shutoff.

Finally, Linux is now appearing in Mobile Cells phones. Before, and still is, exists a chaotic state in how cell phone software is made. There are so many different platforms like Windows CE, Apple's iPhone and many many over platforms that make it hard for cell phone companies to produce a Cell Phone that can run applications across them all. This has 'stunted' the innovation and potental growth of sophisicated cell phones, because developers have to decide on the dozens of platforms to program on. Here is where Google and it's up and coming gPhone use Linux and Open Source to level the cell phone platform playing field.

Linux is already everywhere. It is just a matter of time before companies realise they can use Open Source to build their own platforms and applications. Although, since it is Free and Open Source, the methods of how to generate money from that will have to be made from non-traditional ways. Google is the master of using Open Source to make Billions. As well as thousands of other Open Source, Dual License companies, like MySQL and RedHat. To name a few.

4) Microsoft

Now we finally come to Microsoft. Microsoft is huge. We all know they are the king of the Home Desktop Computer Operating System. Owning the platform for which all other programs run on top of, gives Microsoft a unique and in many Business People's eyes, an unfair Monopoly advantage. This advantage is called, Vendor Lock-In.

Vendors, and therefore their consumers, are Locked into the Microsoft Way of Business. The reason they were able to obtain this position is because of one man, Bill Gates. He, from the get go, was all about Corporate Business, using software, to make money. Yes, he did start out as a programmer, and probably was a pretty good one. But, it wasn't long before he stopped coding and paid others to code for him. He is by nature a Business Man with grass roots as a geek programmer.

Bill saw opportunities which he was 'smart' enough to grab, with a firmer grip then any other company. He saw the up and coming wave of new affordable computer hardware, particularly the new i386 Intel Processors and the newly cloneable IBM computers. He simple spear headed the Operating System to use this massively manufactuable hardware and was Business enough to sell his software as per license, instead of a one-off price. This meant for each computer to come out of the factory, it would be loaded with Microsoft Software and paid a License for each. HUGE MONEY.

You see, many software programmers simply sold off their programs as a one time payment. Instead, Bill Gates, Licensed out his software, kept the source code under his control, and made each and every PC that was built, to be required to pay a fee if they wanted to install his Operating System. Now, he could make residual income that would never exhaust itself, because Bill Gates, kept his Source Code under lock and key. Very smart.

Apple and Commodore all had their high points. But, Bill Gates wanted to make computers so cheap and user friendly that everyone and their dog could own one. Again, since the IBM PC was now 'cloneable' there was now a unified single hardware platform to mass produce. And Bill Gates, knew he needed the BEST Operating System to ensure he could make those OEM Licensing deals. Which he did, by doing what any business would do! Copy the ideas of others, namely the Mac and Amiga/Commodore and simply aquire or buy out any technology that he felt was needed to excellerate the development of DOS, then Windows 1.0 through 3.0. The nail in the deal was Windows 95.

Bill Gates is a great motivator, especially when he has cash on hand. He created a Nerd Utopia in Redmond, Washington that was just like a college campus complete with dorms and easy parking and comfortable work environments. Each, coder got their own Office with a door they could close and work in peace. Each building floor has FREE beverages and built in cafeterias. He created an aura of, we can build the best software and we will.

He himself being a bit cocky had no problems in hiring cocky coders as long as they coded their best. If they did coded well, the ones that contributed to key components of the Windows OS, would receive more stock options and therefore more money. In fact, an in house Stock Ticker was placed on all coders workstations that listed the current stock price and number of stock each employee had. This led to most Microsoft employees to work 18 hour shifts even on weekends and holidays!

Bill created a coding, marketing machine and was able to sell his software that no other company could duplicate, because an Operating System is the most complex system you can endevour to create. It entails so many smaller programs all working together.

1995-Present Microsoft still enjoys complete dominance in the desktop world. How can anything compete with Microsoft?

Microsoft took their eyes off the 'Internet'. The internet was brewing with innovation and from people you never saw nor heard of. People like Richard Stallman, started the Free Software Foundation, for which he endevoured to create his own Unix Based Operating system called the GNU.

Then, in 1992, Linus Torvalds, released to the Internet World of Programmers, the worlds first working Open Source Kernel, called LINUX.

Linux, Linus's Kernel, exploded with development and churn. It quickly gave what the GNU and Richard Stallman's, Free Software Foundation, what they were looking for, which was a Kernel to run all their GNU tools on. GNU Tools like the Emacs File Editor and GCC Compiler as well as the Shell for command line commputing. Now, a NEW Operating System was in the works and building momentum very fast. Fast, because anyone could contribute to the project, which meant all those underground Genius's had something to work on together. And work together they did, and still do.

Bill Gates did not think GNU/Linux and this revolutionary method of software development would be able to come up with anything Bill needed to worry about. So, he largely ignored the Internet. Only, producing Internet Explorer with the single intention of wiping out Netscape's Web Browser, then going dormant.

Microsoft released, a little late in the Internet game, its Windows NT and Server 2000 Operating Systems. But, it was too late. Linux now powered most the Internet using Free Software like Apache, DNS and MySQL along with Perl and PHP to power the Web Pages.

Yahoo!, Google, eBay, Paypal, Amazon and so many more Internet companies, using Linux and Open Source, had a strong foot hold on the Internet. Why use Microsoft Server 2000, when one could get a FREE Linux Web Server, that is not locked in to how Microsoft wants to runs things.

In other words, Windows Server 2000 may have been stable enough, but it is not customizable like Linux and Open Source is. A young student with a great idea, operating from his dorm room, will undoublty run strait for Linux and FREE resources, 100% customizable to suit his/her needs, was all there for the taking.

Now, Microsoft was/is in trouble. Now, that the Internet is accessible to just about everyone, people like Richard Stallman and Linus Torvalds have already created all the tools for a free platform to build from with NO licenses.

Then, along comes GOOGLE. Microsoft, didn't concider Searching, Indexing and Cacheing of web pages to be profitable. Google, and a few others did, and now they are making Billions of dollars, that only Microsoft once commanded. And what is Google using as it's platform? Free and Open Source Software!

Microsoft's Windows Desktop is in trouble because of Ubuntu, a Free Linux Desktop.

Microsoft's Office Suite is in trouble because of Google Docs and OpenOffice, both of which are Free and Open Source, commercial Quality with support services and a massive coder community paid and non-profit making it better and better every day!

Now, both of Microsoft's cash cows have major competitors. All of them are offered FREE OF CHARGE and work as good if not better than Microsoft's. Microsoft is in serious trouble and they know it. Hense, why they tried, in vain, to buy out #2 Open Source threat, Yahoo!.

On top of all of this, Microsoft themselves, with the release of the poorly rated Vista Operating System, has driven Microsoft Constumers to Apple OS X. Apple is enjoying their Vista bashing in very well thought out advertivements on T.V., "Hi, I'm a Mac and I'm a PC", ADs are a hit success and Apple is up in Desktop sales by a 10% market share.

For those that do not know. XBox losses Microsoft money, even with the massive success of the Halo game Series and a top notch Xbox 360. If you concider, the fact, Xbox 360 overheats on 90% units sold and costs the company millions to service their poor choice to manufacture all the CD Roms and Hardware at Microsoft. Microsoft is just that, a Software Company and not a hardware company.

They try to further enter the Internet Market with Silver Light, which is a complete clone of Adobe Flash. There is little hope if it getting anywhere, since Adobe Flash is decades ahead and already dominates that Market by 100%.

Zune, Microsoft's attempt to clone the iPod's success is, once again, losing Microsoft money and not making it money.

Now it is 'pay back time'. Remember, Netscape. The worlds first web browser? Well Microsoft put Netscape out of business by simply making their Microsoft Internet Explorer Browser Free of Charge. Ha! Well, Microsoft is about to pay big time with the rise of Free and Open Source Software. Sad, maybe, but true, yes.

Here is a highly guarded fact and a very bad thing that all Windows Operating Systems create. Spam. 50-80% of all the Spam on the Internet comes from BOTNET ZOMBIE computers. The Zombie computer is always a Windows Machine that has a Trojan Virus installed that connects to the BotNet and is controlled by the Illegal hackers. This 'BotNet' allows Spammers to make millions or even billions of dollars, by sending illegal spam using the 100's of thousands of Zombie infected Windows computers to send the spam. This is a serious problem and in fact is all the falt of Microsoft.

It is an example of how Microsoft Windows are insecure and seem will always be insecure, no matter what Microsoft tries to do to stop it. They can not stop it, because they based their hunch that most computers will only need ONE user account for the entire family. Well, turns out this is exactly the reason why the Viruses spread and can not be stopped no matter how many patches you issue or Anti-Virus scanners you use. When a computer only uses one user which also has access rights to vital core operating system calls, it is impossible to 'lock out' the viruses unless you lock out the ONE user as well.

The attempt by Microsoft Corp to buy Yahoo! for a whopping $47.5 BILLION dollars has been ignored by Yahoo!

Now, think about that for a moment. $47.5 Billion dollars. That is a shit load of money. This only shows all of us how worried Microsoft is of the 'Internet Age'. Notably, Google.com and their online services that compete with Microsoft's Office franchise. And of course google's Ad words and Ad sense that is making google.com billions of dollars, annually.

So, why didn't Yahoo! give in and take the money? After all Microsoft was willing to pay a 64% premium over Yahoo!'s current stock value. In fact, Yahoo! stockholders attempted to sue Yahoo! for NOT taking the deal. There is a lot to be said here.

Firstly, Yahoo! is clearly not only about it's profits. Sure, share-holders only care about the value of their stocks, but they have NO CLUE what technology powers Yahoo!. Yahoo! is not powered by Microsoft Server technology, at all. Yahoo! is powered by Open Source Software, which is Microsoft's #1 business threat. Google.com is also powered by Open Source Software.

Microsoft wanted to own Yahoo! so that it could better compete with Google.com and the growing threat Google poses to Microsoft. Since neither Yahoo! nor Google is dependant on Microsoft, leaves Microsoft powerless to use it's monopoly against Yahoo! or Google. This is because the 'platform' Yahoo! and Google operate in is not a Windows environment, but instead they operate in a Web Browser! Consumers can CHOOSE to run Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera and many other lesser known Web Browsers! The Internet Age is truely exciting and Microsoft is powerless to control it.

Remember, the browser wars? Microsoft crushed Netscape out of business, because Microsoft owned the platform Netscape ran on, called Windows 98 and XP and so on. Well, Yahoo! and Google do not rely on Microsoft to run, because both can run in ANY web browser and on any Computer, like a Machintosh or Linux (Like Ubuntu or RedHat). Microsoft views this 'lack of control' as a direct threat.

Now, we all know about Apple Machintosh, but few of us know about Open Source Software and the Linux Operating System. After all, there has never been a national advertising campaign to promote Linux and Open Source. Yahoo.com is powered by Open Source and the Linux Server. The wonderful Yahoo! Mail is powered by an Open Source Mail Server called Qmail. Lastly, Yahoo! uses Database Software that is not Microsoft, it is MySQL, which is once again, Open Source Free Software! Google.com uses the same technology.

That being said, you can guess that the majority of employees that work at Yahoo! are not Microsoft Enthusiasts at all, they are all in love with Open Source/Free Software. In fact, Yahoo! employs some Open Source 'big wigs', like the inventor of PHP. PHP is the most widely used programming language used to build web sites like eBay, wikipedia and Yahoo! itself. Not to mention millions of other sites, including my own web sites! (planetxmail.com freeadplanet.com pxmb.com and planetxforms.com are all built using Open Source Free Software!)

It does not take a genius to predict, that if Microsoft was to buy out a company that is built using Open Source by Open Source programmers, that those Open Source Yahoo! employees would quit Yahoo! and probably go work for Google.com.

Google.com is also built from Open Source Software! Google.com employs Open Source Software Developers like the inventor of Python and many more such Open Source Innovators and Programmers.

So, what would Microsoft have done to Yahoo!, if Microsoft owned it?

The 'big scare' was that Microsoft would convert Yahoo! infrustruture to run on Microsoft technology and get rid of Open Source entirely. After all, Open Source Software is Microsoft's #1 competitor. This 'conversion' would undoubtly ruin Yahoo! and how smoothly it runs, like Yahoo! Mail, for instance.

Or, Microsoft could continue to run the newly aquired Yahoo! as it currently stands and operate it using the Open Source Technology that came with the buy out. Open Source is the ANTI-Microsoft, so chances are Microsoft would have converted Yahoo! to run on Microsoft technology. This would, without a doubt, destroy Yahoo!'s performance and user experience. To end up like the nightmare of Hotmail.com, which was purchased and 'converted' by Microsoft from Open Source technology. We all know hotmail.com is unacceptably slow on mail delivery, if your mail gets to it's destination at all!

So, thats the reason why Yahoo! did not 'sell out' to the world's most powerful Computer Corporation. Yahoo!ers are passionate and CARE about what they built. Why would anyone want to destroy the #1 Website in the world? Even if, being tempted by Billions of Dollars that Microsoft offered. Apparently, Microsoft's money is just sitting around in bank accounts, collecting massive interest.

Japan and Euro countries rely on Yahoo! as much as the United States. So, this is not a domestic issue of the United States. Although Yahoo! is owned by the U.S., the entire Global Internet Economy is influencted by Yahoo! Also, non-Internet economies as well. Think Blockbuster(Traditional Brick and Morter) and NetFlix(Internet Age Business) rivalry.

I praise the balls it must have took the Yahoo! Board Committee and CEO, to think 'outside-the-profit-box' and think about Yahoo! users and what kind of change in service would have occured. Not only the users of Yahoo! but also the technology that Yahoo! represents, that being Free and Open Source Software and it's multi-million member community that helped built it.

My personal view on why M$ wanted Yahoo! was two fold. Yes, they wanted to have a more competitive edge against google.com. But, more importantly, and probably less understood, is Microsoft's real fear of the rise of Open Source Software and it's relentless march to eventually make Operating Systems a commodity. You can download a FREE Windows Alternative that is more stable than Windows and runs all the software you need to access Yahoo!, Google and any Website just like you can on a PRICY Windows Operating System.

Yahoo! and Google (and many more Internet Companies) expose Open Source Software as a viable alternative technology to proprietary software technology that requires costly license fees and stipulations. If more and more businesses see the opportunity to use Open Source Software, using Yahoo! and Google as classic examples of how money can be made by using Open Source, will essentially put Microsoft out of it's monopoly position. This fact, I believe, scares the absolute shit out of Microsoft.

Billions of dollars are being made by Software Companies that have nothing to do with Microsoft, by the use of Open Source Software instead, that Microsoft see as a long term threat. Forget about search, ads and mail... this is about how Software is created and how it is used to do business.

Where did the internet come from? Most of us use it on a daily basis, at work and at home. But, where did it come from?

In order to not bore most of you, I will try to keep the details light and the highlights relevant.

It all started when Russia launched Sputnik. You know? The first man made object to orbit Earth? As, a response, the United States of America ( USA ) was kicked in the face by this. Fear of missles dropping down from space were on the minds of the U.S. government. So, the 'space race' began.

So, what does Sputnik have to do with the Internet? The U.S.A. wanted a way for U.S. scientists to be able to quickly transmit and recieve scientific papers and documents to speed up the learning process and information flow. Also, to do it in a secure and 'priviledged' way so that only scientists relevant to the Space Race projects would be allowed to participate. Yes, this was a Military Network, and they called it ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency).

ARPA was created by the DoD (Department of Defense) directive 5105.15 on February 7, 1958. This ARPA network consisted of 3 terminals (networked computers) using, by today's standard, very primitive means of computing and networking of computers. A man named, C.R. Licklider was appointed as head developer and researcher. The 3 terminals were connected to 3 locations that include; System Development Corporation in Santa Monica, one for Project Genie at the University of California, Berkeley and one for the Multics project SHOPPING at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Licklider stated ,that he was inconvienced, by the fact, that if he wanted to talk to someone in Massachusetts (MIT), he had to get up, goto that terminal and login. In other words, if he wanted to talk to both locations, at the same time, he had to goto 2 different terminals. So, this lead to the development of the ARPAnet, which connected all 3 into one terminal/computer, so that he no longer had to get up out of his chair and log into another Terminal/Computer!

On March 23, 1972, by DoD Directive, the name was changed to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPA was established as a separate defense agency under the Office of the Secretary of Defense. As technology advanced and UNIX was born ARPA was 'upgraded' to DARPA as mentioned. UNIX was invented in 1969 and developed into the core of what would be come Linux, Machintosh and Windows. The actual story of how UNIX operating system evolved into what we use today, which is Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh, Linux and many other Operating Systems (computer systems) is a long LONG story, which I will not get into.

Fall of the Berlin Wall - On the 9th of November, 1989, the Border separating Western from Eastern Germany was effectively opened. The cold war between Russia and America was coming to an end. This releaved past tensions between the 2 super powers (USA and Russia) a great deal. This would allow America to relax a bit, which lead to what was to come!

On February 22, 1993, DARPA was redesignated the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) -- as the agency was known before 1972. The change was outlined in President Bill Clinton's strategy paper, "Technology for America's Economic Growth, A New Direction to Build Economic Strength."

This was to become the seed that would start the creation of the Internet, as we know it today.

All this means is that, ARPA went from a Government Network to a General Public Network, so that America could freely develope it into a way to stimulate Economic growth. In other words, everyone and their dog got head over heels excited about the 'prospects' of how companies could make money on this 'new' network. This would lead to MASSIVE Venture Capitalists to over invest in building the Internet by laying down fiber optic lines all over the country and across whole oceans to other countries. This over investment is not unlike 'The Gold Rush' of the 1800's.

1995 was a very important year for computers and the Internet. This was the year that two major software programs were released to the public. Microsoft Windows 95 and the first commercial web browser Netscape. Microsoft provided the platform and Netscape provided the 'killer app' to allow anyone, even those that are not computer incline, to access all the information the Internet had to offer. As we know, the shear amount of information is nothing sort of massive. From here on, the Internet would explode into a world wide fanominon most scientists like to compare to 'The Industrial Revolution' or an explosion of Innovation to come. That coupled with Investors peeing their pants over the idea of making millions of dollars from this new Internet.

The DOT COM Bubble 1999-2001 was when all that over investing into the Internet back fired. 99% of DOT COM's went bankrupt because they over estimated the Internet. Businesses did not understand the Internet and how people would use it and this lead to a 'DOT COM BUBBLE' that was building to finally burst in late 2001. Billions of dollars in stock were lost over night.

But, what was left of this over investment was that now we had a Global Fiber optic network! Fiber optics are capable of handling any load the Internet Traffic (the internet users) can through at it. In fact, the Fiber Optic lines that were laid will guarentee that the Internet will not need an 'upgrade' of it's Fiber Optic lines for decades or more! So, there can come good out of a bad thing. Even though billions of dollars was the price of this over zealious behavior.

2001 - Present - We all know about google, youtube, yahoo, amazon, flickr and of course, planet x mail are the few websites that entail the Billions that are now readily accessible by just about anyone. Even villages in 3rd world countries are now getting Internet Access because of Open Source and Linux Desktops. Billions and Billions of dollars and non-U.S. money is being made on the Internet. All of this in only this decade. The Internet continues to grow and it has changed the way we think, especially the youth that have not known of a time without an 'Internet'. The future looks bright indeed!

Conclusion... Like all technologies, they all begin with a Military upringing. The Internet is no exception. Thanks for reading.

• What is a Linux Distro?
• Why are there so many of them to choose from?
• Who creates them?

A Linux Distro (or Linux Distribution) is a collection of Open Source software, utilizing the Linux Kernel, to create an Operating System.

A Linux Distro is essentially an Operating System using the Open Source model for development. Or, in some cases, with the help from outside venture capitalism.

Commercial Operating Systems like; Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh, Sun Solaris and Amiga can be thought of as a 'Distro' using their own set of programs and kernel. But, they can never be freely modified because they are Closed Proprietary Systems, therefore, will never be anything other than an Operating System protected inside a brink walled fortress. ( That fortress being the Corporate Fortress. )

I will refer to a Linux Distribution as simply a Distro throughout this article. I will often leave out Linux Distro and just call it a Distro.

Since, Open Source and the Linux Kernel itself is Free Open Source Software, anyone can copy, modify and use it as they see fit. That is to say, anyone, with the know-how can legally leverage open Source Code to create any type of Linux Distro (Operating System) they see fit.

This is possible under the GPL or General Public License. The GPL states that anyone can copy, modify and use existing GPL'ed Open Source Code as long as they release those innovations back to the Linux Open Source Community, as Source Code, not as compiled binaries.

This is the Power of Open Source! It enables tech savvy individuals and/or teams the legal right to get creative and come up with amazing and complex ideas on how an Operating System should Operate!

In fact, one can even sell what they create, as a commercial product, so long as any GPL code that was originally used in the commercial product, for instance, the Linux Kernel Source Code, is revealed and released back to the Open Source Community! If the GPL (General Public License) is breached as in not sharing back any code additions, modifications and/or enhancements, could get one sued in court. This has already happened.

Closed Source or Proprietary Software Companies like; Microsoft, Apple and many others are unable to leverage Open Source and the Open Source Community, because they do not have the intention of giving back any enchancements made to Open Source. Therefore, they are unable to legally do so based on the GPL (General Public License) that Open Source is legally Licensed by.

Why are there so many Distros to choose from? The short answer is, anyone with the know-how can create one, therefore, massive variety is the natural result!

As mentioned earlier, anyone with the know-how can create their very own Linux Distro, as long as, any Open Source used in the Distro is released as Open Source and back to the Open Source Community. No one will ever be able to create their own Distribution of Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh or Amiga, for example. Simply because, you need the legal rights to do so, secondly you need the Open Source and Open Specifications in order to make it happen.

Only Linux, combined with Open Source and its massive Communities make it possible for a myriad of Distros to come to fruition. This is a powerful concept, as we will soon see, based on the shear number of choices, varieties and flavors of Linux Distro that are actively being developed! Best of all, the concept of capitol, money or a budget is nearly unnecessary.

The only cost for most Open Source Projects is server hardware needed for hosting the code and mailing list servers for communications. Not to mention all software tools like Web Servers, Browsers and Email Servers and Clients are already created and freely available to all! One medium powered server connected to the Internet is usually all that is needed to setup a collaboratation of developers and artists, which is at the lowest cost ever in the history of computing.

Example: $2000 for powerful server hardware and $100-$300 per month to connect the server hardware to the Internet, can easily be divided up, if spread across all the participating developer, graphic and documentation artists.

OK, sure but that is if you want to pay for all this! If you wanna host it all for free, head over to SourceForge.net or Google Code Hosting. Jeez what was I thinking? This is Open Source after all!

By contrast, operating a traditional Closed Source Proprietary Company entails many levels of management, office infrastructure, cost of 3rd party proprietary tools, cost of developing in house software tools and general business policy and politics that always associate themselves within large corporations. All of this costs time which costs money, not to mention the time and cost of achieving and maintaining the goal. That of creating, maintaining and supporting software.

Who creates these Distros? Usually, it only takes one person to open a Web Site, put together a Wiki or Forum all about a new Distro they want to release to the world. A lot of the time, believe it or not, this one person is also responsible for learning the in's and out's of how to put together a Linux Distro! And that one Distro can have massive impact on the entire Linux and Open Source Community. Other Distros are started by basing it off a pre-existing Distro.

Distros that Changed the World

To make this article interesting, even if your not entirely sold on Linux at all, I will present a few Distros that shaped the world (yes, the entire earth) in ways the inventors probably did not expect. One common theme you will notice is that each Distro borrowed something from the others and we will end up with the most popular, powerful and threatening.

By a threatening Distro, I mean one that competes directly with Properiatary Operating Systems like Microsoft Windows and Apple OS X.

Slackware - Patrick Volkerding created Slackware in 1993. Slackware was one of the earliest distributions, and is the oldest currently being maintained. Slackware was originally descended from the Softlanding Linux System, the most popular of the original Linux distributions.

When SLS decided to stay with a.out style of binaries when the new ELF binary format was concidered a better choice. Patrick Volkerding protested by simply starting his own Distro, and Slackware was born. Using the ELF binary format meant better cross platform support for binaries that used Shared Libraries, which is a modern way to run programs that share code, therefore saving hardrive space. All Linux Distros use the ELF binary format as well as Sony Play Station and many other platforms not related to Linux.

Slackware recently released Version 12.0 which was the last Distro to adopt Linux kernel Version 2.6.

As the name might indicate, Slack in Slackware means what it implies. This Distro has no dependency resolving mechanism and all packages come in .tgz gzip compressed 'tarballs'. Most argue this method of package management is hard to maintain and setup while others concede that using Slackware is a perfect exercise in how a Linux System works.

All users installed the base distribution; users could then selectively install only the additional supplemental categories they needed. If networking support was desired, for example, the networking bundle could be installed. Similarly, if a graphical user interface was desired, the X bundle could be installed, making the X Window System available. This concept offered rudimentary control over what was installed but only at a very coarse level. Installing the X bundle put several applications (multiple X terminal emulators, several different window managers, and so forth) on the system, and all users who installed the bundle got all of those applications whether they wanted them all or not.

None the less, what this Distro has brought to the table comes from the fact it went with 'ELF' binary formats and maintains it's traditions of using the K.I.S.S. philosophy where all configurations are adopted by the software developers. Withdrawling from complex systems like APT-GET and other complexities. In other words, if you use Slackware, you know how to get around on a Linux based system. Later, other Distros saw where Slackware was heading to later develope mechnisms to install on an application by application basis.

Debian - first announced on 16 August 1993 by Ian Murdock, then a student at Purdue University. He formed the name "Debian" by combining the first name of his girlfriend (now wife) Debra with his own first name. In 1996, Bruce Perens replaced Ian Murdock as the project leader. Bruce Perens left in 1998 and currently elects new leaders when needed.

Debian, is a very important Distro that sets itself apart (and continues to even today) by staying entirely away from any corporate or proprietary influences. It is soley dependant on the passionately driven people that volunteer their time rather than getting paid to work on Debian. Debian also stays true to never include any software that is not Open Source Free Software. Everything you find in this Distro always has actual Source Code and will never include software that is in binary only format. No Free and Open Source? No working with Debian Distro.

These important facts, if you really think about them, truely confirms that you do not need corporate backing (i.e. money) to put together a monumental project like an Operating System or Distro. Clearly, if nothing else, Debian is proof that a passionate group of people, working together on the Internet, in their spare time can do great things.

Debian is also very keen on quality and stability over having the choice to include cutting edge (the proper term really is Bleeding Edge) software. This means that the Debian Team rarely releases a major version. It may be years before you will see Debian change the version they are currently working on. Instead, they focus on keeping regular updates and applying security patches quickly. Debian gets criticized by some by stating the Distro often runs out dated software. But, at the same time, those same critics turn around and state how stable and reliable a Debian Distro is. The Debian board of directors often spend months mulling over even the slightest changes, to ensure quality is the result over simply updating software because they can.

Because, Debian needed frequent updates and a quick way to apply security patches, instead of relying on what the alternative is, which is to simply release a new version of the Distro, ended up forging a strong dependancy on the ability to maintain software as components with strong version control. In order to maintain a very stable way to apply patches or update the Distro's software without breaking things, Debian is reknowned for pioneering a software package system that is highly stable, easy to maintain and were the first to put all these packages into pools called repositories. APT-GET or APT revolutionized the way software is installed and maintained in an Operating System.

Debian brings a lot to the table but a key contribution made to the Linux Open Source Community was the APT packaging system. APT uses dpkg to automatically resolve dependency, conflicts and upgrades of individual packages that make up an application install, by drawing from a common pool or repository of packages. Hense, allowing users to install, for instance, a Web server or Mail Server with one command. apt-get install apache entails dozens of dependancy packages that the apt-get automatically downloads and installed in the correct order. Also, Debian works 100% with the Open Source Community and stays far away from corporations and proprietary code.

Red Hat - Red Hat Linux 1.0 was released on November 3, 1994. It is the first Linux distribution to use RPM as its packaging format, and over time has served as the starting point for several other distributions, such as Mandriva Linux and Yellow Dog Linux.

Red Hat was the first Distro to be backed by corporate means. Red Hat's main focus is on their Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) which users of the Distro can purchase subscription based support and training. This is how Red Hat, the company, makes it money in the millions of dollars annually.

Red Hat Linux was originally developed exclusively inside Red Hat, with the only feedback from users coming through bug reports and contributions to the included software packages not contributions to the distribution as such. This was changed in late 2003 when Red Hat Linux merged with the community-based Fedora Project. Now, Fedora innovations can trickle into RHEL.

Fedora, is Red Hats way of tapping into the massive Open Source Community of Developers and Users to then use the code innovations in RHEL to turn a profit.

Red Hat shows us that a company can use a Linux Distro and compete with the giants of the Industry, namely those of Microsoft and Apple. Unfortunetly, any company making money off Free Open Source Software is putting themselves under the radar of Microsoft and other so called 'patent trolls' wishing to sue Red Hat for patent infridgement. In Oct 2007 this has happened. Three patents are under question, one of which relates to how well Linux Desktops use Multiple Virtual Desktops, to simulate Multiple Physical Monitors.

Bottom line... What Red Hat has brought to the Open Source Community table is the RPM package making it easy to install software packages. The Debian Distro would later re-invent their own package called .deb packages, and use APT-GET to resolve package dependencies automatically. Red Hat also brought in countless other innovations in OS design, due to the fact, it has capitol to motivate many internal Red Hat developers. It also, demonstrates to Enterprise Corporations, that Linux is secure and stable enough to handle corporate needs. Even though hard core Open Source Advocates think money is evil when mixed with Free Open Source philosophy, no one can contest that having some money to motivate bright programmers to work hard, does not hurt either!

SUSE Linux - The SUSE Linux distribution was originally a German translation of Slackware Linux. S.u.S.E is an acronym for the German phrase "Software- und System-Entwicklung" ("Software and system development"). On November 4, 2003, Novell announced it would acquire SuSE. Novell also changed their company name to SUSE as well as the name 'SUSE' no longer means anything.

In August 2006, Microsoft goes after Novell and Redhat with it's self-proclaimed Software Patent's, that both companies allegedly infringe apon. Novell will eventually 'take the bait'. Ironically, this actually helps to get Linux into the Enterprise, now that SUSE Linux is paying off Microsoft to not sue them and their customers. As a result, Redhat is pushed away, as Redhat refused to sign such a deal with Microsoft.

All legal crap aside, SUSE Enterpise Linux also employs a very interesting Developer, by the name of Miguel de Icaza. He was the founder of GNOME, Linux's most popular Desktop Manager. But, more controversial, he also founded and maintains MONO, a Microsoft .NET Framework port, that runs on Linux. The MONO Project is looked apon in two different view points.

One view is that MONO is a 'trap' for Open Source Developers in that, you can not commercially sell what you write using C# and MONO. This is not true of GPL'd code, which one could sell, as long as the code is revealed to the Open Source Community. Also, if enough applications are written using .NET and get deployed on Linux Desktops, Microsoft could than spring a nasty Patent Trap and sue MONO developers and customers. Microsoft attempts to assume .NET is 'Open Sourced' and therefore ready for Open Source Developers to work with. It is simply another 'extend embrace eliminate' ploy y Microsoft. Fortunely, Open Source Developers are a smart crowd and stick with C, C++, Python and Open Programming Languages. As a side note, if one wants a cross platform language to write in Java, which is Open Source, is a safer bet.

The other view, from the point of Microsoft and Miguel de Icaza himself, claims that Open Source should embrace and extend MONO and .NET on Linux, so that Microsoft could then Eliminate all Open Source. 'extend embrace eliminate' see? But, seriously... They claim this would introduce Windows Developers to Linux and therefore possibly convert them in some fasion to Open Source. Heck, maybe come work at SUSE/Novell as an Open Source Developer! Ha. Ha. 'Shut up and bring me my Free Beer as in Software, you idiots.' Nice try you devils, you!

If one is confused as to which camp you should settle with, let Microsoft's 'extend embrace eliminate' routine that the Multi-Billion Dollar Company has pulled on many sorry ass companies. Successfully putting most out of business. In other words, YES, it is a trap and DO NOT CODE anything using MONO. Let History teach us all a lesson. If not, God have mercy on your companies bank accounts, as you won't even have any assets left to pay off the venture capital you managed to pawn.

So, the MONO project and the deal with Microsoft has made openSuSE, the community edition of the Distro, less popular in the Open Source community. However, there still is interest in this Distro, because as time goes by, Open Source Lawyers have told us there is little to no grounds on which any of what Microsoft Patent's are claiming is true. So, the FUD or Fear Uncertainty and Doubt that Microsoft is slinging around, like hot shit flung out-a broken doggy poopy bag, is just that. Nothing but a slimy pile of dog sh*t.

Bottom line... SUSE and openSUSE are the Distros that are doing deals with the devil in order to sneak it's way into the market place. SUSE Enterprise Linux and Redhat are competing, which is sad. But, if Linux is to make any grown in the Enterprise, so it can run OpenOffice instead of Microsoft Office, all the better. In the end, this will benefit all Open Source Developers in future Enterprises as they will most likely have Microsoft Windows AND Linux Enterprise Server and Desktop machines running happily together. It does't take a Brain surgeon to predict, that eventually, the vastly more stable, secure and cost effective Linux, will slowly but surly, overtake the Windows Version. One reason for this is Microsoft itself, with the piss poor release of Vista and Microsoft's push to end deployment of Windows XP in favor of Vista. God get over it! Vista sucks and the people and businesses want XP to stay. Yet, Microsoft insists of June 2008 to be the beginning of the end of XP deployment to OEMs and will stop supporting it in favor of Vista. Vista being, unstable, sluggish, memory and cpu hogs and with DRM restrictions and a whole host of other problems, still insist on this strategy. Short term profits will come, but in the long run, it's over Prime! Optimus looks up at Megatron, 'NEVER!' and smashes Megatron to his certain death.

Knoppix - Knoppix was developed by Linux consultant Klaus Knopper. KNOPPIX, is a Linux distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux designed to be run directly from a CD / DVD.

The value this brings is that if you wish to run Linux, but do not wish to install it, you can use Knoppix Live-CD to actually run the Linux Distro from the CD/DVD-ROM. There are no permanent files placed on the system. It automatically starts programs on the fly using RAM based Disks, so the user will never know the difference.

What does all this Live-CD stuff mean? It means you can try Linux without ever having to install it. If you like it, there is a handy icon on the Desktop which you can click to install the Live Distro permanently on the system.

So, bottom line, the Live-CD support Knoppix brings to the table is invaluable, in this fast paced world, to get people to at least try out Linux, if only to boot from the Live-CD and test drive Linux that way. 90% of all Distros these days come with Live-CD editions!

Ubuntu - This Distro has, by far, created more waves in a short amount of time then any other Distro. Ubuntu aims to directly compete with Microsoft and Apple in the Desktop Industry. Ubuntu, is said to be the Distro to finally bring Desktop Linux to the mainstream.

Ubuntu's first release was on October 20, 2004, which began by making a temporary fork of the Debian GNU/Linux project. This was done so that a regular 6 month release could happen.

On 1 May 2007, Dell announced they would sell desktops and laptops with Ubuntu installed and on 24 May 2007 these computers went on sale in the United States.

As you can see, in less than 3 years, Ubuntu had gone from a Debian fork to now being offered on Dell systems as an alternate to Microsoft Windows. On top of that, Ubuntu enjoys 30% share of Open Source Developers, making Ubuntu the most popular Distro.

This has certainly been make possible because the leader of Ubuntu is a Multi-Billionaire South African named Mark Shuttleworth. ( Coincidently, Mr. ShuttleWorth was the first South African to fly on a Space Shuttle Mission trained by russian cosmonauts into the ISS, International Space Station. ) But, he also has a large heart and a very strong passion for technology. These two forces, about Mark Shuttleworth, are certain to make things very interesting for Closed Source Proprietary Operating System Corporations. If they have not already!

Mark Shuttleworth is no fool. He has money. He is definitely making waves in the Computing Industry. Not only does he have endless money to fund his dreams, he is also from South Africa and has seen poverty at it's worse. This has sparked in him a deep desire to give back and provide all 3rd world countries access to information through the Internet. But, in order to do this, they need an Operating System, they can afford. Mark's price for his Operating System? 100% Free.

Utilizing existing Distros like Debian, that has a proven stable and manageable framework with the promise that, Ubuntu will ALWAYS remain free. This has attracted 30% of the Open Source Community, Developers and Users alike to join the Ubuntu band wagon. No other Distro in history has done this in as short a time peroid.

And there are no signs of it slowing down.

The most recent version, Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon), was released on October 18, 2007. Ubuntu aims to use only free software to provide an up-to-date yet stable operating system for the average user. It has majorly finely tuned the Linux GUI Desktops to the point it is concidered, 'Ready for the Masses.' The next schedualed Ubuntu release will be 8.04 (Hardy Heron), scheduled for release in April 2008.

Not only does Ubuntu have a very well rounded, wealthy and experienced Leader. ( Note: Mr. Shuttleworth sold his security company in 1999 to Verisign for over 1 Billion Dollars. He knows how to run a successful business. ) Besides his Billions, Mr. Shuttleworth is very keen on knowing how to use the Debian model to stir the Open Source Community to trust that he and 'they' can get the Linux Desktop into the mainstream and finally provide an alternative to Microsoft without sacrificing the Free and Open Source Way.

Bottom line... Ubuntu has brought together over a decade of Linux Distribution technologies and wrapped them all into one User Friendly package that is ready for the mainstream Desktop User. With the Live-CD Support adopted from Knoppix people can try Ubuntu without ever installing it. With Debians APT-GET package management system, it makes maintaining, upgrading and applying security patches almost smooth as butter. Ubuntu has the largest contributor base AND a Multi-Billionaire Leader that loves Free and Open Source Software, ready and able to fund the whole thing. In the short years of Ubuntu's existance, they have managed to set new standards in Distro design and user friendliness. Ubuntu is known as, 'Linux, for human beings.'.

gOS - It was introduced on November 1, 2007, preinstalled on the Everex Green gPC TC2502 sold at Wal-Mart. Less than two weeks after the gPC TC2502 was released, it was entirely sold out! Although only 10,000 units where stocked and was used to 'test the marketing waters'. Wal-Mart has decided to re-stock the gOS in all Wal-Mart stores and online outlets.

The gOS distribution is based on the Ubuntu 7.10 distribution. It uses the Enlightenment 17 window manager instead of the usual GNOME or KDE desktops, allowing for lower memory and speed requirements. Therefore gOS starts to work reasonably well on systems as low end as a 1GHz Pentium III with 256MB RAM.

What makes this Distro unique are many things. Firstly, many of the applications it encourages it's user to use are google web based applications. Secondly, the over all design of gOS is to allow absolute 'ease of use' right out of the box using a simple Desktop design. Large Icons at the bottom of the screen are organized very well and logically. Which makes gOS, the easiest to use Desktop computer every built. Thirdly, the amount of power (watts) used to run the hardware is more than 50% less then typical Desktops, making this Distro the first to really focus on trying to be 'green' or 'earth friendly'. Finally, the price undoubtly is the main selling point as this baby will only cost you $198 (monitor not included).

Bottom line... While gOS is not decked out with a Dual Core CPU and gigibytes of RAM with a massive Hard Drive, the point is that buyers of this Distro, preinstalled on the hardware it comes with, not only save money but also save on WATTS, in the form of less power consumption. gOS is based off Ubuntu so, comes ready and able to install all the programs anyone could want. While this Distro is not a 'Power Users' dream, it was never targeting them. This Distro is targeting the first time computer buyer, parents on a budget to get their son or daughter their first PC and a never before tapped market of budget minded people wishing to own a PC capable of all the basic things other Desktops do! This very well maybe the first Distro to claim, Even a caveman can do it.

Conclusion...

I Look forward to what the future has in store for us Open Source Freaks. World domination? Hmmm... maybe, but the only people profiting from this will be The People and 3rd world countries and NOT a single Corporation. My morales are in favor of Open Source Desktops. Long live the Distro!

OK... So, I feel it is now time to introduce something that most of you are probably not aware of. You may be wondering what I run at home and in the 'Office' to keep Planet X Mail (planetxmail.com) running. Or, maybe you're not wondering and don't care. Either way, you may be shocked by what you see here.

Believe it or not... 95% of the time I DO NOT run Microsoft Windows to manage and maintain PXM (planetxmail.com). I do not run Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP or Vista. (Or Apple OS X for that matter. I have to be fair.) What I run is Linux. Now most of you might say to yourself, "OK Linux, sure, I have heard of it... but isn't it just for nerds and, for the most part, a hobbyist play thing written by geeks and nerds?".

Most of you probably do not know that Linux DOES have a 'User Friendly' Desktop Version that rivals, or even beats, MS Windows and even Apple OS X.

Yes, Linux did start out as a hobbyists play thing. (And to a certain extent still is and always will be.) Yes, it is 100% Free and Open Source, meaning you can look at the source code, see how it was made and add or modify Linux to however you see fit, if your a hacker geek. Linux started out by powering Internet Web Servers using a NON-friendly, no GUI (Graphical User Interface), command line only, Interface. It had no mouse or any pretty icons to 'click' on. 100% text based. Sounds fun aye?

What most people do not know, is that, Linux has entered into the 'forbidden realm' called the User Desktop. Once this realm purely belonged to Microsoft and Apple (the Mac). 95% Microsoft, 4% Apple and 1% we will call (other) were the market share percentages. All that is changing. Windows is losing market share, albeit only 4-5% so far, to a little known wonder the geeks and hackers like to call Linux.

So, what does this 'Windows wanna-be' look like? Where can I get my so called, 'free' copy? Read on and I will tell you all about it. But, first, look below at the 'screen shot' of my Linux Desktop.



You will notice it looks strikingly similar to what we are all familar with, that being Windows or the Mac. It has a task bar, menu system, clock, little icons and ways to change the Desktop background.

The truth is, Microsoft has enjoyed complete dominance, (what business folk like to call a monopoly), of the Users' Desktop for so long, that most of us can not fathom using anything BUT Windows. (or the Mac). Let alone a FREE Desktop Operating System you can copy and hand out to all your friends and family, without worrying of it being called 'warez'.

Now, let's look at another screen shot I took of my Linux Desktop. (see below)



Whoa! What in the hell is that? Looks like a cube of some sort. That my friends is my Desktop viewed in 3D. Look closely at the screen shot above and you will see Programs running. You can see my website (planetxmail.com) running in the Web Browser, Firefox, on the left side of the cube. On the right side of the cube you will see other Programs running, those white windows that look like they are protruding outwards. All this is the 3D view of my Linux Desktop.

Each side of the 'cube' I can flip/rotate to, which then becomes what we are normally used to, which is the 2D view of our Desktop. I can have 4 Desktops at one time and I can flip to any one of them using this cooooool 3D stuff.

No other Operating System (Windows or Mac) can do this. Also, I do not need multiple monitors, as Linux gives me 4 of them I can 'flip/rotate' to at anytime. (keep in mind that this coooool 3D stuff is optional and you can stick with the traditional 2D view, single Desktop) If it's all a little overwhelming, just turn the 3D crap off.

See, that is an important point. Linux gives the user a choice in the matter. On or Off? It's up to you...

Moving on to the next screen shot is another view of my Linux 3D Desktop. (see the snap shot below)...



This time the snap shot above shows you the 3D 'cube' or Desktop viewed from the other side. Notice you can see through the cube and see the Programs that are currently running. Amazing stuff! By the way, the pop eyed thing staring at you that is transposed across the profile of Earth's continents, is Linux's mascot. An emperor penguin.



Ok, so the Desktop effects on Linux are impressive, look cooooool and is an 'eye candy' delight! But, what about Linux Desktop usability? Can I run the programs I usually run on Windows or the Mac on Linux? Does Linux have an alternative to my Spreadsheet, Word Processor and all that jazz? To answer this question correctly, we need to look at this from a few angles.

Let's use your Web Browser, as an example. Most of you are probably reading this web page using Internet Explorer from Microsoft. But, did you know that there is a Linux (better put, Open Source/Free) Web Browser called Firefox? Apple/Mac has their own Web Browser called Safari, etc etc. The short answer is, "If there is a program made that runs on Microsoft Windows, you can bet there is an identical program that runs on Linux as well.". Internet Explorer for Windows and Firefox for Linux.

But, wait a second... can't I run Firefox on Windows? Yes you can. In fact, a lot of software that runs on Linux also can run on Windows. In other words, there is a Windows version of the Linux program. However, you will NOT see Microsoft releasing Internet Explorer (or ANY software for that matter) that will run on Linux.

This illustrates another key point about Linux. Linux is a Two-Way street. While Microsoft is a One-Way street. In fact, Microsoft Head Quarters Mailing Address is One Microsoft Way, Redmond WA, blah blah blah. Weird coincidence, huh? hmmmm... Anyhow, Linux coders sometimes release many versions of the same program so it can run on many different Operating Systems, including Microsoft Windows. But, as of now, you will not see Microsoft releasing any programs made to run on Linux. And I bet you never will. Well, never say never... right? Apple/Mac included? We will have to see.

The screen shots above and below may shock some of you. It shocked me and I concider myself a 1/2 decent programmer/geek. It is possible to run Windows Only programs on Linux! In this example I am running Adobe Photoshop 7. It was made to only run on Microsoft Windows, yet, how is it possible that I can run Photoshop 7.0 on my Linux Desktop? The answer is, by using WINE.



WINE stands for Wine Is Not Emulation. What this means is that, for some programs, I can run 'Windows Only' Applications on my Linux Desktop. It is pretty amazing stuff. So, the point is... if you can not find a Program alternative in Linux to replace your Microsoft Windows version, you just might be able to run the Microsoft only version on Linux using WINE.

Linux has it's own alternative to Photoshop called The GIMP. Gimp is not as powerful and as great as Photoshop, but remember all Linux software is 100% free and Open Source.

Now, you may be impressed with all this and in fact wondering where in 'tarnation' did Linux Desktop come from? Out of the wood works? Well, you would probably be right by saying that. It came out of the 'hacker works' and is now maturing (if you wanna say that) into an alternative to Microsoft Windows.

If you want your FREE copy of this amazing Desktop visit, (ubuntu.com). Enjoy.

P.S. Why would thousands of 'hackers/volunteers' do all this work then give it away? Only a programmer/hacker (and now the everyday user) can tell you why. The reason is, because Linux allows you (or anyone) the right to contribute to the largest known collaborative project ever undertaken by human-kind. Think 'the pyramids', except there is no Pharaoh with a whip and thousands of slaves, but rather, everyone just digging the widest, deepest watering hole that all can drink from, equally!

When something is free (as in freedom) to use, copy, modify then give away to others to then use, copy, modify and give away, leads to the effect of all that contributed to become 'attached' with it. It is any computer enthusiast's dream come true. Falling in love with Linux is only inevitable once you, in some way, benefit from it. Why? Because, it is human nature to become actively enthusiastic with something that benefits everyone and allows utter freedom and usage to draw from, selfishly, at the same time! (Ehhmm... something like sex with someone you love I guess?) Anyways...

Linux's License Agreement states, you are free to copy, modify and give away Linux as long as everyone else is obligated to do the same. Everyone must openly reveal and give back any contributions made. In time this only adds up to what you see in those screen shots, which is the sum total. A beautiful work of computing art!

It is not just about Open Source Code, but also all the Art Work, Documentation and Design Ideas (no patents) that make up the Computer Operating System known as Linux. In other words, you do not have to be a Coke Bottle Bottomed, Birth Control Glasses wearing, pimply nerd to contribute to Linux. And therefore the human race!

Not to sound corny, but soon non-geeks (everyday people) will soon come to charish this work of art that is Linux! Why? Because, Linux is becoming more and more easier to use, therefore, more and more people can benefit from Linux. Why? Because, Linux and all it's software is free of charge. Or, if your a hippy free thinker type, Free as in Freedom to use.

No one owns Linux and all of it's thousands of software packages. Therefore, everyone owns it! This idea is more powerful than any 'one company' could ever hope to accomplish. Especially, in something as complex as software.

Web 2.0. is a term we have all heard, even if your not nessasarily on the Internet a lot. But, what the hell is Web 2.0? People all over the Internet are all scrambling to define it and even make money from it. Here is a short blog about what Web 2.0 is and really is a perfect example of hype driven activities.

Web 2.0 was 'coined' or first spoken by a man named Tim O'Reilly. He is a book publisher of Open Source. Basically, geek books on topics like Programming, System Administration, Linux, Open Source projects and anything Free/Open Source related. (Trust me I know, because I have close to 20+ of them!) He used the term Web 2.0 waaaaay back in the fall of 2001 after the 'Internet Boom/Bubble' had burst and all those Venture Capitalists lost all that money when they over invested in doomed Internet Dot Com business models. Ironically, this was exactly the time period I registered (planetxmail.com) and started my own Internet Business!

Tim O'Reilly, being a book publisher of Open Source and Linux, is a man always ahead of his time. This is a man that can see things before they happen and in fact predict things about where and how the Internet will evolve.

Most people think Web 2.0 means a technology like AJAX or Open Source or Software as a Service. In fact, what Tim ment by Web 2.0 was simply this.

'Web 2.0 marks the come back of business on the Web, after the 'Dot Com Bust.'.

This means, businesses had to learn the hard way about how to do business on the Web. Better still, how NOT to do business on the Web. Hense, in Tim's mind Web 1.0 was before the 'dot com bust' and Web 2.0 is after the 'dot com bust'. Now, what that entails is a lot of things. Yes, it entails Internet Technologies like AJAX and Linux, of course, since the Internet IS technology at it's core. But, it also entails Business Models and how software is used to run those models.

Think of it as B.C. (Web 1.0) and A.D. (Web 2.0) and in terms of Business on the Internet.

So, the next time you read all those articles about Web 2.0 means this or means that, you can rest assured it does not mean one specific Technology or Method of Business, but rather the whole sum. Web 2.0 simply marks a time period. If you want to try and define it, you must first understand Web 1.0 before you can the 2.0 version.

If you want to read it from the horse's mouth read Tim's article for yourself.

Let me begin by stating something that no one can dispute.

Microsoft 'unified' the entire computer industry by enabling 95+% of the World to operate under one platform, called, Microsoft Windows. This dropped prices which enabled more people to afford a Desktop Computer, which dropped prices further and so forth, in a perpetual manner. Much like 'the snow ball effect', where Microsoft Windows was the snow ball for businesses both large and small and the millions of home users, both foreign and domestic!

There are many terms that became common to this 'fanomenon'. The most blunt and well known is 'The Microsoft Monopoly'. Or, a more modern term called 'Vendor Lock-In' is being used more and more these days in Techy News Web Site articles.

That said, would give Microsoft, a lone american corporation, unbelievable power and influence over an entire industry on a Global scale! Again, a Monopoly or Vendor Lock-In.

With great power also comes great responsibility. Whether one likes it or not. Therefore, any and all decisions made by Microsoft, will become expotentionally amplified.

Bill Gates knew from the start, that if he gained control of the Operating System, he also gained control of everything else, to a very large degree. He would claim the 'Microsoft Vendor-Lock In' and/or 'Microsoft Monopoly'.

After reading this article, you will find that Microsoft would not unite software companies, but instead would create bad karma and untrustful relationships with countless other software companies, outside of Microsoft Corporation. It was as though Microsoft thought no one understood software like Microsoft, so deemed them inferior, to then intentionally trample them by using it's power both in dollars and man power, but more sinisterly, it's knowledge that Microsoft alone, controlled the software that it's 'competitors' would need to run on top of. Again, referring back to Windows Operating System as it's power hand in this game of Poker it seemed to be playing with the rest of the World!

Here is a record, always updated, on all the law suites against Microsoft ! The list is so huge, you have to scroll many many webpages down to finally reach the bottom!

Bill Gates was simply not happy with just controlling the Operating System, but instead demanded even more control, by selling software applications, as well. This is fine, until it becomes clear that Microsoft begins to abuse it's power, to then commit business crimes, known as Anti-Trust business laws.

Entire governments, including the U.S. and U.K., began to uncover Microsoft's Anti-Trust business tactics used to undermine smaller software businesses that ran on top of Microsoft Windows.

(Independent Software Vendors) or ISV's for short, are companies that build software to fill a specific need. Everyday programs like, Web Browsers, Email Clients, Games, Business Software and so much more. And all of them required Microsoft Windows to operate on top of, simply because there were no other Operating Systems or Desktops to choose from!

ISV's like Netscape Navigator, which was the first commercial Web Browser that made the Internet explode into the main stream, was looked apon as a 'threat' to Microsoft and it's Vendor Lock-In. In conjunction with Netscape Navigator was Sun Microsystem's JAVA programming Language. Java allows a programmer to write a program once and that program will also run on Apple Machintosh, Linux and more. This is known as a 'cross compile enabled programming language'.

Microsoft looked at the combination of these two software companies as a 'threat' in that since Java programs could run on Windows and many other Operating Systems using Netscape Navigator as the vehicle to deliver the software to the masses using the Internet.

Why, Microsoft saw this as a threat was purely about power and nothing more. There is nothing wrong in allowing other ISV's or software companies outside of Microsoft to make money, just as Microsoft was. Yet, Microsoft did not like this and simply created their own version of Navigator called Internet Explorer. Thus, began what the geeks dubbed, 'The Browser' or 'The Web Browser' Wars.

Microsoft would match Netscape Navigator software releases with their own Internet Explorer, cloning Netscape's own features and innovations and perhaps adding their own. However, in almost all cases Internet Explorer's 'features' were not features at all but simply making the web browser do things differently and in the 'Microsoft Only' way, in attempts to try and differentiate IE from NS.

Microsoft could not match Netscape's huge market share, so they decided to do two things, which got Microsoft in a load of trouble. First, they made IE free of charge. Secondly, they deeply embedded or 'Integrated' IE into the release of Windows 95/98. This put Netscape into Bankruptcy, literally, over night. Naturally, Netscape sued Microsoft for using it's Operating System, Windows, to easily sway users' into using IE by simply forcing IE as the default Web Browser. And, if everyone was already running Windows, would then get IE, which NS could do nothing about.

This was looked apon as unfair because users' would, without much thought or effort, have easy access to IE and blocking NS because user's had to go through extra steps to get NS installed. Also, since IE was free of charge, there was no reason to download and buy NS.

More importantly, it was proven, in court, that Microsoft used Windows code to undermine Netscape by always making IE the default Web Browser, even if the user set NS as the default. Windows would automatically, without approval from the Windows user, set IE as the default.

Now, many argue, that Business is like that. Netscape can cry, but Business is hardcore and sometimes not fair. So, don't cry to mommy, because Business is Business.

But, that is not the point. The point and lesson to be learned is the following.

Tightly bundling or 'Integrating' IE into Windows 95 was frowned apon and deemed unlawfully using Windows to undermine an entirely seperate piece of software that has nothing to do with the function of an Operating System.

Finally, why would Microsoft want to give away something that was in high demand, such as both IE and NS, away free of charge seemingly 'out of the blue' and without any justifiable business sense? Was it only to simply put another Software Company out of business, just because it felt like it?

As, a result, deeper questions needed to be answered as to why Microsoft would make business decisions like that. It was found that MS knew of it's Vendor Lock-In or Monopoly and was trying to protect it. But, at the cost of thousands losing their jobs (at Netscape) so that another company, already making Billions of dollars annually (at Microsoft), could do so without any reason?

It was deemed unlawful by the U.S. Court System. It was found that MS had tried to 'buy out' NS for an unsatisfactory amount of money and NS executives refused Microsoft's deal, cheap as dirt, relative to Netscape's market worth. Microsoft, retaliated in a war-like and tasteless manner in order to take NS out, if NS was not to 'comply' with Microsoft.

As a result, Microsoft was to become a 'Convicted Monopolist' and ordered to break the company into two seperate parts. One part to sell Windows Operating System and the other to sell Software Applications. Microsoft later appealed and had the conviction over turned. Microsoft had to pay a couple million dollars and was put on a form of probation. Later on during the late 90's and early 2000's Microsoft would continue to be haunted and was sued several more times by various other ISV's claiming similar law suites to that of Netscape's.

Other ISV's like; McAfee, Symantec and Trend Micro, which create Firewalls and security tools, fell victim to the same business tactics. Microsoft released their own FREE integrated Firewall software and security tools included with Windows. These mentioned businesses employ thousands of people, hense, feed thousands of families.

This leaves very little insentive to starting an ISV, if only to be rendered bankrupt, because Microsoft one day decides it too wants to copy the same software innovations. This is perfectly OK if consumers are allowed a choice of which software to run/buy. But, Microsoft time and time again knowingly uses it's monopoly of the Windows Platform to execute what is known as, anti-trust business tactics.

How about one or two ISV's that we can state as still thriving and living on the Windows Platform?

Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Flash. As of yet, Microsoft has a Flash clone they released called Silverlight. And in recent news, a top Adobe Photoshop developer left Adobe to work for you know who? That's right, Microsoft. This was reported in early 2008 and have yet to see if MS is working on a 'Photoshop Killer', as it is horrifically put, on the Internet.

There are many more smaller such ISV's out there, of course. It is alarming, as to, what the actual number of ISV's that Microsoft managed to make bankrupt! Yes, some are in the interest of Microsoft users. To create an integrated Firewall, due to the lack of security in all Windows based Operating Systems. And other software that could rightfully be categorized as needing to be bundled, free of charge, with MS Windows, like partitioning software and other System Administration Tools.

But, isn't Microsoft putting out of business companies needlessly? Just so they can bundle the software with Windows? I guess it doesn't matter or not if you are an Independant Software Vendor, in the World owned by a convicted Monopolist.

To rap up the discussion about MS and it's dead or dieing ISV 'partners', the following has got to be the most obsurb ISV / Microsoft situation imaginable.

This has to do with, Mal/Spyware detection and removal ISVs. Yes, there is a multi-million, perhaps Billion dollar market purely built by profiting from MS Windows security flaws! By now, every Windows user knows, he/she must install some sort of Virus scanner, or their Windows Machine will, either grind to a halt, and/or become helplessly infested with Internet Pop-ups (many times of porn sites). All of these viruses are unfortunetly caught, by simply browsing the Internet.

Internet Explorer and Windows (of any version), is so insecure and incapable of plugging the continuous swarm of viruses that are caught by millions of Windows users, browsing the Internet, that an entire industry is built around Windows users' having to buy software to combat the problem. ISV's like AVG, Lavasoft, McAfee and dozens more, have all sprung up, to sell you software in an attempt to get rid of and protect your Windows machine from viruses.

Now, should it not be the job of Microsoft, to protect it's own users? Apparently not. Windows users must pay, in some cases you can get the less effective, free of charge version, if you refuse to give into the marketing of these ISVs.

The final kick in the face, regarding Windows viruses and ISVs in this business, is that Microsoft themselves are now in the business of selling to it's own Windows users, anti-virus software!

This realisation comes two fold. 1) Microsoft trying to make money off it's own bugs, (flaws in Windows), is outrageous. 2) The very industry that the other anti-virus ISVs produce, are being put out of business, because Microsoft is now releasing builtin mal/spyware anti-virus software, integrated into Windows Vista! They call it, Windows Defender.

Are we suppose to feel sorry for the companies trying to plug the security holes of MS Windows, only to be put out of business by Microsoft, the very company they were attempting to 'band-aide'? Or, are we suppose to finally, feel a little more secure, now that MS is finally trying to do something about the terrible virus problem that infects all Windows versions?

You tell me... because I honestly do not know.

Microsoft in the pre-Windows 95 days...

Microsoft, namely, Bill Gates and his army of ninja 'sales team', managed to pre-install MS-BASIC and MS-DOS on every freakin' OEM (Original Equipment Manufacture) on the planet. An OEM is simply a Dell, HP, Asus, Acer or hundreds of other PC dealers, trying to sell you computers with various Operating Systems, pre-installed. In most cases, Windows is pre-installed. Suprised?

This was possible, because IBM allowed their IBM PC hardware to be 'cloneable' or 'compatible'. Hense, the IBM PC 'compatible' was born and it would set the Desktop Computer Industry on fire. Good ol' smarty pants, Bill Gates, was right there waiting with ink and pen in hand, ready to sign contracts, that no other person thought to sign.

Bill Gates was the only one.

Unlike Apple, Commodore, Atari and so many other computer software companies, that kept their hardware 'secret' and to themselves, IBM goes out on a limb and says, 'Wanna clone our hardware? Go for it! Will only costs a small licensing fee, per machine.' That way, if you wanted to sell computers, you didn't have to invent your own hardware all over again.

Bill Gates did the exact same thing, only was to do it with software + licenses. Now, everyone was buying and selling IBM PC 'compatibles/clones' and guess what Operating System was loaded on the machines? Microsoft Software!

Game Over. Bill wins. From this point on, as long as Microsoft managed to release bare minimum software, they were in for big time profits.

Remember, at this time, many other Operating Systems where out there! The Commodore Amiga, anyone? The Amiga was a decade ahead of it's time in terms of Graphics, RAM, CPU, you name it, Amiga was HOT SHIT. Apple Mac's where way smokin' too! But, what Microsoft had over all of them, was ensuring that Microsoft's crappy and limited software, got pre-installed on all the up and coming IBM PCs, soon to be cloned and flooded into this virgin market!

Bill also made sure to seal these deals with all of Europe and even with the scary Russians! He did them so fast, that no one really had time to anticipate what kind of power this would give Bill and his Microsofties.

This simple strategy is the key business move that Bill Gates made that would forever 'seal the deal' and turn Microsoft into the inpenitrable fortress of a company, that it is today. Perhaps even for decades to come!

In reality, Microsoft had some really crappy software for sale, when compared to Commodore/Amiga and Apple/Macintosh. But, since Commodore and Apple limited themselves to their own hardware, also limited their market reachability! Microsoft had crummy software, so had to copy, mostly Apple and Commodore, or buying out or 'acquiring' software Microsoft could not build themselves.

Microsoft is the undisputed champion, when it comes to copying from others and knowing where to find and buy out software companies, that had what Microsoft was looking for. Microsoft is a company not known for very many software innovations. Little, if no, software innovation has ever come out of Microsoft. Sad, but true.

First it was BASIC, than came MS-DOS (which they initally acquired), then Windows 1.0, 2.0, 3.0-1, than Windows NT and so on. Each new Software/Operating System version was dubbed, 'an upgrade'. Which translates into, TONS OF F****** CASH, for Microsoft year after year after year. That is how Microsoft made it's world record $1 billion dollars, earned in a single year, which was the year they released Windows 3.0.

From here on out, after Windows 3.0, Microsoft turned sour. If only to keep their share holders happy.

Perhaps, they got power hungry and greedy. What would YOU do if you owned the Platform that ran 95+% of the WORLDS Desktop software? That is power... undisruptable, absolute raw POWER. Yes, a monopoly like the world had never seen.

Now, at the time...early 80's, all this computer stuff was new. No one had ever done this kind of stuff before. Not, before Bill Gates. He was able to get away with things that no one dare try. In most cases, it would all catch up to Microsoft and lead to law suite after law suite. But, who cares? Right? Lawyers cost money and do you think Microsoft was short on cash?

Let me explain some interesting tid-bits that are shocking by any business persons standards...

1) If an OEM wanted to pre-install another Operating System, other than Windows, Bill Gates would threaten to disallow the sale of his beloved Windows therefore making the OEM think twice from doing so, purely out of fear. The OEM (NOT Microsoft) would lose all those millions of Windows customers because Microsoft had 10,000 other OEMs to sell their software through. This effectivly prevented other Operating Systems from entering the market. Tell me if this is 'playing fair or not'?
Update to Article: I recently came across this article, which I recommend you read. Microsoft's Dirty OEM Secret
More interesting reading about what 'they don't want you to hear', can be found here.

2) In the 1990's Microsoft arranged it so that even if an OEM sold a computer that did NOT have MS-DOS pre-installed, they STILL had to pay the license fee! Now, what the hell kinda deal is that? Pay for something that was never used? Give me a break. But, Microsoft somehow managed to do it! Stupid OEMs? Or, mean Microsoft? I'm not sure at this point... maybe both. Update to Article: Exactly because of reason #1 was Microsoft able to receive License fees from OEMs even if Windows was never sold with the computer hardware. If an OEM wanted to preinstall another Operating System, that OEM had to pay both for the Alternative OS and Windows! Which, in the end, made the customers pay, due to the higher prices.

3) If Microsoft did not like your software, they would intentionally write code into Windows Operating System core that would make that software run poorly. Hmmm... again... Bill is this fair business? Sure, you own the Platform, yes, we admit you are Computing GOD to the simple ISV's, but they have children to feed too!

I could go on and on. But, this just illustrates the few horrific business tactics Microsoft used, all of which were proven in Supreme Courts, before Honorable Judges. Hmmm... No wonder Microsoft has been sued since the beginning, first by Apple in the 80's, then by the United States because they wanted Netscape out of their way, finally to this day, by the European Commission (EU) for anti-trust issues. Europe does not take lightly these business practices, unlike the U.S. does to a fair degree. As an example, Microsoft was first ordered to pay $666 Million dollars in anti-trust fines. More recently $1.3 Billion dollars in fines, trial still pending.

The law suits against Microsoft are staggering.

Now, we come to good 'ol Vista (Windows version 6).

Vista is a disaster. Let's face it, if you strip away it's glossy laquored finish, what you find is a bloated, insecure and sluggish Operating System. Do not forget the old saying, "Never judge a book by it's cover." The 'WOW' starts now is Microsoft's marketing slogan, written across thousands of ADs, world wide. Unfortunetly, for the consumers, without 'the WOW cover' Vista (Windows version 6) is in many ways worse than Windows XP, it's predecessor.

Vista what I like to call, a Yuppie OS. Polished and shiny, yet overly priced and no more interesting than Windows XP. In fact, an OS shouldn't be all that interesting, in the first place. An OS design shouldn't get in the way of the applications the user is trying to run. Yet, Vista, manages to step on the users' feet in so many areas, it's hard to describe. From the maze of rearranged menus to the annoying and pointless 'so called' security popups.

Vista is bloated and basically not worthy of the title of an 'upgrade'. In fact, it has been coined a 'downgrade'. Worse yet, some predict it will turn into another Windows ME (millenium). Why? Because, Windows version 7 is due out sometime before 2010. So, why buy Vista?

To me, an upgrade, in software terms, is a better version from that of the previous, which either fixes bugs and/or security holes and/or value adds features and/or performance enhancements.

Vista was designed to be an 'upgrade', we are told it is an 'upgrade', yet when you concider what your getting, Windows XP, simply runs faster and does what an OS was designed to do.

Microsoft's pitch of what you get with Vista...

1) Better Security. 2) Prettier Interface. 3) Upgraded bundled software like notepad, ms paint, calculator, games and Media Player. To name a few. 4) More stability.

Lets touch on each one.

1) Better security. Let it be known that even before Vista was released on Jan. 30, 2007, the security enhancement known as ULA or User Limit Authority, was already hacked and rendered useless. This means viruses from the Internet can still install trojans, malware, spyware and all the crap needed to steal your files and allow the BOTNET to send spam using your machine. Nice try Microsoft! The reason why Microsoft can not fix it's own security model, is because of the past mistakes that were carried down from previous Windows versions. MS-DOS through Windows 95 through Windows XP all have the same security flaws that by design are technically impossible to address without a complete re-write of the core of Windows, mostly to do with it's Kernel. Vista works from the same code base as all the previous Windows versions, so inheriates the nightmare they like to call secure! What user's of Vista are left with are annoying pop-ups that don't protect the user anyways. So, the answer is NO, Vista is NO MORE SECURE THAN XP WAS.

2) Prettier Interface... I do like the way Vista looks. Glassy, Aura-thing and sexy. But, when you look at how much RAM your machine is devoting to Vista, can be anywhere from 700 Megabytes up to 1 full Gigabyte of RAM! That is simply NOT acceptable. A full GIG of RAM? Just to run Vista, with no User programs started, yet?

An interesting story about the RAM situation, is that, RAM dealers were all stock piled and ready to go for the release of Vista, because the RAM dealers all knew that the demand for RAM/Memory chips would sky rocket. Right? Wrong. Since, Vista got bad press from it's initial (even pre-release), Enterprises didn't just go 'upgrade' all their XP machines, let alone the home users! As a result, all that RAM that was stock piled was never sold! That is why RAM was so cheap and continues to be relatively inexpensive. I find that a funny side story, I hope you did to... :) So, go out and get some cheap RAM! Thanks Vista!

3) Upgraded software bundled with Vista... well do I really care about MS Paint? Or all the dumb games like solitare and mine sweep? NO! Maybe the newer Media Player is nicer, maybe it's not! Maybe all that software is the reason the freakin base install for a Vista Operating System is more than 6 GIGs of hard drive space! Now, compare that with Windows XP which was a little less then 1 GIG for a base install. Bloated to the absolute max. Does this mean you need a bigger hard drive? Maybe not, since hard drive space has exploded in recent years. The point is, does this justify an 'upgrade' as an added value I need? No, it doesn't.

4) Lastly, Vista is more stable. Well, Windows XP was stable. Windows XP has mature drivers. You see, what makes an Operating System stable is largely based on how mature/stable it's drivers are. An Operating System is mostly made up of drivers. Each time you plug in your Web cam, will load a specific driver for it's specific brand, make and model. Plug in an nVidia or ATI graphics card and again, specific drivers are loaded. You need a driver for your specific mouse, keyboard and monitor. Vista, on release date was probably so unstable that it drove many away from it. But, this is expected of any new Operating system fresh from the factory. But, you would figure since Microsoft has so much money and therefore time, they would al least test the current drivers out there. Oh well... give it time and the drivers will mature. Windows XP went through this exact same grief, when it was released in 2001.

Ok, Vista is pretty, most people don't care. So what. No one wants to upgrade. But, guess what? You will probably be using it soon whether you like it or not, because of Microsoft's past. Remember, Microsoft got rich and powerful because they made all those deals (some good some bad) with the OEMS. Dell, HP and many more. You WILL get Vista pre-installed with your next purchase, whether you want it or not. No choice in the matter. Not even for the OEM dealers. Windows XP will be retired soon and Vista will be shoved down our throats in due time. I love the choices Microsoft gives us! Don't you!

Netbooks like the Asus Eee PC are becoming more and more popular. Computers that require less memory and cpu therefore less battery therefore less polution to the Earth is what is HIP nowadays. Get rid of the bloat! Windows 7 is Microsoft's next Windows release. Use Vista's kernel, graphics engine and DirectX 10 with .NET 3.0 as before... just trim it down for F*** sake! Optimize the hell out of the bloated, slow code and make Windows 7 FAST, yet keep to the sleek sexy UI. Then, maybe Microsoft can win back the customers that bailed on Vista and bought an Apple Air Notebook or Asus eeePC running Ubuntu Linux!

Secondly, stop lieing to our Honorable Justice System that Open Source is a threat and prevents software innovations. Or that Linux and therefore Unix infringes apon any of Microsoft Software Patents. The latest in Microsoft trying to sue the whole Open Source Community, claiming that Open Source prevents innovation and therefore is illegal. It's a delightful read and Microsoft is simply quoted as 'disingenuous' by the Lawyer that wrote up the paper! If you want a fasinating and complete list of Innovations, their dates and a well written summary explaining each Innovation, this paper is a must read!

Thirdly, stop trying to control the user and OEMs! DRM (Digital Rights Management) is a joke. For those that don't know what it is. It is a way to make sure crackers have a harder time distributing software illegally. Warez and pirating and all that will be harder to do with DRM, but nothing is hack/crack proof. Eventually, any software protection, encryption can and will eventually become hacked. Look at the iPhone. Hacked. iPods, hacked by teenagers. All DRM does is inconvience the users that play fair and actually buy their software.

Take for instance, DVD playback in Vista. If I put in a Japanamation that was made in Japan and therefore has the DVD ID for that country, Vista makes me decide if I want to 'switch' to that countries DVD play mode. OK, Fine, I switch to play the Japanamation and all is good. But, get this. After 5 or so 'switches' Vista DVD play back will permanently become stuck using the last mode I set. If I get stuck in USA DVD playback mode, I can no longer play Japanize DVDs! That my friends, SUCKS! I paid for the DVD's and now I am restricted from what I can play? This is DRM at it's worst, and only illustrates ONE facet of the DRM problem. Again, DRM just interrupts the regular users and does nothing to stop a teenage computer genius from cracking your attempt at stopping them.