I gotta try the Boingo 802.11b/WiFi PocketPC Hotspot software utility. Anyone try it yet? Yes, of course the 802.11b weblog has some screen captures.

Dell is showing nice profits in the PC world. Anyone notice that Dell isn't doing a Tablet?

Anyone notice that the Microsoft blogger list is getting longer? I wish Microsoft's execs would write blogs. Hell, if Moby can do a weblog from the road (Moby is a rock star, which might explain why it's impossible to link directly to his weblog, er journal), why shouldn't Ballmer and Gates do one too?

While I was getting Married Microsoft won the Anti-Trust case. Sean Gallagher has some of the better comments I've seen on the topic.

Chris Pirillo says that Linux is ugly. Um, let's see. Linux copies Microsoft which copied Apple which copied Xerox. I guess when you copy UI's too much they get ugly. It is amazing, though. Three years ago I was signing Apple's death certificate. Jobs brought them back to be a serious competitor to Microsoft again in a lot of markets (although Jobs still hasn't convinced IT types like my brother that they Macs are safe to buy in large for enterprises). What I thought would happen is that Linux would have taken market share away from Microsoft on the desktop. That simply hasn't happened. Instead, it's become cool to own a Macintosh again. Hmmm.

Dan Bricklin reviews the TabletPC. You know, my experience with the Tablet is much like Dan's. I won't buy another laptop. It's over. The Tablet has already changed my life that much. And, yes, I need to wait until next year to get one of the NEC's (which are, by the way, about half the weight and half the thickness of the Toshiba that Dan ended up with).

The comments in yesterday's weblog are very interesting. "Why does the thing that returns strength to the technology market have to come from Microsoft?" asks Chris Hanson. Good question. It doesn't, but they do have something that not many other companies have: $40 billion. So, when Bill Gates talks, lots of people listen (or start bitching). If you don't remember, one of the first stocks to go down in this bear market was Microsoft's.

I wish someone else had the capability of getting millions of people to buy new technology. Tivo where art thou? Palm? Forgedaboutit. Sun? Yeah, right. Oracle? Hey, isn't Larry out sailing? Ahh, that leaves Apple. They are doing their best, but, really, isn't that switcher campaign over the top? Hey, my new brother in law works in engineering in Apple. I hope they kick ass. But, back to reality.

Can any of these companies shake the market the way Intel or Microsoft can? Doubtful. Will anyone new come along that'll be able to shake the market? Doubtful. The VC community just isn't spending money to do that right now. They are all being conservative and hoarding their money. HP? Dell? Come on, Dell's only mission in life right now is to kick HP/Compaq's behind. And HP/Compaq has to worry about stopping its bleeding and getting back on track.

Really, we need some leadership that'll show us some new products and take us out of this slump. Who's there? Linux? No. Apple, Microsoft, and Intel are doing the most interesting things. Maybe that's the whole problem. What else is there?Here's a challenge for weblogs: write about something cool that'll take the market by storm next year. Any market.

I see that Glenn Fleishman is telling everyone to vote for Toby Molina in the Ms. M.o.x.i.e contest that Microsoft is holding. I agree. I know Toby from my conference days and she's one of the brightest people I've met. Good luck Toby!