Tuesday, January 13, 2004

Microsoft updates Unix migration, compatibility tool. Microsoft Corp. on Thursday plans to release a new version of its Windows Services for Unix, a set of tools designed to make Windows and Unix work together and help users migrate from Unix to Windows. [InfoWorld: Top News] It's funny how on again and off again Microsoft's Services for Unix has been over the years. It seems like they make an update, suddenly lose interest, let it lapse for several years, some new upstart in the company jumps in with a bright idea and wham! Suddenly Microsoft is ALL OVER that damned Unix market, trying to "out-compete" it, and undercut its customer base. Yeah right,... 9:55:39 PM    comment []

Kodak to stop making APS, some film cameras. In a major announcement today Kodak has stated that it will stop selling its APS and reloadable 35 mm film cameras in the United States, Canada and Western Europe. It will continue to make disposable 'single use' film cameras for all markets and will continue to sell reloadable 35 mm film cameras into 'emerging markets' such as China, India, Eastern Europe and Latin America. This effectively means the end of all APS cameras from Kodak, worldwide. Kodak is shifting more of its efforts... [Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)] I take this as an admittance of failure on Kodak's part to capture the imaginations of low end users who did "get" the concept of APS film. I think the only people that bought these cameras were Kodak employees, their spouses and relative and sundry relatives. Add to this Ricoh's exiting from the film camera market altogether and one can see the writing is on the wall. It's just a matter of time before Kodak's once bright future erodes down to more layoffs and an ever smaller work force. 9:53:42 PM    comment []