Updated: 11/19/05; 12:32:23 PM

 Monday, July 18, 2005
Corrupted PC's Find New Home in the Dumpster
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Published yesterday, this article illustrates a somewhat scary trend in the PC world - don't fix it, throw it away! Have we really gotten so incredibly lazy as consumers that we're willing to throw away something and simply replace it with another, identical model (that will surely suffer the same fate down the road). Why aren't these consumers seeing the nightmare that is a modern Windows based PC? Don't they know there is a very realistic alternative out there that is as close as their nearest Apple store. The truth is, no, they don't know. It's the path of least resistance and if they are even one of the few who takes the time to do some research, or even ask the techies around their friends and offices, chances are the Mac would never come up in conversation.

Sure it's tempting fate, but it would seem that Apple really would do well to cater to these disenfranchised folks in their time of need. In my own experience, I was loudly bitching about this very topic when a good friend got tired of my complaining and took me to the new Apple store in my area. Even being someone who grew up with Apple computers and who works in the tech field every day, I probably would not have come to that conclusion on my own at the time. Today is a little different, Apple is on a roll, the iPod is the hottest gadget on the planet and Apple's retail presence is growing rapidly. Regardless, I couldn't pass up the picture from the article - it really summed it all up.

From the article:

SAN FRANCISCO, July 15 - Add personal computers to the list of throwaways in the disposable society.

On a recent Sunday morning when Lew Tucker's Dell desktop computer was overrun by spyware and adware - stealth software that delivers intrusive advertising messages and even gathers data from the user's machine - he did not simply get rid of the offending programs. He threw out the whole computer.

Mr. Tucker, an Internet industry executive who holds a Ph.D. in computer science, decided that rather than take the time to remove the offending software, he would spend $400 on a new machine.

He is not alone in his surrender in the face of growing legions of digital pests, not only adware and spyware but computer viruses and other Internet-borne infections as well. Many PC owners are simply replacing embattled machines rather than fixing them.

5:24:13 PM    
Mainstream Media Is Tuning In to 'Podcasting'
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The Washington Post published a piece today about how the mainstream is now finally showing up to the Podcast party. The best part about it they actually took the time to do some research and talk with some of the insiders who've been involved from the very beginning (as well as crediting Dave Winer instead of the usual Adam Curry invented the universe partyline).

They also paid a fair amount of attention to the fact that Apple is really not telling the whole story about Podcasting, instead focusing almost entirely on the big commercial podcasts instead of what it's really all about, giving the power back to the little guy, the individual and allowing them to have a voice. Ironically, the 'top rated' podcasts on iTunes are almost all big corporate shows that prior to 2 weeks ago, no one had ever heard of. Podcast alley paints a little more accurate picture of the real situation.

Having literally been a part of this since Adams first Daily Source Code, it has been extremely interesting to watch how a movement is born, developed, grown, refined -- all at a grassroots level, and one the whole thing has picked up enough steam, it goes 'mainstream' where the rest of the world suddently discovers what we've all known for so long and the company who brings it to the masses (in this case Apple), spins the story the way they see fit, not matter how out of touch it is with reality. I've listened to a couple of the big corporate podcasts and they fairly distant from the culture of podcasting. Reminds me of the early days when Adam was trying to get Heineken to sponsor the Rock & Roll Geekshow but instead of sending him a few cases of free beer for all the great publicity he has given them, they instead put out their own, completely lame podcast.

If nothing else, it will be good fun to watch where it all goes. All in all, it's amazing to me to think that this thing went from nothing to mainstream (and if we're honest, mainstream America still is in the dark about such things) in less than a year. I think this was one of the great occassions where something that was born of the net that quickly went on to change the culture, and we're still at the beginning of it all. I just hope all of the early pioneers stick it out and find a way to make it all worth their while.

As a follow-up to this entry, MarketWatch today published an article entitled Podcasting's 'indies' are losing ground

n the three weeks since Apple Computer (AAPL: news, chart, profile) thrilled the community of homegrown-radio-show producers by making it easy for millions of Web users to download their programs, the little guys have gotten squished. And they're the ones who started it.

Welcome to the business.

As podcasts have become available to a mass market, the media giants are moving in. ABC, ESPN, the BBC, CNN and Air America account for 16 of the most popular shows. Public radio programs took another 16 slots. Only four of the top 20 were created by "amateurs." Two were devoted to news about the Macintosh; a third was Chris Pirillo's tech show, which ranked 16th; and 19th place went to a program of movie reviews.

PodcastAlley.com tells a different story of what's hot on the Net. The Alley is a directory of podcasts. Among its most popular programs are those produced by the Catholic Insider and Dawn and Drew. By my count, just one of its top 50 shows is from a commercial producer. But comparing the rankings with iTunes' is comparing apples and oranges.

Some say it's a mistake, and even unfair, to turn discussion about podcasting into a horse race. Dave Winer of Scripting.com, a longtime podcaster, said it's "dramatic and an oversimplification" to suggest that brand-name producers can monopolize the new medium. The biggest threat to his podcast, at MorningCoffeeNotes.com, "is my own laziness. It's not whether ABC does one, or CNN does one. Fine, that they're doing it. It has nothing to do with my efforts."

Adam Curry, founder of the Podshow.com, is nonetheless pulling for the little guy. His venture at Podshow.com promotes and markets podcasts. He likes the "indie" tag. "That's where the magic is, the fresh voices and new talent. It always rises to the top," he said.

8:14:20 AM