Cell Phones – The Verizon Voyager and the Apple I-Phone seem to be the snazziest devices out there.
Computer Software: Windows Vista came out. It was awful, and it has really hurt Microsoft. MAC OS X and Linux appreciate the failure of Vista and have been gaining some market share as a result.Â
Computer Software: This was the year for open source software. Software communities made some big contributions.
Computer Software: Microsoft – I’m not found of the OS, but I have to hand it to Microsoft, they pour dollars into research and produce some interesting things outside of Operating Systems. Check this out: http://research.microsoft.com/displayArticle.aspx?id=1871 It’s hardware, but its also software .. I’ll pop it here for now.Â
Computer Hardware:Â
Laptops – This was the year of the cheap laptops. $100 laptops came out (they were actually $200 though and selling on ebay for about $600). There were several other inexpensive laptops that came out as well though. All were low powered and targeted at getting a laptop into everybodies hands.
Laptops – I’ve seen more MAC Laptops this year then ever before. They have a good Operating System and are reliable. Who doesn’t love that?
Hardware:
Gadgets: GPS – HUGE this year, I think everyone got one for Christmas.
Gadgets: IPOD/IPHONE/Video IPOD – Still big. I picked up a video ipod for Rosie, and she loves it.
Gadgets: More disk space fits on smaller devices.
Predictions for 2008:
1) longer lasting laptop batteries
2) Linux and Mac OSX will continue to gain popularity
3) auto automation (things like self parking, etc) will continue. I predict that cars will drive themselves within 12 years. All the technology exists to do it today. It’s only a matter of time.
4) price drops in computer hardware.
5) disk storage – small hand help devices and flash drives will start coming out that store 200 gigs of data. (expect this near the end of the year).
6) robotics – Honda and Toyota are developing robots for the home. I don’t think everyone will rush out and get them, but they are coming
7) google .. we all know that they have been doing research. It’ll be interesting to see what they come out with. Word is they are working especially hard on google cell phones and portable data centers
how come you dont have any pics on your site. you, wife, friends, etc.
good question.
As far as pictures are concerned, I generally never make the assumption that others will want to be posted here. Additionally, once a picture has been published, it kind of becomes public domain.
U r right about Mac’s taking over man!!!
angusshangus, you’re right. Mac will become the PC of choice for the non-technical set. I think thats great though. They have a good OS. People have always thought I was a Linux zealot, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m just against bad technology. I think Microsoft does a lot of things right, but their take on Operating Systems just isn’t right. I think plenty of OS’s are sound like FreeBSD, OSX, OpenBSD, Inferno, Plan 9 .. heck .. even DOS and AmigaOS for that matter were good in their time.
Whats always gotten me in trouble is saying windows sucks to people who’ve never used anything else. They have no idea that the OS isn’t supposed to do things like freeze up on you or simply install things for you.
Now, lots of people are looking at other systems like Mac OSX and saying .. ahhhh .. I had no idea that using a computer was supposed to be this simple.