By John Gruber
WorkOS launches auth.md — an open protocol for agent registration.
Linked List: March 6, 2007
Tuesday, 6 March 2007
- The Onion: Apple Unveils New Product-Unveiling Product ★
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The Onion:
Shortly after Jobs’ address, Microsoft announced that they are working on a similar product, the Launch-O, due to debut in 2009.
(Thanks to Dave Smith.)
- Eric Schmidt on Google-Apple Collaboration ★
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Schmidt said Google and Apple are “doing more and more things together. We have similar goals, similar competitors.”
Similar competitors, eh? Cough, cough, Microsoft.
- Market Share vs. Profit Share ★
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Some interesting math from Daniel Eran Dilger comparing Apple to HP and Dell:
In other words, Apple earned nearly half as much net income with its 5% share of the market as HP and Dell together, with their combined 55% share of the US PC market: $1 billion for Apple vs $2.2 billion for HP and Dell together!
These numbers aren’t precise, because all three companies make money from businesses other than selling computers. But it reinforces my point about Apple’s share of the PC market: what matters most is Apple’s share of the market’s profits, not unit sales.
- Paul Thurrott Hits One Out of the Park ★
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So the latest interesting email released as evidence in Microsoft’s anti-trust case in Iowa is a 1997 exchange between Bill Gates (briefly) and the MacBU’s Ben Waldman (at great length) on the state of what became Office 98 for Mac. The initial coverage is focusing on the fact that Waldie’s message acknowledges that killing Mac Office was on the table. It is interesting to see that threat laid bare, but, let’s face it, of course that option was and remains on the table. All products can be cancelled.
Paul Thurrott nails it:
More important, we have that email record that everyone is so excited about. What it shows to me is a company dedicated to making great products and, yes, supporting then-struggling Apple with the best version of Office Microsoft had yet created. Don’t believe me? You can read it yourself. My guess is you’ll come away with a less dramatic version of history than the Mac pariahs are pushing.
Well said.
- Richard Pollock: ‘That Stupid “Lozenge” Button’ ★
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Richard Pollock:
So basically, I would like rid of that horribly inconsistent lozenge button, but would love to see more uses of NSToolbar around Mac OS X.
The Finder’s use of the tic-tac button as a toggle between Aqua and brushed metal window styles is the single weirdest UI design in all of Mac OS X. Probably not the worst, but the weirdest.
- The Page Paradigm ★
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Mark Hurst’s “Page Paradigm”, describing the usage pattern of web site users:
On any given Web page, users will either…
click something that appears to take them closer to the fulfillment of their goal,
or click the Back button on their Web browser.
Simple, true, and useful advice.
- Why Your New York Times Magazine Always Falls Apart ★
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Gawker compares the binding staples of The New Yorker to the The New York Times Magazine, in an attempt to figure out why The Times magazine falls apart so easily:
Do the math! Each of the three staples in The New Yorker is responsible for a svelte 57.3 square inches of bounded paper, while in The Times mag, each of the two staples is responsible for an unconscionable 109.25 square inches!
- Soldiers ★
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Moving short film by Hillman Curtis. (Via Coudal.)
- Microsoft Attacks Google on Copyright ★
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The Microsoft Corporation, the software giant, has prepared a blistering attack on rival Google, arguing that the Web search leader takes a cavalier approach to copyright protection.
In remarks prepared for delivery on Tuesday to the Association of American Publishers, the associate general counsel of Microsoft, Thomas Rubin, argues that Google’s move into new media markets has come at the expense of publishers of books, videos and software.
Don’t forget music, you jackasses.
Used to be that Microsoft would try to beat their opponents, no matter how popular, by getting users to switch. (Examples: WordPerfect, Netscape.) Now they’re just trying to sidle up to the entertainment industry — an industry that holds its own customers in contempt.
- Worldmapper: The World as You’ve Never Seen It Before ★
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The original source for the aforelinked world map infographics. (Thanks to DF reader Andrew Hughey.)