Mac OS X vs Windows 7

Apple and Microsoft are fighting for the mindshare of consumers as both companies prepare to roll out upgrades to their operating systems later this year.

Apple on Monday showed Worldwide Developers Conference attendees Snow Leopard, the next major version of Mac OS X. Apple has been very open about the fact that Snow Leopard is meant to be an under-the-hood maintenance release, focusing on performance enhancements to the operating system.

Windows 7 is essentially Microsoft's maintenance release for Vista, which according to many accounts was a failure for the company. Putting aside all of the back and forth between the two companies, one industry analyst feels it comes down to the consumer. "It's really immaterial the degree of the rewrite in the operating system," Ross Rubin, director of analysis for market research firm National Purchase Diary (NDP).

While early testing of Windows 7 seems to bear out improvements in the operating system, Microsoft is approaching a very awful consumer experience with Windows Vista.

Apple, on the other hand, is becoming one of the most successful operating system launches in the company's history. Mac OS X Leopard was a solid release, packed with features. Overall, Leopard had relatively few problems throughout its life cycle.

Apple doesn't have to fight off that negative perception from its users or the industry. Macs have been selling better than ever and there is no sense that will slow down anytime soon. Typically, Apple sells its new operating systems for $129. That's a flat fee. Everyone gets the same version that includes all features and enhancements. However, Leopard users will be offered an upgrade to Snow Leopard for $29. Microsoft has yet to release its upgrade pricing, but it is expected to be much higher.

Microsoft Buys Skype for $8.5 Billion

Just days after reports that Google and Facebook were interested in partnering with, and possibly buying VoIP company Skype, Microsoft announced that it was buying the company for $8.56 billion in cash.

Last year, Skype had a profit of $860 million on which it posted an operating profit of $264 million. However, overall it made a small loss of $7 million, and had long-term debt of $686 million. This is the second time Skype has been bought out; after being started in 2003, it was purchased by eBay in 2005 for $3.1 billion. EBay then sold the majority of its stake in 2009 to a private investment group for $1.2 billion less than it paid.

The purchase was Microsoft’s biggest ever. That alone makes it surprising; the company’s track record with large purchases is decidedly mixed. Danger, the exciting mobile technology company that produced the Hiptop, better known as the T-Mobile Sidekick line, was purchased for an estimated $500 million in 2008. The aQuantive purchase too had mixed outcomes, with Redmond unable to find a role for the Razorfish division before eventually selling it off in 2009; Microsoft continues to be unable to make a profit from online

Microsoft has in the last couple of years has been sticking to buying smaller, easier-to-manage organizations, leading some to argue that this was a direct result of the digestive difficulties faced with the large purchases. A $7 billion Skype offering would show that perhaps Redmond believes it has resolved such problems.

Term 2 Progress Test 2 Revision Sheet

Study the terms and questions for sections 1,2,3, and 4 in chapter 20.

Term 2 Progress Test 1 Revision Sheet

Study sections 19.2 and 19.3 in Economics Today and Tomorrow. 

Worldwide Smartphone OS Market

Statistics from research firm Canalys suggest Apple had a great growth in the smartphone sector by a 61% increase from the second quarter 2009 to the second quarter 2010.

But unfortunately for Apple that's the second best growth.

Because Android's growth has surpassed Apple's by far having increased shipments by 886% in the same period of time.

Android has passed Apple on market share and is also going to pass Research In Motion (Black Berry) in no time.

Overall, the smartphone sector grew by 64% year-on-year from the second quarter of 2009.

Pete Cunningham, an analyst at Canalys, said Android's sales were in part due to recent launches of "highly compelling" phones.

"We're really seeing major vendors getting behind the platform," he said.

In particular, he said, large manufacturers such as Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and HTC, all used the platform and had helped drive shipments.

In turn, said Mr. Cunningham, shipments would mean sales and market share.

Worldwide smartphone market
OS	Q2 2010 shipments	% share	Q2 2009 shipments	% share	Growth
Symbian	27,129,340	43.5	19,178,910	50.3	41.5
RIM	11,248,830	18.0	7,975,950	20.9	41
Android	10,689,290	17.1	1,084,240	2.8	885.9
Apple	8,411,910	13.5	5,211,560	13.7	61.4
Microsoft	3,083,060	4.9	3,431,380	9.0	-10.2
Others	1,851,830	3.0	1,244,620	3.3	48.8
Total	62,414,260	100	38,126,660	100	63.3

Ford to hire 7,000 workers

Ford announced Monday that 7000 jobs, both hourly and salaried, will be added in the US by the end of 2012. The announcement said that the Fortune 500 is adding 4000 hourly jobs in many of its US plants during this year, including approximately 1800 at Louisville Assembly Plant, where the new Ford Escape crossover SUV will be built. The company also plans to increase factory jobs by another 2,500 during the next year, and add 750 engineering jobs (salaried) in product development and manufacturing.

The engineers will specialize in system controls, software and energy storage to be compatible with electric powered vehicles in Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Ohio, Milwaukee, Raleigh and Durham.

Sources: http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/10/news/companies/ford_adding_7000_jobs/index.htm

Nokia profits slump 40% in second quarter

the firm announced a profit of $291m for 3 monts. Since Apple and Google enterd the market, Nokia had to strugglr to compete with them, and Nokia expected its profit and sales figures to fail.
'Mixed Bag'
the result saw the company's price swing in 10% range. It was trading up 3.6 % as of midday BST. " Second quarter numbers were largly in line with expectations", said the analysts
Under Pressure
The pressure increased on Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Nokia employee, by the poor results. The mobile manufacture has already undergone a recent management restructuring. The company declined to say any comment on Kallasvuo's future
Shrinking Margins
Helped by an 8% rise in the volume of the mobile sales, the company reported a 1% increase in the overall revenue. Margins at the important "devices and services" unit were squeezed to 9.5% from 12.2% a year ago. This resulted in a 19% fall inthe division's underlying operating profits.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-10725887