Dr. CK Lin | Productivity. Innovation. Entrepreneur Profiles

Ubuntu Joins Windows and Mac in the Platform Ranks, Reviewers and Consumers Rave

In a previous blog post, we discussed benefits of Ubuntu pre- release.

Now, it’s not only out, but it’s become a contender for being a more preferred platform over Windows or Mac.

One of the biggest components that has made the Jaunty Jackalope release so noticeable is its speed.

ZDNet author Renai LeMay states that it’s “that elusive slick and speedy feel you get from applications launching fast, windows moving around without jerkiness and everything simply being where it should be in the user interface.”

Regardless of simultaneous launches, and running multiple applications Ubuntu still feels fast, not like it’s sucking all the RAM out of your operating system.

What’s more is that Linux has released a product that already trumphs the future Windows 7 and Mac OS X releases.

The cherry on top is that Ubuntu is free and open source; you can download and have the platform now on your computer.

As Windows Vista slowly erodes my computer, the realization that I will have to purchase a new notebook to receive the most recent Windows platform starts to make even less sense.

Failed Branding: Apple flourishes while Microsoft fades

When Apple announced it’s 1 billionth app download, Microsoft watched silently.

What’s going on with Microsoft’s branding? How much of Apple’s success can be attributed to their own successful advertising?

CNET’s article discusses that it seems that Apple was able to use advertising to enhance its brand, while Microsoft never found a good jumping off point.

Also, Apple’s products receive more everyday exposure than Microsoft’s do.

How often do you see iPods, Macbooks, and iPhones?

It seems to be that Apple’s successful branding is in part to consistency.

You KNOW when something is an Apple product, but when you see products like the Xbox 360, do you think Microsoft?

No. Exactly. Alas we have the crux of Microsoft’s dilemma. They are not consistently identifying themselves with their own products, their brand is not cohesive.

When we think Microsoft, we think Windows. That’s it.

When a company like Microsoft fails to reach out via advertising, it should act as a lesson for all aspiring advertisers.

People will not automatically make the branding connection between products… you must do it for them.