James Barry's Musings

Can Apple run your life?

Several months ago I got an iMac, my second modern Mac. For those who have known me for a while, I was early into Macs including having the first 128k Mac in Denver in 1984. Over the years I had dropped away from Macs as I used Windows exclusively at work (working IBM will do that to you) But three years ago I got an iPOD, then a 12" Powerbook and I was back in. Recently I got an iMac and 2 days ago an Apple phone. Couple that with .Mac and now I am synching everything together seamlessly and forgetting about the computer and concentrating on the data. Oops tying things like this together is my day job. Apple makes my home life so much easier on the data, now I wonder how that will affect work? Can Apple make our job internal to work that much easier? Can anyone else make it easier? I am sure that eventually the Google/Amazon/Salesforce/Yahoo cloud (ex Grid/Internet/network computer systems etc....) computing will make the world a few computers, but who will make them easy to use? Of that I am convinced Apple doesn't need to own the cloud, but theirs will be the easiest gateway to the cloud of computers. Its great to own all of the data like Google, or have an easy way to shop like Amazon, or do back room stuff like Salesforce, but none of those compare to the ease of use of Apple.

Will Apple make your iTunes login the first universal ID? I use it more than I ever thought I would use a single login. I think it will be used much more than OL's ID, or the much ballyhooed Microsoft Passport. This one has real uses and frankly it disappears into the seam. That is the kind of an ID you want - one that disappears into the seam....

Has Apple returned? - obviously. But will they remain the leader in getting into the cloud computing of the future. I am certainly there today, and I don't see anyone else getting there like Apple is. How about you? Is Apple blending into the background of your life as another one of those indispensable tools?

Service Oriented Architecture

SOA's (Services Oriented Architectures) are all of the current Rage. The question is are they worth it for your company? Will they ever work? How ddo I see them, as I am one of those posed with building a complete Services Oriented architecture.

I'll post more as time goes on....

James

Picking TypePad

After looking around at various Blog Software I came down to Typepad to be the easiest. The question is will I use it? and start discussions and comments of value? I looked a lot at Radio Userland, but eventually I don't have the time to patch around a bunch of items that are so easy to do in TypePad. I hope to post picures easily in TypePad and books for my firends and associates to look at. The book thing is great because I am constantly sending Amazon URL's around and I can now put my last five books I have read on the site.

So congrats to TypePad and lets see if I am able to use it and make it work with regular insightful comments.

Static Website vs. blog based Website

As I continue to add content, I am wondering whether I should be maintaining a Website at jamesbarry.com or whether I should just point the Weblog at the same site. For now I want to do both, if that is possible. I'll see which one ends up having more updates from me. Since I only update my own Website every couple of years - or so it seems - it seems like the blog will probably win. Though I need a plce for some static yet important content - for example a list of speeches and articles I have been quoted in. The quest goes on for the perfect mix!

TypePad

As I edit away on Typepad, I love the ease of use, butit still leaves me wanting more. I am having problems getting soe features of Radio working properly and bgs seems to be there posted. So my ease of use needs on Radio are fading quickly. Perhaps TypePad is the best cross between functionality and usability? Comments?

I am evaluating Blog Software

I am evaluating Typepad and Raio from Userland. Any thoughts on which one I should end up with?