Microsoft Office 365 -

Taken from: 

http://www.cio.com/article/714948/Office_365_Earns_High_Marks_in_Education_Struggles_in_Enterprise

With the push for 'Cloud Computing" - why not have almost everything you need in the cloud?  Microsoft thinks so with Office 365.  With your computing device, you can log on to the Microsoft cloud and use Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc. etc. just as if they were on your computer.  (Talk about 'thin client'!!!).  Store your files on the Microsoft cloud and go from there.

The article indicates that higher education (i.e. college) has adopted Office 365 (and why not - students on the go - maybe even using tablet / iPads - and need to write a paper, do an analysis create a slide show - and can get there from almost any device.

But, for the Enterprise, (i.e. major corporate businesses), the move has not been overwhelming.  There might be a distrust for the cloud (and privacy, data protections); as well as not having programs on you own devices.  

My guess is - within a few years (5 to 10?) the standard will be something like Microsoft 365 (or ... (gasp) Google office) - and computers as we know them, will become almost dumb terminals!!!  (again)

SONY with a new tablet!!!

Taken from:

http://www.cio.com/article/715023/Sony_Introduces_New_Xperia_Phones_Tablet

Just when I thought the tablet market was going to come down to the iPad (Apple), Nook (Barnes and Noble), Kindle (Amazon), Surface (Microsoft), Galaxy(Google), [and ... maybe a few others] comes this announcement - SONY wants in the game.  

"Sony is an extraordinary company going through difficult times and that forces us to make difficult decisions," Kaz Hirai, CEO of Sony, said during a news conference. "I am determined to do that with a laser-like focus."

The first tablet to carry the Xperia brand name will be the Xperia Tablet S. The tablet, called "the next phase of tablet evolution" by Hirai, is thinner and lighter than previous models and has a splash-proof case.

The Xperia T has a 4.6-inch display and 13-megapixel camera. It will be promoted through a tie in with the upcoming James Bond movie, which is being made by Sony Pictures.

So, if James Bond can use the SONY phone - and the SONY tablet - who am I to question SONY's direction!!!

A $200 Microsoft Surface Tablet???

Taken from: http://blogs.cio.com/hardware/17325/windows-rt-surface-tablet-200-too-good-be-true?source=CIONLE_nlt_insider_2012-08-20_default

A $200 Microsoft Surface tablet???  That is the premise of this article.  Can it be???  Sure there are rumors - but the reality is that Microsoft couldn't make any money on a $200 tablet.  Amazon and Barnes and Nobel can lose money on their tablets - but make it up by selling books and more for the tablet.  The article suggests that it should cost Microsoft about $226 to make the device - and that selling it for $200 would also hurt relationships with the tablet makers that will be using the new Microsoft 8 Operating Systems.

So ... if you can get a $200 Microsoft Surface tablet - be surprised!!!