I've just come from the "IBM LotusSphere comes to You" Presentations in Sydney.
It was a refreshing change from the last few years. Nobody used the word "workspace". Yay!
IBM committed to working harder on publicity but one thing irks me... Given that the event was free of charge, why didn't they take out a huge advertisement in the SMH or on some bulletin boards around Sydney.
It seems to me that the event was designed mainly to keep existing customers, rather than stir up new interest in the community.
There were a lot of interesting things there, but my greatest interest was on Notes 8. I've heard lots about it, and watched some demonstrations when it was Hannover but it was interesting to see some of the new features in action...
- Built-in Word Processor, Spreadsheet and Presentations all capable of Reading/Writing MS Office, Open Document Format (and several other formats too).
- Built-in 99% compatible web browser (or you can tell it to use Explorer or Firefox)
- Built-in RSS Feed Reader and Publisher
- Built-in access to Google Desktop (search Notes, Files & Web from Notes)
- The ability to "DOCK" any of those Google applets from the customized home page into Notes. (at least, that's what it looks like).
There was a lot more, but I don't have time to report everything.
One important thing to rememember is that it runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and a bunch of other systems with exactly the same features and the same look and feel.
Pretty impressive
I was thinking that if I had all of these things, I'd have hardly any reason to use any other software on my PC at work. (Home is a different matter - games, photoshop, video editing, MP3 playing etc).
There'd be absolutely no reason to stay on Windows at work - I'd be free to choose the most stable and secure operating system - whatever that is. (I don't know what it is, but I know it probably isn't Windows).
Poor Microsoft... I guess it should have occurred to them that if you keep kicking your customers, they'll eventually pack up and leave.
It was a refreshing change from the last few years. Nobody used the word "workspace". Yay!
IBM committed to working harder on publicity but one thing irks me... Given that the event was free of charge, why didn't they take out a huge advertisement in the SMH or on some bulletin boards around Sydney.
It seems to me that the event was designed mainly to keep existing customers, rather than stir up new interest in the community.
There were a lot of interesting things there, but my greatest interest was on Notes 8. I've heard lots about it, and watched some demonstrations when it was Hannover but it was interesting to see some of the new features in action...
- Built-in Word Processor, Spreadsheet and Presentations all capable of Reading/Writing MS Office, Open Document Format (and several other formats too).
- Built-in 99% compatible web browser (or you can tell it to use Explorer or Firefox)
- Built-in RSS Feed Reader and Publisher
- Built-in access to Google Desktop (search Notes, Files & Web from Notes)
- The ability to "DOCK" any of those Google applets from the customized home page into Notes. (at least, that's what it looks like).
There was a lot more, but I don't have time to report everything.
One important thing to rememember is that it runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and a bunch of other systems with exactly the same features and the same look and feel.
Pretty impressive
I was thinking that if I had all of these things, I'd have hardly any reason to use any other software on my PC at work. (Home is a different matter - games, photoshop, video editing, MP3 playing etc).
There'd be absolutely no reason to stay on Windows at work - I'd be free to choose the most stable and secure operating system - whatever that is. (I don't know what it is, but I know it probably isn't Windows).
Poor Microsoft... I guess it should have occurred to them that if you keep kicking your customers, they'll eventually pack up and leave.
Comments
My guess is that they need a good marketing manager to get general public interested in their product.
I am thinking of switching over for home use.
openSUSE 10.2 can be purchased for $77
Everythin that I would need in one box.
If their email client is simplified Lotus Notes I am there :-)