Freebie Texting Shifts the Paradigm

As soon as a company charges for a service, there will be someone out there who will devise a way to get it for less or for free.  It may be an individual and it may be a competitor, but things always change.

Recently on MSN Money I read about the fall in the number of texts with interest. I don't see people's thumbs sitting idly attached to their hands. Fingers and thumbs still fly across phone keypads so, if texting is down, what are those digits doing?

They are texting...for free.  (Read the full article here.)

The number of texts is not down. The quantity from which wireless carriers earn fees is down. Big difference.

A friend of mine is a perfect example. She does not have texting service through her carrier. However she does own an iPhone so she is able to text to friends and associates who also have one. She doesn't do a lot of texting but she has the capability if she wants or needs it.  Apple may know how often she uses the option but AT&T does not.  Plus AT&T gets no benefit from it.

The only way to know if the amount of texting is truly down is to have a count of the number of texts and compare it during specific time frames. Less revenue does not mean there is less communication.  It just means the communication method is changing.  Texting, then tweeting, and then? 

Only one thing is for certain. Whatever comes next must begin with a "T."

MAC vs PC

I’ve been using PCs since 1991 (the technological Stone Age) and the forcible upgrading routine began with that Intel 286. Microsoft created new operating software and the hardware manufacturers developed machines to accommodate it. I bought a new computer every few years when my existing software stopped working because technology had passed it by.

Recently I decided to buy a laptop so I could write anywhere I traveled. The laptop would not replace my desktop PC. It would be an addition.

After reading Consumer Reports, I got recommendations from guru friends before heading to the store. There I was confronted with Vista, the new operating system from Microsoft. Vista is so unpopular that some retailers, for a fee, will remove it and install the old operating system, Windows XP. I also learned that the new version of Word was not compatible with the old version without downloading fixes. Finally, I experienced a hard sell about hiring the retailer to “clean up” the laptop because Vista is a software pig. Without professional tweaking, Vista will use up memory and the new laptop will not run efficiently.

Let me state that I understand Microsoft is a business and businesses are all about making money. Upgrades and new software products are how Microsoft makes its money. My problem lies with the way it does it. A computer comes with the operating system Microsoft decides I must use. That system is so “inefficient” that I must spend additional money to have the retailer “clean it up.”

Previously I would have grudgingly bought a Windows-based laptop and lived with my dissatisfaction. I didn’t do that this year. What made the difference was those amusing commercials from Apple.

As I said in my first post, it’s all about communication. We make choices every day. Hopefully those choices are based on solid information obtained through careful research. Yet what drives us to the research is often an emotional reaction to something that has been communicated to us.

Microsoft conveyed their message. Apple told me something completely different. I heard both companies loud and clear.

I will have a PC as long as my business needs require it. However, as I type this on my MacBook, I can only hope that my communication efforts are as effective those made by Apple.