The VAR Guy

The cartoon above pretty much summarizes how badly Microsoft’s marketing team botched the positioning of Windows Vista. As The VAR Guy has stated, there are 10 Reasons Why Windows Vista hasn’t been a hit. Reason Number 1: Too many versions of Vista.

The Mac isn’t for business. Or is it? The VAR Guy runs his business on a Mac. And apparently, Apple realizes small business owners and entrepreneurs deserve some attention. That’s why Apple has quietly launched “Mac for Business” educational seminars. Here’s the scoop, from The VAR Guy.

How’s this for ironic: Microsoft is actually spending some sponsorship dollars here at OSCON (Open Source Conference) 2008, but Apple is stealing the show — without spending a dime. Here’s how.

One innovation is easy. But sustainable innovation — building lots of worthwhile new things again and again, even as you maintain your old products — is challenging. The VAR Guy wonders: Is open source the key to sustainable tech innovation? Is open source the best way to keep a maturing company feeling vibrant and young? Before you answer, consider some of these scenarios.

Matt Asay, author of The Open  Road blog, is telling the world how Macs are replacing PCs at corporate meetings. But that’s not all, Asay notes. Check out this photo from the Missouri School of Journalism. Look at all those Macs. The Kids Are All Right! So, what does all this mean for Microsoft?

BusinessWeek and some Web articles are speculating about Apple’s future in the business market. Is Apple finally ready to “push” deeper into business? That question may be moot. Fact is, Apple is creating business “pull” rather than business “push.” Here’s what The VAR Guy means.

Be careful of what you ask for. A small company in Miami has launched a $399 Mac compatible computer, and the firm’s Web site apparently wasn’t prepared for all of the traffic that such an offer could potentially produce.

So, you’re about to launch a business. Or perhaps you’re a solutions provider that’s helping an entrepreneur to get a business off the ground. Here are seven IT tools The VAR Guy would recommend for that fledgling business.