Microsoft is no longer the 600 lb gorilla. Well, it's a 600 lb gorilla, but it's no longer the 600 lb gorilla. There is a new gorilla in town, and it's name is Google.
Google began over 5 years ago, quietly building an infrastructure on which to run apps. These apps (short for applications) are designed for smart phones...your Android phones. You may have even seen a white, compact car with a tripod mounted on top and the Google logo emblazoned on the side. That car was building a remarkable body of photographs. You can use Google maps, put in an address, click on street view and pull up a 360-degree veiw of the address you were looking for. It's amazing. You can "stand" in the middle of the street, turn completely around in a circle and see everything. At least everything happening when the Google camera car came by. There are even stories of someone's grandmother being photographed in her front yard and still visible in Google maps after she had passed on.
There is Google Docs, a complete word processing suite located on Google, that you can use and store on Google. That means no flash drives, no over-priced Microsoft Office suite, no viruses and no dogs eating homework. If you have a connection to the internet, and you actually did the work, it's available.
There is Google drive, with 2 gigs of storage, so you can upload documents to your flash drive in the sky. And you can make a shortcut to your Google drive on your desktop.
And it's all free.
Google is eating Microsoft's lunch and Microsoft doesn't like it.
Microsoft is missing all the cash coming in. So what is Microsoft doing to feed it's addiction to cash? Let's stop supporting Windows XP and force everyone to buy Windows 8. The problem is most, if not all ATM machines run on Windows XP.
Now we are hearing of all these security breaches in banks, Target, Home Depot and places we all shop, My debit card has been replaced by my bank, thanks to the breach at Home Depot.
A friend lost her entire paycheck, thanks to the security holes in Windows XP that Microsoft is no longer finding and plugging. I'm wondering when someone (like Eric Holder..oh wait...he quit.) is going to file a class action suit to hold Microsoft responsible for all these security breaches on ATM machines.
In the meanwhile, get a reloadable Green Dot Visa card from CVS or Wal-Mart and use that if you shop online. That way, your loses will be limited to $200.00 and your spending will be limited to $200.00. Go to the cash register and buy a money pack and load the Visa card using the money pack instead of direct access to your banking account. It's a pain, but you'll sleep better at night.
Microsoft has abandoned millions of loyal customers and some who didn't even know they were customers. It's a jungle out there. Just because you are in your home or at work doesn't make it any less dangerous.
Peace
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