David Coursey

As you might have noticed, I am a proponent of anything that gives customers more control over how they spend their money. For example, I think customers should not make huge upfront payments for what amount to software science fair projects. Nor do I believe most companies need as much tricked-out custom software as vendors […]

Larry Ellison has been called many things, some of them not repeatable here. But this year hes being called something new: Hes The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. At least thats what folks at PeopleSoft must be thinking as they wonder whether to buy holiday presents or start printing resumes. Yes, they should have seen it […]

Am I the only person who wasnt knocked senseless by Googles announcement that it plans to put five major libraries online? To read the headlines, youd think Google was making an incredible amount of really useful information available for free. But as so often happens, the large print giveth and the small print taketh away. […]

Its always amazing to me the number of people at Microsoft who are working in a come-from-behind situation. To outsiders, its easy to focus on Microsofts big wins: operating systems and desktop applications. But inside Microsoft, its the new initiatives that take center stage, and this is where Microsoft as often as not has its […]

IBMs sale of its PC division to Lenovo may be a good deal for shareholders, but I dont see customers cheering. /zimages/3/28571.gifClick here to read more about IBMs sale of its PC division to Lenovo. In jettisoning the low-margin personal computer biz, IBM spruces up its balance sheet but also shows longtime customers they are […]

PalmSource, the mobile OS company, on Wednesday announced its acquisition of China MobileSoft, which it described as one of Chinas leading suppliers of operating systems and apps for cellular handsets. This is a stellar deal for PalmSource because it opens markets that the company had been unable to crack while reversing PalmSources potential for a […]

Ask people about digital rights management and most will offer an opinion regarding the rights and wrongs of peer-to-peer file swapping. But ask Microsoft and youre more likely to hear about their plan to protect corporate documents, intranets and e-mail using technology that sits atop Windows Server 2003. While Microsoft doesnt seem to have a […]

I hate to seem dense or out of the loop, but for the life of me I cant think of many really useful applications for the located-based encryption technology being touted by Steve Wozniaks company. It does, however, help me understand why the Apple co-founder is known as “the other Steve,” the one who had […]

When you think about enterprise software, Adobe Systems is probably not the first company you think of. But during 2005, the company best known for PhotoShop and Illustrator is hoping the change that. Of course, if Microsoft were really watching closely, Adobe might find itself with a serious challenger. Adobe is trying to turn its […]

Of the top 10 PC manufacturers, which three will be gone in 2007? Gartner says tougher times lay ahead for PC vendors and that three of the top players are likely to be squeezed out of business by lower profits and slumping sales. But Gartner wont say which three will be gone. An Associated Press […]

Advertising banners commonly offer “something special” to customers, usually in the form of lower prices or better service. But over the weekend, some popular Web sites delivered something completely unexpected with their advertising banners: a piece of malware. The attack on a load balancing server at Germanys Falk eSolutions caused the Bofra/IFrame exploit, a variant […]

If Microsoft can sell a less-expensive version of Windows XP in the developing world, why cant Americans buy it too? What have Thailand, Malaysia and Russia done to help Microsoft become the company it is today? Americans and Europeans have long been subsidizing Microsofts global adventures, so if theres a better deal out there, dont […]