InformationWeek
Defining The Business Value Of Technology
December 20/27, 1999
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Hardware Renaissance
wo product lines that were introduced earlier in the '90s really took hold in 1999.Most users would love a lightweight desktop companion that would let them keep up-to-date with E-mail, scheduling, and note-taking. But only in the past year or so did the Palm Pilot III stake a claim to a design that worked. The Palm Pilot succeeded by finally striking the right combination of size, ample battery life, integration with desktop applications, and an interface that mere mortals could follow. Particularly surprising was the acceptance of the Palm OS despite Microsoft's push for Windows CE. The Palm OS took the lead thanks to its ease of use and navigation in a form that just doesn't lend itself to a traditional Windows metaphor. While the new Palm systems, the Palm V and Internet-capable Palm VII, haven't seized the market to the same degree, they've fleshed out this popular line of personal digital assistants with more features and the familiar form factor and operating system that made the Palm III the darling of personal organizers.
Apple Computer enjoyed a revitalization, thanks in part to a color scheme. The iMac, introduced in mid-1998, took off shortly after Steve Jobs' reintroduction of the line at MacExpo at the beginning of the year. The subsequent buzz breathed new life into the struggling computer maker. And while Apple PCs won't make major inroads in corporate America, there have always been niches within most companies in which Macs make sense. With a renewed commitment from Microsoft for application support and a complete remake of its three main product lines, including the business-class G4, Apple's future as an alternative to Wintel's dominion seems assured.
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