Did anyone notice that Microsoft had withdrawn its Social Networking Kin phone from sale (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06/30/microsoft_kills_kin_phone/)? Initially this caught me by surprise especially with the popularity of this domain. Social networking is the new email and it success is highlighted by the likes of Facebook and their reported 500+ million users (http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/07/22/facebook-users-500-million.html). On reflection I believe that the Kin phone fell into the same trap and the Microsoft Network seen around 1995/6. Similar to AOL, Microsoft believed that the online future lay within private and managed networks, which people could dial into. The Internet was a no-mans-land of poor regulation and low quality content. As Netscape grew in popularity Microsoft made a u-turn and pushed full speed into the Internet releasing Internet Explorer on the way. The Kin device was targetted at the idea of social networking but not in the flavour that people wanted to buy. A Microsoft view of the social networking world, which many were not willing to subscribe to. Are Microsoft doomed to repeat their past mistakes? The company just doesn’t appear to be able to find the tipping point, which has the public rushing to the stores to purchase their devices. In contrast Apple’s profits were up 78% in Q3 FY10 profits after the release of the iPhone 4.0 (http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/apple-announces-record-q3-2010-revenue-earnings-up-78-percent/7664).
Like Microsoft, Nokia and despite their sizable world-wide market share are playing catch-up. They just brought Motorola (http://www.toptechreviews.net/tech-news/nokia-buys-motorola-wireless-network-for-1-2-billion/), which can only be an attempt to gain a foot hold in the US. Despite owning a 39% share of the mobile space Nokia has slowly lost ground to the new players including Apple and Google. Android based devices are flying out the showroom doors and is slowing gaining market share. Android continues to be a long way off from Apple’s success but they are a force to be reckoned with. Especially as companies like HTC extend the open platform with custom built extensions.
The question that I have found an answer to is what will the future of the Internet be? Email was once the king of the castle but has fallen out of favour with the younger generation. Social Networking is riding high but soon its day will come. And I believe that this will happen sooner than we all think.
Friday, 23 July 2010
Monday, 19 July 2010
Busy, busy, busy
The thing about holding down a full time job is that is does rather interfere with my writing of software for CoderTools. Five or so years ago I head dreamt of handing in my notice and working fulltime on the thing that I loved. And that was writing software, which many people use day in and day out. Unfortunately my lack of business sense has left me wondering how one does get to the pot of gold at the end of the small software house rainbow. To this day TotalEdit costs more to run and the few dollars it generates.
I am currently working on the next version of TotalEdit Pro, which includes a handful of bug fixes and enhancements to features. This work though has left me thinking about what it takes to create a viable piece of software. Something that will generate an income. I began to wonder if TotalEdit is too feature rich leaving those opting for the Pro version few and far between.
Personally I am still looking for that pot of gold and a means to work fulltime on writing good quality software. I have come to the conclusion that I have long past the time when I should have followed a different software path. And it is time for a shake up. Playing around with the price of TotalEdit Pro hasn't helped. Even at $10 the price appears to be too much for most. Is iTunes to blame with the market shifting to a $1 per app culture? But I doubt this is true especially as I have never succeeded in selling TotalEdit in any great number.
Hopefully TotalEdit Pro 5.6 will be out shortly and as always free to any existing license holder.
I am currently working on the next version of TotalEdit Pro, which includes a handful of bug fixes and enhancements to features. This work though has left me thinking about what it takes to create a viable piece of software. Something that will generate an income. I began to wonder if TotalEdit is too feature rich leaving those opting for the Pro version few and far between.
Personally I am still looking for that pot of gold and a means to work fulltime on writing good quality software. I have come to the conclusion that I have long past the time when I should have followed a different software path. And it is time for a shake up. Playing around with the price of TotalEdit Pro hasn't helped. Even at $10 the price appears to be too much for most. Is iTunes to blame with the market shifting to a $1 per app culture? But I doubt this is true especially as I have never succeeded in selling TotalEdit in any great number.
Hopefully TotalEdit Pro 5.6 will be out shortly and as always free to any existing license holder.
Sunday, 25 April 2010
Has Microsoft lost the mobile race?
It happens to the best companies when they reach a size that they become a slow moving target. A point where corporate politics detract from the fast paced world of the startup. During the 10 or so years that Microsoft has been playing around in the mobile market, starting with the iPaq type of device and later the smart phone other companies have managed to corner either the consumer or business markets.
Apple appears to be able to do no wrong with strong sales of the iPhone, which has caught the likes of Microsoft, Blackberry and Nokia off guard. For a long time the latter appeared to flounder in the comfort of their 40 million plus handset sales only to have their devices found wanting. Specifically with regard to Microsoft’s dominance in the office product market and how one would connect Microsoft Exchange to their Nokia device. In contrast the likes of Apple and Blackberry have been able to build on their relationship with Microsoft and offer this type of functionality. It is yet to be seen if the lack of native Exchange support on Google’s Android platform will be a deal breaker for many. But we must not forget just how much market share Nokia owns. It’s a lot and despite the success of the other brands, they all have a long way to go before Nokia steps down from being number one.
What about Microsoft? Windows Mobile 6.5 was at best a cheeky attempt at keeping pace with the user interface and technology advances found on the iPhone and Android. Similarly Nokia eventually dropped Symbian for their flag ship device and opted for a Linux based operating system instead, which oddly enough is what Apple and Google had done from the start. Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 7 is due for release in November 2010 and promises to be a ground breaking consumer device but still I wonder how much market share it will be able to consume?
Apple has something special in that they are seen as cool. A must have accessory rather than a tool. I am doubtful of any other company that would make the same claim. Blackberry is moving along and Google are busy building alliances with as many companies as possible. HTC, Dell to name a few have Android devices in production and development.
In the end I believe that it will be the OEM license fee that will be the proverbial nail in Microsoft’s mobile coffin. Google Android does not command a license fee, and there are various licensing and customisation options available to those who wish to use it on their device. That is to use the operating system as-is or wrap it in a bespoke user interface, which has led many hardware manufacturers to chose it as their platform of choice. The second half of 2010 is going to be a very busy time for Android.
Depending on the available profit margin for mobile type of devices I wonder just how zealous companies will want to adopt the Windows Mobile 7 platform. It isn’t clear what the differentiator is going to be. What is it about the Microsoft platform that warrants the additional cost of the OEM license fee? Just like Apple and Google, Windows Mobile 7 will have an application store. From the software author’s perspective all platforms are relatively easy and free to develop for. The cost of publishing is roughly the same requiring a one off subscription payment of $50 - $100, and then per sale transactions costs are comparable too. No, Microsoft will need to rely on the likes of HP to create a Mobile 7 device that is seen as a must-have accessory and then, just maybe, they will be able to claw back some market share.
Apple appears to be able to do no wrong with strong sales of the iPhone, which has caught the likes of Microsoft, Blackberry and Nokia off guard. For a long time the latter appeared to flounder in the comfort of their 40 million plus handset sales only to have their devices found wanting. Specifically with regard to Microsoft’s dominance in the office product market and how one would connect Microsoft Exchange to their Nokia device. In contrast the likes of Apple and Blackberry have been able to build on their relationship with Microsoft and offer this type of functionality. It is yet to be seen if the lack of native Exchange support on Google’s Android platform will be a deal breaker for many. But we must not forget just how much market share Nokia owns. It’s a lot and despite the success of the other brands, they all have a long way to go before Nokia steps down from being number one.
What about Microsoft? Windows Mobile 6.5 was at best a cheeky attempt at keeping pace with the user interface and technology advances found on the iPhone and Android. Similarly Nokia eventually dropped Symbian for their flag ship device and opted for a Linux based operating system instead, which oddly enough is what Apple and Google had done from the start. Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 7 is due for release in November 2010 and promises to be a ground breaking consumer device but still I wonder how much market share it will be able to consume?
Apple has something special in that they are seen as cool. A must have accessory rather than a tool. I am doubtful of any other company that would make the same claim. Blackberry is moving along and Google are busy building alliances with as many companies as possible. HTC, Dell to name a few have Android devices in production and development.
In the end I believe that it will be the OEM license fee that will be the proverbial nail in Microsoft’s mobile coffin. Google Android does not command a license fee, and there are various licensing and customisation options available to those who wish to use it on their device. That is to use the operating system as-is or wrap it in a bespoke user interface, which has led many hardware manufacturers to chose it as their platform of choice. The second half of 2010 is going to be a very busy time for Android.
Depending on the available profit margin for mobile type of devices I wonder just how zealous companies will want to adopt the Windows Mobile 7 platform. It isn’t clear what the differentiator is going to be. What is it about the Microsoft platform that warrants the additional cost of the OEM license fee? Just like Apple and Google, Windows Mobile 7 will have an application store. From the software author’s perspective all platforms are relatively easy and free to develop for. The cost of publishing is roughly the same requiring a one off subscription payment of $50 - $100, and then per sale transactions costs are comparable too. No, Microsoft will need to rely on the likes of HP to create a Mobile 7 device that is seen as a must-have accessory and then, just maybe, they will be able to claw back some market share.
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
TotalEdit Pro 5.5
I have just uploaded a new version of TotalEdit Pro. There are a handful of new FTP features all designed to help you work. Namely the ability to download and upload multiple files in a single action and also type in the full remote path in order to navigate quickly to a folder.
As always existing license holders can upgrade for free. Just download the installation package and run from your local computer. Please backup your settings first though. A video on backing up your settings is available on our You Tube site at http://www.youtube.com/codertools#p/u/6/w_6QJu-ZpOQ.
Enjoy.
As always existing license holders can upgrade for free. Just download the installation package and run from your local computer. Please backup your settings first though. A video on backing up your settings is available on our You Tube site at http://www.youtube.com/codertools#p/u/6/w_6QJu-ZpOQ.
Enjoy.
The Micro-ISV (Independent Software Vendor)
Five years ago the two of us that started CoderTools thought that we would be in a different place to where we find ourselves today. We had hoped that TotalEdit and our other endeavours would be successful to the point where we could quit the day job and work full-time on the things that we loved. We jumped feet first into what experience has taught us is a very complicated business, that of the Micro-ISV.
Like most people we naively thought creating the product was the most complicated part and did not give enough credence to things like PR, marketing and sales. We knew that they were important but in the words of Dilbert "What I do not understand, must be easy" became our mantra as we gravitated toward the one thing that motivated us, and that was to write good software. The lack of money and understanding of the other roles meant that they were not given the attention that they really needed.
The last five years have been very interesting and expensive especially as CoderTools has been run at a loss. Would we do it all over again? Absolutely but with a number of modifications, which I would like to share to anyone considering on embarking on a similar project.
Before you do anything understand that you are at the start of a very long journey, which will require a number of different skills. This is just something to be aware of as I have met and known quite a few folks that fell in love with the idea of running their own business but didn't appreciate just how hard it is to be your own boss.
Next research your idea to see if there is a market for the product(s) that you will develop. The mistake we made with TotalEdit was that we underestimated the strength of a brand especially with regard to our competitors and the number of downloads they receive each day. We reviewed web sites like CNET's download.com and allowed the reported download figures to influence our decision making. Once you have your idea research as many paths as possible to verify that there is a market for it. Use the Internet, news papers, ask your friends and family or even survey people in the street, anything that will give you feedback.
You will need a business plan, which you should be treated as a living document. That is, continue to review it and make updates as you see fit. Now that you have your idea, write into your plan the steps that you intend to take to achieve it? This process will cost money so what will you spend and when? Will you need to hire anyone? Pay yourself a salary? Outsource any work? And what benchmarks will you use to ensure that everything is going to plan? Most important though and once you have started to sell your product what predictions are you going to put in place that reflect your expected sales? Be cautious with the last piece though as it is all too easy to overestimate and before you know it the spreadsheet reports a lottery winning profit at the end of each month.
Feedback is king. When we first started writing TotalEdit we essentially wrote it for ourselves and our needs, which were not necessarily the same as our customers. Feedback allows you to write software that meets the needs of your customers, which will save you a lot of man-hours in development and testing and keep you from writing functionality that is not required. It is worth noting and something we learnt after we made TotalEdit free is that generally people do not provide feedback on products that cost money. Instead try to find some people who will work with you whilst you develop the product. This isn't as hard as it sounds. For example, let's say that you plan to create a subscription web site that offers a time management service. In this scenario I would pick up the yellow pages and call small to medium sized companies in the local area and identify who would be willing to work on such a project. I would offer free access to the web site for a given length of time in exchange for ongoing feedback and ideas to enhance the product.
The last thing that I will say for now is "little and often". Some people would call this Agile development and for the Micro-ISV this means that you should do time-based releases rather than features ones. That is, create a schedule, which could be a plan to deploy an update once per month. Then create a plan, which will enable you to write the software update, deploy it, get feedback within that timeframe. Give yourself time to analyze feedback before repeating the cycle.
Like most people we naively thought creating the product was the most complicated part and did not give enough credence to things like PR, marketing and sales. We knew that they were important but in the words of Dilbert "What I do not understand, must be easy" became our mantra as we gravitated toward the one thing that motivated us, and that was to write good software. The lack of money and understanding of the other roles meant that they were not given the attention that they really needed.
The last five years have been very interesting and expensive especially as CoderTools has been run at a loss. Would we do it all over again? Absolutely but with a number of modifications, which I would like to share to anyone considering on embarking on a similar project.
Before you do anything understand that you are at the start of a very long journey, which will require a number of different skills. This is just something to be aware of as I have met and known quite a few folks that fell in love with the idea of running their own business but didn't appreciate just how hard it is to be your own boss.
Next research your idea to see if there is a market for the product(s) that you will develop. The mistake we made with TotalEdit was that we underestimated the strength of a brand especially with regard to our competitors and the number of downloads they receive each day. We reviewed web sites like CNET's download.com and allowed the reported download figures to influence our decision making. Once you have your idea research as many paths as possible to verify that there is a market for it. Use the Internet, news papers, ask your friends and family or even survey people in the street, anything that will give you feedback.
You will need a business plan, which you should be treated as a living document. That is, continue to review it and make updates as you see fit. Now that you have your idea, write into your plan the steps that you intend to take to achieve it? This process will cost money so what will you spend and when? Will you need to hire anyone? Pay yourself a salary? Outsource any work? And what benchmarks will you use to ensure that everything is going to plan? Most important though and once you have started to sell your product what predictions are you going to put in place that reflect your expected sales? Be cautious with the last piece though as it is all too easy to overestimate and before you know it the spreadsheet reports a lottery winning profit at the end of each month.
Feedback is king. When we first started writing TotalEdit we essentially wrote it for ourselves and our needs, which were not necessarily the same as our customers. Feedback allows you to write software that meets the needs of your customers, which will save you a lot of man-hours in development and testing and keep you from writing functionality that is not required. It is worth noting and something we learnt after we made TotalEdit free is that generally people do not provide feedback on products that cost money. Instead try to find some people who will work with you whilst you develop the product. This isn't as hard as it sounds. For example, let's say that you plan to create a subscription web site that offers a time management service. In this scenario I would pick up the yellow pages and call small to medium sized companies in the local area and identify who would be willing to work on such a project. I would offer free access to the web site for a given length of time in exchange for ongoing feedback and ideas to enhance the product.
The last thing that I will say for now is "little and often". Some people would call this Agile development and for the Micro-ISV this means that you should do time-based releases rather than features ones. That is, create a schedule, which could be a plan to deploy an update once per month. Then create a plan, which will enable you to write the software update, deploy it, get feedback within that timeframe. Give yourself time to analyze feedback before repeating the cycle.
Monday, 8 March 2010
TotalEdit & TotalEdit Pro v5.4 Released
It is always the case when I release a piece of software. As soon as it is out of the door I find things that I want to change. I am not alone in this and I would like to thank all who gave feedback on the release. I have tried to cater for most people's requests although I still have more to do.
Just like all previous releases anyone with an existing TotalEdit Pro license can upgrade for free. Just download and install the update. If you do not back up your user settings then you will need your license key to unlock the upgrade. Video demonstrations are available on YouTube and the CoderTools.TV link found on the CoderTools web site.
I hope you all enjoy the release, which has been geared toward TotalEdit Pro and includes;
Thank you all for your continued support.
Just like all previous releases anyone with an existing TotalEdit Pro license can upgrade for free. Just download and install the update. If you do not back up your user settings then you will need your license key to unlock the upgrade. Video demonstrations are available on YouTube and the CoderTools.TV link found on the CoderTools web site.
I hope you all enjoy the release, which has been geared toward TotalEdit Pro and includes;
- Word wrap and long line marker now work together
- Reset search history
- Special characters are now included when selecting words. For example the $ will now be automatically highlighted when selecting a variable in Perl
- Support offline editing of Ftp files. E.g. download, edit and then upload by command rather through an automatic process
- Bug fix: XML parser was not coloring documents properly
- Bug fix: New document tabs were not appended to the right
- Bug fix: The editor context menu did not reflect any edits made to it
- Bug fix: Auto complete of HTML and XML attributes was not working properly
- Bug fix: If the same Ftp document was opened twice TotalEdit Pro would report that the file had been externally modified
- Bug fix: System defined Ftp messages would be reported to the user
- Bug fix: Opening an Ftp folder, which required a reconnect would fail
- Bug fix: Previous Ftp server details were persisted between connections
- Bug fix: A popup window would open when Ftp did not know where to download a file
- Bug fix: On connection the Ftp window was not brought to the front of all docked windows
- Bug fix: Column editor was not inserting columns properly
Thank you all for your continued support.
Friday, 29 January 2010
TotalEdit v5.3 USB version now available
Sorry all, for some reason I goofed when uploading the USB version of TotalEdit v5.3 to my download site. There was a typo in the zip file name, which I have now fixed.
I apologize for the inconvienence that this may have caused.
I apologize for the inconvienence that this may have caused.
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