I have been growing with Windows, from Windows 3.1, which I had on my first personal computer back in the '93. To me it meant the computer itself. And didn't even know what the Microsoft Corporation was. Windows was the name and the logo, and Internet Explorer, Word and Excel elements of it, part of my PC.
Growing, I followed all the new release of this OS, rather buying it, till I have started buying laptop in which those software are sold in a bundle. I didn't gave to MSFT a lot of money compared to +17years of heavy usage.
As me many of my friends acted. On eMule I always found what i was looking for, each new Software releases was and is at my disposal just days after the launch. I have also tried Ubuntu 9.10 as a OS and found it interesting, but not so simple. I have read very good thing on the release 10, more user friendly. That is the Windows strong point.
So even with the Windows Genuine Advantage i don’t think the normal user’s market will be so profitable for the Corporation. Microsoft Windows for Corporate for sure is different, it has been profitable.

Maybe Office is different. I will later on my career be able to pay for the Office Packet, which competitors like Open office are not ready to substitute in my dream software’s portfolio, so far. Office it’s a must, but still its costs over 200€, too much for a student paying for it.
I’m nicely using right now Office 2010 in Beta release for free, and I’m very happy about it. It has all the good things that the 2007 propose, plus something new like outlook aligned graphically to others software.

I think that the main market and profit for Microsoft will come on the Office Packet, but I haven’t done any research as Prof Dans said. We’ll see if tomorrow I will change my mind.

Settled! Now let's work on 4Square

Thoughts on 4Square business Model:

Found really interesting a comment posted last 5 Aug from one of the founders, on their business model just a couple of months after their launch , it's exactly what I admire of their idea:

"There are a ton of branding and marketing opportunities and we’re approached by people all the time — sponsored badges, sponsored mayorships, etc.,” Crowley told me. “What [co-founder] Naveen [Selvadurai] and I feel really good about is building two things at once — things that make it easier/more fun for our users explore the city (tips, finding friends, badges) and things that make it easier for venues to reach out to their most loyal/vocal/early-adopter users. For example, it would cost $5 for a restaurant to give my brother a free dessert for being mayor, but with Foursquare linked to Twitter (read word-of-mouth), that $5 could go a long way towards driving people to that venue. The local ad market has long been underserved — and that means one thing to a lot of companies (e.g., finding nearby doctors and dentists and lawyers and lawn care, etc.) but something different to us (cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars)." link

I believe that the small local grocery store is one of the most valuable hidden spot we must preserve. and they are threatened by all of these Mall and Commercial Centers. I hate that.
In my home city, there you can find the most precious, traditional, home made raw ingredient for our Granmother's recipies. Everything that can help those small niche market to rose, it's welcomed here.
4 Square is a good way for this. You can get and share information of really good products sold somewhere in your city, and on the other hand the little unknow store has a powerful tool to really unveil the quality of their goods, service, rarities.

And the fidelity part driven by all the badge, mayors, titles that you can obtain is a fantastic way to boost the application and their benefit to the next level, encouraging the usage of 4Sq.

If you have to pay for these services with a small amount of time and a bit of privacy, i may say quoting Machiavelli that " il fine giustifica i mezzi (The end justifies the means)"

Here we go!

Happy day !

4 days to go...
Some emotions are coming...
And some last days's problems too.

Fortunately here at IE we are keep well occupied by professors...

Ah at least i found i'm not the only one.
Congrats Abdul Rifai

8 Days... tonight i will fly to Rome to have my try in church...
probably will be the first stronmg emotion...

concerning the Informative systems hope you can translate this article from italian Newspaper,
I explain an research where internet is prooved to make us more angry. check it out.

http://www.corriere.it/cronache/10_maggio_07/rodota_ba45d082-59b3-11df-8cbf-00144f02aabe.shtml

Really nice days

Here translated with google Translate: here

Ok short premise:
Next upcoming 15th of May i will get married. Most of you already know that.
But this amazing first days here an the Imba are not making me think about that, at all.
I don't understand if is a good or bad thing.
I spent 2 month organizing it, so almost everything should be fine, but i'm not worried at all.
My future wife is in Rome organizing the very last things and she's getting mad.

seems that I'm a lucky guy.

10 days to go...
Happy days.