It is still a bloody market, with IT vendors and their partners terribly exposed to the sector’s whims and foul mood. But there are signs that matters might finally be turning for the better. And for the rest of us, especially those who live from paycheck to paychek like we do, any good news about the economy, no matter how insignificant they might be, would go a long way toward reassuring us that the world is not going to end. At least, not yet.

So we receive with as much joy as we could muster the news that market research firm IDC has reported that x86 processor shipments grew by 10 percent in the second quarter of 2009 from that of the previous quarter. IDC, in its assessment of the x86 chip market, said that Intel grabbed a much bigger market share compared with that of rival and perennial second placer AMD.

Increase in shipments of Intel’s Atom processor, which powers most of today’s mininotebooks, or netbooks, helped greatly in the chip vendor’s retention of the microprocessor market dominance.

Microsoft Does Retail

Microsoft has reportedly filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office a proposed logo for its planned retail stores. The July 28 filing of the logo, which media reports say closely resembles the company’s official logo, signals Microsoft’s plan to compete directly with Apple in the retail space.

And if anybody still has doubts about the software giant’s intention, newspaper reports that one of the planned retail outlets occupies the same California mall would promptly dispels such uncertainty faster than you could say “Bing.”

Netbook by Any Other Name

Too proud to accept your mistake? Then do it like Apple does.

Consistently, Apple and its executives have said they had no plans of releasing a netbook product or something similar. Well, lo and behold. After the economy went south of the border, way far to the south, the world’s coolest IT company had to admit to itself that it would be foolish to totally ignore the netbook market.

But Apple executives could not just do a public turnaround and admit they were wrong about the netbook, for which many of them had shown public disdain. Nope. Saying they were wrong about the market segment would entail losing too much face.

So what did Apple executives do? They announced (or leaked) plans to release to the market a tablet PC early next year. Equipped with features similar to those of the Mac-disdained netbooks, the Mac tablet PC will also be priced much lower than its full-bodied desktop and laptop siblings.

Yes, Apple will not release a netbook. Instead, the company has its tablet PC. And it is not a netbook.
Of course, Sony’s Vaio P is not a netbook, too.

Personal

The Saint Augustine Major Seminary in Tagaytay City will celebrate its 40th anniversary on August 28, 2009. All alumni, both priests and those who chose another vocation, are cordially invited to participate, join, partake, and be one with their former seminary brothers and formators in that glorious date. Ang hindi umattend, pangit!