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Think Secret today reported that fusionOne is Apple?s Technology partner for iSync [a href="http://thinksecret.com/news/fusionone.html">Link]. fusionOne made waves a few years ago over the idea of synchronizing all these new electronic devices like PDA?s, cell phones, etc. Since their launch, they remained somewhat silent orienting their technologies to corporations rather than directly to users.

An interesting note is the recent launch of MightyPhone [Link] by fusionOne. One can?t help but notice the pattern taking place here:

It has long been noted that iPhone.org points to Apple.com. Hence the name iPhone has already become popular among Apple Followers.

Apple recently has been pushing it?s Digital Hub concept in a sense that the computer is used to help keep all other devices in sync. For example, the iPod can hold contacts and appointments stored on the computer. Apple has been pushing iSync quite a bit as well in one senses or another.

It has long been rumored that Apple has contracted Pixo, the software developer behind the iPod to make a second device.

Apple has also been rather aggressive with Bluetooth. They have been one of the first to adopt it, and have already included it on a few systems.

It all seems to point to Apple creating a phone that could act as a mobile extension to the Digital Hub. It makes perfect sense. It can be a Bluetooth device, sync with your computer, and PDA, keeping you up to date. Seems like the most logical step. An Apple phone could be somewhat of a hybrid PDA. Perhaps perfect what Handspring attempted.

According to CNET [Link], Microsoft on Thursday will disclose details on the deal to acquire the assets of software maker Connectix. Connectix is the longtime developer of Virtual PC, the leading emulation software for Mac users wishing to run Windows or other x86 based operating systems.

According to the article, Microsoft?s major interest is in ?server virtualization? technologies that Connectix has been developing. Server virtualization allows one physical server to host several partions of operating systems and server software simultaneous. This has been done for some time on other platforms. This could give Windows 2000 an edge in this market.

There is also the underlying issue of Microsoft owning the leading PC emulating software for the Mac OS. Virtual PC has long been the only non-ms owned link to the PC world. Microsoft Office, the other crucial link is also owned by Microsoft (hence the name). This gives Microsoft a more muscle in the strained relationship between Apple and Microsoft, whose agreement has expired some time ago. If Apple doesn?t

Apple recently has been working on becoming independent of Microsoft. The acquisition of Claris gave birth to AppleWorks, which is a cheap alternative to MS Office on Macs, and works good in schools and small businesses that don?t need all the extra?s that Office provides. Apple recently launched Keynote, software for presentations, to compete with PowerPoint. The presentation in AppleWorks has always been a weakpoint. Keynote, while still a little buggy, is already very competitive, and I?m sure will improve as Jobs and company work out the kinks and expand it. Apple has also given birth to Safari, it?s own browser, to remove dependence from Microsoft?s Internet Explorer. And mail.app is included on all Macs to take over where Microsoft?s Outlook Express left off.

The only thing Apple can?t do independently of Microsoft at this point, is provide Windows Emulation. Now Microsoft owns that portion. For now. There is an alternative. Bochs [Link] is an open source emulator that is actually quite fast, though somewhat new to Mac OS X (OS 9 version is in the works according to the website). This project actually has some potential. It can provide the only alternative to Virtual PC, should Microsoft decide to play hardball. If Apple were to work off of the source of Bochs, I think they could create a good alternative, should the need arise. I highly recommend taking a look at the project as Bochs is actually a pretty good product already, though a little primitive as far as the interface/usability goes. But those are Apple?s strong points.

To be fair, Microsoft claims it will continue Virtual PC, and who knows, maybe that?s their intent. To gain some technology, and ensure proper integration between virtual hardware and the OS. But it?s hard to overlook the business aspect of this all.

The wise Steve Jobs once defined the following:

Floppy + Year 2000 = Useless = pointless = waste = unnecessary

This was first evident when the iMac G3 was released.. The iMac G3 didn?t even ship with a CD-RW at first. Not everyone bought a floppy drive. Many realized it was a unnecessary device. Despite criticism many learned to live well without a floppy drive. Finally Dell as decided to do the same. I bit the bullet in Jan of 99 and got a B&W G3 without a floppy drive. I had a DVD-ROM drive and a Zip drive. Not to mention the Internet, as well as iTools. Despite popular belief, I personally didn?t miss the floppy drive for a minute. Macs worked very well with a floppy drive.

Recently I purchased a IBM Thinkpad A31 for use at School. It?s a really a PC based school, so Macs weren?t an option unfortunately. A floppy drive wasn?t included on this computer either, but could be added to it. I decided after some hesitation to get the drive, ?just in case?. Fortunately for me. Many classes require I turn in my work on a Floppy disk, for various reasons, including plagiarism checks. Sadly, it?s really not needed. Most are filled with less than 100Kb of data. Which could easily be emailed or uploaded. Why my school isn?t pushing professors to use such systems is still beyond me.

What I really wonder is why it?s taken the PC industry so far to get rid of Floppy drives. These days 1.4 MB isn?t much. We either produce tiny text files, or giant files. Small files can be emailed; larger files need CD-R?s or Zip Disks. Floppy drives are also excessively slow. It takes ages just to write 1.4 MB?s to the disk. They are also very fragile. Anyone who works with computers knows how notorious they are for breaking on us. They constantly have problems. Zip Disks at least have a thinker plastic case, and have a case to hold them. CD-R?s also are kept in cases. Solid State storage such as USB storage devices are tiny enough to fit on a keychain, and can hold 128 MB +. They make a great alternative. Devices such as the Sony Clie and Apple iPod can be used as a portable hard drive if needed.

Why network storage and email isn?t the preferred method of transferring data is just amazing. With the vast usage of networks, and email, it seems to be the logical choice.

Dell still isn?t a leader, Apple showed them the way years ago. But Dell is at least smart enough to realize when a good theory is published and tested, that it may be the way to go.

Hopefully this movement will now take off. Floppies are the way of the past. Lets retire them with punchcards.