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The Borg Collective Embraces Bill Gates

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A Proof of Nerd ID by Brian Viehland

Apple is the Borg…  and I’m OK with my assimilation so far.

Although I have not switched to a Mac due to the limited availability of some of the software I must use for my business, I have dumped my Windows Mobile smart phone, gone through a short stint with a Palm device, and have landed on the new 3G i-Phone by Apple.

This is by far the coolest portable device I have ever had. Although there are a few obviously missing functions for those of us who are business users (tasks don’t sync, and you can’t accept appointments), the best argument of why Apple isn’t ready for business users comes from the Apple store itself.

The Apple store, if you haven’t been in one, is far from a standard shopping environment – it is a retail experience.  Not only is it hands-on and over-staffed with hand-picked nerdy youth, but it also has this great checkout system: most of the employees carry a small hand held device that can scan your items, swipe your credit card, and email you the receipt!

How awesome is that?!

No waiting in long lines – no idiot writing checks in front of you or counting out change – just swipe and go! Awesome, right?   This is obviously the future of shopping and Apple was so on top of their game when they developed this business model.

As I checked out, thinking how awesome this whole experience was and how Apple was clearly advancing in the business world and how this was the example I needed to convince me that Apple was really ready to fight the big fight against Microsoft, I noticed it: The Mark Of The Devil.  It was subtle, gray on black.  It was small, less than one inch across.  But it was there, staring at me from the back of that cool hand-held checkout that had so amazed me a moment before.   “Powered by Windows”