Apple knows how to market!

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Posted on 27th January 2010 by Tony in Business Advice

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I have been using my Apple Macbook since 2007 and I absolutely love it. I’m one of those Apple Zealots that insist that everyone needs to use an Apple. This is mainly because it means that I would have to deal less with people who have problems with their PCs.

And because I’m a total Poodle, I love toys and gadgets and things that are shiny.

So for the last few months there has been a lot of talk about the Apple Tablet, or what the blogosphere is calling the iSlate – it’s supposed to be Apple’s new innovation.

And you can’t believe how many people are already saving up for a product that doesn’t even exist yet! They don’t even know what it’s called – they just want one. Sometimes I think Apple must embed drugs into the plastic of their goodies, that makes users totally addicted to their product. But I cannot think of any other company that has such a loyal following. Not even Google’s Android phone drummed up as much excitement.

Most Microsoft/PC users are stuck in it because they insist on the price. Some people I know refuse to use Apple because they don’t want to be Evangelists.

I’m still not sure about my feelings on the iSlate. While I think the iPhone is an awesome piece of technology, I’m not sure of my feelings of an expanded version posing as a tablet. The PC-Tablets were, in my opinion, a complete flop. They were highly overpriced and very buggy. Sure, technology has moved along nicely and Apple is sure to surprise, but I’ll reserve judgement on the product.

What does intrigue me is the position that apple has found itself in. Since the launch of the iPod it has such a loyal following and every blog will talk about them. Who needs FTC regulations, right? I think everyone should want to be in that position!

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VOIP for small business.

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Posted on 15th January 2010 by Tony in Business Advice

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I’ve been using Voice-over-IP (VOIP) for a few years already. Skype has become an integral part of my business especially since I have quite a lot of clients in the UK. I registered for skype-pro and can now call all UK landlines for free. Not bad. The quality of course is a little jittery and I always imagine I’m calling Mars because of all the cosmic delays.

In South Africa there has been a lot of talk about VOX and two days ago I finally decided to go ahead and order myself a VOX account. At R49/month it’s about twice the rate of skype pro and the phone calls are not much cheaper than a telkom landline.

Another downside is the fact that I have to use the VOX router. I would have preferred a stand-alone unit that connects via wifi to my router.

What I do like is the fact that I get paid 20c/minute for calls I receive and the fact that my 087 number is movable. Of course people are wary of 087 … those infamous Telkom Sex-Lines from years ago. We’ll have to see how well the line performs.

I’ll keep you posted to see if it’s worth all the fuss being made.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Two Magazines in One Month!

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Posted on 11th January 2010 by Tony in Random

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OK, another totally selfish brag-fest: I am on page 28 of the SA Guide to Business Opportunities (Dec/Jan issue). I only found out on Sunday, so I’m really chuffed at the exciting news.

In the article I share how I helped a hair-salon go from ordinary to extra-ordinary … :-)

Pick up a copy!

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