Hope In Cincinnati

I'm about ready to give up on my two favorite sports franchises. Neither the Cincinnati Bengals nor the Cincinnati Reds have enjoyed much success lately.

What, with the Bengals suffering a decade of losing seasons and the Reds trying to match that record, I admit I was losing faith. But, that's what sports are supposed to be about, right? You stick with your team, even when they, uh, aren't very good.

Well, I know a lot about that.

But today there was some good news out of Cincinnati. The team's going to keep Adam Dunn, one of the only bright spots in the entire Reds' lineup.

Could this be a start of a turn around?

Probably not, but I'm hopeful.

Apple Market Share Coming On Strong

Several people once told me Apple's market share would never again surpass 5 percent. After purchasing a MacBook a few years ago, though, I became skeptical of such predictions.

Apple's done a wonderful job building revolutionary personal music players, industry-changing telephones and superior computer systems that are easy to use, reliable and secure. And, the company is reaping the benefits.

According to Gartner, Apple now owns 8 percent market share. More importantly, Apple computer sales are outpacing the worldwide 15 percent growth rate the rest of the industry is experiencing.

Is 20 percent market share realistic for Apple? While it'd be quite a feat (and trounce Microsoft's paltry Windows Vista presence), Apple's almost there already.

NPD Group reports Apple's US retail notebook share constituted 17.6 percent of the market in June. That's an increase of 2.2 percent over the same period last year, so discard any thoughts Apple's riding a mini-wave of popularity.

No, Apple sales are enjoying a prolonged resurgence. Apple's now the third largest US computer maker behind only Dell and HP (that according to NPD Group).

The company's growth is driven by cool products that work well. Further, customers rank Apple the highest of all computer manufacturers when it comes to service and support. PC Magazine recently published the results of its 20th annual survey that used feedback from some 16,000 readers.

How'd Apple do? The company's desktop and laptop computers scored the first-place rating in every one of the survey's eight categories! That's outright dominance.

All Desktops? Apple ran away with a 9.1 ranking. Business desktops? Again, Apple ran away with a 9.0 ranking, just as it did with home desktops (9.2), desktops less than a year old (9.2), all notebooks (9.1), business notebooks (8.9), home notebooks (9.2) and notebooks less than a year old (9.3).

Apple's growth and resurgence isn't being driven by smoke and mirrors. Its increases in market share are powered by quality products and outstanding service. The last time I checked, that's a pretty potent business mix.

Windows Vista Sales Yet To Reach Basement?

How bad are Windows Vista sales?

Available for almost a year now to Software Assurance users, Sunbelt Software estimates Windows Vista claims just 0.32 percent market share among businesses. That's just slightly more than the 10-year old Windows 98!

The winner in Sunbelt Software's test? Windows XP claimed 82.91 percent of the business market. No surprise there; Windows XP's finally gotten its kinks out and serves as a fairly stable platform.

Meanwhile, Windows Vista sales have proven so lackluster, and incompatibility reports have been so prominent, that some analysts suggest Microsoft needs to release Windows Vista Service Pack 1 as a freshly renamed and different operating system. I don't know if I'd go that far, but I will say this; Vista's incompatibilities and authentication and security differences fairly complicate computing. Few businesses I know are up to the challenge; they'll continue plodding along happily with Windows XP boxes, which overwhelming continue to be the preference of all the small businesses with which I meet.

Cards Ranked Sixth In Coaches' Poll!

No, we're not talking football. In the first ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll for the 2007-2008 NCAA Men's Basketball season, Louisville's a solid top-10 pick. Sitting at number six, the Cards are in good company, with North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis, Kansas and Georgetown rounding out the top five.

Good Teams Overcome Bad Calls

The great John L. Smith once repeated the oft-quoted phrase "Good teams overcome bad calls." He was correct.

That's why the University of Louisville football team is right not to blame horrendous officiating for its loss to the University of Connecticut Friday night. The Cardinals lost because its offense, for the first time in a long time, misfired.

Kudos to new Coach Steve Kragthorpe for taking the high road. Even though Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese admits officials blew a fair catch call that proved the deciding factor in the game's outcome, Kragthorpe avoided the easy way out. If only everyone performed with such integrity.

Now, accustomed to losing (neither the NCAA Cardinals nor the NFL Cincinnati Bengals are doing much winning this year), I'd rather lose games playing with honor and pride than win a matchup using a cheap, bush-league stunt like that employed by Connecticut's Larry Taylor to squeak out a cowardly victory.

Writers Deserve To Get Paid

For far too long the pretty mugs that bring scripts to life have won most all the attention in Hollywood. The fact is, the attractive talking heads wouldn't have anything to perform if it weren't for the writers that produce those scripts.

Soon the Writers Guild Of America may strike. At issue is the paltry sum writers receive from the millions of DVDs sold soon after a movie leaves theaters. The last time writers struck (1988), the interruption lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry some $500 million.

Here's hoping Hollywood wisens up and decides to throw a few more bones the writers' way. After all, if it weren't for writers, there would be no Hollywood.

Reds To Introduce Baker As Manager

The Cincinnati Reds' problems don't start with the manager. Seven straight losing seasons weren't due to a bad hit-and-run decision here or poor leadership there. Seven straight years of futility are due to the organization's inability to develop or recruit effective pitching. That's not something even Dusty Baker will be able to remedy.

Worse, if Baker couldn't win it all with the crews he headed at San Francisco and Chicago, it's doubtful he'll be able to win much beyond .500 with the mundane staff of fading middle relievers the Reds field as a starting rotation. But here's hoping he does!

Walt Disney World Impressions

Just returned from a five-day stay at Orlando's Walt Disney World. While I know many folks love to experience the Disney "Magic," I found myself impressed more by the vast control the Walt Disney Company so subconsciously wields. Within the park (including the Disney-owned hotel at which we stayed), the company is incredibly careful to market only its characters, properties and licenses.

For example, take the cable television in the hotel room. ABC's there, you bet (Disney owns ABC). So is ESPN (again, owned by Disney). Multiple Disney channels fill the dial, as makes sense. But where was Nickelodeon? Not there. Where was TBS? Again, not there (much to the ire of some poolside-bar baseball fans seeking to watch baseball playoffs carried by Turner's network).

I'm pretty confident the music that was piped into the landscape rocks was all Disney-owned. Certainly, Disney's bus queues only take you to Disney properties (don't try going to SeaWorld or Universal; you'll need a cab).

My family loves all the Pixar movies (distributed by Disney). And, with the ties to Apple computer technology and Steve Jobs, I was looking forward to picking up a Pixar hat. Silly me. Despite searching each ubiquitous gift shop, there wasn't a single Pixar hat to be found. Of course not, I should have realized (Pixar's not a Disney property).

Commercialism aside, Disney owns and operates special and historic sites. Mickey Mouse (and friends) characters and comics are classic, as are the Pooh and Pixar franchises to which it's licensed rights. Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are wonderful places, and Epcot is equally impressive.

We didn't have time for MGM. As the kids get older we'll likely add that to the itinerary.

Meanwhile, I have a few recommendations for Disney:

1. Get a better Fast Pass algorithm; we found ourselves waiting in a few fairly lengthy lines even when we leveraged the parks' system's Fast Pass technology.
2. Better embrace Pixar and the characters its created.
3. Install hyperbaric chambers in the hotel rooms for adults (Disney proved a more strenuous vacation for me than a mountain biking trip to Moab, Utah).

All joking aside, Disney's a special place. While full of historic characters, famous rides and legendary landmarks, a visit every couple years is more than enough for me.

Check out the family's Disney photos online.