GEEKNOTE: I was actually better than even on my 2012 predictions (1/2/12):
1. eBooks - Yep. Big sellers.
2. Switch from Desktops to Notebooks. - Yep. Notebooks have sold well, but so have desktops.
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3. Apple & Tablets - Yep. The iPAD continues to be the 500 pound gorilla in this segment. The Windows 8 Surface failed to change that, probably because Microsoft chose to release it via limited stores and they only released the crippled "RT" version.
4. The bad guys are winning - Yep. Most recently the FBI extortion scheme.
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5. The cloud will continue to be the next big thing - Yep. The Netflix outage in December being the most recent example of why the cloud is still not quite reliable enough.
6. Things will get better this year - Mixed. The D's and R's in Washington proved that they hadn't learned anything as they guided us toward the fiscal cliff at the end of 2012. On a brighter note, I see changes happening in New Port Richey that prove that the future is bright, at least locally.
I'll keep my 2013 predictions short:
1. Windows 8 will finally gain some traction once Microsoft releases a Windows 8 Pro version of the Surface and the other tablet manufacturers get Windows 8 tablets into the market.
2. Microsoft will release an "official" start button for Windows 8.
3. In spite of both of the above, Apple will continue to dominate the tablet market.
4. The bad guys will start attacking Apple targets on a regular basis.
5. Windows 7 will continue to dominate the business desktop.
6. New Port Richey will get multiple tenants into the Hacienda and turn it into a visitor welcome center.
We'll check back next year and see how I did this time.
As always, feel free to drop me a note or give me a call if you have any questions about your computer or the Internet.
Rob Marlowe, Senior Geek, Gulfcoast Networking, Inc.
http://www.gulfcoastnetworking.com
(Rob also serves as deputy mayor of the City of New Port Richey. Opinions expressed here are his own and do not necessarily represent the position of the city.)
