AOL Money & Finance Hot Sheet Lists also Feature Cupertino's CEO
| by Joe Leo, Columnist |
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On the list of "Money Winners of 2007"--now speaking of Microsoft on the page before this--at No. 1 on the list is, ironically, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim. The man that would take the title of richest man in the world away from former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. Why is it ironic? Slim invested billions in CompUSA when it was at its prime. Now CompUSA is... slim to none.
At number one on our list, but No. 6 on theirs, is none other than our own chief Steve Jobs (no, not Hildreth, editor-in-chief!). To quote AOL directly, "No one has more influence over a wide array of businesses today than Jobs, according to Fortune [magazine] which recently named him as the most powerful person in business."
Which leads us to mentioning No. 19 on the list, almost dead last, with Hewlett-Packard's CEO, Mark Hurd. The only reason we mention it is because of a relatively little-known fact in the Mac world. (Well, if you're a die-hard Apple aficionado, then you know this tidbit already).
Did you know that HP turned down Steves 1 & 2 (Jobs and Wozniak) back in the day when they were looking for a company to sponsor and market their Apple Macintosh? Hmmm... could've been Hewlett-Packard enjoying the spotlight and being a major tech company beyond just printers. Since, that's what they appear to be strong with in sales.
Bet you never, heard, that historical piece of info before. A little footnote or book-mark in the pages of what could have been! (Can't remember where we read that... it was either in Wozniak's book, "iWoz" or an article by CNBC reporter, Maria Bartiromo).
And of course, to end this piece, AOL Money & Finance's "Hottest Products of 2007" which features in first place, Windows Vista. No, just kidding. Yes, the iPhone! What else would it be? This needs barely any explanation as to why it's at No. 1. Some say it changed it the world as we know it. "Reinventing the wheel (phone)."
It was a game changer and everyone in the world noticed, whether you were a Mac fan or not. If you were a PC nut who never owned a single thing with an Apple logo on it, you were in line too-- whether you were there to get your hands on it, or there to see what the hype was all about.
An honorable mention here is the Nintendo Wii, coming in at No. 3. No telltale signs of Apple design on this one but, we, did a piece here around this time last year about one feature of the Wii that was similar to something found on PowerBooks--and other Mac portables with the same feature--called the "Sudden Motion Sensor" that was akin to the Wii's controllers.
We also have to mention the Slingbox which follows at No. 4, because of the way this media device has done what Apple has yet to achieve--success and adoption--with the [Apple]TV.
Finally at No. 8 is the most anticipated game of the year in "Halo 3." Why mention the product when it can't be played (at least, yet) on Intel Macs and is only available for Microsoft's Xbox 360? Well, because of one word that Apple fans will recognize: Marathon.
First, referring to the pseudo-iconic Mac game from the 90s, and second, the marathon run-around that was music to Mac gamers' ears in September, when the formerly solo software company was set free by evil old Microsoft--who took over the company in 2000--opening up the possibility for a return to the Mac gaming business. Talk about, bungie, jumping. (SFX: boing!).
Speaking of halos... what about the halo effect and all them new iPods that came out in September?? At the end of the list, AOL asks, "Did We Miss a Hot Product?" If you want them to list the tiny nano, or the click wheel-less iPod touch, drop them a line at this link. (Though to their defense they did, touch, base on the iPod in their "Product Trends of 2007" feature).
Unfortunately, left off the list of "Ten Stupid Gifts of 2007"? the Zune. (Sorry, had to say it. Ha!).
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