Now...This: Random Endorsement: Kensington Turbo Mouse

As the domain name space (okay, as .com) gets more crowded, the number of more-than-one-word domain names (like this one) is, of course, increasing. It occurred to me today that as the two-word space gets more crowded, weirder constructions will ensue, including using paralanguage (non-word sounds) in domain names.

Along that line, the following names are still available: uhexcuseme.com, mmno.com, nuh-uh.com, huh.com, uhsure.com (alternately, uhhsure.com), hehhehheh.com.

These are taken (but not necessarily in use): uhno.com, ohoh.com, nah.com, bzzzt.com, awwww.com, ohsure.com, mmkay.com.

Sentences are being used, too (imsosure.com, ihateapple.com). I'm a little surprised that idontthinkso.com isn't taken yet. Maybe some hip, dumb "GenX" movie or book will be named that and thus grab it.

[4:30pm update] Doh! Followup: Reader Pete Jansson kindly mentioned that there are more places to check than just the Network Solutions whois. Checking the NSI Registry, which (hopefully!) covers all registrars, reveals that mmno.com and huh.com are taken. The others aren't, though. Also, Dan Hartung notes his desire for nyahuh.com (which I originally mistyped as nyuhah.com, making me wonder if non-word domain names will be too easy to misspell...hmm).

This is an interesting article, not just because Microsoft's going to ... borrow a competitor's product name for a product that will do roughly the same things (!), but because it talks about Platinum, MS' next version of Exchange Server (their groupware product/mail server/food processor/home audio system).

• Microsoft Designer To Take On Notes Designer [Techweb]
  Platinum is in beta and is due in the first half of next year.
  
  Just 18 months ago, Microsoft's mantra was that groupware and knowledge management were not to be taken seriously, the analyst said. Now, the developer has embraced both and proclaimed some Microsoft product or combination of products will provide everything [Lotus] Domino and Notes provides.
  
  "At some point, these products just get so big and complex they break," said Tom Austin, an analyst at Gartner Group, Stamford, Conn. "Then something dramatically simpler comes along."

• Win 2000 rewrites the rules for software upgrades [PC Week]
  Windows 2000 has forever changed the way IT looks at upgrading software. From budgeting to training to adopting new architectures to testing beta technologies, the Windows 2000 saga has created new levels of conservatism and cynicism within IT shops.
  
  Entevo Corp., a developer of directory management software, estimates that migrating a 2,500-user domain to Active Directory alone will cost $750,000.
  
  "We just lost our training budget [for Windows 2000] because the quarter we budgeted it for came and went with no product," said an IT manager at the aerospace company who requested anonymity.

Apple is surveying PowerMac G3 and G4 owners about their experiences. I took the opportunity to note my dissatisfaction with the lame iMac keyboard they ship with their 'pro' models now -- a Home key but no End key? No Delete-forward key? Yeesh. (It's also missing F13-F15 when compared to the old Extended Keyboard, but that doesn't bother me that much.)

Interestingly, the survey was programmed with follow-up questions about the keyboard issue if you marked that you don't use the keyboard that shipped with it. Apparently they're aware that a number of folks don't like having to buy an extra keyboard for a professional machine.

Either they should bundle a full keyboard with the pro models, give us the option of a compact vs. full keyboard, or don't ship a keyboard at all and we'll add it on ourselves. But giving everyone a keyboard that (just guessing) half of your customers won't use is both wasteful and annoying.

Anyhow. If you're a G4 or G3 owner (beige G3s included), you may feel like taking the survey.

Is epinions.com useful to anyone yet?

I know how the model is supposed to work. I just want to know, is anyone besides the opinion writers actually using it?

If I want to know what someone thinks, generally I'll go to that person's site, not Epinions. Am I screwed up? Should I be writing reviews for their site instead of mine?

One more piece on Microsoft:

• Leaked email exposes MS charity as PR exercise [The Register]
  Although Gates announced long ago that he intended to give most of his wealth to charity, the timing and manner of doing this can leave no doubt that it is being done as a diversion from the trial. There is no modesty about it, and no private helping of the needy - just photo opportunities.
  
  He seeks publicity for every donation, with the PR machines of Microsoft and his foundation in top gear. The altruism of bringing Internet access to libraries in the poorest communities in the US and Canada with Microsoft software must be somewhat suspect. It transpires that Microsoft's frequent gifts of software are valued at the full retail price.

This puts me in mind of what I was told recently about the Gates Foundation's donations of 'technology' to schools and libraries -- they gave only Gateway machines, and only Windows. If you wanted to run a different OS, you got no support from the 'charitable foundation'.

Certainly it's within a foundation's rights to decide how it will spend its money, but there's a lot to be said for asking a library what technology would serve them best and helping them with that. (I imagine some libraries might choose iMacs...having no floppy would be an advantage at a kiosk!) Donating only their sugar daddy's products smells like a play to increase Microsoft's market penetration while appearing to expend many more dollars than they actually are ("100 licenses for Office? Sure, here's the install CD. Those cost $400 each retail, right? There, we just donated $40,000!").

Wow, look at that, time's up. Don't forget, Tuesday the newer, better iMac shows up, plus who knows what else. Catch you Wednesday.

P.S. Turns out I used today's quote before. Oh well. It's worth repeating.