Apple Grabs More Market Share
Well, it appears (yet again) more and more people are choosing reliability, ease of use, and easier integration more than ever.
In recent browser and OS marketshare statistics from Net Applications, Apple has grabbed another .5% (in 1 month) and shows no signs of slowing. Along with the stunning popularity of the new iPhone, younger users are switching and using Macs more than ever.
In seminars I show people how using Macs can give them double the power of a Windows based machine. PC legal software providers have understood this which would explain why the PC makers of legal applications haven't developed any Mac alternatives to their applications - you can just run then natively on a Mac. Why waste the time and money. Unless you can generate the same application on a different OS using the same code, why waste the time. Apple does it for you. Just run your Windows app on a Mac.
Apple now has 6.25% of the market share and combine that with Firefox's growing userbase it will a matter of time before Microsoft starts to fret. In 1 year, Microsoft has lost 6.5% of the their browser base. Combine this will Google's dominance in the search Market, we are definately seeing a shift in how people think.
Below are links to the Browser numbers.
Microsoft Losing Browser Wars
Next, Apple and Linux are knocking away at Microsoft's Operating System dominance also. Apple has grabbed nearly 3% of the computer market worldwide and Linux will be at 1% of the worldwide market within a year. Combined, Microsoft has lost 2% of the market share in 1 year for computers worldwide. Apple could gain more market share if last months numbers continue. Apple gained .5% in 1 month from Apple, dropping Microsoft's numbers by .5%. If 1 years worth of numbers are any indication, then Apple and Linux should have 11-13% of the OS market within a year.
Below are links to the OS numbers.
Apple Makes Big Gains in OS Share
One thing to note, Windows Vista made remarkable strides in new adopters. Windows XP is dropping about 1% a month in Windows OS market share. Windows 2000 users are also dropping in numbers each month as it appears businesses are choosing Vista over XP or Windows 2000.
Below are links to the Windows Version numbers.
Windows Vista Makes Gains over XP, 2000
The numbers are interesting, I hope you find them interesting also.
Check back soon, Clarity LS is near to releasing major upgrades to all product lines. If you are an existing customer you can upgrade your software title for as little as $49 per license. In addition, we will also be releasing a couple of new new applications that we hope users will find easy to use and will benefit their practice.
John - Developer/CEO Clarity Legal Software LLC Alexandria, La
Rezko Found Guilty
In a crushing blow to Gov. Blagojevich and a potentially damaging one to presidential hopeful Barack Obama, Tony Rezko -- a fund-raiser for the two men and an ex-gubernatorial confidant -- was convicted of far-reaching corruption Wednesday.
The verdict quickly raised questions about whether the state's chief executive will be the next target of federal prosecutors.
Chicago Sun-Times
Bundler™ To Get Major Upgrade
Drag and Drop Exhibits
Ability to add Multiple exhibits to a transcript line
Streamline Bundle Process
Improved Printing
Improved Transcript Editor
Bolded Q and A pairs
RTF Text Import
Improved overall interface
New Full Release Versions for Mac OS X, and Linux
Improved help file and new video tutorials
...dozens of other features
Current users will get this upgrade for free by clicking "Upgrade Now" next time they launch the application. New users can purchase a license for $249. There are no signup fees when purchasing a license of Bundler.
Clarity Legal Software LLC
Law.com Article Discusses TrialSmart
Law.Com Article
Clarity Legal Software LLC
Gates: New "Windows 7" may come 'in the next year'
The new operating system will ship in consumer and business versions, and in 32 and 64 bit varieties and could include a subscription model to compliment Windows. Gates did not provide specifics.
On Thursday, Microsoft declined to extend a lifeline to Windows XP, saying that only a limited number of machines sold in the future will be sold with the XP system. Vista has been marred by delays, yet Microsoft has stepped up efforts to push adoption of Vista by business, which has been slow to adopt the new OS, relying instead to use Windows XP.
You can read more about the Windows "7" release here, here, and here.
Clarity Legal Software LLC
Sampling Shows Growing Linux Market Share
Although a small percentage, the growing number of Linux users is great news. I understand the number doesn't look strong compared to the 76% of Windows users worldwide, however, it appears many of the barriers to Linux adoption are being removed and people are using free operating system. Market share has increased consecutively over the last 18 months.
Combine this with a growing share of other free applications such as FireFox (34%) and the slow adoption of Windows Vista and growing number of Mac OS X users, I believe the days are coming when we will have 3 solid operating systems to choose from for the business world.
If it comes down to cost, most businesses would choose Linux because it's free. There is already a strong movement to provide free case information.
To view the current web stats go here - W3 Web Counter Statistics
In an aside, Carl Malamud, who is a leading force in getting government data online, and creating public works for the Internet for the last 2 years has been publishing full text of legal opinions dating back to 1880. O'Reilly Radar discusses his efforts here. BTW - Notice the Mac keyboard in the image inset.
Carl, who has an excellent track record of success making government information freely accessible (EDGAR, Patents, Smithsonia, CSPAN, Congressional Hearings) has joined Cornell, and Hyperlaw to archive the data for public use. Make no mistake about it, free case law will happen and new avenues for digesting cases will come online sooner than later challenging Westlaw Publishing.
Carl, in 1998, forced the federal government to make the nation's patent and trademark database freely available. See the related articles here and here and also here.
Clarity Legal Software LLC
Karl Rove loves his iPhone
CNN Money - Fortune
Way to Go Charlie!
Salon Article/Photo of Charlie's Nice Shiner
Ziff Davis Files for Bankruptcy
Associated Press Article
PC vs Mac - ABA Journal Article
ABA Journal Article
TrialSmart Upgrade to Preview at MIT 2
Several of the new features have been requested by users, others are upgrades to an already easy and elegant interface. Some of the new features include:
1. Ability to connect to and import Indata TimeCoder (*.mdb) and Sanction (*.mdb) files.
2. Add preset or custom annotation markers and animate and move the markers in real-time.
3. Add custom movement and animation to documents and markers for Keynote type presentations.
4. Movable transcript synching window.
5. Background presentation image is now customizable.
6. Simpler and more elegant presentation presentation window.
7. Set transparency and color of annotation layers in realtime.
8. Simplified grouping routines for easier layering of saved exhibits.
9. Faster pdf indexing.
10. Improved monitor refreshing, display capabilies to compensate for various projector resolutions.
11. Detachable annotation toolbox for use in annotating, highlighting, and marking.
12. Improved video playback and video group playback.
There are dozens of other time saving and ease-of-use features that will be featured during Clarity Legal Software's session on the afternoon of March 1st.
For more information about the conference you can preview hotel and registration information here
BlackBerry email service goes down
To date RIM's blackberry had about 12 million subscribers.
This is the third such major outage in a a year.
Low Power and High Speed A Powerful Combination - CNET
Flash memory is gaining as a replacement for hard drives in ultra-thin, ultra-small notebooks such as the MacBook Air and Asus Eee PC. Why? Flash uses less power, generates less heat, and has faster access times than hard drives. The Air, for example, offers a 64GB flash-based SSD as an option while the Eee PC is sold standard with flash storage.
There is a big catch, though. High-capacity SSDs are expensive. Prohibitively so. The flash drive in the pricier $3,098 Air is the main culprit in the gaping $1,300 price difference with the lower-cost hard-drive model ($1,799).
Web Outage Hits Indian Outsourcing Firms
India was not the only country trying to cope with the problem Thursday - users were hit across a wide swath of Asia and the Middle East, from Bangladesh in the east to Egypt in the west.
At Clarity Legal Software, we think it's important to always inquire about where services and support for products come from. Clarity Legal Software has always maintained a policy of not outsourcing any development, services, or support to India.
All support services and support stay in the United States.
To read a related CBS News article regarding the Indian internet outage click here
IBM Accelerates Desktop Customer Choice With Support for Ubuntu
"Today's announcements show the growing importance of openness and choice in the computing environments of our customers and partners," said Jeff Smith, vice president of open source and Linux in IBM Software Group. "IBM's market insight shows that collaboration is key to driving innovation in day-to-day business. These offerings combine IBM's strengths in collaboration, SOA, and Web 2.0 with our partners' strengths in open operating environments."
To read the full CNNMoney.com article click here
Adobe and Clarity Legal Software to Present at MIT 2
Date:Friday February 29, 2008 (afternoon) and Saturday March 1, 2008 (all day)
Location: Embassy Suites Outdoor World At DFW Hotel, Grapevine, Texas.
Travel: Recommend that you fly into Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport if possible. Dallas Love field is approx twenty minutes away if you want to rent a car or pay for a cab.
Cost: $150 for the Seminar and Meals [covers a per person charge for use of meeting rooms at hotel, refreshment breaks, dinner Friday evening (speaker presentation during dinner), lunch Saturday (presentation during lunch), and high speed internet connection in the seminar meeting room.] The $150 seminar fee must be paid by February 8 so they can adjust the seminar facilities to larger space if needed. You should send a check to Foreman, Lewis & Hutchison, 611 S Main, Ste 700, Grapevine, Texas 76051 or call 817-336-5533 and ask for Kristy to pay by credit card.
Accommodations: Attendees are eligible for a discounted suite at the rate of $124 per night for Friday and Saturday night. Reservations can be made online or by calling 972-724-2600 and asking for the MacLaw rate. Accommodations include a breakfast buffet and a cocktail reception. In-room internet is an additional charge. The Hotel has a complementary airport shuttle. The discount rate for hotel rooms will remain available until February 8th, pending availability.
Continuing Legal Education Credits - The seminar has received approval for CLE credit from the State Bar of Texas (with reciprocity available in other states per their rules). Similar accreditation will be applied for this year.
Clarity Legal Software Adds PDF Import as Transcript Option
This new feature allows Clarity Legal Software users to import PDF files in the same manner as they would a normal legal transcript file. This new features also allows the pdf file to be indexed using Clarity Legal Software index and searching features.
Existing users can begin using this new feature by choosing the "Update Now" feature when opening any Clarity Legal Software title. Demo users can try this new feature by downloading a demonstration version of Bundler™ , DepoSmart™ , DepoSmart™ Viewer, or TrialSmart™ .
To download a demonstration version of Bundler™ , DepoSmart™ , DepoSmart™ Viewer, or TrialSmart™ visit our download page.
Word of Mouth Carries Clarity Legal Software in 2007
Each product had a wonderful first year, so we thought we'd share some interesting facts about 2007:
First, 20.2% of all users in the last quarter of 2007 visited Clarity Legal Software using keywords from a search engine. This means that just over 20% of users visiting Clarity Legal Software.com used either Bundler, DepoSmart, TrialSmart, or Clarity Legal as a search term to find us. This is amazing since all of the traffic was generated via word of mouth or through internet channels. We attribute this increased traffic to the need for new legal software that is easier to use, more cost friendly, and cross-platform.
US page views accounted for 82% of web traffic, with the remaining users coming from Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Second, web logs show that the types of users visiting Clarity Legal Software.com are nearly 50/50, with Mac users having a slight edge over Windows users at 56%.
Third, the total number of page views this year at Clarity Legal Software was 784,209. Each user averaged approximately 6.7 page views. The most popular content was the free video tutorials we offered. We currently have 87 free video tutorials at our website. The amount of traffic we received for the tutorials caused us to expand our internet bandwidth twice because they had become so popular. We plan on expanding our free video tutorials in 2008.
As a side note...
In 2007 Clarity became the first company to offer true cross-platform legal software to both Windows and Apple Mac OS X environments. In 2008 we are expanding our software into a new platform, Linux (Ubuntu). DepoSmart, our flagship product for attorneys and law firms, will be the first to reach the Ubuntu (Linux) platform. In a recent article, "Three Fearless Predictions", the Economist.com predicts that Ubuntu Linux will grow remarkably over the next few years.
When firms are used to buying $1,000 office PCs running Vista Business Edition and loading each with a $200 copy of Microsoft Office, the attractions of a sub-$500 computer using a free operating system like Linux and a free productivity suite like OpenOffice suddenly become very compelling.
And that’s not counting the $20,000 or more needed for Microsoft’s Exchange and SharePoint server software. Again, Linux provides such server software for free.
Pundits agree: neither Microsoft nor Apple can compete at the new price points being plumbed by companies looking to cut costs...
Our view is that we don't particulurly care which platform you use, but if you want an alternative, you have choices.
Fourth, those users that visited our site and used our new support ticketing system, rated their support experience at 4.7 out of 5. Clarity Legal Software implemented the new automated ticketing system in October, and we're proud of the response we've received. Any customer can post a question or support issue to our website. Using our Support Tracking system, they receive a ticket number that we can track until completion.Thanks for the wonderful year, and we look forward to seeing you in 2008.
Clarity Legal Software.com
Dell adds Ubuntu 7.10 to its lineup
Dell announced on Tuesday via its corporate blog that it has begun installing Ubuntu 7.10, aka Gutsy Gibbon, and LinDVD on its Dell consumer Linux PCs in the US and will also make it available on the Inspiron 530 in England, France and Germany later this week.
Dell began offering consumer systems running Ubuntu in May. Ubuntu’s Gutsy Gibson has been available since October.
The OEM has been testing the code for several weeks and is ready to launch.
“We believe Ubuntu 7.10 is a solid step forward for both Linux enthusiasts as well as the mainstream consumer market,” wrote Daniel Judd, Product Group Strategist on the Dell2Dell blog on Tuesday. “The answer is simple. With any operating system, we take gold code and take the time to do extensive testing on our systems to make sure that customers have as few issues as possible.”
The Dell product manager cited “cool” 3-D visual effects, easier desktop search for applications and the “ability to quickly switch between users and easily share a system with family members” as key new features of Ubuntu’s 7.10 release. He also cited two Dell developed innovations — pre-installation of Flash and improved recovery options — as other significant enhancements for Gutsy Gibbon on Dell consumer PCs.Judd also one key request was the ability to watch DVD movies from the Dell Linux desktop. “We totally agree and that’s why we now include built-in DVD movie playback with all Ubuntu 7.10 systems.The experience we wanted is simple — when you put a movie in, it plays. It is easy enough for a child and an example of the steps we are taking to make Ubuntu as enjoyable as possible.
Dell also promotes on its blog site a discussion between a Dell engineer and Mark Shuttleworth, CEO and Founder of Ubuntu. As part of that, Shuttleworth discussed the next version of Ubuntu due in April 2008 that will provide client support for three years and server support for five years, as well as enhanced integration with Windows networks.
ZDnet e-mailed Dell to inquire about its progress with Ubuntu before the blog posted on Tuesday but the company offered no comment.
Changes and Updated Software Titles Coming January 2008
Also in January, Clarity will release a new cross-platform database application for beta testing by select users. We'll start with testing by Apple Mac OS X users, but Windows users will be invited to test. This new software title will have the following features:
- SQL database backend capable of holding millions of records
- Server component available (like all of our apps)
- Customizable database and fields
- Import Outlook .PST files
- Code database records and connect images to each record
- Batch print images
- Batch print bates labels on images
- Search imported .PDF documents for specific text
- Full integration with DepoSmart™ and TrialSmart™
- Record notification window that tracks changes to any record
- Clarity Legal Software
Streetcars Roll Again in New Orleans
Click here for the news link.
25% of UK Firms Looking for Outside Capital
Click here for the news article.
Two Million Copies of Leopard Sold in First Weekend
Apple Profits Soar 67%
Read the Information Week article.
Apple Comes to Its Senses
Sascha Seagan of PCMagazine, discusses that whether you're an iPhone user or not, this is good news for you and your handheld. Click here for the link.
Windows Vista Continues to Lag
Vista is a resource-hungry operating system. Its minimum hardware requirements of an 800 MHz processor, 512 Mbytes of memory and a 20-Gbyte hard prove the point. If you want to upgrade your existing system with Vista, chances are it will not handle the minimum requirements. We own 2 Windows machines here at Clarity Legal and despite Microsoft claiming that both systems met the minimum requirements for upgrading, neither worked well at all with Vista and we had to revert back to Windows XP. Upgrading to Vista can lessen a system's performance by as much as 58 percent, depending on what's being processed.
Second, most law firms are hesitant to spend money on new technology. Vista isn't cheap. Partners would rather take the profits than spend it on technology. Trust us, regardless of firm...most law firms are behind current advances in technology by at least 3 years. Court reporting firms are even further behind.
For more information about other issues with Windows Vista and whether you should upgrade, read Robert Vamosi's Article from CNET on the new path for Windows Vista.Data protection: Clarity for data laws
This is an interesting article that revolves around human vs. computerized capturing of data.
Read the Jake Hardy and Clive Freedman article.
Apple offers $100 credit to iPhone owners
"If you always wait for the next price cut or to buy the new improved model, you'll never buy any technology product because there is always something better and less expensive on the horizon," Jobs said. "The good news is that if you buy products from companies that support them well, like Apple tries to do, you will receive years of useful and satisfying service from them even as newer models are introduced." - Steve Jobs
If you haven't bought an iPhone yet we recommend you to do so. They are wonderful devices and well worth the price. The difference between an Apple product and one from the competitors is that you can hand an iPod or an iPhone or even an iBook to your 75-year-old grandfather and in 15 minutes he's figured out how to use it. If you hand someone a Blackberry they would look at you as if you were asking them to pilot Apollo 12 to the moon. Features add complexity and without simplicity they are useless to all but those with Asperger's Syndrome.Our prediction is that they will sell 10 million models in the first 12 months. At current pace the iPhone will have between 20-25% of the US phone market by the year 2009. Current models place the iPhone at 2% of the phone market after just 3 months since release.
Link
Join Clarity Legal at CLVS in St.Louis
Hotel Link
New Orleans' New Arrivals: Young, educated, and infused with hope
"I believe in the power of place," she said. "I think history incorporates itself not only in the architecture, but also the atmosphere of different cities, and in New Orleans you definitely feel that atmosphere and you can feel the history. And I think that's what drew me closer to New Orleans."
Click here to read more.Judicious Use of PowerPoint Urged
CNN - "Make Your Next Computer an iMac" - 8.2 Rating
We recently presented and had a booth at the NCRA convention in Dallas, and people stopped by all day to look at our 24 inch iMacs running Apple and Windows software at the same time.
Check out this article by CNN - Link
UK - In the eyes of the law, women are equal to men in the workplace. In reality, they still lag behind.
Link
"Hello, I'm a Lawyer with a Mac"
Link
(UK) Legal Watchdogs for fairer insurance policies
The proposed policies would make it harder for insurance companies to refuse to pay because someone failed to disclose information if the refusal was fair and reasonable.
Read the TimesOnline article.
iPhone buyers have no regrets
In one of the first such studies, 90% of 200 owners said they were "extremely" or "very" satisfied with their phone. And 85% said they are "extremely" or "very" likely to recommend the device to others, says the online survey conducted and paid for by market researcher Interpret of Santa Monica, Calif. The firm surveyed 1,000 cellphone users July 6-10.
Clarity Legal Software will announce integration with the iPhone's Safari browser soon. Check back to our website periodically in the next few months.
See the USA today article here.
Free Legal Aid Helps Texas Flood Victims
TimesRecordNews.com article "Legal aid can help"
Clarity Legal Releases Synch Service, Server Applications
Sending a transcript and the audio can be done directly from any software title.
The sending of the transcript is free and the files are sent securely to a registered user's online account at Clarity Legal. Once your files are synched you can then download them securely from our website and load them into Bundler™, DepoSmart™, or TrialSmart™.For more information regarding this new service click here.
Paper Prototyping
“Paper Prototyping”
http://www.paperprototyping.com/
The speech by John was excellent and helpful to most that attended. Apple has always developed great looking interfaces that were easy to use.
Supreme Court Adopts New Standard on Patent Litigation
TrialSmart™ (Universal Binary) Released
(Partial List)
- PDF Text Searching
- Saved Annotation Layers
- Resizable Video Player
- Expanded Video Clip and Group Reports
- Easier to Use Interface
- Fast PDF Exhibit Import
- Exclusive Dual Monitor Support
- Elegant Presentation Window Interface
- Saved Annotation Layers for Easy Retrieval
- Online Help System
- Mac-Intel Optimization for Faster Importing, Video Clip Creation, and Exhibit Display
TrialSmart is priced at $299 per single user license.
Blog is Open...
We are primarily using this blog to post tutorials, as well as industry news and topics related to the legal field. However, we will occasionally post topics related to other subjects. All information is kept in chronological order, and the content is generally unfiltered. Basically, a blog is a hierarchy of text, images, media objects, and data that can be viewed in an HTML browser. The topics are posted by Clarity Legal, and then others respond to the topic of their choice. Usually, a blog is not treated as a monologue, but as a conversation.
The overall purpose of this blog is to provide instructive ways to help current and potential customers learn our products in an open environment.
We also welcome the submission of posts requests.