[Captain Scarlet]

you didnt read my post, Microsoft stole Apples OS!!! Those three companies are famous rivals. And you are right Microsoft sold IBM their OS, but the one they sold was stolen from Apple. When Bill Gates sold the OS to IBM, IBM were so desperate to compete with Apple that they agreed that Microsoft could sell their OS to any manufacurer they wanted ( IBM didnt realise the potential for profits of OS's!!!!! ) Microsoft stole Apples OS when Apple sent them 2 Macintosh prototypes, Steve Jobs ( Apple CEO ) didnt realise he would be back stabbed by his friends at jealous Microsoft. Luke

ps. Andy you might like to watch this film called Pirates of Silicon Valley, its about the stroy of Microsoft and Apple!!! look under movies then irates of Silicon Valley!
http://www.tv-links.co.uk

[windowwashers]

How the hell can a logo dictate expansion? Roll Eyes

Not having one may slow you down, yes.
It doesn't matter what it is, as long as people can identify with it.

I can't expand beacuse of the picture on my van? Grin
I've never heard such waffle. Roll Eyes

I didn't mean it like that.

Here is an example of what I mean:

You are asked to quote for a posh large office block. You turn up in your van with a big yellow duck on the side... The other company turn up in their van with a smart professional logo on the side... Who will they take more seriously?

However, I don't see the yellow duck being a problem if you are only ever going after domestics.

Do you see what I mean now though? (probably not).

Andy

Love this sort of debate, if what you put is right Andy where did Macdonalds get the golden arches from as they have nothing to do with Burgers.

IBM messed thereself up by not taking the internt seriously someone he up didnt think it would work (they was wrong) and it naerly cost them their company for this mistake.
Microsoft v Apple mac.....this started as far as I am aware from the java console that microsoft used which I belive was apples and they used the idea, this is why there was so many problem with virtual java machine in the older copys of windows as they was not allowed to use the updates anymore.

I have not had this chat with anyone for years now and find it well interesting. And good on Bill Gates he's the one who's laughing

[Alistair@AWC]

Squeaky,

I like the duck - it demonstrates your humour - and theres nothing wrong in that.

And some of this may have already been said but considering there 6 pages of replies on this topic forgive me but ive only scanned through it.

I would definitely have a landline number diverted to your mobile and have that written on the side of the van (when I started out my first lot of leaflet where printed with a mobile number and although I did get work from it, nowhere near the work I got when I changed the number to a landline)

Also the 2 most important things that are written on the side of your van are 'Window Cleaner' and 'Your Number' so allocate the space they deserve.


I know you've invested a hell of a lot of money in a short space of time but if your struggling so much at the mo, put the sign writting on a back burner for the time being, get some cheap single colour leaflets printed gather up some family and friends and get out and pound those streets you'll be amazed at the amount of customers you'll pick up.


Whatever you decide, I hope it works for you.

Regards

Al

P.S. If you dont like what ive written please dont set Emma on me  

[Village Gleam]

They bought it, it had been designed for a zerox personal comp that never got anywhere. The people they bought it off 100k thought they'd stitched them up and didn't realise IBM were in the market.

Steve jobs, what a story! Brilliant business man, but mid career his life falls apart.
Wife leaves him, talk shows ridicule him, board members gang up on him and push him out of the company he founded apple.

He's all over the Amercian media, the biggest crash and burn business man ever. All the comics use him as the butt of jokes. The business theorists say that a ceo of a big company can't be the founder because that is a proffessional role.

What does he do? He has some money so he buys a small film animation company. He gets it cheap. The companies called Pixar and they make a film called Toy Story.

Pixar now has more new profitable products than Disney. In the biggest comeback in corporate history Jobbs bought control of Apple back and sacked everyone who had conspired against him. Then he invented the Ipod.

Sorry Alistair Stott I think your advice is excellent

[Captain Scarlet]

Windowwashers, the Microsoft vs Apple thing started when Microsoft just ripped Apples OS off back in the 80's. Apple are on set to potentially overtake both IBM and Microsoft in the next 5-10 years. 110 million ipods have been sold!!! and the Apple imac/mini/desktop are becoming very popular due to the popularity of the iPod and the fact that Apples OS is far more stable/user friendly/secure than Windows, Luke

[windowwashers]

Sorry Alistair Stott I think your advice is excellent

have to add that he did forgeet one thing, and thats the website address, it is easier to remember than a telephone number both is a bonus

[windowwashers]

Windowwashers, the Microsoft vs Apple thing started when Microsoft just ripped Apples OS off back in the 80's. Apple are on set to potentially overtake both IBM and Microsoft in the next 5-10 years. 110 million ipods have been sold!!! and the Apple imac/mini/desktop are becoming very popular due to the popularity of the iPod and the fact that Apples OS is far more stable/user friendly/secure than Windows, Luke

the only problem I see there, both systems are still not ampatibale with the other, IMO whoever does this will wipe the stock market floor with the other Apple graphics better again IMO and most designers in the UK will say the same, but microsoft I think are the leaders well for the time being.

[Village Gleam]

The Seattle Computer company had q dos gates and Allen modified it for IBM.
The price was $50,000.
But that was a lot of money then and they gambled on IbM buying it off them.

[Captain Scarlet]

windowwashers, they are compatible :

http://www.parallels.com/

http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/

You can run Microsft programs and OS inside Apple OS, on the fly. So you can drag and drop files between each OS, use programs from either OS. So there are no compatabilty problems, I am using Safari now ( Apple web browser - it runs 2-3x faster than IE and Firefox, I love it ) Luke

[Captain Scarlet]

The Seattle Computer company had q dos gates and Allen modified it for IBM.
The price was $50,000.
But that was a lot of money then and they gambled on IbM buying it off them.

VG you know your stuff! but that 0S didnt have a GUI ( graphic user interface or mouse to operate it ). So Microsoft stole Apples OS so they could compete and then they sold that OS to NEC which was a Macintosh 128k rip off!!! Microsoft won the market unfairly by stealing other peoples hard work. Apple on the other hand got the GUI and mouse legally by buying them off XEROX ( they didnt think they were useful, ohh how wrong they were! ). Many XEROX guys came over to work for Apple, Luke

[Captain Scarlet]

VG, did you know Steve Jobs only earns $1 dollar per year as CEO of Apple, instead he is paid in bonuses/jets/property!!!!!!! When Steve Jobs left Apple he set up Next computers, when he returned to Apple they used most of the NEXT technology he had been designing.   It was the Pepsi Cola CEO that got Steve sacked because Steve was pitting his company against each other to encourage productivity, he would have his designers work massive amounts of hours and would tell his Macintosh design team that they were more important than the other Apple employees, it made alot of people worship him and other s hate him. He is a really good buiness man, I watch all his Keynotes. Oh and Pixar is owned by Disney now but Steve Jobs owns the majority of shares! Luke

[Village Gleam]

Which brings us back to branding. Xerox were huge and were dominant in office machines, so common sense says that they should dominate the computer market.
Chester Carlson invented the plain paoer copier in 1928, launched in 1948. In the early 1980's they launched a personal computer which failed in large part due to branding.

The best example of brand stretch is Yamaha- motorbikes, pianos Mitsubishi stereos cars banks.

Steve Jobbs was a big fan of the geeks and it was in a very early keynote- but I don't know what his take on the duck might be.

[Captain Scarlet]

the term "Xerox it" or "get it xeroxed" is testament to Xerox!

here is the Xerox Parc workstation

[pingu]

JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES YOU LOT ARE JUST GEEKS

[Captain Scarlet]

"Hi, I'm Luke......I like computers" said in a very weird yorkshire accent!

[windowwashers]

errrm me thinks this has gone way off subject now  : have been thinking about the mobile number landline all day I now have both (if it will fit or one or other I always listen and way up things and this ones stumped me the more i think about it or what way to go . new or old way 

[Captain Scarlet]

oh no...far from it. That picture was a suggestion for Squeaky Cleans sign writting, can you imagine it? Luke

[windowwashers]

oh no...far from it. That picture was a suggestion for Squeaky Cleans sign writting, can you imagine it? Luke

think that may just put off customers  lol the rubber duck is sweeter looking

[Captain Scarlet]

sweet....the public dont need sweet right now, they need the stern look of a Yorkshire Geek! Luke

[Sir Squeaky]

Here is an example of what I mean:

You are asked to quote for a posh large office block. You turn up in your van with a big yellow duck on the side... The other company turn up in their van with a smart professional logo on the side... Who will they take more seriously?

The one who's most polite, approachable, and gives the best quote.

Don't kid yourself otherwise.