English Grammar - Incorrect Usage 2

Who versus Whom.

Who and Whom are both pronouns. And gramatically, they are often not interchangeable.

'Who' is used when you are referring to the subject of a clause. And 'Whom' is used when you are referring to the object of a clause. It is very tricky in usage. But let's get this straight.

Use 'Whom' when you are referring to the object of a sentence.

Ex. Whom did you play with?

'Who did you playwith?' with is wrong.

On the contrary, you'd use 'Who' if you are referring to the subject of a sentence.

Ex. Who played with you?

'Whom played with you' is wrong.

And to recap, Subject is the one taking action and object is the one being acted upon.

Microsoft - giant in a slumber?

I often wonder if Microsoft should have been named as 'Macro'soft. And this is not without reason. Given its tendency to release a product with multiple or macro options, Macrosoft would have been apt. Here is why.

I purchased a new laptop yesterday and had an option to choose among the various Vista versions floating around. The base configuration comes with Vista Home Basic, which by the way is as basic as it can get. If there is one entertainment feature that I really like in Vista, it is Windows Media Center. I use it all the time to watch my Netflix DVDs and I should say, the features and display options are really good. But, Vista Home Basic unfortunately doesn't have the Media Center. And I need to upgrade to Vista Home Premium to get access to media center and other entertainment options. Though I have been using Vista Ultimate, I never really took the pain to contrast it other editions of Vista. I did so yesterday and was baffled.

Microsoft has six 32-bit vista editions and five 64-bit vista editions. Phew! 11 options to choose from for an operating system. Here is the comparision of the four flagship Vista editions. It doesn't show Windows Vista starter edition and Vista Enterprise edition. What really stands out is the fact that, atleast to me, lines aren't clear between the various editions. Who would want a Vista Home Basic when it is that pale compared to Home Premium. Why list it or have this product in the first place? Is it to just boost the image of Home Premium? Given Microsoft's hold in OS market, it would have been a great idea to release two editions for Vista - Home and Professional. Or even better, have just one version for 32-bit systems. Having too many options is making things complex for users and might prove to be Microsoft's undoing.

Complex or superfluous options is not just the case in Microsoft's OS product line. It looks like Microsoft has developed a penchant for multiple options. It has become a pattern. Another random example of an Microsoft product. SQL Server 2008 Express. First there is an option to choose between SQL Server Express or SQL Server Compact. Under SQL Server Express, one can choose among

- SQL Server 2008 Express with Tools

- SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services

- SQL Server 2008 Express (Runtime Only)

And different files for 32-bit and 64-bit. So leaving the SQL Server Compact aside, SQL Server 2008 Express has 6 options. Why not have your best all-in-one installation giving users the option to install advanced features or tools if they want?

Before you think I am biased against Microsoft, let me give another random example. How many ways do you want to end your session on a computer? Windows XP got it right. Logoff, Lock, Restart or Shutdown. Wonder what Vista has done to it. They have two icons in the start menu - lock and shut down. And then to the right of these icons is a cascade menu having 'text' commands - Switch User, Log Off, Lock, Restart, Sleep, Hibernate and Shutdown. 9 options to terminate a user session. Too many choices spoil the dish?

I feel Microsoft will be better off if they reduce redundancy and focus on their core competencies i.e., the operating system itself. Look and feel do help but not as much as the functionalities. Once users like functionalities they will flock to download/use the products. And it need not try and impose its software on users, speaking of which I am reminded of another incident. I had a Sony Vaio that I wanted to downgrade and get rid of. It came with Vista Home Premium and before I got rid of it, I wanted to downgrade the OS to XP PRO and check that out. But call it whatever you may - monopoly or imposing the software or whatever, there is simply no option to downgrade Vista to XP on a Sony Vaio without getting your hands dirty. I downgraded the OS on my ThinkPad to XP in a jiffy but it took me an eternity to downgrade Vaio. Ofcourse, I did not like XP on ThinkPad and upgraded back to Vista, and that's my point - What's the problem in letting users install their choice of operating systems on the laptops they own? What's the need to impose your operating system, not giving users a chance to downgrade. Doesn't that show lack of confidence in Vista?

Finally, I feel Microsoft should get rid of redundancy, become more user-friendly in the sense that it gives users the choice to control software and devices they own and be innovative (remember Virtual Earth and Zune). Else, its efforts can be counterproductive and may lead to its own undoing.

Slumdog Millionaire!

As I write this blog, the cast and crew of Slumdog Millionaire are in Kodak theater, Los Angeles for the biggest prize in cinema - the Oscars. Incidentally, I saw this movie just today. There were some scenes in the movie that embarrass Indians; atleast I felt so. What is shown in the movie isn't the true India, but scratch that; true India can never be shown on screen. It can only be felt.

Anyways, back to the movie, I think it has all the ingredients in good proportions. It is logical, has a wonderful background score, has scenes that can rivet you, an excellent script and life in the characters. The only thing I didn't like in the movie is the constant focus on slums. India is not only about slums. Maybe the director had to focus on slums to emphasize the title. Maybe.

At my workplace, at times when we have team events, my colleagues ask me what India is all about. They are honest questions for sure. What I tell them is a different story altogether but I hope they don't see this movie as it shows only a part of India and incorrectly portrays as if that is what India is all about. 

Except this, I have no issues with the movie. I think it is very well crafted and above all, like its protagonist, the movie has right things happening to it at the right time. Golden Globe happened. BAFTA happened. Now it is time for Oscars. Who knows what the destiny has in store for the millionaire? Let's try this question.

What major award(s) did the movie Slumdog Millionaire win?

A. BAFTA

B. Golden Globe

C. Oscars

D. All of the above.

I would go for D.

Netbooks - is the net good enough?

Netbooks are a class of laptop computers that are small, light, and inexpensive, with reduced specifications and processing power relative to larger laptops (Wikipedia).

I loved a comment that I came across in K @ W. "Are these devices stripped down computers or phones on steroids?" is what professor Eric Clemons wondered when he discussed about Netbooks and their impact in the current economy. I concur with the thought above and truly, netbooks are somewhere between laptops and smartphones. What is worth pondering is where in the consumer market these netbooks fit in? How can they make a significant business sense? Will the netbooks increase the popularity of cloud computing? How will the key players be impacted? And many similar questions.

Netbooks, as the name explains, are heavily dependent on the internet. I wouldn't say they will replace smartphones. Not yet. That is because smartphones like iPhone have a distinct edge compared to netbooks; smartphones don't just rely on wi-fi. The fact that these phones can access internet through their telecom providers is kind of a double delight. This factor scores high in that one doesn't need to search for wi-fi spots or be within a certain range to access the internet. And cloud computing is as rampant with  smartphones as it is with netbooks. You can vpn, webex, browse, access online storage and what not with smartphones too. Hence smartphones still have an edge compared to netbooks. Netbooks make more sense in an ubiquitous internet environment.

Technology companies are pitching online storage bundled with netbooks. General perception is that netbooks market will continue growing due to the advances in cloud computing. Keeping the comparison between the smartphones and netbooks aside, there are other hurdles that could potentially bog down netbook sales. First, the current economy. While inexpensive, netbooks are kind of luxury items to purchase in this economy. Ubiquitous internet is a major hurdle. In emerging markets, this poses an even more threat to the future of netbooks. Netbooks are not convenient for everyday computing. This makes them more close to smartphones than to laptops. And given that smartphones come with many perks like camera, apps and more importantly the phone itself, users may find it beneficial to upgrade to a smartphone (read iPhone) than to a netbook.

So, though netbooks are relatively inexpensive, they still don't make a strong case. Partly, due to today's economy. And a netbook's relative utility compared to laptops or smartphones is not in its favor. But considering the speed with which technology is evolving today, it is worth waiting for the netbooks segment to make its mark.

English Grammar - Incorrect Usage 1

'Graduated' or 'Graduated from':

Correct Usage: 'Graduated from'.

It is a common error to use 'graduated college'. It should be 'graduated from college'. 'To graduate' is a verb. It can be both transitive or intransitive. A transitive verb takes an object and an intransitive verb doesn't. 

Consider the following example.

Raj graduated from University of Cincinnati.

This sentence uses an intransitive form of 'to graduate', because this verb has no object. 'from University of Cincinnati' is not an object. It is a prepositional phrase that tells you more about where Raj graduated from. But consider this sentence.

Raj graduated University of Cincinnati.

'To graduate' is turned to a transitive verb. The act of graduation is something a school does to a student and not something a student does to school. Schools graduate students. For example,

University of Cincinnati graduated 800 students this year. 

However, in the sentence 'Raj graduated University of Cincinnati', 'Raj' is the subject and 'University of Cincinnati' is the object. So, while 'Raj delighted University of Cincinnati' is gramatically correct, 'Raj' cannot graduate 'University of Cincinnati'.

So, 'graduate from' is correct.

Raj graduated from University of Cincinnati. <>

Raj graduated University of Cincinnati. <>