So Microsoft was all cranked late last year, with Windows 7, mwah mwah mwah.  Now look at them.  Do they ever get any play in the media?  I mean, outside of the OS release.  They were rolling along, and then…boom.  Door slam, and the name on the door says “Google” and “Apple.”

Google decided to release their phone the day before CES.  Coincidence?  Hardly. They’re one of the acknowledged darlings of tech media, and they shove products out the door right and left.  Doesn’t matter if it’s a hit or a miss, we’ll be there.

And then there’s Apple, the absolute master at buzz manipulation.  With Nexus out today, they took the time last night to make sure we knew they bought Quattro.  And of course, an excitable press release today detailing the billions of apps downloaded at the App Store.  There’s a difference between “want” and “need.”  And Apple knows precisely how to blur the line between the two.  You don’t need an iSlate, but when it rolls out, you’ll get that look.  And you’ll know.  You must have one.  Need it?  No. Want it?  Absolutely.

Here’s a good article from the archives, on corporate personalities.