BEST OF 2007: COMPETE'S HOTTEST BLOG TOPICS OF THE YEAR

In case you haven’t seen it, Compete employees write a daily blog about all things analytical on the web. With the year almost over, we thought we would give you a recap of some of the hot technology topics of 2007 that our team covered in blog form. Happy New Year!

Google Docs and Spreadsheets by Becky Bitzenhofer (12/06/07)
(Investigates the launch of Google Docs and Spreadsheets as an alternative to MS Office)
“Lately, I seem to be getting more invites to view a Google document (rather than a Word document). I guess I’m not surprised though. It has been just over a year since Google Docs and Spreadsheets was officially released, and it has been just under a year since Microsoft released Office 2007. As many know, Office 2007 includes a whole new interface that is unfamiliar, and potentially frustrating, to the veteran Office user. Google Docs and Spreadsheets have also undergone changes, with a major user interface overhaul in June and the release of Google Presentation in September. After receiving my 4th invitation to view a Google document in 2 weeks, I decided to take a look at traffic to Google Docs and Spreadsheets, since its bundled release in October 2006.” Read More…

iPhone Interest Could More Than Double With New Price Cuts by Elaine Warner (09/07/07)
(Examines the impact on consumer interest that Apple’s iPhone price cuts could have)
By now you’ve probably heard about Apple’s recent product announcements. And while the redesign of the iPod Nano may be getting a lot of hype, the iPhone’s $200 price cut was the talk of the day here at Compete. That’s because we’ve been tracking consumers’ willingness to pay for the iPhone since its original announcement in January. Most recently, Compete surveyed a segment of consumers (iPod shoppers) in June right before the launch. Read More…

Social Networking: Still Space for One More Profile? by Ryan Burke (03/28/07)
(Investigates the proliferation of social networks and their adoption on mobile devices)
Both mobile phones and online social networks keep today’s consumers connected, and their roles seem to be converging. Currently, wireless content providers are in a position that could enable them to leverage the unique properties of mobility in combination with the power of social networking to reach the desirable segment of downtimers; the 28 million US adults who have jobs with significant downtime that do not sit in front of a computer all day. One clear example of this trend can be seen in the way mobile phones are beginning to take on tasks consumers traditionally did over their computers. Almost 45% of current wireless customers already manage their account to some extent on their handset (viewing or paying their bill, viewing minutes, etc.). In the online world, Compete currently sees social networkers frequenting an average of three social networking sites such as MySpace, Linked-In and other online communities that allow users to create and link profiles. Despite this busy networking schedule, these same online socialites say there is still room in their lives for more sites. Read More…

Xbox360 vs. Wii vs. PS3: Demand Doesn’t Lie by Max Freiert (03/26/07)
(A year on the market and you still can’t get a Wii? Here we examine console demand)
After four months of gray market sales, PR blunders, camped-out fans and a media frenzy, it appears that the next generation consoles have finally hit their post-holiday stride. How did this year’s PS3 and Wii launches compare to that of the 360’s release in 2005? The short answer: the 360 and PS3 had similar demand trends around launch…if it were only that simple. The chart below shows the demand for all three consoles dating back to November of 2005. Read More…