The Secret Is Out: Apple’s New Age Has Begun.

The secret is out. The handwriting is on the wall, and it tells two stories. One of Microsoft, and the other of Apple.

The early years of the 21st century won’t be pretty for Bill Gates’ company, as Apple takes center stage from the Windows maker in the new digital millennium.

The news isn’t good for Microsoft, but the news is great for Apple. It’s a sign of the times when Bill Gates dumps even more stock to add cash to his already hefty coffers.

Latest reports indicate that adoption of Windows Vista is substantially slower than Windows XP when it launched years ago. Worse, the business community is actually dissing Vista and looking for alternatives.

Even the US Government is on the bandwagon heading away from Redmond, WA. The US Department of Transportation has placed a moratorium on in-house computer upgrades to Vista. That includes Internet Explorer 7 and Microsoft Office 2007.

Why? Nothing new, nothing worth the extra money and effort, and a desire to avoid potential compatibility problems.

Cracks are showing throughout Microsoft’s dam just as Apple’s daystar is rising (to mix a few extra metaphors). The European Union is considering additional punitive measures to cover a host of business sins.

Businesses, states, and whole countries are demanding independence from The Microsoft Standard. Another case in point is the state of California where a new bill would make the Open Document Format mandatory for state agencies.

Microsoft’s XML format, known as the OOXML standard, is proprietary and does not comply with open standards.

Other states have similar proposals before their legislatures.

What is happening? In simple terms, Microsoft is having trouble keeping it all together, and has become the IBM of the 1980s-- a monopolistic lumbering giant, unable to defend itself against nimble, quickly moving competitors.

Competitors? It was just a short decade ago that Apple was at the peak of media inspired death knells, and required a public display of partnership from Microsoft.

Today, Apple is the near-monopoly in music, and the Mac is growing market share, profits, and converting Windows customers at a record pace.

Apple’s foray into the cell phone business created ripples in the industry a full six months in advance of the iPhone’s launch. Microsoft competitors, such as Google, are lining up to do business with Apple, not Microsoft.

PC World’s list of The 50 Most Important People on the Web has Apple’s Steve Jobs at #2. Where is his nemesis, Bill Gates? His alter ego, Ray Ozzie made the Top 25.

The list is a who’s who of the 21st century and Apple’s guy is near the top. Where’s Bill Gates? He is soooo 1990s that he didn’t make the list. Even Tila Tequila rates higher than Bill Gates.

Just as it was over for IBM by 1990, it’s over for Microsoft’s dominance in the early 21st century. It’s time for Apple’s Renaissance.

What will the Apple of the new millenium bring us? A better computing experience is already here and likely to improve. A better entertainment experience is on the way, as is a better communication experience.

Carl Howe calls it The Dawning of the Age of Apple. The dawning of every new golden age is preceeded by The Dark Ages. Let history record such as The Age of Microsoft.

Off Topic Note: Here’s a few questions for Mac users: (1) What’s the world’s fastest browser? (2) What’s the best notebook for Mac users? (3) What’s a good back up strategy for your Mac?