Microsoft Windows operating system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Microsoft Windows operating system - Essay Example But in case of Microsoft operating the market is totally dominated by Microsoft. Based solely on market share, Microsoft appears to have a near-monopoly in operating systems for personal computers yet Microsoft priced the Windows OS very smartly and kept it at bare minimum and thus succeeded in capturing in the market. The law of demand tells us that as the price of a commodity falls, the quantity demanded increases and vice-versa. But the law is silent on the extent of increase in demand as a result of decrease in certain percentage of prices. That means the law of demand tells us only the direction of change, but not the rate which the change takes place. To know about the rate of change we should know the 'price elasticity of demand'. Elasticity of demand can be defined as the "degree of responsiveness of quantity demanded to a change in price." It thus represents the rate of change in the quantity demanded due to a change in price. Now in case of Microsoft it can be said that, if we treat PCs as a single homogeneous commodity, then Microsoft's pricing of Windows was 'not' consistent with its status of a monopoly over personal computer (PC) operating systems. Therefore Microsoft started with such penetrative pricing that consumers had no option but to go for it. The company priced Windows as low as it can because of several types of substitution; For the fi

Marketing Analysis of GOD Essay Example for Free

Marketing Analysis of GOD Essay Company Description: GOD is now a fast-growing furniture and furnishings company brand in Hong Kong. They describe them as More Than Just a Furniture Store. GOD is the phonetic sound of the Cantonese slang to live better which a basic human desire all around the world. The founder of GOD Douglas Young and Benjamin Lau opened the first GOD store at Ap Lei Chau in 1996. Within 2 years, two more shops opened in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui respectively. In 2001, GOD has opened a 20,000 sq. ft. flagship store in Causeway Bay. The mission of GOD has always been to define a new Hong Kong identity by exploring age-old oriental traditions and updating them with modern consumers in mind, their demonstrations of the techniques and wisdom of past generations in the east still has a place in the future world. Most of the furniture of GOD is made in China to their stringent standards of quality and workmanship. Their products range from furniture, bathware, kitchenware to even lighting and carpets. Among these various products, furniture occupies the highest proportion of sales revenues. What makes GOD different from other convectional furniture and furnishing company is that all of their furniture is designed by local designers. The company is strongly against todays mass produced and soulless products. The main theme of their furniture is creative, comfortable, and multifunctional. In order to surprise their customers, GOD constantly turns out new items on a weekly basis. Because the marketing strategy in GOD is so clear that make the company become one of the few furniture companies that can still make a profit, and even expand their business, in the time of economy downturn in HK these years. Situation Analysis: 1. SWOT Analysis: Internally, GOD has a management team with designing knowledge which could perfectly apply to the daily management in the company. Small size of management team also benefits the company with the efficient division of  labor. Despite the fact of having numerous competitors with lower price, G.O.D. is still taking the leading role in the industry with its unique offerings of the oriental tradition Asian design in products, as well as the extraordinary decoration in each branch . G.OD is expanding its market share by connecting to other different industries, so as to attract more customers from different aspects. The diversification of production and also the custom made strategy contribute to the company as it prevent excess inventory. Moreover, its own RD team takes a big responsibility in fulfilling the demand of the customers in having a better quality. Other than all those favorable circumstances, G.OD is still encountering certain weaknesses. Due to the short history of establishment, G.O.D. is lack of experience and specialization. Its relatively high price and narrow choice of products has also prevented the visit and purchase of customers. Also, due to the limited capital inflow in the company, GOD is still not able to develop a large RD team; it also regards advertisement as a big burden for the company. Regardless of the success of the manufacturing approach, it, on the other hand, has lead to the high cost of production as it could not achieve the economy of scale. Favorable external factors include the increasing upscale market which people are more concerned about quality of life, there are only few and not well-established local competitors, and as the economic is recovering, there are more opportunities. Ergonomics is one of the most popular topics in furniture industry because the customers perceived value can be raised by introducing it. Unfavorable external factors include the taste of customers which people like international culture more, like Japan. In addition, the favorable investment condition attracts competitor from foreign countries. 2. Industry analysis: The furniture and furnishing industry has a long history in Hong Kong. It includes the production of household, office and furniture, as well as  bedding and parts of furniture. There are 249 furniture manufacturers in Hong Kong, employing more than 704 people as at Sep 2002. Around 90% of them are small companies engaging less than 10 people . Although it is not the major industry in the local market, the competition is very keen. In terms of market segmentation, the current furniture industry in Hong Kong is generally divided into three main categories: high-end, middle-end and lower-end market. However, in the past, the craft-based, labor-intensive furniture industry was one of the oldest industries in Hong Kong. It was developed to meet local demands. At that time, the furniture industry was dominated by a large number of small firms and could be divided into three major sectors, namely, wooden furniture, rattan furniture and metal furniture . After the economic crisis in 1998, many small companies went bankrupt and customers incentive on buying furniture was lower. To maintain their competitive power, many large companies strive to reduce their costs and increase their efficiency. Some relocate their manufacturing operations to other areas with lower operation costs like Mainland China. Foreign manufacturers are taking steps to strengthen their domestic production through production specialization. Hong Kongs furniture makers also start to establish their own brands and some concept stores in order to develop their unique product lines to differentiate their firms from the others. Companies like GOD and Franc Franc are the most apparent examples which produce products with Hong Kong local characteristics and Japanese culture respectively. Recently, due to the economic recovery and the change of customer trend, people are going to be responsive to the new trends and design of furniture. Thus, the industry is going to produce products to cater the needs of Hong Kong people. Also, many furniture manufacturers become more careful about the choice of raw materials to meet international standards, such as compliance with legal or other environmental requirements in their target markets. Because of the limited living space in Hong Kong, the industry produces the furniture which is highly practical and multi- functional. Moreover, most of them embrace innovative designs and combinations of furnishings which allow them to save home spaces and provide a sense of style and modernism. To cater the growing trend and design of furniture which correspond to their taste and lifestyle, the industry produces DIY furniture which can let consumers to make their unique furniture with their own styles. Moreover, most of them are made of the environmental friendly materials for production. 3. Competitor Analysis: Competitors in relevant market: There are three main competitors of GOD in Hong Kong, accordingly Franc Franc, IKEA and PRICERITE. Their target market segments do not necessarily the same but do have some overlapping as they both target on the market segments of middle-income level families. Further, the mission of their competitors also stress on developing a new concept of life style to Hong Kong people. Franc Francs company would invest over 30 million dollars in Hong Kong and expect there will be 36 million HK dollars gross profit in the first year. There will also be 2 or 3 new branches opened in the next few years. They will be mainly located in some big shopping malls. IKEA have 4 branches in Hong Kong mainly located near big housing town. IKEA is the most well known furniture company in Hong Kong due to the massive advertising programs. The concepts of their design are simple, multi-functional and sustainable. They also have a successful and well-developed customer service system which helps them to develop the loyalty of their customers. PRICERITEs target group mainly focuses on lower income families. They  provide a relatively low price to their customers, thus helping them to develop a low cost, comfortable and multifunctional living environment. They have over 45 branches in Hong Kong so as consumers can easily find a PRICERITE nearby. Comparative advantages: 1. GODUniqueness of local culture In these years, many industries especially those expose frequently to young people like filmdom and musical industry, advocate local original design and innovation. This atmosphere makes young people create a good feeling to Hong Kong local products. Today, GOD is the unique furniture store with strong Hong Kong concept. What Hong Kong concept here means is Hong Kongs own culture and social atmosphere. GOD is a local brand and all of their exclusive designers are local. GOD claims their products have soul because their products can turn out local peoples opinion and attitude to lives. It can attract a group of Hong Kong new generation who like to show off their characters and tastes by their home furniture . 2. Franc FrancAdhere to Japanese-styled goods The trend in Japan always is a benchmark for the young people in Hong Kong. It is because the young people in Hong Kong think Japanese always stand on the tips of the trend. Thus, most of them are adherent to Japanese-styled goods. Many Japanese brands like Fancl and Sanrio have successfully developed their business in Hong Kong. Their successes are also based on this reason. Franc Franc is the sole furniture concept store with Japanese style in Hong Kong. This make it exclusively enjoys the adherent from Hong Kong young people in this market . 3. IKEACost Leadership To provide goods with high quality at relatively low prices, IKEA drives tough bargains with its suppliers in order to employ lowest cost suppliers  of raw and semi-finished goods from all over the world. IKEA Also, their products developers seek out manufacturers who can produce in the most cost-effective way and designers always work with solutions that result in a low price. This cost-focused supply chain model results in getting the goods with cheapest price and good quality.

Cure for Axillary Hyperhydrosis Essay -- Sweat Sweating Botox Treatmen

Cure for Axillary Hyperhydrosis Sweating is a natural process for all animals. Broadly speaking, we sweat so that our brains do not overheat. The brain can easily overheat if the temperature rises too high because it consumes a very large amount (twenty percent) of our metabolic energy. The brain and temperature relationship is extremely sensitive because it has been studied that brain damage is apparent if the brain temperature is raised to 106 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, in order for the brain to not reach this temperature, there must be a system that moderates the temperature—this cooling system is commonly referred to as sweating. When humans sweat, the surface of their skin is cooled, and the skin is then able to cool the blood headed to the brain. The sweat glands are in charge of carrying out this important system. There are two components to the sweat glands: the apocrine glands and the eccrine glands. The apocrine glands contribute the odor component to sweat and are associated with hair follicles, and the eccrine glands are the actual glands responsible for the secretion of sweat on the skin to lower the body temperature. (http://home.flash.net/~mortongr/sweat.htm) Dr. Richard G. Glogau explained that: â€Å"Eccrine sweat evaporates on the surface of the skin and effects a transfer of heat, primarily by direct conduction from the vascular supply to the skin. Sweating can reach volumes measured in liters per hour,† (1998, p.817). Between two and four million of these glands are found deep in the skin of the palms of hands, in the soles of feet and under the axillary skin. (Glogau, 1998) These glands secrete a very dilute solution of urea and lactic acid (Odderson, 1998). http://www.hyperhidrosi... ...perhidrosis with Botulinum Toxin. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 24, 280-2. Heckmann, M., Breit, S., Ceballos-Baumann, A., Schaller, M., & Plewig, G. (1999). Side-controlled Intradermal Injection of Botulinum Toxin A in Recalcitrant Axillary Hyperhidrosis. J Am Acad Dermatol, 41, 987-90. Naumann, M. et al. (1998). Focal Hyperhidrosis: Effective Treatment With Intracutaneous Botulinum Toxin. Archives of Dermatology, 134, 301-4. Odderson, Ib R. (1998). Axillary Hyperhidrosis: Treatment With Botulinum Toxin A. Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 79, 350-2. Odderson, I.R. (1998). Hyperhidrosis Treated by Botulinum A Exotoxin. Dermatol Surg, 24, 1237-41. Schnider, P. et al. (1999). A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled trial of Botulinum A Toxin for Severe Axillary Hyperhidrosis. British Journal of Dermatology, 140, 677-80.

Albert Einstein Book Review

Albert Einstein remains one of the 20th Century's most enigmatic yet popular figures. His high-minded concepts are more than most adults can handle, yet his popularity seems to rise with each passing year. His continuing importance to the world of physics is staggering given the recent advancements in the world of quantum physics. Yet Einstein the man is a much a different person than Einstein the scientist. It is Einstein the man that we see here, in this wonderful book by Maree Ferguson Delano.Delano, who also wrote  The Photogbiography of Thomas Alva Edison, returns to the photobiography format here as well, and it's a good thing because Einstein is difficult enough to digest as it is. Photo after photo shows Einstein as a definitely human scientist, one who cared deeply for his family and who wanted desperately to have a â€Å"real† job. Einstein lived in Germany during the rise of the Nazis. The threat to his safety is very real, and it is partly because of the horrors that he sees growing up that he helps the Allies on the road to building the atomic bomb.He once wrote† Organized power can be opposed only by organized power. Much as I regreat this, there is no other way. † The author does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the scientist and his momentous discoveries. (But the reader won't be able to get a complete picture of Einstein without a little further reading on his achievements. Delano tries mightily to distill the brilliance of Einstein into younger-reader-friendly terms, but it is a daunting task that escapes even the most brilliant of writers. His genius cannot be denied, however, and the author does a good job of displaying it for all to see. Einstein's theories of relativity and spacetime are amazing, especially considering that he was a terrible student, one whom one of his teachers predicted â€Å"would never amount to anything. † That he conceived these monumental ideas with nothing more than pencil an d paper and his own imagination is breathtakingly amazing. One theme that emerges from this discussion of Einstein's life is how much he liked children. He felt that he never really grew up.He preferred the simple lives of children, who, in good times, didn't have to worry about many things that their parents did, like food, clothing, and shelter. In his later years, he received thousands of letters every year. Many of those letters were from children, and he took great pleasure in responding to them. In doing so, as he did throughout his life, he didn't talk down to children or force them to be adults to understand what he was saying. Rather, he became a child again, thinking in their terms and enjoying their lives, which were simpler than adults'.The photos, provided as always by the excellent library of the National Geographic, are excellent in illustrating the life of a man who needs no introduction. The requisite timeline at the back of the book is a help as well, allowing the reader to put into perspective the events of Einstein's life. The Afterword is especially helpful, taking a look at how Einstein dominates public life even today, exactly 100 years after he announced his first theory of relativity. This book is recommended for older readers or for youngsters who have a basic understanding of physics.Some of the concepts are high-minded, and they have to be; this is not a bad thing. The author deals with the subject matter as ably as possible. The human story of Einstein—as father, husband, devoted son, friend to children—shines through as well and can be understood by readers of all ages. Adults, too, will get a more rounded picture of the great scientist by reading this book, which, like its subject, doesn't talk down to anybody, instead putting its complex subject matter into terms that can be understood.

Dry Shampoo

How do marketers assess the need of a product to market it†¦ In today’s competitive, global environment, new products and innovation are critical to a company’s growth and sustainability. Many companies today focus only on cost reduction. Generating revenue via new, differentiated products should also be part of the corporate strategy. Product development must be done within a strategic context that takes into account emerging market trends, environmental and regulatory rulings and trends, customer and employee needs and wants, and financial considerations.The development and launching of new products is perceived as a risk due to uncertainties of success after significant investments. In addition, the product development process is not well understood by most firms. Finding, developing, and exploiting new product growth can help corporations to maximize latent value in their new innovative products and growing markets, while diversifying risk. It also allows busin esses to focus on evolving macro and micro markets and to enhance customer satisfaction and competitive advantage. Begin market planning by clearly identifying the market you want to target.This may or may not be the market you are working with now. The idea is to think creatively about your product to determine what set of customers are going to give your business the cash flow, profit and growth it needs. Suppose I am going to start a business of â€Å"DRY SHAMPOO† as it is quite a new product for Bangladesh perspectives†¦ The so-called â€Å"French shower,† that curious Napoleonic custom of applying perfume or deodorant over unwashed flesh, went out of style with pantaloons, and certainly never spread to these more hygienic shores.Right? Hello, dry shampoo. Touted as a water and timesaving way to stay quote-unquote gorgeous on the go, these wildly popular shampoo substitutes allow the busiest exec to head straight from the bedroom to the boardroom without a pes ky shower in between. Just apply a cumulus of powder to the scalp, wait two minutes before brushing it out, and Fabulist achieved. Dry shampoo is a powdered substance used to clean the hair when you want to extend the length of a blowout or when it is not practical to use water and traditional shampoo.The market for dry shampoos, which are sold in both spray-on and powdered formulas, has exploded over the past few years. Name a high-end hair-care brand—Frederic Fekkai, Bumble and bumble, Oscar Blandi, Rene Futerer—and the chances are good that a revolutionary new dry-shampoo product is one of the top-selling items in the company's inventory. Their average price overs around $20 for about 3 ounces—not exactly a bargain. So, how well do they work? Old-fashioned wet shampoo cleans hair of all of the assorted gunk and free radicals that accumulate over the course of a day, as well as its natural oils, which are known as sebum.Dry shampoo, which usually has a base of talc, cornstarch, potato, or rice, soaks up rather than washes away sebum and dirt. When you brush out the powder, you're also (allegedly) brushing out the grime, too. Because the soak-up/brush-out method doesn't rid the hair of as much sebum, you can safely use dry shampoos once or several times between regular shampooing. But alert: Because dry shampoos are essentially spray-on powders, they can, even after vigorous brushing, lighten the crown of your head, which can be good or bad, depending on your desired hair color.Why Use Dry Shampoo? Fab Hair, Fewer Washes Over washing your hair can dry it out and cause hair color to fade. To preserve your color and maintain moisturized, sleek hair, it is best to wash your hair only 2-3 times per week. Additionally, if you’re strapped for time and you need to freshen up your locks (after the gym, before a night out, etc. ), dry shampoo serves as a fantastic option. Modern, busy women swear by dry shampoos! So the question is.. Who wi ll buy my product? Why will they buy my product? What will they pay for my product?Where do they expect to find this product? When spoke to a half-dozen dry shampoo devotees about their reliance on these potions. One â€Å"natural† said dry shampoo helps her disguise suspicious roots on the brink of her next highlight appointment, since the powder tends to lighten the hair. Another turns to it when she can't submit to the 45-minute blow-dry required to tame her frizzy curls. Then the third one who use it after midday workouts and the partygoers who want to refresh their appearance in the office bathroom.The marketer may recruit 2 or three testers for analyzing the range of hair types who are chemically enhanced one with thick hair and a schedule that only allows her to hit the gym during lunch. The second has thin hair that looks flat and oily by the end of the workday; she'd prefer to take a second shower before any nighttime assignations. The third one has thick, wavy, jet- black hair that requires herculean efforts to manage. All three work full-time and shampoo daily. generally obedient hair that never, ever wash on a daily basis, having been taught early on that too-frequent washing strips and damages hair over the long run.