Courtesy of OSWeekly.com

(Column) - In the olden days (a few years ago), there was a standard formula that was used to generate publicity for a company or product, and PR companies used it like it was going out of style, which, oddly enough, it was. The idea was to do a wide distribution of a press release, create expensive television commercials, focus on getting coverage in the largest print publications, and then wait for the customers to hurriedly come to your front door. This methodology has worked for businesses in the past, and it continues to work for them to some extent today, but the rules are quickly changing.

These days, companies (especially those involved in technology) can generate an unbelievable amount of press by utilizing the online network of citizen reporters known as bloggers to help spread the word for them. An exclusive given to a big name blogger can do wonders, and gigantic budgets aren't needed to develop old media campaigns.

The marketing department may have required a large amount of money to function in the past, but nowadays, they can get by just fine without needing hardly any cash. When you begin to realize that countless site owners have reported seeing more traffic from an article that appeared on the front page of Digg than from a similar one placed in The New York Times, you start to see how powerful all of this really is. Businesses have been forced to adapt, and sometimes they've done it while kicking and screaming in favor of their safe methods.

You may be asking yourself, what does all of this have to do with operating systems? Well, blogging in general has been a distinguishing factor between Microsoft and Apple, and this time, the award goes to Microsoft in a huge way.

Next