Douwe Osinga's Blog: January 2009

Monday, January 5, 2009

Predictions!

Why do I feel the urge to post predictions for 2009? Mostly because I enjoy reading them - the fact that the web let's people check back a year later is interesting. However, the ones that I read seem in general uninspired. Yeah, the economy won't be good in 2009, Obama will be president and the Internet will still be there. So here's my shot at 2009:

  • Microsoft rebounds
    Just when people think there is no live after Bill. Windows 7 will turn out to be the best windows so far, making even Mac heads stop and wonder. The XBox will be turn out to be the winner of the console wars (but not by a lot) and Explorer 8 a decent browser.

  • China takes the big hit, not the US
    2009 will be a bad year for the world economy, but things will start to look up again if you look closer. More over, the US will be hit less hard than China, which will might not actually shrink, but will do significanly less well than the now predicted 6% economic growth.

  • Greenery will have peaked
    Global Warmings Mind share will go down.

  • The EU will bail out a member country
    27 member states and an economic crisis not seen since the 30's, so this one seems not that unexpected. But it will be interesting, since it will make the EU assume yet another role normally reserved for a state. And the UK will actually support it, since their banking system won't be able to take the actual collapse of said country.

  • Obamo more similar to Bush than the Europeans would like
    The Europeans will try to keep their love affair with Obama alive but they will start to realize that on things like Israel, Iran and the International Court of Justice, America is still America.