A decade of iPod and Windows XP

This week is remarkable for two 10-year computing anniversaries: that of the Apple iPod and of Microsoft's Windows XP.

Both should be celebrated for their success and impact on consumers and tech sector. But while Apple's iPod will be celebrated in the history of its creator and – no doubt – the annals of computing history as a landmark device, Windows XP has become an inconvenience to Microsoft. XP has lived on despite outrageous circumstance and determined attempts by Microsoft to kill it. The OS is destined one day to become little more than a footnote on a version-history page of Wikipedia.

Launched on 23 October 2001 to skeptical critical opinion, the iPod breathed fresh life into what was an uninteresting and forgotten category of consumer devices: the MP3 player.

Apple's player teamed sleek, touchable, cigarette-packet-sized design (initially) with fingertip-scrolling and playing that quickly got you to the music. Apple married this with an online music, film and apps store while the design idea as well as the player leapt to the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad.

In the aftermath of Steve Jobs' death, it has become de rigueur to associate each of Apple's successes with his genius vision and Midas-like touch.

But it wasn't Jobs who came up with the idea for the iPod: that was entrepreneur Tony Fadell, a contractor and hardware expert who had worked at General Magic and Philips. Fadell is the man who dreamed up the idea to take "an MP3 player, build a Napster music sale service to complement it, and build a company around it."

Fadell shopped his idea to other consumer electronics companies but they didn't bite.

Apple did bite: it hired Fadell in early 2001, giving him a team of designers, programmers and hardware engineers to work on manufacture in tight secrecy with PortalPlayer, since bought by Nvidia. It was Jobs' infinite and exacting interference and nit-picking that gave us a player that had near total market saturation and is only now slowly sliding back to something approximating a commercially acceptable level of market share.

What differentiated the iPod against other MP3 players was the music store, the second component of the Fadell vision. In 2003, iTunes opened with just 200,000 songs but priced at 99¢ each. Support for Windows in the second-generation iPod in 2002 then took Apple's player to a wider audience

Microsoft's Windows XP officially launched on 25 October 2001.

As with the iPod, Microsoft had a heavy consumer focus for its operating system. But unlike Apple, Microsoft didn't keep the development of Windows XP secret. In fact, there was a lot of discussion by Microsoft and others about the significance of Windows XP.

Windows XP was important because it marked the final convergence of Microsoft's two code bases: 9.x for the desktop – which embraced Windows 3.0, Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows ME – and Windows NT, Microsoft's workstation and server operating system intended to answer Netware and Unix.

What gave Windows XP legs? One was these delays to Windows Vista and the hostile reception it received. When Windows Vista eventually shipped in 2006 and 2007, customers and businesses preferred to stay with the past.

Another factor playing in Windows XP's favour were delayed upgrades to Windows XP from older versions of Windows. Businesses shied away from Windows XP after it joined Windows 2000 in being savaged by Nimda, Sasser and Blaster worms plus their derivations, mutations and other worms that exploited network holes to crash PCs and take over people's inboxes to propagate their payloads. It wasn't until the Windows XP Service Pack 2 in 2004 that businesses began to upgrade in numbers and with confidence.

Ten years to the month after Windows XP launched, it has only just been overtaken by Windows 7 to become the world's most popular desktop operating system.

There were voices at Microsoft saying: 'You need to something about security', and they [management] said: 'We know what we are doing'. The people running Windows hadn't been though that thing before and they didn't listen. It was probably arrogance."

Just months after Windows XP, a humbled Bill Gates had announced the Trustworthy Computing initiative to shift from focusing on features to spotlighting security and privacy.

When it comes to music players, meanwhile, Microsoft has given up on the idea of beating the iPod with a Zune device, and is following Apple by putting its music player on a smartphone. In Microsoft's case, it's smartphones running Windows Phone.

As for Apple's iPod, it's not clear what happens next. With the latest iPod Touch, all that's changing is the version of iOS running inside and the – gasp – yes, addition of a white case. As Apple customers shift to the iPhone and iPad as a music-playing device, iPod sales are spiking down

Wintel overtaken in Market Cap by AAPL

As on Friday, the Market cap of Apple (AAPL) was 317.54 Bn a tad over the combined market cap of Microsoft (MSFT) and Intel (INTC) put together. Microsoft had a Mcap of 201.29 Bn and Intel that of 115.48 Bn combining to 316.77 Bn. It is a really remarkable turn-around when 5 years back the analysts and Internet media started writing the demise of Apple.

Quoting a few below:

http://www.applematters.com/article/875/ --> Five reasons why there will be no Mac in 2010

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/kevinmaney/2005-12-20-jobs_x.htm --> 2006 will be the year that Apple CEO Jobs falls off the pedestal

http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/funds/supermodels/10201037.html --> Apple turns out to Philips Electronics for a bailout

The one that catches my eye, in 1998 Bill Gates had said “What I can’t figure out is why he (Steve Jobs) is even trying (to be the CEO of Apple)? ” wondered Bill. “He knows he can’t win.” (http://www.cringely.com/2010/04/masters-tournament/). Look at it 13 years hence, a look at the financials of these two companies suggest Apple with $ 66Bn in cash and a share price of $ 343.38 (with a Mcap of $ 6Bn in 1998) and Microsoft with $ 52 Bn in cash and a share price of $ 23.87 (with a Mcap of $ 240Bn in 1998) shows a stark contrast.

The only inferences I draw from the above figures are

1) Microsoft has stagnated ever since 1998 and have not been able to deliver value to share holders

2) With the rave of tech geeks and gadget freeks and social status elements clearly behind Apple, they have grown the shareholder value consistently

3) The rave of every new product release with customers lining up days together to have the first crack of the new innovations from Apple speaks volumes of a great turn-around that Steve Jobs has brought into this company. No wonder, he has been the CEO of the decade with "Fortune", "Forbes" and many other media publications

4) Remember, Google (GOOG) in the meantime has evolved and has gone on to own a Mcap of $ 168.66 Bn in direct competition to Microsoft which signifies Microsoft is still sleeping and wanting to live on past laurels

IS STEVE BALLMER LISTENING ???

The curious case of Raul Vinci... oops Rahul Gandhi

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T ENDORSE ANY POLITICAL PARTY. NOR DO I ENDORSE ANY OF WHAT MAYAWATI IS DOING. I WAS JUST TAKEN ABACK BY RAHUL GANDHI'S HYPOCRITICAL COMMENT AT THE RECENT FARMER AGITATION IN UTTAR PRADESH. Rahul Gandhi: "I feel ashamed to call myself an INDIAN after seeing what has happened here in UP".

Please don't be ashamed of Uttar Pradesh yet. Congress ruled the State for the Majority of the duration Pre Independence to Post Independence.. from 1939 to 1989 ( barring the Periods of Emergency..

Thanks to your Grand Mom Indira G. and a couple of transitional Governments) 8 out of the total 14 Prime Ministers of India have been from UP, 6 out of those 8 have been from Congress...

I think your party had more than half a century and half a Dozen PM's to build a State...

The Reason Mulayam Singh, subsequently came to Power is because your party wasn't exactly Gandhian in their dealings in the State.. So May be If you look at in totality the present chaos in UP is the outcome of the glorious leadership displayed by Congress in UP for about 50 years! So Please don't feel ashamed as yet Dear Rahul.. For Mayawati is only using the Land Acquisition Bill which your party had itself used to LOOT the Farmers many times in the Past!

WHY DIDN'T YOUR PARTY CHANGE THE BILL WHEN IT WAS IN POWER FOR SO LONG?

Not that I Endorse what Mayawati is doing.. What Mayawati is doing is Unacceptable..

But the past actions of your party and your recent comments, puts a question mark on your INTENT and CONSISTENCY.

YOU REALLY WANT TO FEEL ASHAMED

But don't be disappointed, I would give you ample reasons to feel ashamed... You really want to feel Ashamed..?

First Ask Pranav Mukherjee, Why isn't he giving the details of the account holders in the Swiss Banks.

Ask your Mother, Who is impeding the Investigation against Hasan Ali?

Ask her, Who got 60% Kickbacks in the 2G Scam ?

Kalamdi is accused of a Few hundred Crores, Who Pocketed the Rest in the Common Wealth Games?

Ask Praful Patel what he did to the Indian Airlines? Why did Air India let go of the Profitable Routes?

Ask Manmohan Singh. Why/What kept him quiet for so long?

Are Kalmadi and A Raja are Scapegoats to save Big Names like Harshad Mehta was in the 1992 Stock Market Scandal ?

Who let the BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY Accused go Scot Free? ( 20,000 People died in that Tragedy)

Who ordered the State Sponsored Massacre of SIKHS in 84?

Please read more about, How Indira Gandhi pushed the Nation Under Emergency in 76-77, after the HC declared her election to Lok Sabha Void! (I bet she had utmost respect for DEMOCRACY and JUDICIARY and FREE PRESS) I guess you know the answers already. So my question is, why the Double Standards in Judging Mayawati and members of your Family and Party?

I condemn Mayawati. But is she the only one you feel Ashamed for?

What about the ones close to you? For their contribution to the Nation's Misery is beyond comparison. You talk about the Land being taken away from the Farmers. How many Suicides have happened under your Parties Rule in Vidarbha ? Does that not ashame you ?

THE 72,000 CRORE LOAN WAIVER

Your Party gave those Farmers a 72,000 Crore Loan Waiver. Which didn't even reach the Farmers by the way. So, Why don't you focus on implementing the policies which your govt. has undertaken, instead of earning brownie points by trying to manufacture consent by bombarding us with pictures of having food with Poor Villagers....

You want to feel ashamed. You can feel ashamed for your Party taking CREDIT for DEBITING the Public Money (72,000 crores) from the Government Coffers and literally Wasting it...

You want to feel ashamed.. Feel ashamed for that...

WHY ONLY HIGHLIGHT THIS ARREST?

Dear Rahul, to refresh your memory, you were arrested/detained by the FBI the BOSTON Airport in September 2001.

You were carrrying with you $ 1,60,000 in Cash ( Similar to the Arrest of Rahet Fateh Ali Khan recently, because you han't decared that Amount) . US allowed $ 10,000 cash at Immigration. 9 HOURS he was kept at the Airport. He was later freed on the intervention of the then Prime Minister Mr.Vajpayee.. FBI filed an equivalent of an FIR in US and released him. When FBI was asked to divulge the information for the reasons Rahul was arrested by Right/Freedom to Information Activists... FBI asked for a NO OBJECTION CERTIFICATE from Rahul Gandhi. So Subramaniyam Swami wrote a Letter to Rahul Gandhi, " If you have NOTHING to HIDE, Give us the Permission"

HE NEVER REPLIED!

Why did that arrest not make Headlines Rahul? You could have gone to the Media and told, "I am ashamed to call myself an INDIAN?". Or is it that, you only do like to highlight Symbolic Arrests (like in UP) and not Actual Arrests ( In BOSTON) Because it so happens RAHET FATEH ALI KHAN'S recent arrest was Splashed in the Media and Your arrest in 2001 hardly got a MENTION..

Kindly Clarify.....

In any case, you want to feel ashamed, Read Along...

YOUR MOTHER'S SO CALLED SACRIFICE OF GIVING UP PRIME MINISTER SHIP in 2004.

According to a Provision in the Citizenship Act. A Foreign National who becomes a Citizen of India, is bounded by the same restrictions, which an Indian would face, If he/she were to become a Citizen of Italy.

(Condition based on principle of reciprocity) [READ ANNEXURE- 1&2] Now Since you can't become a PM in Italy, Unless you are born there. Likewise an Italian Citizen can't become Indian PM, unless He/She is not born here! Dr. SUBRAMANIYAM SWAMI (The Man who Exposed the 2G Scam) sent a letter to the PRESIDENT OF INDIA bringing the same to his Notice. [READ LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT IN ANNEXURE -3] PRESIDENT OF INDIA sent a letter to Sonia Gandhi to this effect, the day she was about to get sworn in 2004. Manmohan Singh was brought in the Picture at the last moment to Save Face!! Rest of the SACRIFICE DRAMA which she choreographed was an EYE WASH!!!

So She didn't make any Sacrifice, It so happens that SONIA GANDHI couldn't have become the PM of INDIA that time. You could be Ashamed about that Dear Rahul!!

THINK ABOUT YOURSELF.

You go to Harvard on Donation Quota. ( Hindujas Gave HARVARD 11 million dollars the same year, when Rajiv Gandhi was in Power) Then you are expelled in 3 Months/ You Dropped out in 3 Months.... ( Sadly Manmohan Singh wasn't the Dean of Harvard that time, else you might have had a chance... Too Bad, there is only one Manmohan Singh!) Some Accounts say, You had to Drop out because of Rajiv Ji's Assasination. May be, But Then Why did you go about lying about being Masters in Economics from Harvard .. before finally taking it off your Resume upon questioning by Dr. SUBRAMANIYAM SWAMI (The Gentlemen who exposed the 2G Scam)

At St. Stephens.. You Fail the Hindi Exam. Hindi Exam!!!

And you are representing the Biggest Hindi Speaking State of the Country?

SONIA GANDHI's EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Sonia G gave a sworn affidavit as a Candidate that She Studied English at University of Cambridge [SEE ANNEXURE-6, 7_37a] According to Cambridge University, there is no such Student EVER! [ SEE ANNEXURE -7_39] Upon a Case by Dr. Subramaniyam Swami filed against her, She subsequently dropped the CAMBRIDGE CREDENTIAL from her Affidavit. Sonia Gandhi didn't even pass High School.

In this sense, She shares a common Educational Background with Karunanidhi

You Fake your Educational Degree, Your Mother Fakes her Educational Degree. And then you go out saying, " We want Educated Youth into Politics!" Letters sent by Dr. Swami to EC and then Speaker of Lok Sabha are in ANNEXURE 7_36 &7_35 RESPECTIVELY

Contrast that with Gandhi Ji , who went to South Africa, Became a Barrister, on Merit, Left all that to work for South Africa, then for the Country....

WHY LIE ABOUT EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIALS?

Not that Education is a Prerequisite for being a great Leader, but then you shouldn't have lied about your qualifications! You could feel a little ashamed about Lying about your Educational Qualifications. You had your reasons I know, because in India, WE RESPECT EDUCATION! But who cares about Education, when you are a Youth Icon!!

YOUTH ICON

You traveled in the Local Train for the first time at the Age of 38. You went to some Villages as a part of Election Campaign. And you won a Youth Icon!! ... That's why You are my Youth Icon. For 25 Million People travel by train every day. You are the First Person to win a Youth Icon for boarding a Train. Thousands of Postmen go to remotest of Villages. None of them have yet gotten a Youth Icon. You were neither Young Nor Iconic.

Still you became a Youth Icon beating Iconic and Younger Contenders like RAHUL DRAVID.

Shakespeare said, what's in a Name? Little did he knew, it's all in the Name, Especially the Surname! Speaking of Surname..

DO YOU REALLY RESPECT GANDHI, OR IS IT JUST TO CASH IN ON THE GOODWILL OF MAHATMA? Because the Name on your Passport is RAUL VINCI. Not RAHUL GANDHI..

May be if you wrote your Surname as Gandhi, you would have experienced, what Gandhi feels like, LITERALLY ( Pun Intended) But you don't seem to use Gandhi except when you are fighting Elections. (There it makes complete sense). Imagine fighting by the Name Raul Vinci...Even Leonardo Da Vinci couldn't win an Election in India with that Name!! It feels sadly Ironic, Gandhi Ji, who inspired Icons like Nelson Mandela ,Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lennon, across the world, Couldn't inspire members of his party/ Nehru's Family, who only seem to use his Surname for the purposes of FIGHTING ELECTIONS and conveniently use a different name on their PASSPORT. You could feel ashamed for your Double Standards.

YOUTH INTO POLITICS.

Now you want Youth to Join Politics. I say First you Join Politics. Because you haven't joined politics. You have joined a Family Business. First you join Politics. Win an Election fighting as RAUL VINCI and Not Rahul Gandhi, then come and ask the youth and the Educated Brass for more involvement in Politics. Also till then, Please don't give me examples of Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora and Naveen Jindal as youth who have joined Politics..

They are not Politicians. They just happen to be Politicians.

Much Like Abhishek Bachchan and other Star Sons are not Actors. They just happen to be Actors (For Obvious Reasons) So, We would appreciate if you stop requesting the Youth to Join Politics till you establish your credentials...

WHY WE CAN'T JOIN POLITICS!

Rahul Baba, Please understand, Your Father had a lot of money in your Family account (in Swiss Bank) when he died. Ordinary Youth has to WORK FOR A LIVING.

YOUR FAMILY just needs to NETWORK FOR A LIVING

If our Father had left thousands of Crores with us, We might consider doing the same.. But we have to Work. Not just for ourselves. But also for you. So that we can pay 30% of our Income to the Govt. which can then be channelized to the Swiss Banks and your Personal Accounts under some Pseudo Names. So Rahul, Please don't mind If the Youth doesn't Join Politics. We are doing our best to fund your Election Campaigns and your Chopper Trips to the Villages. Somebody has to Earn the Money that Politicians Feed On.

INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

You want to feel ashamed.. Feel Ashamed for what the First Family of Politics has been reduced to... A Money Laundering Enterprise. If MONEY is all the Motivation there is, You can Feel Ashamed for Sonia G's 'POVERTY of AMBITION' You really want to feel Ashamed. Feel Ashamed for what you ' SO CALLED GANDHI'S' have done to Mahatma's Legacy..

Meanwhile, I would request Sonia Gandhi to change her name to $ONIA GANDHI, and you could replace the 'R' in RAHUL/RAUL by the New Rupee Symbol!!!

RAUL VINCI: I am ashamed to call myself an Indian. Even we are ashamed to call you so!

P.S: Popular Media is either bought or blackmailed, controlled to Manufacture Consent! My Guess is Social Media is still a Democratic Platform. Let's ask these questions, for we deserve some Answers.

For we are all Gandhi's. For he is the Father of the Nation. To know more, try looking for Dr. SUBRAMANIYAM SWAMI. He is the reason today 2G SCAM is being Investigated!!!

Giddy Musings and other bakwaas: My First Tech Industry Blog - Missing the bus

Giddy Musings and other bakwaas: My First Tech Industry Blog - Missing the bus

My First Tech Industry Blog - Missing the bus

I had resisted blogging on this for too long but could not after a spate of recent experiences and observations.

Here walks a colleague and asks "I am still not convinced about iPad, but am amazed to see Apple shipped over 7 Million units of iPad last fiscal year" and another....

"I am in a dilemma as to should I buy a laptop/ iPad"

While in the former case, it was a long discussion on various applicable areas that iPad may be used those 7 Million buyers and seemingly finding new ways to put iPad into use, in the latter it was a clear requirement of laptop wherein the colleague was tempted to explore iPad to replace the same.

On these experiences, it just makes me feel though iPad may not replace laptops in few cases, they can in few other user specific needs.

This blog of mine is about has Microsoft missed the bus yet again? As a pioneer and visionary of thinking of tablets close to 8 years ago, it has hardly found a way to convince customers on the utility of the same. Vivid in my mind when Bill Gates, used a pen (of course a digital one) to write on the screen and was to show the world, that newer forms of input is the future of the end-user experience. The tablet was launched later by Microsoft, but never generated the pull or excitement as iPad has delivered so far. No wonder 60+ vendors are launching/ launched their tablets already. Many of these vendors are launching on Android.

It is even more interesting to see that 23 Million units is what analysts predict for iPad shipments this fiscal year. In all, close to 30 Million user-situations do not need a bulky laptop and can be met by tablets. Not to count the other tablet vendors. In a nutshell, the user experiences that are gonna be delivered by non-Microsoft is going to be far outnumbering that Microsoft will be providing.

This comes soon after Microsoft missing to get it right repeatedly on the mobile device market. Their recent sign-up with Nokia (remember the CEO of Nokia was the ex-head of the business division of Microsoft) is the only hope of lifting the sagging markets for both Nokia and Microsoft. It has taken long for Microsoft to build on top of other mobiles OSs than spend millions on their own mobile OS.

Lastly, with increasing number of user experiences being identified on tablets, and mobile devices gearing up to fill the void, Microsoft is increasingly losing relevance with end-users with the age-old PC and laptop? No wonder, fresh ideas are needed for Microsoft to stem these slides at the top lest they become irrelevant to the new-world.

Disenchanting Night Watchman's innings by Manmohan Singh...

For those non-cricket followers... A night watchman is one who is sent higher than his batting order towards end of day's play to protect more accomplished batsman for a fresh day's play the next day. The pitfalls of this strategy is if he fails to survive or survives too long by hitting a stroke-less century forcing the match to a meaningless outcome. In the latter case, it is only a personal achievement that a night watchman can claim as it did not help the team's cause. Manmohan Singh's prime ministership is akin to the latter. Take this for sample...

Manmohan Singh's government has failed in their policy and decision making time and again. For starters, Sharm el-Sheikh in July-2009, fresh in his second term, makes a hara-kiri by issuing a joint statement with Pakistan Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, to debracket terrorism from composite dialogue and including Balochistan. The inclusion of Balochistan, where Pakistan has always unsuccessfully accused India of fomenting trouble, not only drew international attention, but also eased the pressure Pakistan was under after 26/11. That Manmohan Singh found himself isolated within his own party showed that his move at Sharm el-Sheikh was irresponsible, impulsive one, which his own party boss (a.k.a Sonia Gandhi) disowns.

It is also noteworthy that economist prime minister lack of leadership gets manifested best in abdication of responsibilities on issues concerning Indian economy. Even as the government fiddles on the critical issue of food grains, continue to rot for want of storage space, it is inexcusable that Singh's assertion that Supreme Court must not dictate policy - a statement that absolves the agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar for all his failures.

Even as Naxals continue to kill forces at will, there is utter chaos in the basic comprehension of the problem. While Home Minister, P.Chidambaram suggests it as "law and order" problem, Digvijay Singh thinks otherwise. Even as the killing continues, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, addresses massive rally at Lalgarh along with Maoists and supports investigation into the death of Naxal commander. Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee disapproves Mamata's antics only to Congress heir apparent, Rahul Gandhi addressing a massive tribal rally alonside suspected Naxal leaders as the soldier for tribals in Delhi. No one can decipher on what Manmohan Singh thinks of this problem.

It is becoming only natural to expect inaction from Manmohan Singh by constantly looking the other side on issues involving corruption be it the ones concerning Telecom Minister A.Raja or Common Wealth Games Chariman Suresh Kalmadi. One does not need more instance to conclude, India deserves a "in-control" PM. However, the point is, what makes the projected and proclaimed PM-in-waiting, Rahil Gandhi to be 'shielded' perpetually? Has he done a reality check and concluded that he is not ready for the job? Is he worried that he will face same flak when he gets his opportunity?

Even more appalling is our PM-in-waiting is invisible when it concerns issues of the country. Rahul is busy just canvassing with colleges for youth to join politics, but is silent on any policy, proving he is mysterical... may be incapable. Never has he expressed his comprehension on issues of national importance - be it Naxal menace, Kashmir problem, China's bullying or price rise.

The opposition parties, who have done well recently, are weary of bowling to a Night Watchman for more than six years now and seems to have taken the game away, without any apparent merit. They must be raring to have a go at a main batsman, who is happy cooling heels in the pavilion.

To conclude, What will Rahul be as a prime minister - main batsman or Night Watchman? Its anyboy's guess, but to me all hints points towards another Night Watchman PM-in-waiting and not a main batsman...

If I were a Pakistan cricketer, I will fix matches...

There has been a lot of hooplah around the recent spot-fixing of cricket games by Pakistani cricketers. No doubt, it has weaned away the audience who were on the wall in terms of which game to follow. Especially in cricket playing nations such as West Indies, the audience and support is weaning away, this will only make the spectators move away from cricket as a game...

Having stated the obvious, I would like to present a paradox view on this allegations, from the shoes of a pakistani cricketers. Herein is a nation torn with domestic violence, human rights as well as role models like cricketers turned politician. The last aspect of cricketer turned politician seems to be a sub-continental disease with the likes of Mohammed Azharuddin, Imran Khan, Arjuna Ranatunga to name few. The glitzy lifestyle of Pakistani politicians like Zardari only makes the Pakistani cricketers envy glitzy lifestyle.

Given that, Pakistani politicians do nothing to instill confidence to the world on the measures to kill violence within their country, the cricketers are already reeling under "no playing" in Pakistan approach from various cricket teams.

Also, the annual contracts for Pakistan cricketers are the lowest of the big-8 cricketing nations that they cannot compete with their contemporaries from other 7 countries wherein the cricketers are paid much higher annual contracts.

In this backdrop, it is only natural that the Pakistani cricketers adopt to "quick-buck" approach as they are not sure how long would they get to play the game and get the glitz.

I am not supporting that match fixing is the right thing, but being in Pakistan cricketer's position, the temptation to get involved is very high. Something on the lines of Naxals having the poorest of poor in India enrolled in their ranks