When the industry wrapped up 2007 at the start of last year, stock markets were volatile, oil prices were skyrocketing and the economic forecast was not looking good. A year on, little has changed.
Throw in some melamine, the collapse of some of the financial world's biggest names, and further market consolidation--and that pretty much wraps up 2008. The past year, however, was also peppered with scandals, controversies and verbal tussles, providing perhaps some much-needed entertainment for industry watchers.
Samsung, for instance, lost chairman Lee Kun Hee in April when he stepped down--after helming the company for 20 years--over tax evasion charges. Lee was inducted, and convicted, and slapped with a three-year jail sentence.
In November 2008, another scandal hit the tech market when LG, Sharp and Chunghwa pled guilty to price-fixing charges. The three companies had participated in a covert agreement to set prices on thin-film transistor LCDs commonly used in computer monitors, television and mobile devices.
The year also saw the creation of a new acronym, Microhoo, spun from the long-drawn tug-of-war between Microsoft and Yahoo, as both companies debated over a potential merger.
Scandals, controversies and economic gloom aside, 2008 had its sparks. The year saw some long-awaited products and new releases hitting the market, including Google's Chrome browser, Apple's iPhone launch in some Asian markets, and Firefox 3. Netbooks and ultramobile PCs also made their mark last year, clocking significant gains in the market which saw various new models being rolled out from vendors including Dell Computer, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Asus.
Here's a selection of the top 10 headliners in 2008, ranked chronologically, based on the amount of reader feedback and number of pageviews the articles generated, and their impact on the industry.
What the credit crunch means for IT
news analysis The implications of the credit crunch may prove more positive for some sectors of the technology industry than for others.Thursday, September 18 2008
SaaS market will 'collapse' in two years
newsmaker Lawson Software CEO Harry Debes explains why software-as-a-service is overhyped and why the company is not offering a SaaS model, unlike bigger competitors.Thursday, August 21 2008
Intel gives 'turbo' boost to Nehalem
Chipmaker unveils power control feature in its new microarchitecture, which a senior executive claims will be "pretty compelling" for enterprises.Wednesday, August 20 2008
Sun: Java will be free this year
The struggle to open up Java completely is finally coming to an end.Monday, June 23 2008
Experience pays well for those in IT
There is strong correlation between years of experience and a good salary in Asia's technology arena, according to ZDNet Asia's latest IT salary survey.Thursday, June 05 2008
S'pore firm claims patent to image search
Singapore company says it owns patent to technology used by millions of online sites worldwide to link graphics and pictures to other Web pages.Tuesday, May 27 2008
Linux is ready, but consumers are not
Several experts weigh in on whether the open source operating system is ready for mainstream adoption and what it will take to make consumers embrace it.Monday, May 05 2008
Developers warned over OOXML patent risk
news analysis Academics say developers should be cautious following confusion over which parts of the OOXML specification are covered by Microsoft's "covenant not to sue".Friday, February 15 2008
Wikipedia, Ubuntu founders back 'open education'
Linux and other open-source software should provide the model for development and distribution of educational materials, according to Ubuntu.Wednesday, January 23 2008
Linux and its identity crisis
Linux fans are split into two camps, with one for the OS appealing to the masses. Should Linux go mainstream or stick to its core values?Monday, September 24 2007
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