The topic of this entry is based off of a few relatively similar questions that several readers commented on. To paraphrase an amalgam of the questions asked; "What are your thoughts about competitors, including the built-in product in the forthcoming Windows Vista, and how does Diskeeper stack up?"

Let me first start off by saying that competition is one of the most dynamic things mankind has going for it. Competition brings out the best, and yes unfortunately sometimes worst, in us. However, it's responsible for most of the progress we've had as a civilization. My "Captain Obvious" disclaimer: I have a staunch Darwinian and Capitalist viewpoint on business and for that matter, life.

That Diskeeper has competitors (other third party software, or Windows built-in offerings) results in better solutions to problems, and progress and improved conditions (faster more reliable systems) for customers.

The fact that Linux, Google, Mozilla and others are viable threats pushes Microsoft into providing improved solutions. Without some such kick-in-the-pants, we might be looking at NT4 SP14 right now. It'd be like the Lada/Zhiguli cars in the former Soviet Union; pretty much the only car the average citizen could, or was allowed to own. Scary.

For us at Diskeeper Corp, strong competition means that we cannot rest our laurels on say Diskeeper 3.0. We have to continue to innovate and improve our product or else we will no longer offer the best solution. To me personally and the other staff at DKC in the end it means the company shrinks and we can't pay our mortgage/rent (not cheap in So Cal), take care of our family, etc; essentially we can't survive.

In my personal opinion, Diskeeper became a bit complacent and did not push the technological boundaries in the early 2000s like it has in more recent years. I/O Smart and I-FAAST are two great examples of our rediscovered innovative mentality. Some really exciting R&D efforts underway today will forward that amelioration.

BTW: To keep up the momentum, and even "kick it up a notch" (apologies to Emeril) we are currently going through a massive hiring phase, and are just about doubling our number of developers (if you're an experienced software engineer send us your resume!).

For anyone curious about what Windows Vista will offer, the built-in defragmenter is the same basic product that we provided Microsoft in the 90's. The one difference of note is scheduling defrag will be simpler. Instead of having to use the Task Scheduler (as in XP/2003), a UI will be added to the product's main page. The current Microsoft design plan is to also implement a once a month default schedule. As we all know the amount of data we use and keep expands almost exponentially, and Vista does a nice job of encouraging that behavior. Using a defragmenter built nearly a decade ago when disks were commonly in the 4GB and you likely had about 64MB of RAM just doesn't cut it today, let alone next year. For the record, it was never intended to be more than an introduction to basic defragmentation when it was built. But of course, if you're reading this blog, you already know that. What Vista offers is not automatic and definitely not Set It and Forget It. As for other third party products that don't innovate and keep well ahead of Vista, good night and good luck.

And speaking of third party competitors, I think it's great that they are out there. While I like to think Diskeeper is the best solution for everyone, I realize others have different tastes, and that there are areas we can improve upon. Without a doubt, every major third party product out there is better than the freebie in Windows, and in the long run will save you time or money (whether you are a computer pro running it on your company network or at home).

To address another question that came up in a blog comment, we do not compare Diskeeper to other products. Why you may ask? We'll there are really two reasons. First, Diskeeper is the industry leader and synonymous with automatic defragmentation. I don't mean to be arrogant in this respect, but why would Mercedes compare themselves to a Yugo? And please don't infer that I consider competitors to be Yugos - I have far more respect for their software. While at that I probably also need to apologize to all the "homies" in the former republic of Yugoslavia :-). Secondly, comparisons serve a negative energy in that they typically work to "unsell" the other product (often resulting in the customer not purchasing anything or stalling because they're getting confusing or conflicting data), hence the customer loses. Personally I get infuriated by politics and specifically election campaigns, because the candidates don't focus on telling you all the great things they can do, but rather spend their time and money slinging mud at the other guy. That whole conflagration was famously mocked by Douglas Adams in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in the "Don't Vote for Stupid" campaign. Diskeeper Corp would much rather spend our time and energy showing all the great solutions our products offer. How do you really feel when you find yourself buying or voting for the "least-worst" product/candidate?

The one circumstance with which I agree in comparing products is when a product vendor sees the customer already has some form or type of partial solution. Or, the vendor recognizes that the customer perceives that they have a solution that the vendor believes really isn't one. Case in point, the built-in movie editor, graphics editor, word editor, backup solution, recycle bin, email program, defragger, etc... Think of all the great third party programs out there that fulfill those needs much, much better. A comparison chart here can help educate people that there really are solutions to all those barriers they're running into - the grass really is greener on the other side.

If a competitor of Diskeeper is providing comparison charts to our software it is indicative of our products technology and industry leadership and adoption. It makes sense for them to compare their offering to Diskeeper. What they promote in their charts as being valuable and worth your hard earned money is up to you as the customer to decide. We're here to show you all the great things our software can do for you. Your power of choice is epitomized by your credit card!

In closing, the fact that Microsoft is paying closer attention to defragmentation and all its benefits, of which you and I already know, is great news for Diskeeper Corporation. OneCare, Vista and all the hype and media exposure around them will boost awareness of the need for this technology. While events in 2006 will push the bar for the bare minimum in defragmentation technology, and competitors will push it a bit further, Diskeeper will continue to pioneer the field, offering the most advanced functionality and performance in the industry. That's my promise to you, and I'd love to hear what we can do to make that possible.