Apple's War on Android

[SeaKing]

Apple's War on Android
By Paul M. Barrett on March 29, 2012
Bloomberg Business Week, Technology



Our eReaders, Apple and Android based, but especially Android are at risk because of Apple's over litigating bullying. Perhaps success goes hand in hand with grinding everyone else into dust, or maybe it is that grinding everyone into dust brings Apple success. I think Apple's moto must be 'If your technology is losing out, then send in the lawyers.' Microsoft did the same thing.

"The clash reflects life in the tech big leagues: Apple sharply reminding a formidable rival who’s boss. At the same time, Apple v. Samsung is remarkable for its scale. The combatants barely notice the millions of dollars in legal expenses they’re each spending annually to flog the other in an epic struggle that will surely test their multibillion-dollar symbiotic relationship. The battle also signals a broader conflict pitting Apple against multiple mobile-device manufacturers in some three dozen legal and regulatory actions pending in 10 countries. Beyond Samsung, Apple’s notable antagonists include Motorola Mobility (MMI) and HTC (2498). As Silicon Valley sophisticates underscore, however, the phone and tablet makers are mere proxies for another foe—Android, the operating system Google (GOOG) gives away to manufacturers."
more--
http://www.businessweek.com/articles...-on-android#p1

The vast amounts of money spent fighting technological advances and product sales on piddling details like "a rectangle shape" is hurting the smaller manufacturers, and thereby the consumer like myself.

On the scale of bullies as well as company valuation, Apple is the biggest.

[Kumabjorn]

You seem to be on a mission. Hopefully it will help you find inner peace.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

I think Apple's moto must be 'If your technology is losing out, then send in the lawyers.'

How exactly is Apple's technology losing?

[Talldog]

As far as this kind of thing is concerned, I don't think that Apple is now or has ever been any better or worse than any other company. But as the success of their iProducts has pushed them out of the boutique and into the mainstream, they're starting to get the kind of scrutiny that companies like MS have been dealing with for a long time.

[CallOfCth'reader]

I thought that putting someone on ignore would also hide the threads that they start. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by CallOfCth'reader

I thought that putting someone on ignore would also hide the threads that they start. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

Careful, talking about such things is now a clearly forbidden behaviour on this forum in the revised Do's & Don'ts...

[JSWolf]

Why is Samsung making iPad retina displays for Apple when Apple wants to sue them out of business?

[afv011]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Why is Samsung making iPad retina displays for Apple when Apple wants to sue them out of business?

Couple of reason: $ and Samsung has several divisions which are sort of independent. But I gather the first reason is the main one.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by Talldog

As far as this kind of thing is concerned, I don't think that Apple is now or has ever been any better or worse than any other company. But as the success of their iProducts has pushed them out of the boutique and into the mainstream, they're starting to get the kind of scrutiny that companies like MS have been dealing with for a long time.

You are right. I remember the "Microsoft Wars" sorta like some kind of gaming system (Lodoss wars, goblin wars, etc.) They sued people (actually still do, get a $ share of most droid business) and bought people if they weren't competing well, and when any of that failed, they would give away stuff to drive them out of business.

The only thing I can remember that was a real failure was "Zune" and then close to that, their first tablet. They are bringing back the tablet again, and maybe later a new "Zune." They never give up.

[RainingLemur]

Originally Posted by frahse

The only thing I can remember that was a real failure was "Zune" and then close to that, their first tablet. They are bringing back the tablet again, and maybe later a new "Zune." They never give up.

If I'm reading this right (http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/24/28...g-in-windows-8), M$ is pretty much killing the Zune and "live" brands and just kind of integrating their services into Windows 8.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by RainingLemur

If I'm reading this right (http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/24/28...g-in-windows-8), M$ is pretty much killing the Zune and "live" brands and just kind of integrating their services into Windows 8.

I would say don't bet money on any of that except for the Zune death. The rest is just repackaging/window dressing to "reinvent" themselves once again, and they will change the Master Plans as usual when they wish.

Vaporware! Vapor plans! That is Microsoft.

The corporate and business world is their bread and butter along with any (call it) mainstream machines.

There will be a Win8 tablet just like there is currently Win7 Tablets. I think they are coming too late and the hardware is going to make them cost too much. The sales should be mediocre except to specialized people and Apple and Android will just laugh.

There will be a Windows 9 and so on forever. Touch screen is not a contender for real world productivity. You need a mouse and a keyboard. You can consume (read or watch a video) on anything. When it comes to putting real work into the system, you need the mouse and keyboard and preferably something larger than 15" screen. Nowadays except when I am on the road I use a 23" or 26" screen.

Net-books will be the junction between the touch screen systems and the productivity machines. I find even a 11.6" machine a bit tight for my fingers, and I just can't get enough on the tiny little screen.
A 12.1 or preferably a 13.3 is a lot better for my fingers, but still the screen is not to my liking.

The new Apple Airs, and the Intel Ultras have good points, but I want big storage and 640SSDs are expensive. I also want an optical drive and regular I/O ports, so anything I get is going to be close to 3/4" or larger.

If I am going to be on the road for a while, I carry a 23" LCD to hook into my notebook. I read on that baby too but don't use all the screen. My Kindle these days usually has classics and writing and technical reference material and sits there like a second screen. That is really working out for me.

The Apple-Android war that SeaKing speaks of will be in the touch screen world. I got a used Archos 43 WiFi from a friend because I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something that would have problems in the future. Of course my wife has one of the zillion iPods that were sold.

I don't know how it will work out.

[VaporPunk]

Originally Posted by frahse

The Apple-Android war that SeaKing speaks of will be in the touch screen world.

Which is the fastest growing segment in the world. For millions of people around the world, Smartphones and Tablets are their only "PC". The potential customer base for these devices is huge, the stakes are high, and it very much drives the behaviour of the MNC's involved. The Patent Wars are gonna make the headlines for a long time.

Apple is the BMW/Ferrari of the mobile market. High quality Nissan's are coming and its scared to death. There is little doubt that that their market share is going to decline every year.

“But in the meantime, these companies have paid their lawyers more than $400 million” over the last several years. “It’s not clear what they’re getting for that money.”

Hmmm, free advertising (media exposure), advantageous positions for long term profit growth, licensing revenue, they're not stupid.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Why is Samsung making iPad retina displays for Apple when Apple wants to sue them out of business?

Apple doesn't want to sue them out of business.
Even accepting the implication that Apple wants to destroy Samsung's tablet line, that is a minuscule fraction of Samsung's business.
Samsung make far more money supplying Apple than they do selling tablets.

[wizwor]

Originally Posted by frahse

Vaporware! Vapor plans! That is Microsoft.

The corporate and business world is their bread and butter along with any (call it) mainstream machines.

Xbox says hello. Xbox captured 42% of console sales last month despite not competing in the business world. Windows waves at you from more than 1,000,000,000 computers across the globe -- most of them in homes.

Originally Posted by frahse

I don't know how it will work out.

No one does. History gives us clues, though.

• Unix/Linux/Android has been brimming with potential my entire life. It never achieves it's potential because profitable alternatives manage price and features such that it's worth the price to get the features. As soon as someone figures out how to make money selling products based on these, their business plan is rooted.
• Microsoft always wins. People mocked Windows, Internet Explorer, and the Xbox. All are doing fine. Now we are mocking the Zune, but it's Metro interface is the Win8 touch interface and Win8 phones are Zunes with dialers -- don't confuse brand failure with product failure.
• People will buy phones and tablets that are not made by Apple. If the price/feature ratio is low enough, there is interest. Amazon sold a lot of Fires. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft can afford to sell devices at or below cost and fund massive development programs to secure market share. Apple can too, but competing on price will not support a $600 share price.

In the Apple vs Android competition, I pick Apple. I really do not see any reason for people to buy an inexpensive tablet with no ecosystem. Until Android has killer apps that will not run on or port to iPads, Fires, and Win8 devices, it will remain a hobby. Amazon will use Android, but differentiate itself to the point that few will be tempted to root their Fires. At some point, Microsoft will beat all comers. Microsoft Access will be the killer app for the Win8 portables (Microsoft gives away the runtimes). Xbox licenses will allow games to be played on the Win8 phone. Microsoft will buy Netflix or some other floundering content provider and excel (pun intended) as a media bundler. They will buy or license B&N to gain entry to the book market (Encarta was Funk and Wagnalls). Same as it ever was.

[CommonReader]

It's certainly an extremely complex relationship between Apple and Samsung.
Apple is Samsung's most important customer by far. To my knowledge they are buying something like 8 billion USD (!) worth of components from Samsung annually. That's a customer you don't want to lose as a company. On the other hand you don't want to be completely dependent on that customer.
Apple is in an equally difficult situation. You cannot simply replace a supplier of that size. Many of the things Samsung produces for Apple may also be protected by Samsung patents or simply production know-how. On the other hand Samsung is certainly one of Apple's most dangerous and successful competitors.