Quote:
Originally Posted by calvin-c
One of the major reasons Microsoft became the dominant force it did is because they realized that growing the market gave them more sales than cornering the market. IOW, they marketed PC's to non-PC users (in the generic sense of PC).
Apple, I think, is attempting the same with the iPad.
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Sorry that I'm responding late to this, but I don't have the same opinion that you do Calvin-c. Apple was in the game before Microsoft and the IBM PC and the reason that apple lost was the same reason that (I hope -- no bias here - grin) they will lose the current market.
Apple has always had more polished products because of their tight control of their products. But, as much as people like to bash Microsoft about its closed system, MS's openness is what won it the market. You could buy any hardware from any manufacturer and run windows. There were many more app's available on Windows machines.
When we go to the iphone, the closed system got even tighter because of the restrictive app store approval process. Frankly, Steve Jobs had a telling moment in the interview posted on the net with Mossberg.
Jobs was asked about the comparison of ibooks for the ipod with the Kindle. Jobs defended ibooks and said it was better. I have no problems with that as far as it goes. However, I would have preferred him to say something like this: 'We believe that iBooks will be a superior choice with its interface, book selection and prices; however, the ipad is an open device and we would welcome an upgraded Kindle app customized for the ipad so you can purchase an ipad and have your choice of book reading applications.' Instead, i expect them to do everything they can to squash competition on the ipad.
This is all speculation, but my prediction is that android will be the long term winner in the field because of its openness. I'm watching the same thing I saw with the Apple/Mac versus IBM-Dos/Windows. Android is cruder, there is fragmentation in the Android market, but there is choice. For example, where is the iphone with a keyboard (for my kids)? I believe there will be a Android/Chrome or possibly a Windows7 tablet from (Acer/HTC/HP/Dell/Archos/Toshiba/Samsung/LG/Sony/Hanlin/Netronix/Someone) that is better for me than the single solution from Apple. Although, no doubt, Apple will be near the top.
Reemphasizing that last point, I think that Apple will be at the top, but I don't think that it can always deliver the absolute best from among the dozens of competitors for the next twenty years. A solution, such as Android, that invites participation from many manufacturers will have a better chance of producing a device that satisfies me.
MLH