Did the Apple vs. Samsung Jury Fail to Properly Do Their Job?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Dave_S

Yup, they have a lot of sheeple just waiting for the next generation. Sorry to say, but that includes several members of my own family.

And many of those sheeple will look at all this and begin to think...particularly when Apple continues to rehash the same old small cramped, limited and restricted capability phones and tablets.

[ScotiaBurrell]

Originally Posted by kennyc

they have yet to invent anything themselves

Apple Never Invented Anything

For thirty years, the industry had tried to create a tablet, and it had tried too hard. The devices kept clotting, one after the other. Alan Kay’s Dynabook, Go, Eo, GridPad, various Microsoft-powered Tablet PCs, even Apple’s Newton in the early nineties….they didn’t congeal, nothing took.

Then, in January 2010, Chef Jobs walks on stage with the iPad and it all becomes obvious, easy. Three decades of failures are forgotten.

Where does talent reside? Having access to commonly available ingredients or in the subtlety, the creativity — if not the magic — of their artful combination?

So, yes, if we stick to the basic ingredients list, Apple didn’t invent anything…not the Apple ][, nor the Macintosh, not the iPod, the iPhone, or the iPad…to say nothing of Apple Stores and App Stores. We’d seen them all before, in one fashion or another.

And yet, we can’t escape a key fact: The same chef was involved in all these creations. He didn’t write the code or design the hardware, but he was there in the kitchen — the “executive chef” in trade parlance — with a unique gift for picking ingredients and whipping up unique products.

http://www.mondaynote.com/2012/09/02...nted-anything/

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Graham

That doesn't change the point that I'm making. Clearly, especially given the high profit margins that Apple have, larger overseas market share for them would be more lucrative.

At some point, increasing market share means reducing margins. There is only so much high-end market to go around.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

Larger is nowhere near the same as more lucrative.

http://arstechnica.com/business/2012...ales-shoot-up/


Apple are making more money from Smartphone sales than anyone else, because they are sticking to the high-end market.

In English: apple is overcharging.

[ScotiaBurrell]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

Of that, Apple took in 73 percent of global handset profits, despite having just 9 percent of global handset market share

That means that Samsungs growing market share hasn't harmed Apple at all.

[ScotiaBurrell]

Originally Posted by afv011

In English: apple is overcharging.

Not if people are willing to pay their asking price.

Seen how much MS charged for Office and Windows?

[Graham]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

At some point, increasing market share means reducing margins. There is only so much high-end market to go around.

Okayyyy....

Unless you're saying that Apple has already reached a point of saturation in overseas markets for high end devices, then you're just reinforcing my point that taking a larger market share would be lucrative for Apple overseas.

Graham

[JD Gumby]

Originally Posted by ScotiaBurrell

http://www.mondaynote.com/2012/09/02...nted-anything/

It's true. They invented nothing, nor did they really innovate anything beyond the original Apple II's well-spaced motherboard design (which was fairly unique for the time). All they've had is marketing ability and good lawyers.

[ScotiaBurrell]

Originally Posted by JD Gumby

All they've had is marketing ability and good lawyers.

Seems easy enough a concept to copy

[kennyc]

Well, lookiee there:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...86F00620120904

[wyndslash]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Well, lookiee there:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...86F00620120904

Now you know whose favor they're going to lean towards. I wouldn't be surprised if governments got involved

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by afv011

In English: apple is overcharging.

I think the more interesting bit is the first part:

Samsung and Apple may be duking it out for the number one slot in smartphone sales (particularly due to the collapse of Nokia), but the two leaders have an astonishing combined 99 percent of global handset profits for Q1 2012.

If that is correct, then there are only two players. There isn't really an Android smartphone market, there is a Samsung smartphone market.
At some point will Samsung get fed up of being reliant on Google for Android updates and progress, and spin off their own OS? Why provide the Google app store and let Google take a cut of all app sales, when they could run their own store instead? (Much as Amazon have decided to do with the Fire.)

[ScotiaBurrell]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

There isn't really an Android smartphone market, there is a Samsung smartphone market.
At some point will Samsung get fed up of being reliant on Google

...and run straight into Windows Phone 8 hands. And then the lawsuits end.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by afv011

In English: apple is overcharging.

They aren't overcharging. They are charging what the market will bear. Apple must be extremely good at figuring out what prices the market will bear, as otherwise they wouldn't be the most financially successful company in the world.

I'd like Apple better if I thought it would result in another Bill and Milanda Gates Foundation. But even without that, I fail to see why Apple customers are more deserving of money than Apple stockholders. Given the big pension plan holdings in Apple stock (largely through index funds), I suspect Apple stockholders are less affluent than Apple device buyers, and better deserve the money.

Full disclosure is that I do participate in a S&P 500-invested pension plan, and I don't buy Apple products. So this post is pure self-interest

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by ScotiaBurrell

...and run straight into Windows Phone 8 hands. And then the lawsuits end.

You don't get it do you, these lawsuits are not even about the smartphone market, it's about the patent system, it's about intellectual property, it's way bigger than smartphones and with way more players than these two.