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How is this different from the days of Windows desktop software? Microsoft could copy any popular desktop apps (and in some cases, they did). But it didn't sto

How is this different from the days of Windows desktop software? Microsoft could copy any popular desktop apps (and in some cases, they did). But it didn't stop companies from becoming wildly successful building desktop software.

cft 11y ago
The only "wildly successful" Windows app company that comes to mind is Adobe. Some instant messengers enjoyed success ( but were never as big as Adobe in terms of revenue) due to the fact that the OS makers (msft, apple, google) are typically incompetent in social.
- guelo 11y ago
  Before the government started regulating them Microsoft was able to kill off Wordpress and Lotus 123 which could have been big companies.
guelo 11y ago
Since Windows was considered a monopoly the government stepped in and prevented Microsoft from bundling too much or restricting access to the platform. In a way, Apple should be grateful to Android for keeping the government at bay.
- melling 11y ago
  Android has over 80% market share. I think you have it backwards. Google has the near monopoly.
  - jaegerpicker 11y ago
    A market share without profit is a useless metric Apple has nearly twice the app revenue Google is no where near a monopoly. Billions of cheap throw away devices matter very little. Apple isn't anywhere near a monopoly either.
    - melling 11y ago
      That's irrelevant in our discussion. From a consumer or government point of view the revenue of each company doesn't matter. There's plenty of competition and consumers have choice.
MCRed 11y ago
How it is different: Microsoft used to issue press releases about how they were going to build a product in category X, killing all venture capital in category X. In many cases they never built a product in category X or if they did it sucked. But they were able to cut off the air supply. Apple and Google don't do that. This may sound trivial, but it is huge- it means you have a couple years to build traction and a chance of getting acquired by Apple or Google (as say, SIRI was).
- scholia 11y ago
  Examples?
draw_down 11y ago
Windows didn't release every year, for one. (And people didn't upgrade when it did release, and they still don't.) MS did do some of what you describe but it seems much more prevalent with mobile OSes.

cft 11y ago

The only "wildly successful" Windows app company that comes to mind is Adobe. Some instant messengers enjoyed success ( but were never as big as Adobe in terms of revenue) due to the fact that the OS makers (msft, apple, google) are typically incompetent in social.

guelo 11y ago
Before the government started regulating them Microsoft was able to kill off Wordpress and Lotus 123 which could have been big companies.

guelo 11y ago

Since Windows was considered a monopoly the government stepped in and prevented Microsoft from bundling too much or restricting access to the platform. In a way, Apple should be grateful to Android for keeping the government at bay.

melling 11y ago
Android has over 80% market share. I think you have it backwards. Google has the near monopoly.
- jaegerpicker 11y ago
  A market share without profit is a useless metric Apple has nearly twice the app revenue Google is no where near a monopoly. Billions of cheap throw away devices matter very little. Apple isn't anywhere near a monopoly either.
  - melling 11y ago
    That's irrelevant in our discussion. From a consumer or government point of view the revenue of each company doesn't matter. There's plenty of competition and consumers have choice.

MCRed 11y ago

How it is different: Microsoft used to issue press releases about how they were going to build a product in category X, killing all venture capital in category X. In many cases they never built a product in category X or if they did it sucked. But they were able to cut off the air supply. Apple and Google don't do that. This may sound trivial, but it is huge- it means you have a couple years to build traction and a chance of getting acquired by Apple or Google (as say, SIRI was).

scholia 11y ago
Examples?

draw_down 11y ago

Windows didn't release every year, for one. (And people didn't upgrade when it did release, and they still don't.) MS did do some of what you describe but it seems much more prevalent with mobile OSes.