4 ms·

I just had a realization. Apple's actually becoming the next Microsoft. And they're beginning to act the part.

by Sam_Odio 16y ago

buster 16y ago
i don't know if i like this future
- arch_hunter 16y ago
  I am sure that I do not like this future.
cakesy 16y ago
Have apple started screwing over lots of companies yet? (Well, apart from Adobe, and that is debatable) Mac OS is still a great system, sure iPhone/iPad/Touch is quite locked down, but they still have not been acting as bad as Microsoft.
joubert 16y ago
In what way?
melling 16y ago
Microsoft has 90% desktop market share and 90% office market share. Where does Apple have a monopoly where they can drive the market? A mistake or two and they will have a problem. Look at Nokia or Motorola.
- electromagnetic 16y ago
  Apple is seriously screwed when it's iPod/Phone/Pad/Moneygrabber2020 becomes uncool. Apple isn't even playing a popularity game, they're playing a coolness game, which is infinitely more dangerous. They'll eventually find themselves as the Fonzie on water skis looking at a shark tank. Microsoft has never been cool, which makes it perfect for corporate business where coolness is treated like an itch in a private place. Until Apple is able to sell itself to big business it is riding a knife-edge trying to stay cool with the college students that change every single year.
  - MikeCapone 16y ago
    Interesting. I'm not sure I entirely agree. I think there are different kinds of "cool". Music goes through phases, and for a while grunge is cool, and then after a while it becomes uncool (mostly because the popularity attracts dozens of second rate copycats and the airwaves become saturated). The same thing could happen to apple; maybe all the copycats will dilute the appeal of its products and fatigue will set in for everything Apple. But there's another kind of "cool" that can last a lot longer. Think BMW or Mercedes. Not for everybody, but they've owned a lot of the upmarket segment for a long time, and the very fact that they're not for everybody probably helps keep the copycats and saturation away. Maybe the fact that Apple isn't trying to be everything to everybody will help their longevity...
  - hugh3 16y ago
    Well, yes and no. Are iPods still cool? Not really. Your mother has one, and she's not cool at all. (Sorry, I'm guessing here). Nobody is impressed by an iPod any more, because everybody has one. But people still buy them, because they don't suck, they work with everything they already have, they're well integrated into the ecosystem (iTunes etc) and because they're so ubiquitous that most people are barely even aware that it has competitors. In short, I think the iPod is the Microsoft Windows of the mp3 player world.
tvon 16y ago
Apple wants to control their platform. Microsoft wanted to control all platforms. There is a difference. Or to put it another way, when I have to buy an iPhone to collaborate with people around me who have iPhones, then you'll have an argument to make.
- jasonlotito 16y ago
  Apple also wants to control other platforms. And they are doing a good job of it, as well. Pushing H.264, their involvement with HTML5 with WebKit. Apple wants to control all aspects, and if they could, they'd control the web experience as well. This isn't to suggest that other companies aren't jockeying for position as well. I just don't think Apple is merely looking at their platform. They see anything that runs on Apple as their platform. And yes, again, I'm focusing on Apple here, but they aren't the only one playing the game. =)
  - tvon 16y ago
    I don't follow, Apple doesn't control H.264, HTML5 or even WebKit. Or do you mean, pushing those items over adopting Flash? Even so, that's not Apple controlling the web platform, that's just Apple making sure Adobe doesn't control it.
    - jasonlotito 16y ago
      "Apple doesn't control H.264, HTML5 or even WebKit." I didn't say they did. I didn't even imply they did. That's not even close to what I said. They do, however, want to control those technologies, and they want as much control as they can get. As for Flash, I don't see why this even came into it. I didn't mention it, or even consider it. However, Flash is one more example of Flash in control, and only strengthens my point. Basically, Apple isn't supporting H.264, HTML5, or WebKit to benefit the open nature of the web. They are supporting it because it gives them more control over their platform. Finally, as far as WebKit goes, they do control their version of it. They also control how they implement HTML5 on their platform. You can suggest they aren't doing this, but all their actions demonstrate the desire to do just this. Anyways, next time, focus on what I said. Not what you think I said.

I just had a realization. Apple's actually becoming the next Microsoft. And they're beginning to act the part.

buster 16y ago

i don't know if i like this future

arch_hunter 16y ago
I am sure that I do not like this future.

cakesy 16y ago

Have apple started screwing over lots of companies yet? (Well, apart from Adobe, and that is debatable) Mac OS is still a great system, sure iPhone/iPad/Touch is quite locked down, but they still have not been acting as bad as Microsoft.

joubert 16y ago

In what way?

melling 16y ago

Microsoft has 90% desktop market share and 90% office market share. Where does Apple have a monopoly where they can drive the market? A mistake or two and they will have a problem. Look at Nokia or Motorola.

electromagnetic 16y ago
Apple is seriously screwed when it's iPod/Phone/Pad/Moneygrabber2020 becomes uncool. Apple isn't even playing a popularity game, they're playing a coolness game, which is infinitely more dangerous. They'll eventually find themselves as the Fonzie on water skis looking at a shark tank. Microsoft has never been cool, which makes it perfect for corporate business where coolness is treated like an itch in a private place. Until Apple is able to sell itself to big business it is riding a knife-edge trying to stay cool with the college students that change every single year.
- MikeCapone 16y ago
  Interesting. I'm not sure I entirely agree. I think there are different kinds of "cool". Music goes through phases, and for a while grunge is cool, and then after a while it becomes uncool (mostly because the popularity attracts dozens of second rate copycats and the airwaves become saturated). The same thing could happen to apple; maybe all the copycats will dilute the appeal of its products and fatigue will set in for everything Apple. But there's another kind of "cool" that can last a lot longer. Think BMW or Mercedes. Not for everybody, but they've owned a lot of the upmarket segment for a long time, and the very fact that they're not for everybody probably helps keep the copycats and saturation away. Maybe the fact that Apple isn't trying to be everything to everybody will help their longevity...
- hugh3 16y ago
  Well, yes and no. Are iPods still cool? Not really. Your mother has one, and she's not cool at all. (Sorry, I'm guessing here). Nobody is impressed by an iPod any more, because everybody has one. But people still buy them, because they don't suck, they work with everything they already have, they're well integrated into the ecosystem (iTunes etc) and because they're so ubiquitous that most people are barely even aware that it has competitors. In short, I think the iPod is the Microsoft Windows of the mp3 player world.

tvon 16y ago

Apple wants to control their platform. Microsoft wanted to control all platforms. There is a difference. Or to put it another way, when I have to buy an iPhone to collaborate with people around me who have iPhones, then you'll have an argument to make.

jasonlotito 16y ago
Apple also wants to control other platforms. And they are doing a good job of it, as well. Pushing H.264, their involvement with HTML5 with WebKit. Apple wants to control all aspects, and if they could, they'd control the web experience as well. This isn't to suggest that other companies aren't jockeying for position as well. I just don't think Apple is merely looking at their platform. They see anything that runs on Apple as their platform. And yes, again, I'm focusing on Apple here, but they aren't the only one playing the game. =)
- tvon 16y ago
  I don't follow, Apple doesn't control H.264, HTML5 or even WebKit. Or do you mean, pushing those items over adopting Flash? Even so, that's not Apple controlling the web platform, that's just Apple making sure Adobe doesn't control it.
  - jasonlotito 16y ago
    "Apple doesn't control H.264, HTML5 or even WebKit." I didn't say they did. I didn't even imply they did. That's not even close to what I said. They do, however, want to control those technologies, and they want as much control as they can get. As for Flash, I don't see why this even came into it. I didn't mention it, or even consider it. However, Flash is one more example of Flash in control, and only strengthens my point. Basically, Apple isn't supporting H.264, HTML5, or WebKit to benefit the open nature of the web. They are supporting it because it gives them more control over their platform. Finally, as far as WebKit goes, they do control their version of it. They also control how they implement HTML5 on their platform. You can suggest they aren't doing this, but all their actions demonstrate the desire to do just this. Anyways, next time, focus on what I said. Not what you think I said.