5 ms·

He may be too close to Apple to realize Apple may be as likely (or more) as Google to be the "Microsoft of the future".

martythemaniak 16y ago
I thought that was the most ridiculous quote as well. One company makes an open-source operating system, the other exerts iron-fisted control over what developers and users can do with it's OS.
- JunkDNA 16y ago
  Your statement is correct, but doesn't tell the whole story. The issue is that Apple's relationship with its customers is simple: we make stuff, you give us money for it. Google's model is more complex: we make stuff, you get it free, but you give us your data. I would much rather exchange money for a product than my personal data. Everything Google does requires me to turn over my data to them so it can be monetized somehow. That's much more Orwellian than anything from MS or Apple.
  - nooneelse 16y ago
    Surely you aren't saying that Apple doesn't know what songs and programs users buy from them or the demographics to target iAds.
    - avdempsey 16y ago
      You can have all the demo information in the world. But if you're a new network with limited inventory, you aren't going to serve fine-tuned relevance.
    - JunkDNA 16y ago
      That's the same data every company has on me. But that sort of thing is limited. Google wants to mine my email, my photos, my calendar, and my documents. They also want to watch everything I read online via RSS. They want to dig into my voicemail on google voice. That is an unprecedented level of intrusion that I'm not sure I want. It is the primary way they make money. So they are forced to dig ever deeper to get better analytics to more narrowly target their ads. The incentives are aligned with them becoming ever more intrusive in their data mining. This level of data gathering makes grocery store shoppers clubs and Apple knowing what music and movies I buy pale in comparison. Here is a thought experiment: if tomorrow, it was announced that Microsoft was going to start mining Outlook calendar data to target Bing ads, what would be the reaction?
  - pavs 16y ago
    > Everything Google does requires me to turn over my data to them so it can be monetized somehow. And Apple (or any other company) doesn't?
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
jsz0 16y ago
Could go either way. Apple would have to move away from their high margins on hardware or license their operating systems and services to become the Microsoft of the Future. They just can't compete on pure volume. Google has made the choice to put their operating system(s) and services onto as many devices as possible to reap the benefits of a massive user base. On the surface that's more compatible with Gate's vision of a Windows PC on every desktop. I always look at it like this: If the iPhone disappeared tomorrow what would happen? We'd all get Android phones, BlackBerries, maybe WM7 phones. The mobile app market would be hurt but it wouldn't collapse because there are alternatives. iTunes? We'd just use NetFlix or Amazon MP3, Zune. If Google Search/Advertising disappeared tomorrow what would happen? Panic. Chaos. The whole Internet economy would collapse. Based on that I feel like Google clearly has its boot on people's necks in a way Apple doesn't. That makes the parallel between Google/Microsoft stronger for me.

I thought that was the most ridiculous quote as well. One company makes an open-source operating system, the other exerts iron-fisted control over what developers and users can do with it's OS.

JunkDNA 16y ago
Your statement is correct, but doesn't tell the whole story. The issue is that Apple's relationship with its customers is simple: we make stuff, you give us money for it. Google's model is more complex: we make stuff, you get it free, but you give us your data. I would much rather exchange money for a product than my personal data. Everything Google does requires me to turn over my data to them so it can be monetized somehow. That's much more Orwellian than anything from MS or Apple.
- nooneelse 16y ago
  Surely you aren't saying that Apple doesn't know what songs and programs users buy from them or the demographics to target iAds.
  - avdempsey 16y ago
    You can have all the demo information in the world. But if you're a new network with limited inventory, you aren't going to serve fine-tuned relevance.
  - JunkDNA 16y ago
    That's the same data every company has on me. But that sort of thing is limited. Google wants to mine my email, my photos, my calendar, and my documents. They also want to watch everything I read online via RSS. They want to dig into my voicemail on google voice. That is an unprecedented level of intrusion that I'm not sure I want. It is the primary way they make money. So they are forced to dig ever deeper to get better analytics to more narrowly target their ads. The incentives are aligned with them becoming ever more intrusive in their data mining. This level of data gathering makes grocery store shoppers clubs and Apple knowing what music and movies I buy pale in comparison. Here is a thought experiment: if tomorrow, it was announced that Microsoft was going to start mining Outlook calendar data to target Bing ads, what would be the reaction?
- pavs 16y ago
  > Everything Google does requires me to turn over my data to them so it can be monetized somehow. And Apple (or any other company) doesn't?
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]

jsz0 16y ago

Could go either way. Apple would have to move away from their high margins on hardware or license their operating systems and services to become the Microsoft of the Future. They just can't compete on pure volume. Google has made the choice to put their operating system(s) and services onto as many devices as possible to reap the benefits of a massive user base. On the surface that's more compatible with Gate's vision of a Windows PC on every desktop. I always look at it like this: If the iPhone disappeared tomorrow what would happen? We'd all get Android phones, BlackBerries, maybe WM7 phones. The mobile app market would be hurt but it wouldn't collapse because there are alternatives. iTunes? We'd just use NetFlix or Amazon MP3, Zune. If Google Search/Advertising disappeared tomorrow what would happen? Panic. Chaos. The whole Internet economy would collapse. Based on that I feel like Google clearly has its boot on people's necks in a way Apple doesn't. That makes the parallel between Google/Microsoft stronger for me.