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>Look at what happened with the PC market. Compaq? Gateway? Even Dell and HP, the biggest two are earning very little from their computer division (well, relati

by ergo98 16y ago

>Look at what happened with the PC market. Compaq? Gateway? Even Dell and HP, the biggest two are earning very little from their computer division (well, relatively little). The two winners in the PC market have been Windows and Intel. Your analogy suffers from a strong survivorship bias. If you were paying attention to the computer market in the 80s, there were countless companies with their own take on computers. The overwhelming number of them disappeared, while a very few (like Dell) managed to hang their fortunes on the winning side (PC-ish, Windows) and saw the dollars pour in. The more I think about your analogy, the more I realize that the example you gave is an exact counterpoint to your given conclusion. And really, you claim that Dell and HP make relatively little from their computer divisions? They are both global companies, having profited to the tune of many billions, on the backs of that effort. RIM cannot continue on their current arc. They will be dead in a matter of years. It is absolutely, positively guaranteed. In any case, one thing about Android is that in no way do vendors lose exclusivity...that's a part of the platform. I know tech people hate HTC Sense, but you know a lot of end-users actually love it. The same for Moto Blur and the other differentiations. We are not a good study in the utility of such differentiators. RIM would have the full ability to completely customize Android to be a very unique, very powerful experience.

nanairo 16y ago
Sure. But your view is a bit pessimistic. I would like to think that the management at RIM think they've got something unique that will give them an edge. Maybe it's more risky but if you believe in your company that's a risk you should take. And RIM is not exactly a nobody: they've got a large chunk of the market. Your point is basically: "Forget your past glory, give up your profit margins, and join the Android crowd". Why not instead: "Improve your OS to be on par with the competition (no need to be better), and use your good hardware and your proprietary applications to make the difference". I don't see how using Android is a long term viable strategy for a company that currently has 17% of the market. It looks more like throwing the towel.

by ergo98 16y ago

nanairo 16y ago

Sure. But your view is a bit pessimistic. I would like to think that the management at RIM think they've got something unique that will give them an edge. Maybe it's more risky but if you believe in your company that's a risk you should take. And RIM is not exactly a nobody: they've got a large chunk of the market. Your point is basically: "Forget your past glory, give up your profit margins, and join the Android crowd". Why not instead: "Improve your OS to be on par with the competition (no need to be better), and use your good hardware and your proprietary applications to make the difference". I don't see how using Android is a long term viable strategy for a company that currently has 17% of the market. It looks more like throwing the towel.