4 ms·

I actually genuinely think they are slightly delusional internally. They really think they invented multitouch, rounded corners, that popularisation = inventio

by zmmmmm 14y ago

I actually genuinely think they are slightly delusional internally. They really think they invented multitouch, rounded corners, that popularisation = invention, that their inventions are worth $30 per handset while everybody elses are worth $1, and that they occupy a special place in the world that exempts them from rules others must follow. Thus I don't actually see them in the "spoilt toddler" mode, rather more like an autistic adult person behaving rationally in a world that constantly baffles them because they have a different internal model of its rules. And I even see this as possibly essential to their success - you can't create products that defy conventional expectations unless you are slightly crazy - "the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones that actually do" truly fits. Of course, this doesn't absolve them of anything, now that they occupy such a position of power in the world they need to grow up and live in reality.

mmahemoff 14y ago
It's funny, this kind of mentality is exactly what Marco Arment was saying about MS recently on his podcast, with reference to Surface. That it's in a Redmond bubble and thinks it's several notches cooler than everyone else does. Maybe it's just an inevitable trajectory for successful platform companies, or at least something its leaders need to be vigilant about.
- bjustin 14y ago
  This is the same problem that afflicts online communities, where you end up with a bunch of people standing around agreeing with each other[1]. If you spend too much time with like-minded people, you lose perspective. [1] Euphemism, use your imagination.
  - grogs 14y ago
    Groupthink.
Osmium 14y ago
I'm not sure I agree with your analogies, but I think you're right that Apple really does think they're responsible for the spread of those technologies. There's no denying that they were a game-changer: all consumer electronics can now defined as "pre-Apple" or "post-Apple" just by looking at them. The problem is that people disagree to the extent Apple should be compensated (or their ideas protected). More technology-minded people can see the roots of Apple's devices, and so think it's inevitable and all Apple did was "popularise" it, while others think that Apple's innovations were/are a stroke of genius, and without them we'd be floundering in a world of Windows CE and Symbian for the next decade. The trouble is, no one's wrong. It's just a difference of opinion. And that's the patent system in a nutshell. People spend so much time arguing Android v. Apple that it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture, which is that we're really arguing "how far can a company have a monopoly on an idea? and even if they did invent something, is it fair that they can impede the progress of an entire industry to protect that invention?" Because I can assure you, even if Apple was responsible for every chip and every bit in the iPhone, from concept to execution, people would still want Android, and people would still resent Apple for wanting a monopoly.
- nitrogen 14y ago
  ...all consumer electronics can now defined as "pre-Apple" or "post-Apple" just by looking at them. So the Braun T3 radio[0] and LE1 speaker[1] are definitely post Apple, right? [0] https://barryborsboom.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/172_721-rams-ipods-1.jpg https://barryborsboom.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/172_721-ra... [1] https://barryborsboom.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/mac-speaker.jpg https://barryborsboom.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/mac-speake...
  - fwr 14y ago
    You are comparing a radio and a speaker with an mp3 player and a computer. Not everything is design.
    - pbhjpbhj 14y ago
      This whole deal is about design patents (or registered designs, depending on jurisdiction), basically the look of the box that the electronics are housed in; the content ot the box is immaterial in this respect.

by zmmmmm 14y ago

mmahemoff 14y ago

It's funny, this kind of mentality is exactly what Marco Arment was saying about MS recently on his podcast, with reference to Surface. That it's in a Redmond bubble and thinks it's several notches cooler than everyone else does. Maybe it's just an inevitable trajectory for successful platform companies, or at least something its leaders need to be vigilant about.

bjustin 14y ago
This is the same problem that afflicts online communities, where you end up with a bunch of people standing around agreeing with each other[1]. If you spend too much time with like-minded people, you lose perspective. [1] Euphemism, use your imagination.
- grogs 14y ago
  Groupthink.

Osmium 14y ago

I'm not sure I agree with your analogies, but I think you're right that Apple really does think they're responsible for the spread of those technologies. There's no denying that they were a game-changer: all consumer electronics can now defined as "pre-Apple" or "post-Apple" just by looking at them. The problem is that people disagree to the extent Apple should be compensated (or their ideas protected). More technology-minded people can see the roots of Apple's devices, and so think it's inevitable and all Apple did was "popularise" it, while others think that Apple's innovations were/are a stroke of genius, and without them we'd be floundering in a world of Windows CE and Symbian for the next decade. The trouble is, no one's wrong. It's just a difference of opinion. And that's the patent system in a nutshell. People spend so much time arguing Android v. Apple that it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture, which is that we're really arguing "how far can a company have a monopoly on an idea? and even if they did invent something, is it fair that they can impede the progress of an entire industry to protect that invention?" Because I can assure you, even if Apple was responsible for every chip and every bit in the iPhone, from concept to execution, people would still want Android, and people would still resent Apple for wanting a monopoly.

nitrogen 14y ago
...all consumer electronics can now defined as "pre-Apple" or "post-Apple" just by looking at them. So the Braun T3 radio[0] and LE1 speaker[1] are definitely post Apple, right? [0] https://barryborsboom.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/172_721-rams-ipods-1.jpg https://barryborsboom.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/172_721-ra... [1] https://barryborsboom.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/mac-speaker.jpg https://barryborsboom.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/mac-speake...
- fwr 14y ago
  You are comparing a radio and a speaker with an mp3 player and a computer. Not everything is design.
  - pbhjpbhj 14y ago
    This whole deal is about design patents (or registered designs, depending on jurisdiction), basically the look of the box that the electronics are housed in; the content ot the box is immaterial in this respect.