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Apple is apparently very protective of its iPad. It cut off a long-term contractor after it shopped a tablet prototype to competitors.  (Source: Wired)
SurfaceInk and Apple have permanently parted ways

The New York Times reported on Thursday that Apple has permanently severed ties with engineering design company SurfaceInk.  San Jose, California-based SurfaceInk's work for Apple reportedly spanned close to a decade and likely involved the wildly successful iPod series.  Apple's confidentiality agreements prevent the company from revealing what work it did for Apple over the years.

Eric Bauswell, the company's founder and chief executive, confirmed that the pair had parted ways saying the pair had "gone in separate directions".  He stated, "Apple’s growing awareness of our turnkey capabilities.  I think they view our capabilities as an opportunity for competitors."

The interesting thing is that SurfaceInk has long designed products for Apple's competitors.  The company designed Palm handsets and also had contracts with Hewlett-Packard in the personal computer sector.  The company was founded in 1999 and currently employs 50 people.

It appears what really got Apple enraged was when SurfaceInk showed off a prototype 12.1-inch tablet computer at a trade show.  Apple apparently viewed the tablet as enough a threat to kill its relationship with the long-term partner -- probably about as good an advertisement for the device as possible.

Apple is overly protective of the iPad, in part, due to the fact that it's the last hardware product that it makes that remains the dominant player in a growing market.  The iPhone is being left behind by an army of Google Android smartphones and still remains behind Blackberry maker Research in Motion.  And the iPod series has generally seen sliding sales in the past  couple years.

Apple refused to comment on the development.

While no true iPad competitors are currently available (unless you count the 5-inch Dell Streak mobile internet device a tablet computer), a number of competitive tablets are expected to soon launch.  The webOS-powered HP Hurricane and Eee Pad are among the first expected to hit the market.  Samsung is also preparing an Android tablet, the 7-inch Galaxy Tab, which reportedly will employ the company's super-fast Hummingbird ARM processor.

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Here's a question...
By MrBlastman on 8/27/2010 9:38:52 AM , Rating: 3
When will consumers wake up and cut ties with Apple? :(




RE: Here's a question...
By Denigrate on 8/27/2010 9:55:11 AM , Rating: 1
When other companies market their products as well as Apple does.


RE: Here's a question...
By bplewis24 on 8/27/2010 10:27:51 AM , Rating: 5
So...2 years ago?


RE: Here's a question...
By mcnabney on 8/27/2010 10:55:01 AM , Rating: 2
I tend to make my purchases around the actual product in relation to my needs and not marketing. That means you don't see too many name brands in my closet or fancy cars in my garage. It does do wonders for the bank account though...


RE: Here's a question...
By Denigrate on 8/27/2010 11:01:17 AM , Rating: 2
That's because you are not a sheeple. I had an mp3 player before Apple even thought about marketing feature poor devices chained to bad software. Only iPod we own is because it was free, and it's still in the packaging. I much prefer the Creative and Sansa devices because they "Just Work" without crap software.


RE: Here's a question...
By mcnabney on 8/27/2010 11:47:24 AM , Rating: 1
I had a Creative MP3 player before switching to using my phone for music. Why? Because it was far less expensive and did everything I needed and came with a handy arm-strap for easy use when jogging and cycling. I would note that I really hate/d Creative for what they did to PC audio, but still bought their product because it was the right tool at the right price.


RE: Here's a question...
By flatrock on 8/27/2010 12:25:16 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
When other companies market their products as well as Apple does.


That's the core issue, but they also need to tie them into other people's products.

I have an iPod because it fully integrates with my car stereo. If the industry could have come up with a standard interface with which to control MP3 players from other devices and got that integrated into a lot of different players as well as home and car audio systems, then there would be a more competitive market.

Instead they all try to compete at the low end, and don't get either high volume or high price because their products have limited appeal.

Apple also seems to understand the consumer market better than their competitors. I fully admit I never thought the iPad would be a huge success. I felt it was far too limited in what it could do for the price, but I guess it does the things that are important to a large consumer market well, and is more appealing than a more full featured device with an actual keyboard to many. I never would have guessed it.


RE: Here's a question...
By acer905 on 8/27/2010 12:49:11 PM , Rating: 2
At the same time, many car stereo systems of the past were labelled "iPod compatible" or something like it, when all they had was a standard headphone input.

They just said iPod because it was the "big thing" and more people would recognize the brand than, for instance, Sansa. (which ironically the spell check on chrome recognizes iPod but not Sansa...)

It's much the same way that i have seen monitors being sold as "Vista Compatible" as if that means something.


RE: Here's a question...
By XZerg on 8/27/2010 9:56:17 AM , Rating: 1
Most consumers don't care or are aware whether or how Apple does its business with its partners or suppliers. Many companies to which you may be loyal to could be doing plenty of evil stuff but are blessed with news blissful ignorance. Apple OTOH is in the spotlight of criticism or is just part of big "marketing" push either for themselves or their partners/suppliers or ex-partners/suppliers.


RE: Here's a question...
By Old Man Dotes on 8/27/2010 12:04:51 PM , Rating: 5
Loyalty to a company that doesn't employ you is amazingly stupid. Sony is a wonderful example of a company that survives almost entirely on the backs of consumers with misplaced loyalties; remember, Sony/BMG is the only company *EVER* to be convicted in court of distributing rootkit viruses on consumer audio CDs, yet people are still buying Sony products. Sony computers are the least-maintainable and most-expensive (in terms of "bang for the buck") of any non-Apple computer - yet they sell, and fairly well, too.

Aplle, too, perpetrates evil upon its customers - and the Apple fanbois not only bend over and take it, they beg for more.


RE: Here's a question...
By superPC on 8/27/2010 1:13:34 PM , Rating: 2
And why don't the article mention anything about the ExoPC? It mentions other tablets and slate. I think the ExoPC if executed well enough can be a real competition to the ipad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExoPC

http://www.youtube.com/user/exopctv


RE: Here's a question...
By teng029 on 8/27/2010 8:48:38 PM , Rating: 2
The same day you realize it's none of your business what people do with their money.


RE: Here's a question...
By magneticfield on 9/1/2010 7:07:46 AM , Rating: 2
There can only be one Apple!


Surprising.
By smartalco on 8/27/2010 4:59:00 PM , Rating: 4
Another completely unbiased article from Jason Mick.
And my comment is also apparently spam.




*ow* redux
By Motoman on 8/27/2010 9:54:05 AM , Rating: 1
quote:
SurfaceInk and Apple have permanent parted ways


...Vanna, can I have an "L" and a "Y?"




RE: *ow* redux
By Motoman on 8/27/2010 11:05:13 AM , Rating: 2
At least they fixed this one - unlike the one from the other day that is still wrong...

http://www.dailytech.com/PlayStation+4+Will+Have+S...


Clarification please
By SunAngel on 8/27/10, Rating: 0
RE: Clarification please
By GreenEnvt on 8/27/2010 10:05:17 AM , Rating: 2
Shopped works. Shopped implies they were trying to find someone to buy the design, which seems right.


Err...
By Wolfpup on 9/1/2010 5:20:31 PM , Rating: 2
The iPhone is only behind RIM. Android devices are way behind, although growing fast.

Personally I hate how iOS is closed, but in terms of actual functionality, I'd choose Android behind iOS and WebOS.




Apple
By MDGeek on 8/27/10, Rating: -1
RE: Apple
By Zok on 8/27/2010 10:56:54 AM , Rating: 5
Yes


RE: Apple
By semiconshawn on 8/27/2010 3:16:36 PM , Rating: 1
Six


RE: Apple
By quiksilvr on 8/27/2010 9:25:55 PM , Rating: 1
Amir: Seven.
Jake: There is no seven on this site.
Amir: WHY NOT?!


RE: Apple
By mcnabney on 8/27/2010 11:04:25 AM , Rating: 5
It is the egocentric smugness of both the company and many of their loyal consumers. Their products have fluctuated from excellent to horrible - much like other companies. In comparison, Microsoft is a brash and arrogant company, but their users are not because they view MS as a vendor of a tool they use. They don't HAVE to have every MS product. They buy what they need.


RE: Apple
By bitterman0 on 8/27/10, Rating: -1
RE: Apple
By bupkus on 8/27/2010 1:27:29 PM , Rating: 1
No comment.


RE: Apple
By mcnabney on 8/27/2010 5:29:51 PM , Rating: 2
Those are companies not people.

They follow rules like "Save the most money" and "Make the most money". Shareholders love that. To them computers and software are just a tool to get business done. They will go with the cheapest, most efficient, most manageable, and most reliable solution. What happens to be cool right now doesn't matter. Microsoft gives big discounts for organizations that bundle.


RE: Apple
By sleepeeg3 on 8/27/2010 11:11:46 PM , Rating: 5
The Oracle backend may be superior, but the Oracle frontend is a miserable wreck. I'll take SQL, anyday.


RE: Apple
By kmmatney on 8/27/2010 2:31:30 PM , Rating: 2
I'd have to agree. It was easy to ignore the smugness in years past, as they such a small minority, and Apple was not as big a player.

I was also an Apple hater, until my work started transitioning to iPhones. I got my 3GS over a year ago and I have to say its awesome, and really changed my opinion of Apple, altogether. I don't even mind iTunes - just take some time to configure it, and uninstall the crap you don't need (Bonjour, MobileMe, AppleSoftwareUpdate, etc) and its a great program for organizing a 30GB music collection and backing up your phone.

The only real gripe would be having to pay extra for tethering support, when I only need it occasionally. I finally jailbroke my phone a few weeks ago to fix that problem. So now there is nothing bad I can really say about my phone.

So I was an Apple hater, until I started to actually use their products. I still probably will never buy an Apple PC or laptop, due to my being a cheap-ass, but I think they are generally good products. I can't see how anyone who has used an iPod touch (and seen all the things it is capable of) can say its a bad product.

I do find it annoying when I see someone with an iPhone and they just use it as a normal phone for talking and texting, and not using the full capability of the device.


RE: Apple
By iceolate on 8/27/2010 3:49:02 PM , Rating: 5
The iPhone can barely be called a phone, as it has the worst functionality for that purpose. As for everything else you said, you've obviously never played with the new HTC Evo 4G running Android 2.2 ... Kicks iPhone's sorry ass all over. It actually has true multi-tasking for one thing. Its also way faster, bigger, brighter screen, user upgradeable battery and storage. You can just drag and drop your music onto it, and a much better music player. You can also create a ringtone with any of your own music on the fly. Its definitely the best Smart Phone out there.


RE: Apple
By B3an on 8/28/2010 3:57:05 AM , Rating: 5
I dont care.


RE: Apple
By tlampen on 8/28/2010 5:37:49 AM , Rating: 5
RE: Apple
By QueBert on 8/29/10, Rating: -1
RE: Apple
By cmdrdredd on 8/29/2010 7:35:15 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
Wow you just said it had a better music player than the iPhone, I had to re-read that 20 times. From that part alone your entire post is invalid. the shit some people say...


Ever heard of Sound quality? Apple hasn't and it shows from the crap the iTunes based player in the iPhone/iPod uses. Some people don't care, but I for one...do.


RE: Apple
By Solandri on 8/27/2010 9:42:32 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
So I was an Apple hater, until I started to actually use their products. I still probably will never buy an Apple PC or laptop, due to my being a cheap-ass, but I think they are generally good products.

Be glad you have that option. I do a lot of personal and paid photography on the side, and it has gotten progressively harder and harder to find a laptop with a halfway-decent screen. Most use the cheap TN panels, while ignoring the pleas of users (and reviewers like Anandtech) to at least give the option for an upgrade to a decent screen.

Apple is one exception. They know graphics and photo people are their bread and butter, so they put at least a half-way decent screen on their laptops. A good TN panel on their low-end notebooks, an IPS panel on the rest. Dell discontinued their Studio 16 RGB display. So did IBM/Lenovo (I had a T41 with an IPS panel), though I hear they brought it back as an option on the T510. Sony used to use decent screens, but their latest generation top-tier notebook uses a TN panel (a good TN panel, but still a TN panel), and costs more than a MacBook Pro anyway.

Right now I'm using a Toshiba tablet I bought used because although it's a TN panel, Toshiba was forced to pick one with good viewing angles since in tablet mode it's used with wide viewing angles. But it's getting long in the tooth and it's looking more and more like I'm going to have to shell out the bucks for a MacBook just to get a decent screen.

So anyway, my point is: it's not just smugness and Jobs-worship which makes people buy Apple products. Some of us don't really have a choice because the rest of the industry is pretty much ignoring our needs.


RE: Apple
By B3an on 8/28/2010 4:11:06 AM , Rating: 3
The Dell Studio 17 may come with a **** TN panel, but it has a 1080p res B+RG LED panel upgrade option, i dont know if it's still TN, but it should be acceptable.
In a few months i'll be looking for a laptop with a half decent screen, and i agree with you.


RE: Apple
By frostedambassador on 8/28/2010 2:25:30 PM , Rating: 5
quote:
Apple is one exception. They know graphics and photo people are their bread and butter, so they put at least a half-way decent screen on their laptops. A good TN panel on their low-end notebooks, an IPS panel on the rest.

Please give me the model number of the current MacBook with an IPS (or otherwise non-TN) display. I think its existence is a myth.


RE: Apple
By gescom on 8/30/2010 3:39:46 AM , Rating: 2
"A good TN panel on their low-end notebooks, an IPS panel on the rest?"

Really? I would like to know more. Apple IPS my Ass.
For example HP EliteBook 8740w has an IPS option.


RE: Apple
By PaterPelligrino on 8/28/2010 1:52:42 AM , Rating: 5
Exactly!

My first computer was an Apple laptop back in 95 - OS 7.? if I remember correctly, and a total piece of shit. Not only did it crash if you tried to put any software on it that didn't come pre-installed, the thing literally fell apart. It was the model where because of some problem with bad screws, the cover split down the middle with the backing lifting away from the LCD screen. I had such a bad experience with it that I trashed it and stayed away from computers for a couple of years. My next computer was a Sony Windows 98 model, also a really crappy OS, but at least the computer held together - it's still running.

My only other experience with an Apple product was a 2nd generation iPod. That functioned until just after the guarantee ran out and the battery died. No big loss since I couldn't play any of my music files on it anyway. Turns out Steve didn't want me to listen to flac files. When I posted to an Apple forum asking how to play flac, I got about a dozen drones telling me all I had to do was convert my entire music collection - 60 Gb - into Apple lossless files. Ya right - maybe if I also asked really really politely Steve would let me join the cue of fanboys lined up outside Apple headquarters for the privilege of kissing his ass.

But I've known a lot of happy Mac owners. Most were people who weren't really into tech and just wanted a reliable, hip tool that worked well. Apple proprietary software satisfies all their needs and they never stray outside the confines of Apple's mothership. More power to them. And Apple's products seem to have become more reliable over the years - (tho my Mac guru friend cautions to never buy a first-generation Apple anything.)

So in spite of my bad experiences with their products, I didn't really have any negative impressions about the company. All that changed, however, and I began to actively dislike Apple, when they began running those smug, lying TV ads with Long and Hodgman. No competent windows user even remotely recognizes himself in those silly caricatures. My computer never crashes, I never have any viruses or malware. Windows is robust and very flexible and open to all sorts of very useful hacks. But according to those ads, I was a dumb-fuck loser whose computer crashed every few minutes because it was infected with loads of malware, etc, etc. The adolescent ploy to make you think that Apple users were cool and superior, while Windows people are dumb, drab, fat, and clueless really pissed me off.

So even tho Apple is an innovative company, that makes classy kit, you people really should lose the attitude. It's all the same tech regardless of the box it comes in. I guess that's the big difference between Mac and Windows users: we're into the tech, you're into the whole brand-conscious, I'm-cool-because-of-what-I-own mindset.


RE: Apple
By tlampen on 8/28/10, Rating: -1
RE: Apple
By zmatt on 8/28/2010 5:19:18 PM , Rating: 3
I have to agree. i was neutral to Apple until I bought their products. Now I despise them. My 12inch powerbook G4 fell apart quite literally, got really hot, was slow even when new and was just high maintenance. Both of my iPods broke, 3rd gen classic had a hard drive failure, and the audio jack on a 1st gen nano failed. The nano lasted 3 months. I have always been a pc guy but I got the powerbook because of its size and he fact that it had a dvd burner and in 2004 a 12inch laptop with a dvd burner was hard to find. I got the iPods because at the time the only alternative I knew of was the Dell units and they were even worse. Now I have a samsung p3 and love it. The thing that burns me up most about apple users is the attitude. I can understand buying products based on style and not functionality. Most people are stupid and do this, so no extra marks against them, but what gets me is they think that their iPhone came form god himself. I've seen the iPhone arrive and mature to this point all while on a Blackjack and I am looking forward to getting a Galaxy S in the next few weeks to blow their socks off.


RE: Apple
By Hieyeck on 8/30/2010 9:03:20 AM , Rating: 3
I had the privilige of being gifted a 5th gen iPod, and have an iPad loaned to me for a few weeks. The iPod is OK as a music player, but not worth the original $300(ish) when it can't even show a video properly. Not to mention that damned iTunes in infuriating. The only reason i still use a FREE iPod is because I found sharepod.

The iPad? A joke. It's a $700(ish) distraction. The keyboard is so poorly designed, it single-handedly prevents it from being useful. Even the average American doesn't have 2-inch fingers and needs a mile of spacing between each key, so why are the keys rendered so large? Get real.


RE: Apple
By Argon18 on 8/27/10, Rating: -1
RE: Apple
By Nutzo on 8/27/2010 11:51:30 AM , Rating: 5
Spoken like a true ibot.

Guess I should be jealous that I don't have so much extra cash laying around that I can spend 3-4 times as much for a slower product that overheats.


RE: Apple
By themaster08 on 8/27/2010 12:01:23 PM , Rating: 1
Even Tony Swash would be ashamed of that comment.


RE: Apple
By superPC on 8/27/2010 1:38:20 PM , Rating: 5
did you just describe windows as a closed system? i'm sorry but i think you need to go check your sanity.


RE: Apple
By tlampen on 8/28/2010 5:59:29 AM , Rating: 2
jealousy huh? I was a dumbass like you once and went out ad bought the MacBook, the iPhone 2G (before the price drop), the iPhone 3Gs (I had to get something that was faster than the slow ass piece of shit 2G), Apple iPods, Apple TV. Guess what I finally came to realize after 2 years of being stupid? OSX is shit (back to running win 7 on my macbook), iTunes is shit, the iPhone didn't get any better (now i am happily using the nexus one which is a much better and faster OS), and my iPods are rotting in a drawer because I have more capability and capacity on my phone. I still use my Apple TV because it does what i need it to do... stream my movies and music from my server given it still has to connect to iTunes which did i mention is shit? So basically my point is the you're a dumbass fanboy that has no effing idea what he is talking about.


RE: Apple
By zmatt on 8/28/2010 10:03:26 PM , Rating: 2
I smell a tool.


RE: Apple
By Nutzo on 8/27/2010 11:47:33 AM , Rating: 1
With me, it’s the closed nature of their products and their medaling/promotion of leftist/progressive politics.


RE: Apple
By MDGeek on 8/27/10, Rating: -1
RE: Apple
By mellomonk on 8/27/2010 12:14:27 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
Is the hatred for Apple a result of its bad products, bad business model, or for its success in marketing sleek products, profit margin, leadership, or what?


The perceived 'hatred' of Apple is a relative thing. The venom on this site reminds me of many a Mac forum's hatred of Microsoft circa late 90s or so. From within those forums you would be led to believe that MS was poster child of poor quality and the personification of evil. Meanwhile they raked in the money and had millions of satisfied users. Now it's ten years later and the world has changed. Except for the fact that there are still some folks who need to get out of the parent's basement and quite stroking each other into a frenzy and shouting in an echo chamber.


RE: Apple
By Tony Swash on 8/27/10, Rating: -1
RE: Apple
By acer905 on 8/27/2010 1:02:52 PM , Rating: 3
After actually reading that, i do have one question... besides why i actually read it... Why do you care so much about Apple that you actually wrote it?

I personally don't buy Apple products because of reasons listed. Mainly, i like being able to modify my stuff. I don't have any "love" for any brand. I have an HP iPAQ 210 for portable entertainment, an LG env3 for when i need to call people, a home built desktop for productivity/storage/gaming, and a POS dell laptop that i got used 5 years ago for... well... who knows what.

I don't feel the need to constantly get any product based on who makes it, but instead how i can make the product do what i want it to. I don't like products that are limited simply because someone decided that people don't want it.


RE: Apple
By Tony Swash on 8/27/10, Rating: -1
RE: Apple
By Chaser on 8/27/2010 2:31:07 PM , Rating: 1
I know exactly what you mean. I recently renewed my Consumer Reports online subscription. I don't care what anyone says. They're great!


RE: Apple
By superPC on 8/27/2010 1:49:06 PM , Rating: 2
ehm most of what you said is delusional. android is killing apple right now in terms of growth and the sheer number of user. this shows that people do care about feature and freedom of choice. the only reason ipad sells so well is because there is no alternative to it (yet). it's like the first time eeepc comes out. it was the only netbook around so it sold well. once there's some competition it stop selling as good as it was. BTW watch this http://www.youtube.com/user/exopctv and say you still chose an ipad over this windows tablet.


RE: Apple
By Tony Swash on 8/27/10, Rating: -1
RE: Apple
By acer905 on 8/28/2010 9:48:53 AM , Rating: 4
There is one flaw with your reason. According to polls, with each successive release of an iPhone version, the % of people upgrading from a previous version goes up, which corresponds to the number of new iPhone users decreasing with every release. If this trend follows, which there is no evidence to suggest it will not, Apple will be faced with a wall.
quote:
We spoke with 608 people in line for the iPhone 4 (Thursday) in San Francisco, Minneapolis, and New York.," Munster wrote in a research note Friday. "The bottom line: 77 percent of new iPhone buyers were existing iPhone owners (upgrades), compared to 56 percent in 2009, and 38 percent in 2008


http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20008852-260.htm...


RE: Apple
By Tony Swash on 8/28/10, Rating: 0
RE: Apple
By acer905 on 8/29/2010 2:22:26 AM , Rating: 3
Many articles in the past have touched upon Apple's profit margins for various products. This site has shown analyst estimates of $400 profit on an iPhone, or $239 for the iPad (which if correct, something that the article does say may be suspect, is rather outrageous).

Recently i noticed HP selling a new series ENVY laptops, obviously geared against the Apple's MacBook Pro line. The ENVY 17 comes standard with a plethora of features for the base price of $1,399.99. Win 7 Home Premium 64, an Intel i7 @ 2.8GHz, ATI Radeon 5850 with 1GB dedicated graphics ram, 6GB DDR3 system ram, a 500 GB HDD, 2.5HR battery life, 17.3" LED brightview screen @ 1600 x 900 ($100 upgrade to 1920 x 1080), and a dvd drive. Other odds and ends include HD webcam, wireless N and bluetooth, backlit keyboard, and of course, a laser etched aluminum case.

For a good comparison, look at the 17 Macbook Pro. Up front advantage is the battery life. (of course, this was tested " by wirelessly browsing various websites and editing text in a word processing document with display brightness set to 50%") However, the true question is whether the added battery life justifies the $2,299 price tag. Looking at the specs, 2.5 GHz Core5 (HP wins) 4GB DDR3 system ram (HP again), 500 GB HDD (Here is a tie), GeForce GT330 w/512MB ram (HP... again) 1920x1200 LED screen (here Apple seems to have an edge) and then of course, a DVD drive, aluminum body, wireless n, bluetooth, and webcam. (again a tie)

Seems that in the laptop world, Apple sells something that HP sells for 900 more. And that is without looking at the value of the more powerful components in the HP. Seems that Apple favors the low volume high profit approach in their computer line. This approach has given them 3.6% of the market. The other 96.4% of the market is from companies which favor the low profit high sales approach.

Android phones follow this approach, and like HP, Dell, Acer, (the list goes on and on), they will easily take the majority position. Hardware competition, design aesthetics, and highly competitive deals drive the market. Always have, always will. Highest profit margins will never be a good measure of success.


RE: Apple
By Tony Swash on 8/29/2010 5:23:06 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
There is much confusion about the smart phone segment around here and your post reflects much of it - where to begin?

First of all there is no such thing as an Android versus iOS battle going on. There is a battle between different hand set makers, some of these handset makers use various variants of Android, some use other OSs (RIM for example) and one uses iOS.

When the iPhone appeared the vast majority of hand set makers were left high and dry by Apple's advance and Microsoft's absurd (but typical) failure with their mobile offering. The result in the three years since the launch of iPhone is that the profits of almost all hand set makers have collapsed except for RIM and Apple and the latter makes more profit on its phone business than the profit from the Android sales added together. The rush to adopt Android by the companies that were failing in the smart phone market has helped stabilise their position but they have not rebuilt their profitability.

There is no Android block facing up to Apple and the various Android adoptees are competing against each other as much as against Apple. Once the first flush of Android adoption is over the hand set makers will have to try to differentiate their offerings from one another and the notion of an Android block in the market place will become even more vapourous. I would not be surprised if there is a rush to also adopt Windows Mobile 7 when it finally appears as it will offer a route to market differentiation and MS will be offering huge financial inducements to potential adoptees.

None of this, the spread of Android or the possible rise of Windows Phone 7 will stop the growth of the iPhone or alter the fact that Apple will continue to take almost all the profits in the smart phone segment. Apple's policy of offering an integrated OS across iPhone, iPod Touch (the sales of which will explode this Christmas when it gets FaceTime)and the hugely successful iPad is creating a market space for developers that will guarantee that there will be more Apps in the iOS space than anywhere else.

It would be worth looking at this article (and indeed this web site in general) for some interesting insight into developments in the phone market.

http://www.asymco.com/2010/08/17/androids-pursuit-...


I thought long and hard about posting this comment but on balance I think its worth posting.

My comment is to ask a question - which is why did my comment above get rated down?

It seems to me that a tech forum like this one should be looking for various opinions and comments about the world of tech which offered different but reasonably argued points of view, no personal insults, a reasonably adult approach etc.

I think my comment above makes some worthwhile points and I would love to engage in dialogue with people who disagree, perhaps strongly, with what I have to say.

What seems so dispiriting is when a comment such as mine is voted down in a non-transparent process which, it seems to me, can only be because someone doesn't agree with it but can't be bothered to argue against it in an open fashion.

Is this really a good way to run a community discussion forum?


RE: Apple
By laurla on 8/27/2010 2:29:25 PM , Rating: 2
I think you hit the nail on the head. I have always had problems understanding why people would spend so much time wailing over something the don't own or use. I don't know who I find the most pathetic: fanboys or bashers.

And just for the record. I consider myself a Techie and I'm a Windows user.

(anticipating a rating drop :-)


RE: Apple
By kyleb2112 on 8/29/2010 2:17:55 AM , Rating: 2
God I just love Apple fans. I especially love when they lecture me about the superiority of everything Mac when I'm changing their RAM because they don't know how. It's just adorable.


RE: Apple
By Tony Swash on 8/29/10, Rating: -1
RE: Apple
By Alexvrb on 8/27/2010 10:34:46 PM , Rating: 5
You're holding it wrong.


RE: Apple
By Mk4ever on 8/28/2010 12:41:51 AM , Rating: 2
I remember some guy over here used to discuss these sort of issues here. He seemed to have some expertise in answering such questions.

I think his name was iPirks or something...


RE: Apple
By masamasa on 8/30/2010 11:11:50 AM , Rating: 2
It's simply a result of arrogance and greed. The whole our products are superior to all competitors and our **** doesn't stink attitude pretty much sums it up. If you like proprietary, no choice solutions being shoved down your throat then Apple is for you.


RE: Apple
By BZDTemp on 8/30/2010 1:41:24 PM , Rating: 3
It used to be that Apple was an alternative to giants in the industry. Back then giants like IBM and Microsoft did their best to control anything meaning high prices, slow innovation speed and all in all gloom and doom.

IBM turned a page and is in many ways one of the good guys now, relatively speaking, and while Microsoft is doing it best to take over the world they are being controlled slightly by anti-trust laws.

As for Apple to me they seem to have become very much what they said they were an alternative to. Doing their all to close platforms, censor content, control prices and bully media being critical about them.

One might say Apple is to successful for their own good and a perfect example that "power corrupts". If anyone should redo the old "1984" Apple commercial I would put the image of Steve Jobs up and that screen being smashed.

Much of what Apple does is great but the closed world that is iTunes/iPhone/iPad is only good for Apple in the long run - not for anyone else.


"There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance." -- Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer











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