The Grouse unveils his prediction for the evil techdoms most likely to usurp Microsoft's position
Posted 07.28.2008 at 5:13 pm
9 Comments
Apple & Google: Backlash Ahoy!
If you subject yourself to as many RSS feeds as I do every morning, then you might be wise to the fact that there’s a bit of mutiny percolating in parts of the blogosphere—a mutiny against tech darlings Apple and Google. Yes, Microsoft is, has always been and will for the foreseeable future continue to be the big bad wolf of the tech world. But as each new version of Windows comes out antiquated or broken before it ever goes on sale, and the company comes up short in the search, advertising and online services sectors, it seems as though the wolf may be losing its bite. Of course, Microsoft isn’t going away anytime soon, but its days as the most hated evil techdom may be numbered.
When Microsoft trips up we snicker. When it does something wrong we’re insulted. When it finds success we get angry. Such is the cost of power. I’m not suggesting Microsoft hasn’t earned the public’s scorn, but as Redmond loses ground in various areas to different competitors, we need to keep our eyes open and prepare for life under the iron fist of tech’s next evil empire. Fortunately, Apple and Google are already giving us a glimpse of what that life might be like.
Now, before you shout “Heretic!” and flame me back to the analog age, I think we should define just what an evil empire is. In the world of business, an evil empire is a company that has amassed so much power it can act with impunity. Quality can slip, consumers can be screwed and products can be intentionally hobbled, but the customer will keep coming back whether through misguided loyalty or sheer lack of options.
If we can agree on that definition, then let’s have a look at Apple. The iPod and iTunes have no real competition to speak of, but that’s not where Apple’s power is derived from. Apple’s life force is its fan base. And, I’m not just referring to the rabid fanboyism that surrounds the company and its charismatic leader, Steve Jobs. Apple also receives an incredible amount of good will from the press. The company can do no wrong by consumers and the media, but if it does, all is very quickly forgiven.
The iPod, for instance, comes at a high price and with almost no guarantee. Its batteries die earlier than they should, and replacing them requires complicated surgery. The iPhone’s battery is similarly inaccessible—something that would be utterly unacceptable in any other cell phone. And how about the fact that the most advanced phone in the world was initially launched on AT&T’s decrepit EDGE network, or that to this day the phone is completely incapable of MMS? Apple has gotten off fairly easy for these infractions: a testament to the company’s clout. I could go on an on about defective first-gen product launches, botched OS upgrades and punch-you-in-the gut price drops, but you get the idea: Apple is no longer behaving like the lovable underdog we all want it to be. It’s beginning to act a lot like Microsoft. A reader of The Unofficial Apple Weblog put it best in a recent comment on Apple’s bungling of the MobileMe rollout. He asked: “Doesn’t this feel like an M$ launch?” Indeed. Isn’t it time we started holding Apple to the same brutal standards we hold Microsoft?
As for that other formally loveable mega-corporation? Well, so far, Google’s crimes have really only affected its own employees and the developer community.
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Apple is getting its revenge for the fact that Win95 was hailed as unvelievable tech, when it didn't really live up to Mac capability at the time.
Yes, I think that Apple is getting a lot more credit than it really deserves these days. I don't know a lot about the iPhone, but the reviews I did read seemed to give it an overall score not justified by the parts. And how about the paper thin laptop -- or whatever it is. Nothing I read seemed to support the high price for a severely limited product.
Oh well, it may all end when Jobs finally leaves -- the company and Mr. Jobs both suffered at their last separation ( NeXt computer anyone?). Maybe they're past that now, but maybe not.
As for Google, I just don't know. They should get more resistance as they change -- like Wal Mart. But, they have been pretty slick with their public image.
I love Microsoft.
As a software developer, I know the extreme challenges associated with producing an error free application (nearly impossible). Add office communication between a few hundred people and you have yourself a classic grade-A cluster thing-a-ma-jig. I know I'm not alone when I say XP has not been outdone yet by any other OS to date. Maybe we should just accept that XP is what computers were meant to be and that this is where they end. There are thousands of items that have yet to show significant enough improvement to warrant a breakthrough title. One example would be the toilet, which has yet to be bested some other method of "transportation". XP is has captured all the functionality we will ever need from an OS. Vista is to XP as bidet is to toilet; a slight improvement, but not enough to warrant mass adoption.
Apple has captured the phone world because there was ALOT of room for improvement. As for the desktop, being able to move pictures around with your fingers isn't helpful in a business and I can't imagine how you would more easily be able to manipulate tables, charts and the like in a multi-touch environment. Maybe 2D games?
Apple is inspiring at best but fails to provide anything substantially helpful to the business realm (iPhone can't do task list from exchange). Google is still a curious force with an eerie "tip of the ice burg" home page. I believe something "could" come from Google that changes the world, but with betas like Orkut, I'm not going to jump the gun on any conclusions.
I agree totally with pdxwebdev's comparisons of XP to a toilet and Vista to a bidet. They were both outdone before they were released. If they are the end all and be all of desktop computer use, that's like having to take a dump outside. I'm sure that some thought/ think that MSDOS was the brave new world as well. Viva la C prompt!!!
I love Apple.
I've been a Mac user for 15 years, and being a musician and a creative type, the MacOS just does what I need it to do, and for that I'm very grateful. I also enjoy my iPod(even if it is the 1st gen Nano which I bought off ebay and it doesn't play videos) and am very excited about the iPhone (when I can afford to get one, that is. ;-) )
That being said, I am disappointed to hear all the problems that the iPhone has been having. It's a little disheartening to hear all the exciting things that the iPhone can do, only to see some of the drawbacks. Yet the reason I'll still keep coming back to Apple is simply the fact that no one else is even trying to do what they're doing. Is it a risk to go with Apple? Of course. But it's a risk worth taking.
Truth of the matter is, the only way websites can get wider readership is to talk about Apple. And so if they don't want to praise Apple, they bash it. Any website with the keyword "Apple" is sure to be visited.
Those who want their readership to rise should look at this angle instead: Consider the corporate culture of Apple and Google. The corporate culture you start with sticks, like personality and character stick to a person. So will Apple and Google end up like Microsoft? Highly doubtful.
Microsoft started out with a Bill Gates who was out to defeat all competition by hook or by crook. That's why he created a monster, and that's why Steve Ballmer has taken over. Now that Bill himself has changed, he has to get out of belly of the monster, to leave the real monster in charge.
You can bet the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will never be like Microsoft.
I think that this is an interesting article, especially with the launch of ex-Google employee Anna Patterson's search engine Cuil (www.cuil.com) yesterday. She is hoping to take down Google with $33 million in venture capital money, and the first day of the search engine was rough with so many search problems. But maybe she'll succeed, and maybe she won't. Whenever you are a market leader, the goal should be to extract as much profit as possible. Sure Google, Apple, and Microsoft can be viewed as evil by some, but they are market leaders in their respective markets and are trying to extract all profit possible. Granted Microsoft's Vista may have more bugs than XP, but there was so much buzz about getting a new operating system they were damned if they did and damned if they didn't in my opinion. Now that Google and Apple can no longer hide under their "cuteness" they are also taking their rolls as market leaders where they have been for many years now.
-AKooner
Brilliont
When an Apple fan sees someone using Microsoft they say, "boo boo! EVIL Microsoft"
When a Microsoft or Linux user sees an apple fan we say, "Aww" *pats them on the head and walks off*
I never understood how apple says there stuff is open sourced, when everything is proprietary. Or how they could be considered good, when they wanted to charge people money for connecting house hold goods with fire wire per connection. Or say Microsoft cant stand competition when they bought huge NON voting shares from Apple to keep it afloat.
If you look at the amount of users per viruses, apple gets the same % of viruses as Linux and Windows.
If you look at the hardware of Apple vs Windows OS companies, apple skips out on quality, every time and they are still more expensive.
Microsoft is consistent and are in the standards business. As unreliable there reputation, they are actually pretty reliable.
Vista tried to implement similar Mac limitations and people cried foul, but paid no heed to Apple.
Apple users say they don’t like the extra BS that Micrsoft has running in the backround (you know the ones you don’t know are running in the back round of apple but they wont show you unless you hack it) but admire the little stuff apple comes with. There so nice ^_^
The list goes on, Apple is the one that would love to charge you for every change you make on your system. Prevent you from using any other programs if they don’t like it.
And nearly every commercial Apple has come out with was a blatant lie if you researched into it.
If I’m wrong, tell me please. Prove me wrong.
Based on Apple's reputation I bought one of their Intel iMacs, and I have found it's quality to be a disaster of titanic proportions! The idiotic thing just turns off randomly, right when you're using it, no apparent reason, sometimes once every 3 weeks, sometimes 4 times a day. And it still is happening even with a fully charged UPS on a verified-as-properly-grounded power outlet. It's been back to Apple twice and they haven't figured it out yet. And one of the temporary loaners I used while it was away had the same problem! Net searches have shown this issue to be quite common over the past year, and there's still no solution! You would think that the most important thing a computer should be able to do is stay turned on, but apparently Apple does not agree.
I have to comment that some of the things being said in these comments are down right FALSE. Viruses per user/os are certainly NOT equal from one OS to the next. Not all operating systems are created equal, and frankly, windows is the LEAST of the group of well know ones.
Linux and Unix systems are simply more secure, period end of story. It's why so many hosting facilities world wide choose linux to host on over microsoft. (Amazing how you can get a free product that's better than one that charges amazing license fees)
I run day to day on a Mac for all my work needs. It has worked out SO phenomenally well for me that we're looking into Macs for the rest of the office (eventually). There is of course an investment there, but hey I've had a great experience with mine.
My personal computer is a Windows 2000 machine... XP's great and all (I run it for my wife) but frankly... bleh. I was a hardcore windows devote until I tried out a mac for a couple of days... OSX makes XP look like a toddler at a MENSA convention... it's everything I love about Linux + everything I love about windows all combined into one OS... how could I NOT be in love?
Linux... is a fantastic product... someone needs to put some SERIOUS love into a great window manager, but Linux is coming along, and this too shall pass. As a TOOL, it's unbeatable in what it does.
As far as Google and Apple go... obviously I'm enjoying my mac, I'll buy another. I will ALSO wait until second generation for any physical product I purchase. My 1st generation Mac book is great, but even as I type on it, the fan makes a very obvious noise that makes me unhappy. :-)
And Google, well for so long the motto has been "In Google we trust" and frankly, with all the money they throw at developers to build stuff they don't have ANY control over... I can't see my changing that opinion any time soon. If google has a set of proprietary solutions that they don't give away all the details on, I can't very well fault them for it. No reason MS or Yahoo should benefit from their work. However this site right here is running on Drupal which Google is throwing $105,000.00 USD at this summer (2008) to help improve, and Drupal is only one product they're doing that with. Helping to promote development of Open Source platforms, and exposing people ages 13-22 to the process... 110% OK with me.
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