Quote:
Originally Posted by NewChief
I'm the same way about google. I'm rooting for Android and am fine with it, but I'm also really, really sick of the Apple-haters who keep thinking that Apple is going to just magically go away and everyone is going to convert to Android en masse.
Apple doesn't suck. There may be parts of their devices that suck, but they also know how to deliver UI and high touch in a way that no one else does. Plus, they're just much better at marketing their brand (probably because they control it so tightly) than the million different "brands" that are trying to capitalize on Android.
It goes back to the iPod. People have claimed that there are tons of other devices out there that are superior and only idiots buy iPods. If that's the case, then the majority of consumers are idiots. And if that's the case, then why do people think that the idiots are going to suddenly change their consuming habits when it comes to their mobile devices?
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(Entirely my opinion rather than facts.)
I think we're really seeing Windows vs. Mac all over again. Apple really has the superior product when it comes to usability. They're also far more innovative with their products than their competitor. However, their level of innovation requires complete control over the hardware and some of the software in order to make sure things don't break all over the place.
Their competitor's software is much less refined, but can be used on a wide variety of hardware made by third parties. Therefore, it's being adopted like crazy, despite the fact that the product is less solid in terms of carrier support and upgrades.
In the end, Apple will probably still be very profitable for at least the short term because they can charge more for their products and have a great revenue stream coming from sales of other items like multimedia. However, they've already lost the market share battle, and that'll probably only get worse as time goes on.
Just like 15 years ago, I think that Android will eventually become the "standard" in terms of market share just because it's so widely available and easy for hardware manufacturers to adopt. But Apple will always have its following who would never consider using anything else.
I do think that Apple will survive MUCH better this time around just because of all of the other revenue streams they have associated with the i-whatevers. I also doubt their market share will dip below 10% like it did with the Mac. But their hardware model will always be a dual-edged sword.