The Economist: Apple is now Sony’s teacher
Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 11:40 AM EDTThe Economist looks at the state of Sony and what they need to learn from Apple. An excerpt:
"...consider Apple's iPod. This cleverly designed digital music player, which can hold 4,000 songs, links easily to a computer, and also boasts a calendar and an address book, seems like just the sort of path-breaking gadget that Sony itself should be coming up with. That Apple has come seemingly from nowhere to launch the Walkman of the early 21st century has shaken many Sony executives. As one critic puts it, people walking around with an iPod and an Apple PowerBook look much cooler than those equipped with a Clie and a Vaio notebook. For Sony, that should spell trouble."
"That Apple knows a thing or two about design is not news. But one reason for the iPod's success is that Apple, which owns no content businesses, suffers none of Sony's hang-ups about protecting its own digital content," reports Economist.com. Full article here.
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To hear about these untrusting 'trusted' computers MS is dreaming up makes me want to go out an buy more Macs and MORE stock in Apple. 
Sony had better wake up and wake up soon. Mr. Jobs is in a similar position as the CEO of Sony. He heads up both a content business (what else is Pixar??) in addition to Apple. Yet Jobs lets both companies operate freely and without having to cater to the other's interests. Otherwise the development of the the iPod, Quicktime, etc. would be hampered on Apple's part and rendering those digital masterpieces on Pixar's part. (Didn't Pixar just announce building a render farm using Intel Xeon processors?) Sony should uncouple their divisions and let them operate freely and independently. Otherwise, they will be perpetually hamstrung and unable to compete effectively. If they are overly concerned about the piracy issue, they should focus entirely on content and sell off their hardware business. Or perhaps vice versa. If they do not, they will find themselves unable to compete in any arena.