“We’re reaching the end of summer when Apple is expected to begin a flow of fresh temptations designed to give the firm top billing in the post-PC world; meanwhile Microsoft has lost the game,” Jonny Evans writes for Computerworld. “Microsoft has failed.”
“We’ve migrated from a PC-dominated paradigm to a new world in which, like trucks, we may use a PC for the heavy lifting while using mobile devices for most of what we do,” Evans writes. “This is why what Apple’s been planning across the last few months is so important. Love it or loathe it, its adventures in the mobile space and those of its competitors show that tomorrow’s computer world will be a PC taken outside the box and into your lapel, your pocket, your wristwatch, goggles and shoes. It’s just how it is.”
Evans writes, “This isn’t just about platform pre-eminence, this will be about offering solutions. I think there are already several signs Apple intends widening the solutions inherent within its devices. There’s strong indicators part of that move involves ensuring it builds a large installed base of products that will eventually be compatible with its future plans.”
Read more in the full article here.
Right you are. 🙂
Apple’s stuff just works. From my iMac to my iPhone I have better backup than most corporations running their M$oft OS.
But according to the Fandroid we’re totally mistaken about the fact Apple covers our needs beautifully. We haven’t apparently lived until we are well entrenched into a malware, fragmented and 2nd/3rd rate ecosystem. Oh and have a smart phone that won’t fit into our pocket anymore. sSheep are just so much smarter than we are. Oh wait…
Agree but make it….. From my iPods (6) to my iPhone, to my iPad – MacBook and mac Mimi to my two Apple TVs
Yep!!!!! Apple covers it all the way.
Microsoft = The Dark Ages
Apple = The Renaissance
=:~)
For Apple, this is the beginning of Autumn, the season of new products heading into the school year and holiday shopping season.
For Microsoft, this is the continuation of a serious FALL.
MS has suffered over the last dozen years because of Bill Gates’ failure!
BG failed to see the evolution of devices, even though he touted the coming of tablets, because to BG everything would run Windows and MS Office everywhere and his horse blinders would not let him see the world beyond the office.
It is interesting & ironic that BG’s good friend Warren Buffett would not invest in MS because Warren said he could not understand the long term profitability of a software company. Enough said.
“Bill Gates, I know what Real Innovation & Visionaries are. I’ve seen really innovative & visionary people like Steve Jobs. Really innovative & visionary geniuses are obvious to all. Bill Gates, you’re no real innovator or visionary.”
Bill Gates all you have ever been was a marketing opportunist who saw from Steve Jobs vision the need for computer software but also how to steal the OS market from Apple.. A “piggyback” visionary thief.
Agree. Bill had the chance to move to tablets and hand held. But Bill was focused on the money, what would make money for him. Jobs focused on what would work for the user. Same starting point but different direction. Makes all the difference in the world.
Thanks Steve for taking the road less traveled.
Apple is successful, because the people at Apple drive the innovation. The destination is determined by Apple.
This is evident in how Apple builds one success into another. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple, Apple’s ONE primary source of revenue was the Mac business, revitalized with iMac. Apple leveraged loyal Mac customers with iTunes and then iPod. The early success of iPod/iTunes was multiplied when Apple released full and equal support for Windows users, and multiplied again by opening the iTunes Store. iPhone leveraged the existing iTunes/iPod infrastructure, even before the iTunes Store expanded to include third-party apps. By the time iPad was released, all the key pieces of Apple’s “Post-PC” world were in place.
And that is why the competition fails. They try to copy Apple, but that means they have to re-create everything Apple has accomplished to that point in time, from Day One. So, when Microsoft released Zune, Microsoft had to concurrently open a music store to match the iTunes Store. In contrast, when iPod was release, it was just an excellent MP3 player; Apple added the iTunes Store later.
When Microsoft released Windows Phone, customers expected smartphones to have an app store, so Microsoft had to open one with zero existing users and bride developers to create apps. In contrast, Apple released iPhone, created a customer base of millions, and THEN opened the App Store.
By the time iPad was released, the Apple-copying competition had to climb an insurmountable wall just to match Apple, an obstacle Apple built steadily and economically over time. The only way for the competition to compete with iPad is NOT to compete with iPad, and go where Apple (intentionally) does not go. Meanwhile, Apple continues to build that wall higher.
Get the foundations right and the building stays up.
M$ thought they could start in the middle but forgot they were standing on quicksand…
One of the best and most succinct analysis of Apple’s continued success that I’ve ever read on MDN. Well done and thank you.
Very interesting analysis. I think you meant “bribe”. Although Microsoft might have had much better sign-on had they literally “brided” developers…
Microsoft didn’t try to make an iPad clone.
Microsoft tried to make all purpose tablet computers that ran either Microsoft Office or, with a lower power chip, a subset of Microsoft Office. That and a very few, ported, high end Apps from the Apple/Android App Stores.
Windows using people who bought or test drove Microsoft’s answer to iPad were very disappointed by the finished products.
Everyone knew what an iPad could do. Android, iPad clones were not good enough and Windows Tablets were the exact opposite of what they really wanted.
What’s ironic is that Wall Street is still valuing Microsoft’s stock higher than Apple’s because they obviously believe that Microsoft has more of a future than Apple. It’s claimed that Ballmer’s firing/retiring will release more value from Microsoft than ever. The simple fact is that YTD Microsoft’s gains have practically lapped Apple and MS still has a higher P/E ratio than Apple. As an Apple shareholder, I really don’t see all that much to rejoice about Microsoft’s post-PC demise.
It’s not all good news, folks. Apple is “winning” at the expense of ignoring its best software platform, the Mac. That is NOT a good trend.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/09/02/windows-8-jumps-past-os-x-for-74-market-share