Apple Versus Samsung - A Divorce Would Settle Question About Competition And Who's Copying Who

With the open war raging between Apple and Samsung, Apple could be looking else where to source their component needs.  And it likes the first one to be moved from Samsung is Apple's next CPU to be used in their iOS devices.  Of course, this could be a potential short term hit on Samsung's finances but I'm not sure with the market growing so fast, Samsung can find other customers, like Amazon or even its own mobile division, to pick up the slack.  The Galaxy S II is selling on par with earlier iPhone sales.

There is one main reason why I like to see Apple make a clean break from Samsung.  Curiosity.  Plan and simple.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.

If Apple isn't sourcing or provide some information to Samsung so that they can manufacture Apple's components, is Samsung able to continue to push forward their mobile efforts? There would be no cheat sheet that Samsung is able to rely on. And if so, Apple really doesn't have a case in the public court of opinion.  Furthermore, I like to see just how divergent mobile technology can potentially get.

This would allow each side to compete more fiercely than ever before.  I was always uncomfortable with Apple and Samsung's business relationship being so close especially when they are also competitors.  I think a final divorce would be in the best interest of both sides.  It would settle my curiosity whether Apple is trying to stymie competition or needed a peak into Apple's iPhone and iPad to compete.

$1 App - If You Like It, It's Worth Paying For It

People who work hard for their money out to be paid for it.  I know, sometimes, it's easier to just get something to free off the Internet than to go into a store to buy something.  But with digital media so readily available now and cheap, it has never been easier to just buy it rather than pirate it.  

Apple has made it very easy to find and download music, video and apps.  And while video is on the higher side of the cost curve, music and most apps are not.  

And Apple ought to do more about this.  According to Appleinsider, they highlighted one developer who was frustrated that Apple's social gaming service, Game Center, even works with pirated copies of his game.  I can't believe that people are so unwilling to just pay the $1 for it.

I know there are people who there who just refuses to pay for one damn song or app.  I think they are on the extreme. But put yourself in the developer's shoes.  You really are fine if people take away 90% of your revenue?

As for sharing, on principle, I'm okay with that but I know of no one I've shared my media with who deleted after they watched it or if they like it, went out or online to buy their own copy.  

Apple Mac Sales Up To 10% In US Market, Tablets, Particularly iPads, Gets No Respect

Based on traditional PC sales along, Apple is nowhere near the top internationally but it is now the number 3 PC maker in the US.  And base do this assessment, US PC makers have something to worry about but globally, they can probably go about their business as usual.

That's one perception.  This is the one advocated by Microsoft and its partners.  This is the perception that is sometimes supported by data that the tablet market, 70-80% of it is the iPad, isn't cannibalizing PC sales.  

According to Gartner, PC growth is 2.3% above what it was last year, a big 66% miss.

What's also interesting is Gatner's refusal to acknowledge the impact of the tablet market.  Reading their post, they made a very transparent effort to dance around the issue about tablets and the impact the iPad on the market as a whole and used words like "shifting resources", "period of adjustment", and "changes to their product mix".

So it begs the question about what the market will look like when manufacturers start to use Windows 8 with ARM chips in their tablets?  Does Gartner and other data companies include Windows tablets but not those based on iOS or Android?  Or are they simply trying to level the playing field for Microsoft until it is ready to enter the tablet market?

See, if Gartner had included iPad sales into the PC mix, iPad and Mac sales would catapult Apple into the number position in the US and second place worldwide for 2011 so far.  Extrapolate that into 2012, Apple's iPad and Mac sales growth could make Apple the biggest PC maker in the world.  

Obviously, Gartner and others simply cannot accept such a disruption in the market.  At least not until Microsoft enters the tablet market.  IDC, another company that release PC sales figures, does not include tablet sales but they did at the very least acknowledge that the iPad had an impact on the poor PC performance in general.  

Source:  Infoworld

Macworld's Suggestions To Facebook Is A Waste of Time

For real estate, it's location, location, location.  For social networks, it's privacy, privacy, privacy...in conclusion, Facebook is doomed.  

Macworld listed 5 things that Facebook can do to fight back against Google Plus.  I think the article needs to be written and use the points commenters brought up as the place to rewrite the whole post and conclude that Facebook will soon face a world of hurt.  

Because those points are the exact same thing that Plus or anyone can do can.  What Facebook is unwilling to do is protect the privacy if its users.  

Source: Macworld - most of the time, Macworld has great posts but honestly, don't waste your time reading this one.  Nothing offered is a game changer

Google Plus Privacy: Circle Fatigue

Here's a good post on Google Plus and what they called "Social Networking Fatigue" from GigaOM.

While Circles is pretty much the crown jewel of Plus and its ease of use allow for users to control who sees what they post and share, lack of use as time goes on actually exacerbate the privacy question.  

So far, I don't seem to have that issue.  And just because this situation of users simply putting new contacts into a default circle does not mean they cannot go back and made changes.  

Rather, the re-sharing is a bigger concern for me than who to put into which circle.  But I encourage you to click through and read more about it.  

Apple To Unify All Social Networks

Is Apple about to out-Facebook Facebook or double-plus Google? Is Apple going to be the check-in place to rule all other check-in apps? Okay, none of what I wrote in the previous sentences make a lot of sense. So how about this? Apple’s newest patent, is a reflection of what it thinks about social networks and services. Apple wants its app on the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Mac to engage multiple social networks, not just one, and let the user combine all his or her social needs in one place.

In fact, 9to5Mac has found some fields the still beta iOS 5 that indicate fields for other social networks. Google’s Plus is likely not included since it’s so new.

On top of that, Apple can allow the user to integrate its own quasi-social services like Ping, Game Center, FaceTime, iMessage. Write one message on iMessage and send it to Facebook and/or Twitter at the same time.

On a side note, remember how Facebook wouldn't play nice with Apple’s Ping? With Google Plus easier and better to use and growth like weeds, look for Facebook to come crawling back to accept Apple’s terms to get on iOS devices and iTunes.

Source: 9to5Mac.


- Posted By Mobile Means

Amazon Tablet: Lots of Unanswered Questions, Android or Honeycomb; Patience Will Pay Off

According to WSJ, Amazon is coming out with their own tablet to compete with Apple.  This is a lock as far as I'm concerned.  And I'm glad they waited so patiently to do it now.  After all, Amazon is under a lot of pressure to compete with Apple and, traditional rival, Barnes and Noble (BN).

When Nook Color was leased by BN last year, everyone thought Amazon would respond in kind.  Instead, it patiently laid the ground work for its media empire to be ready first.  First, it offered an alternative app store for Android.  Then it readied its music cloud locker.  

And when the Kindle tablet launches a couple of months from now, it'll likely have a video component as well to the Amazon ecosystem.  

However, there are a few questions we don't yet know:

• What is the size of the screen? 8", 9", or 10"?
• Will it have 3G data access?  Or will we see multiple models?
• How much storage will it have?
• Will there be a special sponored version to keep cost down?
• What kind of processor will it run on?  
• Will rival tablets be allowed to use its ecosystem?
• Will will it run on?  Android or Honeycomb?
• Did Google get help from Google?
• Who is helping Amazon make the tablet? Could it be a Galaxy with Amazon's logo or however Google does it with Nexus – using more than one device maker?
• What will be the default search engine?  Bing or Google?
• When will they get sued by Apple?  I'm being serious here.
• When will Microsoft be asking for patent royalty?  Could Microsoft forgo royalty payments if Amazon uses Bing as its default search engine?
• When will Amazon be contact by Oracle for Java patent royalty?

The white elephant in the room is the iPad. Obviously.  This probably came as no surprise to Cupertino.  Apple's media and app ecosystem has not been challenged and Amazon will be the first company that can match or come close to offering the same level of media as the iTunes ecosystem.  

It's a wonder that this has not happened already or that Google or anyone else had never approach Amazon about this.  

I asked a very smart mobile warrior if the Kindle tablet has what it takes to challenge the iPad and shift the consumer mind share of the tablet market away from Apple.  The answer, surprisingly, was no.  He could be right.  With the gloves pretty much off already as Amazon and Apple fight it out over the "app store" name, a lot more firework is coming in the tablet market.

Personally, I can't wait  Missteps by various tablet makers and even Google itself has allowed Apple to remain unchallenged.  We need more competition.  And I think Amazon has the best chance of giving Apple's ecosystem a run for its money. 

And the fact that Amazon did not rush into the tablet market when its reader and ebook business was being challenged from all corners showed that it is a cool and calculating competitor.  Very Apple-like.