[wildeklave]

If you remember back to the early 90s in the Mac vs PC wars, Apple lost because it insisted on using its own hardware and not licensing it's operating system. I kind of see the same thing happening now. As Smartphones are getting better and better music/video players and larger memory sizes, there is not need for a IPOD and separate phone. Apple should license the IPOD operating system to smartphone makers and they can probably make more money from Itunes and such.

[Reed McLay]

All through the 80's and 90's Apple has been struggling to stay alive because of the competition from IBM PC and the many clone manufactures.

They survived by filling nitch markets with the tools to enable Page Publications.

Then came Y2K, Apple was on the ropes. Some bright engineer conceived of the iPod and Apple changed the World of music player and distribution. iPod is a cash cow, they are not going to share it with anybody.

Apple will live or die on the success of each new generation of toys. Once some other manufacture raises the stakes, real business software for example, they will vanish from the scene.

Apple won big with iPod and they are depending of continuing that success with iPhone and iTouch. iPod is the engine that has carried Apple through the past decade, but there never was any competition. Now they face the Big Guns, BlackBerry is firmly entrenched in Business, cute will not cut it.

[wildeklave]

Stoner- I agree. With all the phones now having memory cards and music players I just do not see people wanting to carry an extra device around.

If they want to push the IPhone, they will need to get it out to more than just At and t and lower the costs.

[reeneebob]

Now, see, I carry two devices - my Pearl and my iPod Touch. When I want my phone to work, I don`t want the battery drained because I was using it as a player, and I adore the interface Apple has with both my 80 gig Classic, and my Touch.

Apple is like RIM to music player design - even Apple haters can usually agree that their products look fantastic.

[Reed McLay]

The most basic flaw is the lack of multi-tasking. No clipboard? That is brain dead and severely cripples it out of the box.

The next generation is more of the same, but faster. That is not going to fly in corporate IT departments. Policy files for IT control? Nope.

...
Apple is like RIM to music player design - even Apple haters can usually agree that their products look fantastic.

I hope I have not implied that I dislike Apple or their products. Truth is, I made a very good living selling Apples through those troubled years. In fact, I sold the first two Apple II to enter Canada. I was there when they previewed the Mcintosh commercial in San Francisco. Apple Computers have always had a special place in my heart.

However, I am betting on RIM to continue growing and making money. I don't currently hold an position in Apple.

[Flurrycat]

They'll also need a variety of devices. Even though the iphone comes in different memory capacities, it's still one size and format fits all. But not all people want the same thing - some hate touch screens, some like little phones, some like flip phones, some companies don't want their people to have camera phones, etc. Apple's done this with the ipod, so I would assume it's coming, but I can't see Apple getting a dominating market share without a bit more variety.

[Duvi]

What most fail to realize is that Apple isn't after all of the smartphone market with just one phone, at least not yet.

They are testing the waters out to see what users want... Example, 3rd party software and exchange come June.

[reeneebob]

The most basic flaw is the lack of multi-tasking. No clipboard? That is brain dead and severely cripples it out of the box.

The next generation is more of the same, but faster. That is not going to fly in corporate IT departments. Policy files for IT control? Nope.



I hope I have not implied that I dislike Apple or their products. Truth is, I made a very good living selling Apples through those troubled years. In fact, I sold the first two Apple II to enter Canada. I was there when they previewed the Mcintosh commercial in San Francisco. Apple Computers have always had a special place in my heart.

However, I am betting on RIM to continue growing and making money. I don't currently hold an position in Apple.

I didn't think you were, Stoner.

It's so funny, there is such an US vs THEM mentality in the MP3 world. When I got my first large capacity MP3 player, it was a Creative Zen Vision M. Loved it. Buggier than **** though. I drank the anti Apple koolaid, and there doesn't always seem to be a middle ground, it's definitely very strong dislike on both sides. But after my second MP3 player, a flash Creative Zen was frozen out of the box, I exchanged it and thought I would try a Nano, expecting to hate it based on all the bad things I had read (my brother and sister both have iPods, keep in mind, my sis a G3 20Gig and my bro a 30 gig g5 video player). I fell in love with the simplicity of that Nano, and it wasn't long before I went out and got a G3 Nano when they released (which my sig other now uses when I got a Touch for Christmas) and a 80 Gig large player. He now uses both the Zen 30 Gig and the 8G nano.

While I also swore I would never have a Blackberry, the size and design of the Pearl pulled me into RIM's world much like the Nano did with me and Apple.

It all depends on what you use them for. For business use, the BB is the far superior phone. For the play/social use, the iPhone would be great (I assume, having not used one, but I am intimately familiar with the Touch and I adore it, flat out, best design I have ever used).

It's like Mac vs PC - for office use, I could see the PC being better, but the Mac is superior if you are using it for media or design.

It's a losing argument really, like the Creative Labs vs Apple groups. Some people will simply want one or the other - I can see and appreciate aspects of both. Some hate Itunes, I despise the Creative and the Windows Media managers and find them buggier than all get out. I just love the simple design aesthetic of the Apple brand, and the ease of use.

I actually see a lot of similarities between Apple and RIM and their design teams and choices. They are both pioneers in what they design - Apple and media players and RIM and smartphones.

[LuvMyBB]

I don't claim to be an expert in technology markets like this. But I cringe at the proprietary nature of Apple's business model on a long-term basis. With so much open sourcing and the commoditization and standardization of so much in technology, Apple's plan just seems problematic for the future.

I don't own any Apple products, but I have nothing against them. I would probably have an iPod if they wolud natively support .wma files. It's this exclusivity that is going to bite them in the long run. Just like their proprietary hardware, software, and many of their accessories. It just costs the consumer more in the long run. And as foreign, cheaper markets proliferate, there's going to be ever-increasing pressure.

Their products are usually attractive, appealing, well-made, and have an extremly loyal fan-base. But unless they can successfully continue to differentiate their products with the current appeal, I see problems, just like pre-iPod.

IMHO, they are either going to have to *become* the standard, or they are going to have to continue to be so much better and more appealing than the others that people are willing to pay more or put up with less compatibility.

In other words, they are going to have to be better...WAY better...for the long haul.

[BlackBerryBran]

iPods trash...Zune is better

[Reed McLay]

Billions and Billions...

iTunes is now.

[reeneebob]

I have read alot of negative things about the Zune - not to mention I trust NOTHING Microsoft makes for at least 3 years.