Platform wars
Two crucial factors, interface and information management. The mastery of both is the winner.
iOS started with the mastery of the interface by giving us a device which manages the music masterfully. This is where we live, where the human soul survives. Music is our spiritual expressions of our hopes and longings. The iPod gave us management of this in a sleek device and interface. Simple to use so it didn't get in the way of what people were really wanting, an easy and elegant way to access content. Apple still leads in this realm.
To the technically minded, the interface and structure IS the content. Android is about discovery of how we can make our devices do interesting things which entertain us. Those of us so inclined find music and enjoyment in the parsing of the device and the interface.
The front runners are clearly leading in two fronts, interface and management of our information. Google led the way in managing our information in the "cloud" in the most seamless way. Apple led in managing our music and information locally in the most aesthetically pleasing and efficient way. Both platforms are thriving, and both are evolving these critical strategies. We can visit our information and content directly on the web if we like, but mostly we interface with it on our device. We want and need the two to work together in a seamless experience.
The Apple user tends to enjoy connection with music and people. Anroid users tend to enjoy the interface of the device, and how to make it do fabulous tricks for us that are aesthetically pleasing and entertaining. How efficiently the device acts as intended takes somewhat of a back seat, and personal satisfaction of how much control we have over it is paramount. Really, both platforms are providing innovation in the areas that are most important to us.
Discussion about
Why Google and Apple are winning the smartphone war
Having at least two major platforms has been good for everyone in terms of driving innovation. This has driven the platforms pretty far in terms of features and it is hard to imagine what new major innovations can occur. To me, how these as well as other devices all integrate with each other is the next major phase while keeping it simple enough for the average users to operate. I suspect that most geeks who want a smart phone have one now. That leaves everyone else. There has been a lot of attention to the ecosystem each platform provides. That being the integration of audio, video, games, and social into a seamless experience. Now it's about bringing it to the masses. These are exciting times and I can't wait to see what the future brings.
I completely agree! That's why it pains me that Windows Phone hasn't succeeded. As a proud Galaxy Nexus owner, I have no major interest in WP7 other than if it were to be successful, we would see far more competition, especially in interface design in my opinion.
I agree with you on the types of people you called out but I think there is more to why each is winning.
Google for example I think is really winning in the numbers game because they are letting the OS be put on as many devices as possible. You can find android in some flavor or another on phones, watches, tablets and e-book readers. The Android OS allows for the manufactures to us software that is free to use for the most part. Why pay Microsoft to license the OS when you can get it free from android.
iOS, apple already had its hooks in us with the iPod so the move to the phone was an easy and inevitable one as it was in my opinion the next place for them to move since they had already devoured the media player space. The iPhone just added a phone to the iPod and the one more thing on the 1st iPhone was the browser. Apple already had our music, and was starting to get our Video the iPhone was just one more product they could sell that would allow us to use that media.
If apple had decided to license iOS instead of keeping it proprietary would Android have the market share it has now?
Win Phone 7, Microsoft waited too long to over haul the operating system and got to far behind apple and Google. I think MS can get bogged down in in its own size and its need to support its legacy had they chosen to start clean with a win phone 7 a year or 2 earlier, even just a year after the iPhone was released they would not been as far behind as they are now.
Web OS, this is what I felt was the best of the Oss when it came out. Palm though was in such bad shape at the time it was just too late. When HP bought it I thought there would be hope for the OS but I think that HP just killed it I don’t think they really knew what do with Palm and that killed it.
Google for example I think is really winning in the numbers game because they are letting the OS be put on as many devices as possible. You can find android in some flavor or another on phones, watches, tablets and e-book readers. The Android OS allows for the manufactures to us software that is free to use for the most part. Why pay Microsoft to license the OS when you can get it free from android.
iOS, apple already had its hooks in us with the iPod so the move to the phone was an easy and inevitable one as it was in my opinion the next place for them to move since they had already devoured the media player space. The iPhone just added a phone to the iPod and the one more thing on the 1st iPhone was the browser. Apple already had our music, and was starting to get our Video the iPhone was just one more product they could sell that would allow us to use that media.
If apple had decided to license iOS instead of keeping it proprietary would Android have the market share it has now?
Win Phone 7, Microsoft waited too long to over haul the operating system and got to far behind apple and Google. I think MS can get bogged down in in its own size and its need to support its legacy had they chosen to start clean with a win phone 7 a year or 2 earlier, even just a year after the iPhone was released they would not been as far behind as they are now.
Web OS, this is what I felt was the best of the Oss when it came out. Palm though was in such bad shape at the time it was just too late. When HP bought it I thought there would be hope for the OS but I think that HP just killed it I don’t think they really knew what do with Palm and that killed it.
Good points. I had a palm Pre plus and really enjoyed webOS. I don't think I can forgive HP for blundering webOS development, but HP may have only been interested in the patent portfolio. Android is spreading like wildfire, but the experience is definitely suffering from lack of support from the manufacturers. I'm really curious about Windows Phone. If I could get a great Mango device, I'd like to try it.
