I've used both the iOS and the Android OS, and I have to say I disagree that Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) is repeating its mistakes, and here is why:
The software market, current and past, for the Mac and PC is very different compared to the app market for smartphones. There were very few options for software for the original Mac, and Apple made it difficult to port over games, one of the reasons the PC became so popular. The smartphone market however, is a centralized market where anyone can write and upload software to a hub.
Unlike with the computing market, there are no limits to the types of tools that can be found on the Apple App Store. Currently there are more than 350,000 different apps available, and all of them have undergone quality assurance (QA) testing, something open-source app stores are lacking. It's hard to argue developers aren't willing or able to develop for the iOS when the numbers are this high.
Speaking of the QA for the app marketplace: The Android app market is suffering because of its open-source nature; anyone can develop on it, leading to a wide variety of bad software available for download.
The open-source nature of the Android is also the source of its lag issues. Apple has gotten around lag because it controls the entire manufacturing process and has even bought out some of its suppliers. As Apple controls the system from the ground up, there is no bloating in the software. Android is the exact opposite; its OS becomes bloated in order to run on a variety of different hardware configurations. Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) acknowledges its open-source problem and has made Honeycomb, a.k.a Android 3.0, closed-source.
Now it's true Apple has lost some market share due to its closed nature, but I would suggest that it's lost more market share due to AT&T’s inability to create a stable infrastructure, the main complaint of iPhone customers. Many deliberately waited for Verizon to take up some of the load.
Additionally, the target market for smartphones is vastly different than the target market for the early computers. Old, young, tech savvy or not, there is a huge market for those who just want a plug-and-play system with no lag, and don't care if they can develop for it or not.
When the iPad first came out, I had a few problems with it. For example, it doesn't support Flash, something Android does support. Apple has addressed this issue by successfully arguing for the implementation of HTML5, a popular, and some would argue better, alternative. As more sites port over to HTML5, and it becomes a standard, Flash will become a relic.
In terms of market share, the OS that will dominate the market is the OS that is licensed to the majority of products; so, like Windows, Android will take on a greater market share over time. But this doesn't mean Apple will slip down to less than 10 percent of the market -- it just means there is still room for competition. And if you don't think it can compete 10 years into the future, remember the iPod came out 10 years ago, and it's still in the No. 1 position for PMP/MP3 market share for the US.
I am making the assumption that Apple will not rest on its laurels. If Apple fails to continue to lead the market, then it's possible that 10 years in the future the firm will fall by the wayside, but it's shown no indication it's ready to give up the game.
I hope they do. I've invested alot of resources in the 'Windows' platform that I just about need them to stay on top (relatively speaking) for a while.
Hi pocharle, Thanks for the link.Looks like Microsoft wins either way.I did enjoy reading about Windows Phone Mango and all the features Microsoft is adding.They are in it to win it and are not just sitting on the sidelines and with the Nokia deal, I see them gaining more momentum worldwide in the years to come.
Up to a year ago on the Droid, apps couldn't be launched or used while a phone connection was in place. I haven't seen whther they've taken steps to enhance the multitasking there.
Apple is the poineer in smart phone market, it made huge impact on the mobile market until Android came in to market.Each OS has its fair share of victories.The iPhone's huge app count doesn't help it in certain situations. After all, Apple only just bestowed multitasking to its development community, something programmers have been working with on Android for a couple of years. Also, iPhones don't run widgets — an extension of an app that appears on an Android phone's home screen. When it comes to music and social networking, widgets mean a huge advantage.
But Android suffers in other ways. Because the OS is freely available to anyone who builds hardware, carriers sell Android phones with a variety of screen sizes and processor speeds. This makes game designers in particular kinda twitchy, especially since they know that a new iPhone will only come out once a year, setting a new top-bar standard when it does.
There are good sides to each: standard system and non-standard. A closed well controlled environment like the from Apple offers very little to none of the viruses and other mishaps. As long as Apple will be innovative and comprehensive in its solutions they might be not the first but they will be the elite.
On the market there is still room for a few more competitors. All that might be different from gaming market. Maybe population is maturing and they don't play games that much any more.
Having a Mac computer one can find out that all developer software is included with the operating system (It may not be installed, but it is available.) Writing programs on Mac for any Apple platform is one click away and the computer does not have to be connected to the internet.
Cross posted on Morry's blog: Apple Repeating Mistakes.
I'm interested to see if you all have an opinion:
I’d like to compare this to another market: The PC / console market.
A few years ago developers left the PC gaming market en masse for the console market. Why? Because it is easier to develop for one set of hardware – i.e., the Xbox, PS, or Nintendo. These are closed sourced systems yet if you go to your local gaming shop, you’ll find a smaller and smaller market place for PC games every year. Its harder to develop for the PC market because every configuration is different, leading to bloat – a cause for long development times and higher costs.
“The iOS is by far the most profitable platform” - Like the console market, the iOS is a single hardware system, which is identical to the PS, Xbox, Nintendo systems. The Android is like the PC system.
For the gaming market at least, it seems developers prefer a closed system. Does that translate to the smart phone market?
A possible turning point for Android? A single, hugely popular piece of software that only runs on the Android. Like World of Warcraft did for the PC – 12million players strong and now one of the only reasons PC gaming still survives.
“Eventually, cell phone manufacturers will coalesce around a standard” – that’s the main problem, until there is a standard then Android will be second tier compared to Apple. And what is the likelihood that multiple hardware providers will be willing to standardize?
One of the main differences between now and then, is the proliferation of the internet – want to find out how to develop for Apple? It’s a Google click away. :)
Dave presented some grhapics about the market share, but he said it was not the glogal or the total marjet share... I was just corious to see thar ghrapic.
Apple is now the #1 smart phone supplier, having recently overtaken Nokia, so the iPhone is still gaining in market share. However for the OS - Android is gaining in overall market share because they have multiple suppliers: Samsung, Sony, Motorola, HTC, etc.
@mfbertozzi
I don’t think you’re wrong. Cloud computing is basically going back to the distributed computing method that we’ve abandoned in the past. Only this time with wifi. Cloud is great for corporations, collaboration, offsite storage, but consumers are going to want to store their files on their own system and have control over what software they run. No one wants to worry about whether Flickr may one day lose all their photos because they didn’t have an onsite storage system as well.
@pocharle
I have an Android HTC EVO, and probably would go Android again, just because my SO does Android development, but if that wasn’t a concern I would go with the iPhone. I also have an iPad, which I love mostly because of the lack of lag.
I’m not sure we’re actually in disagreement about anything, though I see now rereading my article where you would find fault with it:
“Android is the exact opposite; its OS becomes bloated in order to run on a variety of different hardware configurations.”
Android is compiled by each manufacturer for their phone – I agree with you and misspoke. I meant to refer to the apps. The differing screen sizes, graphics, keyboard, touchscreen, processors all are a cause for bloat / lag and the reason why there is no lag for apps on the iPhone.
There is room for discussion on this topic though:
Android has lag issues – iOS does not. Android has to support a variety of hardware configurations – iOS does not. Lag/Bloat is either in the apps interacting with the OS, the OS itself, or the hardware. The iOS has had a longer time to grow and cut out flaws, the Android is relatively new. Is there lag in the Android OS? I don’t know.
Is there lag in the app software? Yes. There are several different APIs for the Android – each attributed to different hardware sets. To develop, you have to make your software support some set of standards, which the user’s phone may or may not run. This is the problem of the open source market place.
And I agree, the market share of Apple’s OS is going to go down. But I wouldn’t call that a failure or a repeat of past mistakes – its just the nature of the market. But in terms of hardware – Apple is the #1 supplier of smart phones and that’s not going to go away anytime soon.
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