Comments on: Tablets!: How Microsoft Lost and Apple Won

By: MikeSchinkel

MikeSchinkel — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:16:00 +0000

Frankly, even though I am currently writing this with an 27″ iMac while a MacBook and an iPhone sit next to me, I find Apple can be infuriating. I think Apple does a good job on some things but is stubborn on others and its users have to pay for that stubbornness. (And the fan boys then give them cover so they get away with it.)

As for Microsoft being too mad, when you have more money than God it’s not about a nice return on your investment, it’s about winning. And right now Apple is winning in ways that Microsoft is failing, And that’s got to sting given that they could have not acted and enabled Apple to die.

Anyway, power corrupts and all the fan boys better be careful what they wish for because Apple is becoming the Microsoft of the new decade. :)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:57:00 +0000

I think it’s better for all of us that Apple got back on its feet. Even if many of their ideas aren’t original, they do pull them off really well and that allows them to curve the industry to their whims (or produce whole new sections that previously never existed). Microsoft made a bunch of money on that stock, so I doubt they’re too mad :D

By: MikeSchinkel

MikeSchinkel — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:31:00 +0000

Oh, I agreed with all your points.

I just think we all tend to discount just how much technology changes over 10 years, and how things we just assume today either didn’t exist yet, were far more expensive, or close to impossible to implement.

As for me, without ubiquitous connectivity the iPad is not really worth that much. I have one that I don’t use right now because of this: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/7219/what-to-do-when-apple-support-fails-to-diagnose-ipad-3g-failure

But yes, Microsoft missed the boat for sure. When it was possible, Microsoft didn’t lead the market and Apple did. I wonder if they are rueing the day back in ’97 when they gave Steve $150 million… (re: http://news.cnet.com/2100-1001-202143.html)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:17:00 +0000

True, but even without a 1x or 2G connection, there was still a lot you could do with those devices that they just didn’t cash in on. My PocketPC was my very first MP3 player, even if capacity was really limited (32MB onboard flash memory) but the media player could’ve been reorganized for thumb-ready operation, even on those rubbish panels. The battery still lasted me all day, something that my Palm Pre could hardly ever accomplish. They could’ve made games easier to get, too: I bought SimCity 2000 for it and even though it was a faithful port (and killed the battery) I had to sideload it onto an external Compact Flash card.

Build quality was much better back then, though…

By: MikeSchinkel

MikeSchinkel — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 06:47:00 +0000

I concur with all things you say.

But don’t discount the advances in hardware that made the iPad possible now but not 10 years ago. 10 years ago there was no solid 3G and WiFi was a PITA. Processors consumed too much power, battery technology was not where it is today, etc. etc.

Just saying…