Google Sets Its Sights on Apple

[WilliamLondon]

You just cannot compare Apple TV to anything, it's nothing more than a crappy media player. 720p? What were they smoking? It was a dead product in its zero hour just like the boombox, another nice failure on day one. And the man mentioned the words boombox and audiophile in the same sentence in his presentation. What a joker.

There are quite a few of us who love our Apple "hobbies", me being one of them. I got mine the day it was released and when I hacked it I gave up my cable box and haven't regretted it since. I love the thing.

Oh, and your silly comment about 720p - at the time that was what people had, 1080p was rare. It needs an update now, sure, but I still use my ATV every single day, and I love it. I haven't watched a programme with advertisements in years.

 

[rhett7660]

I'm a huge Apple nut (natch) and have been a loyal iPhone user for 3 years but what Google is showing with Android is clicking with me. A lot of it just kind of makes sense. Stuff I've been thinking about for a long time now. I just finished watching their Android demo keynote from I/O and I encourage everyone else to do the same. Their Android Intent API stuff is what I've been dreaming of for a while and really severs the physical connection between computer and mobile. Send directions to your phone with one click of your computer's browser. Send an app the same way. Heck, make your entire iTunes library available for streaming! Kind of eliminates the need for a 64GB device.

And all that just kind of scratches the surface.

I really want Apple to think about how people use their devices in different ways. Google kind of ways.

I still plan on getting an iPhone 4G/HD/whatever when it's launched, but now I can't really brag about having the coolest device on the block when it comes to capabilities and software.

Here's that Android keynote: http://bit.ly/bLEF8t

And people say Jobs is smug and arrogant. Good lord. Vic is just as bad.

 

[NSMonkey]

if by "a few cheap headlines" you mean international news, and by "geeks" you mean highly intelligent people who make your world a better place everyday, then i agree.

There's no arguing that Pac-Man is well-known the world over. However, I don't think the anniversary of a video game qualifies as "international news" outside of an awfully elite circle of disturbingly enthusiastic Pac Man fans. And, while they may be intelligent, I'm not convinced they are making the world any better -- and certainly not on a daily basis.

 

[jhvander]

Great article by Arn IMHO. Succinct and balanced. Macrumors is starting to have a distinct voice among tech blogs, most of which are either illegible and overly partisan or take that breezy 'hey we're a tech blog, pics after the jump if you can wait that long!!!!' tone. I hate that tone, cough--Ghhhrrengadget-cough.

 

[slackpacker]

The Evil Empire rears its ugly heads. Amazing there is a business in re-engineering Apples products and ideas. Its the same thing all over again.... Apple better start suing unfortunately Apple has a big bully to take out even more ruthless than anything Microsoft could have dished out.

 

[Pressure]

The VP8 codec is just a cluster**** waiting to happen.

Give it a few months and the MPEG-LA will have collected patents which the "open" VP8 builds upon.

So we are back to square one.

Not to mention it is inferior to H.264, especially when it comes to compression (which is alpha omega for a site like the Google owned YouTube).

 

[inkswamp]

Having a dedicated 4 minute jab at Microsoft is better than slipping a few jibes in at the competition?

Do we have a specific list in what is wrong and right?

Right:
Specific time slating the competition
Homepage changes that commemorate the deaths of certain people.

Wrong:
Slipping jibes into a keynote.
Celebrating various events on the Google homage. http://www.google.com/logos/

Shouldn't it simply be Apple = right, Google = wrong?

To respond to your first point: it wasn't a 4-minute jab. It was a 4-minute comparison of OS X with Windows Vista with some jabs thrown in. Yes, they took a few shots at MS, but it was in the context of pointing out how completely the market leader in desktop computing was copying their work. They weren't just random, out-of-thin-air insults like what we saw at Google IO.

Your second point: As far as Google and Apple homepages, I don't carry around a strong opinion about that. I was responding to the preceding commenter who claimed Google was greater than Apple for putting PacMan on their homepage. Yeah, it's cool, but at times Google's homepage alterations come off like blatant grabs for attention and it seems they latch on to any event to do it. Apple on the other hand seems to wait for culturally important events. I don't know why Google's approach makes them better. Seems sort of silly to me to draw conclusions about which company is great on that basis.

And your last point about me agreeing with Apple all the time? Please note who started to following two threads...

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/483965/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/340770/

 

[NSMonkey]

I was just pointing out that taking jabs at the opposition is nothing unusual. How anyone can come to the conclusion that two competing parties who take digs at each other concludes that one is doing better than the other is beyond me.

Actually, what we're talking about is an well-known and fairly effective marketing technique. But it only works one way: the lesser players in a market generally benefit if they can associate their brand with the market leader in the minds of potential customers. The market leader derives no such benefit and is generally best served by differentiating their brand and products from that of the competition.

I take it that steve's "google is evil ********" jibe also means Google are on to a winner too?

Those weren't public statements, weren't direct quotes (no one has an audio recording afaik), and the use of the expletive and general characterization of an exasperated Steve Jobs have been strongly disputed by Apple employees who were present. So, that definitely wasn't part of a marketing strategy on Apple's part. It really doesn't make any sense to compare such remarks with Google's scripted, high profile and widely covered developer conference.

To think that **** talking your competition makes them more successful in any way is absurd.

You've got it backwards. Publicly disparaging your competition doesn't make them more successful. You do it because they are more successful.

 

[Consultant]

Ahhh, so the secret to Apple's success is that they don't "give a damn" about their customers! All these years, I've wondered what it was and now you've uncovered it. You should write one of those "How to Make a Million Dollars With My Secret Business Formula" books. One of the selling points would be that the technique is so easy implement. I mean, how tough is it to just not care? Not tough at all!

Exactly.

Some people can't tell what's marketing FUD and reality.

 

[Infrared]

I think Google is full of crap right now and half of these announcements are vaporware intended to stave off Apple's lead. The general tone of their conference gives it away. I ran across this very insightful piece by Kara Swisher about that. It would seem that Google is a bit rattled by Apple despite their apparent willingness to take them on with each of these initiatives.

That is complacent, if you ask me. Sales of Android units increased
ninefold this last year. Android has already taken 2nd place from
Apple in the US smartphone market:

http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_100510.html

Which is not to say the iPhone is destined to fail. But you would be
foolish to ignore the threat from Android.

 

[Darkroom]

There's no arguing that Pac-Man is well-known the world over. However, I don't think the anniversary of a video game qualifies as "international news" outside of an awfully elite circle of disturbingly enthusiastic Pac Man fans. And, while they may be intelligent, I'm not convinced they are making the world any better -- and certainly not on a daily basis.

CBC: Canada
Telegraph: UK
CNN: United States
etc.

 

[ChazUK]

To respond to your first point: it wasn't a 4-minute jab. It was a 4-minute comparison of OS X with Windows Vista with some jabs thrown in. Yes, they took a few shots at MS, but it was in the context of pointing out how completely the market leader in desktop computing was copying their work. They weren't just random, out-of-thin-air insults like what we saw at Google IO.

The press love the whole Apple Vs Google thing and it generates publicity and most improtantly, page hits. (this "article" proves that). Perhaps Google were playing to these very vultures for some quick, easy publicity? It's certainly made headlines.

Your second point: As far as Google and Apple homepages, I don't carry around a strong opinion about that. I was responding to the preceding commenter who claimed Google was greater than Apple for putting PacMan on their homepage. Yeah, it's cool, but at times Google's homepage alterations come off like blatant grabs for attention and it seems they latch on to any event to do it. Apple on the other hand seems to wait for culturally important events. I don't know why Google's approach makes them better. Seems sort of silly to me to draw conclusions about which company is great on that basis.

And your last point about me agreeing with Apple all the time? Please note who started to following two threads...

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/483965/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/340770/

I'm not calling you an Apple apologist in any way but it seems that Apple and Google do the same thing yet one (in your opinion) holds a higher regard over the other.

For those questioning Google's targeting Apple, have we forgotten this (Steve's alleged attack on Google when they were far, far lower in marketshare?

Why didn't he comment on Nokia with regards to killing the iPhone? They are worldwide market leaders.

 

[NSMonkey]

CBC: Canada
Telegraph: UK
CNN: United States
etc.

Two of those stories are about the Google home page. The other is a tech section item, one of many. Did you have a point?

 

[pamon]

i just don't google tv taking off. could be wrong. do i want google on my tv or controlling any of it. nope

 

[paja]

Well, one Android OS on all (very different) phones don’t sound like a bright future to me.

Google looks to dominate not only the web, but to control the entire flow of information. The potential for abuse of this power is enormous and very frightening to me.

 

[ChazUK]

You've got it backwards. Publicly disparaging your competition doesn't make them more successful. You do it because they are more successful.

Okay. Under that remit, how do you explain these:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20002922-71.html
http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/jobs-if-you-see-a-stylus-or-a-task-manager-they-blew-it/

Do these displays against Android mean "You do it because they are more successful."? Jobs is guilty of exactly what people are saying is desperate here.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Besides Android, those are not really the key areas from Apple, besides Android of course.

I guess I have to try harder to leave Google behind.

To compete - making MobileMe free would be a great start from Apple.

 

[NSMonkey]

Okay. Under that remit, how do you explain these:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20002922-71.html
http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/jobs-if-you-see-a-stylus-or-a-task-manager-they-blew-it/

Do these public displays against Android mean "You do it because they are more successful."? Jobs is guilty of exactly what people are saying is desperate here.

How does an email response to an individual customer and an answer that didn't include any reference to Google or Android constitute a "public display against Android"?

 

[deadkennedy]

nutJobs

NutJobs is really going berserk, is this guy in hate with all of the world? I never new up to this year that he is so mentally challenged, I had a huge respect for Apple products but seeing how he's closing the company more and more and being evil to all the others in the industry I really can't see Apple lasting for long. He's digging Apple's own grave.

 

[macduke]

I'm a lot more worried about Google being a "big brother" than Apple. They already have tons of data about their users—almost as creepy as Facebook. BTW I shut down my Facebook account the other day because I was tired of their info harvesting / crap apps / security issues and hurdles that I had to jump through every few months just to lock down half my stuff when they changed their terms.

Google is more likely to take over the world and control our lives. It seems like every week they are entering into a new business / market. I can't even list off half the stuff they've jumped into the last few years because there is so much.

I do think that the App Store needs to be more open though. I jailbroke my first iDevice recently, my iPad, since I have my iPhone for fallback and critical communications. I'm amazed by the stuff I can do with it now. Like pairing up a Wii remote and playing SNES. Though that would never be allowed for legal reasons. But stuff like custom gestures with Activator, or Full Force to dynamically enlarge iPhone apps (no pixel doubling), or custom bluetooth stacks for the Magic Mouse, or SBSettings are things that I'd love to have in the App Store.

Anyhow, the market will figure this all out. Money will move either company to change their plan. I agree with others—I wish that Apple and Google could just live together in harmony. Apple design and usability will always win out for me over a list of features. But lately Google has a lot of fresh ideas. Sigh...

 

[Oflife]

Spot on!

We tried to use Google Docs for some basic business tasks. Total disaster! It is full of bugs and the lack of integration between modules or user interface consistency was outrageous. We gave up, and are using local Apple iWorks apps (Numbers & Pages), and still use Google docs spreadsheet, as that is the one thing that works without breaking.

Google does not know how to turn a good idea into a polished end-user product. Most of their services are in beta forever. I interviewed with Google, and even my interviewers mentioned the fact that everything seems to stay in beta forever. The only thing that Google does well is search, and search is the only real generator of ad revenue for them. They are now trying to branch out with their ad placements to other areas, but the bottom line is that the end goal is always ad revenue and not the product itself. However, only the smartest people work for Google, and as long as Google makes a lot of money and can afford to employ the smartest people, Google will be a real threat to the market share for any competitor, including Apple.

What Apple should do is accept the challenge from Google and compete with Google head-to-head, including search. Search is the only thing that is missing from the Apple's product portfolio, and I believe they don't have to look in far places. Yahoo is right down the road from them.

To me, Google has turned into an evil entity - the one that turns on its old friend and stabs him in the back. I want to take sides and vote with my computing patterns, including search. I do not want to go exclusively to Google any time I need to find something, but frankly, Google is the only real authority in search. I wish Apple would buy Yahoo and turn it into a real search competitor to Google.

 

[NSMonkey]

The press love the whole Apple Vs Google thing and it generates publicity and most improtantly, page hits. (this "article" proves that). Perhaps Google were playing to these very vultures for some quick, easy publicity? It's certainly made headlines.

That's debatable and, more importantly, it's a non sequitur.

I'm not calling you an Apple apologist in any way but it seems that Apple and Google do the same thing yet one (in your opinion) holds a higher regard over the other.

I think inkswamp's entire point is that they are not doing the same thing.

For those questioning Google's targeting Apple, have we forgotten this (Steve's alleged attack on Google when they were far, far lower in marketshare?

As I mentioned earlier, that wasn't a public statement, wasn't a quote and is in dispute as to exactly what was said.

Why didn't he comment on Nokia with regards to killing the iPhone? They are worldwide market leaders.

Because Nokia wasn't smart enough to know that they needed to worry about the iPhone.

 

[Stridder44]

No matter who's side you're on, everyone can agree that this is a very interesting time right now. Things will probably get very interesting over the next 5 years.

 

[ChazUK]

How does an email response to an individual customer and an answer that didn't include any reference to Google or Android constitute a "public display against Android"?

You are right. It appears I have taken those articles completely out of context (what a fool!). My mistake....
NSNMonkey 1 - Chaz 0

 

[NSMonkey]

NutJobs is really going berserk, is this guy in hate with all of the world? I never new up to this year that he is so mentally challenged, I had a huge respect for Apple products but seeing how he's closing the company more and more and being evil to all the others in the industry I really can't see Apple lasting for long. He's digging Apple's own grave.

That's funny, I didn't know Eric Schmidt went by the name 'NutJobs'. And you might want to fix your post. Schmidt works for Google, not Apple.