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First you've missed out iLife, which is also innovative. You are also whining about minor feature omissions on the Apple stuff, without seeing the bigger picture. The iPhone now has 50x more Google searches than any competitor and a higher web share than Windows Mobile. Even though Windows mobile has been out far longer. (source 1, source 2)
And by having 50x more Google searches than any competitor, it proves it is an innovative product? I think not. And whether you think they are "minor omissions", I still laugh when the iPhone can't cant send a picture/video message. Its all a matter of opinion. However, when we look at the big picture, as you say, Windows Mobile is selling more worldwide units than ever before. They shipped 14 million phones last year, expecting 20 million this year. Iphone is expecting 10 million total by the end of '08. It's at 4 million now. If both these predictions come true, the gap is widening.

The problem is that most of Microsoft's innovation occurred a long time ago. The Zune is at best a copy of the iPod, with a couple of minor, not particularly great features stuck on, why "squirt" a song, when you can just hand your friend your MP3 player to listen to it.
Why not go further and call anything that plays music a copy of the iPod? Lets look at these minor, not particularly great features. The Zune can wirelessly sync with a computer, send songs to other people, has a fm radio, and just became a gaming platform. I would take these "minor" features over iTunes any day.

Office has seen innovation in the past 10 years, but most of that has been more business centric features rather than consumer ones, Office 2007 is barely better than Office 1997 for consumers.
Well Office 2007 is selling faster than any Office version before it. So somebody likes it. And don't forget the ribbon interface, which did much to mainstream Office 2007 between the programs. That's innovative, considering what improvements happens between each version of iLife.

It seems like people don't understand the position Microsoft has in the industry. It simply can't create these all-in-one solutions like Apple because it would be seen as unfairly limiting the competition. Lets look at anything worthwhile Microsoft has included in Windows.

After IE7 came out, Opera sued Microsoft for bundling Internet Explorer in Windows.
Real sued for including Windows Media Player.
Google sued for making MSN default search engine.
Google sued Microsoft for including desktop search in Vista.

Now what happens when Apple includes Spotlight in Mac OS X. What happens when Google is the default browser on Opera, Safari, and Firefox? What happens when Apple includes iTunes? What happens when Apple includes Safari? NOTHING...


---Wow I sound like a Microsoft fanboy :eek:
 
I have had a SK2 and now an SK3.

It's a great little device for texing and email. Easy to use, great to type on and cheap monthly rates.

I was all set to get an iphone but then compared prices.

for $59.99 a month I get 1,000 minutes, unlimited email, internet and UNLIMITED texts.

iphone/AT&T doesn't come close.

It will be interesting to see what MS does with this. It needs a massive upgrade the LX was thinner but that was about it.
 
I, too, am very disappointed. I used a sidekick 3 for a little over a year, then picked up the Sidekick LX, and I still use it today. Sidekicks are wonderful devices, they are so easy to use, potentially the most easy to type on device out there, anyone can up it up and use it, it has all the aspects teens like as well as all the necessary components business workers need. This phone was truly built for anyone. And it's not just the phone and it's OS. The plan? T-Mobile offers a special rate plan add-on called "Sidekick Unlimited" - for $19.99 per/month, you get Unlimited Texts, Unlimited Pics, Unlimited AOL, Unlimited Internet (a full EDGE web browser, email, and an in-device catalog to purchase apps, ringtones, backgrounds, games, etc.) There are quite incredible phones. If they put WM 6, I might just have to do something irrational, like..buy and iPhone :) No worries guys, I'm getting mine in a few weeks, and I'm so excited!
 
After IE7 came out, Opera sued Microsoft for bundling Internet Explorer in Windows.
Real sued for including Windows Media Player.
Google sued for making MSN default search engine.
Google sued Microsoft for including desktop search in Vista.

Now what happens when Apple includes Spotlight in Mac OS X. What happens when Google is the default browser on Opera, Safari, and Firefox? What happens when Apple includes iTunes? What happens when Apple includes Safari? NOTHING...


---Wow I sound like a Microsoft fanboy :eek:

thats an overly simplistic view even if one only reads the links you posted
 
I'm going to try to respond to this as best I can the way I understand things. I won't try to defend or shoot down either company, but just address these issues.

Its late, so I'l respond.

Ever heard of a Xbox? A Zune? No, probably not because you are too far up Apple's ass to see anything anyone else does. Its like they pay you or something...

Lets count these so called innovative products of Apple:
1.) iPod (Interface not made by Apple)
2.) iPhone (can't send pic messages, no 3G)
3.) Mac OS X (locked down more than Windows)

Now Microsoft:
1.) Zune (song sharing, wireless sync, fm radio)
2.) Xbox 360 (XBL - more on-demand content than any cable provider, Halo, etc.)
3.) Windows Mobile (can send pic messages!!!)
4.) Office '08 (Ribbon Interface)
5.) Windows (Runs on home built computers, runs on laptops less than $1,000!!)

Oh, and FYI: Microsoft created the Xbox. They created the Zune. They created Windows Mobile. They created Vista.

YES, you've heard of Vista. It is considered a flop by lots of people on these forums, yet in 8 months has outsold the entire Mac OS X platform since 2001. So... what conclusions could they draw about Leopard [or Tiger, or Panther, or Jaguar, or Cheetah/Puma]

So don't go around preaching things you truly know nothing about.
To everyone else: Don't read too far into this. You have to speak these people's languages for them to understand. :D I don't really mean all of this, but moreso to prove a point. And also because its late.

1. iPod. Original interface acquired by Apple going to another company to request help with the interface, and building on it later to make it the best interface on the market, in my opinion.
2. Okay. Apple is one option in an entire field of cell phones/smart phones. It has a lot of great features, some things more innovative than others. I'm not much of a cell-phone-understanding person, but I see these as minor issues, but understand where a problem would be for other people. Which is why I reiterate: Microsoft doesn't make their own phones, and there are plenty of choices besides the iPhone. Choices, choices, choices.
3. I fail to understand how the fact that it more closely propietary in terms of the hardware it runs on makes it more "locked down." OS X, because it's designed by the same company for the same hardware, has many advantages over windows, especially in the fact that it's open-source. It's also based on a better and more secure kernel, as well as being based on BSD unix.

1. The zune may have those things, but it also has inferior audio quality, compatability with many platforms (including I believe no compatability with Macintosh computers), comes with cheaper (worse) headphones, is offered for the same price for an inferior product by a company that makes probably hundreds of millions more than Apple (that is, if we're only comparing the Zune and the iPod, not the other mp3 players on the market), supports less formats, et cetera. Some of these may be more of an issue for others. Not to mention it's really ****ing ugly. For me, the iPod much better serves my needs, but I suppose the Zune can work for people if you need an FM Radio (personally, I won't listen to terrestrial radio anymore).
2. The Xbox 360, I can give you. The xbox, I will not. The Xbox was a ridiculously bad gaming platform, and was very unpractical. The Xbox360 also has many issues, but as I have no gamer knowledge, I won't try to say there's a better alternative. As for Halo, it was a game designed by Bungie, not Microsoft, for Macs, before being bought out by Microsoft and transferred to their platform. I won't argue with its popularity, though.
3. Okay?
4. It also costs like $600, and personally, I would prefer Pages or Keynote over Word or Powerpoint any day, though that's just me.
5. It's also inferior. We could argue history all day, but we'll stray away from that. XP was the only Windows Operating system that was not a piece of crap. Much like OS X is pretty much the only Mac OS that isn't a piece of crap. It's just that Mac OS X is less of a piece of crap than every good feature of every windows OS combined.

If your last comment truly stands true, I won't have to explain to you the fallacy of your comment on the less than $1000 computers.

I'm trying to be as small of an apple apologist as I can, but I feel there are some factual innacuracies in the points made. If I was wrong on anything, please let me know; this is all based on information as I've read it, so I'd like to be corrected where I'm wrong, thanks :)
 
1. The zune may have those things, but it also has inferior audio quality, compatability with many platforms (including I believe no compatability with Macintosh computers), comes with cheaper (worse) headphones, is offered for the same price for an inferior product by a company that makes probably hundreds of millions more than Apple (that is, if we're only comparing the Zune and the iPod, not the other mp3 players on the market), supports less formats, et cetera. Some of these may be more of an issue for others. Not to mention it's really ****ing ugly. For me, the iPod much better serves my needs, but I suppose the Zune can work for people if you need an FM Radio (personally, I won't listen to terrestrial radio anymore).
Whoa whoa whoa...
1.)The Zune (80) is regarded as having BETTER audio quality than the iPod Classic.
2.) The 80GB Zune also comes with premium ($40 on their own) earphones, which are much better than the iPod's cheap-o earphones.
3.) Have you seen the new zunes? They aren't ugly.
4.) The flash zunes are $20 cheaper than their nano counterparts.
5.) Im pretty sure the Zune covers most of the formats the iPod does, although im not sure.

Now, the Zunes do not support Macs, but really with all the haters they have there, I understand why. I'd say the majority of Mac users are "anti-Microsoft" for whatever reason. The Zune really wouldn't tailor to them, don't you think?

I just don't exactly see what the iPod is offering over the Zune at this point. To go from a Zune to an iPod can be seen as downgrading. :D

2. The Xbox 360, I can give you. The xbox, I will not. The Xbox was a ridiculously bad gaming platform, and was very unpractical. The Xbox360 also has many issues, but as I have no gamer knowledge, I won't try to say there's a better alternative. As for Halo, it was a game designed by Bungie, not Microsoft, for Macs, before being bought out by Microsoft and transferred to their platform. I won't argue with its popularity, though.
First of all, the the Xbox was a [not financial :cool:] success. It was a crucial first step which lead to the leading seller of next-gen consoles, the Xbox 360. It did what it needed to do. What was "unpractical" about it? Also, Bungie [until a couple months ago] was OWNED by Microsoft, which makes it theirs. Microsoft still owns Halo. Do you think Halo would have been a success on the Mac? No. Also, the Keynote version of Halo and what was shown on the Xbox were years apart in terms of features.

4. It also costs like $600, and personally, I would prefer Pages or Keynote over Word or Powerpoint any day, though that's just me.
5. It's also inferior. We could argue history all day, but we'll stray away from that. XP was the only Windows Operating system that was not a piece of crap. Much like OS X is pretty much the only Mac OS that isn't a piece of crap. It's just that Mac OS X is less of a piece of crap than every good feature of every windows OS combined.
What about Win 95? It was better than its Mac counterpart therefore making it "not crap". But we could go on about this, its all subjective.

If your last comment truly stands true, I won't have to explain to you the fallacy of your comment on the less than $1000 computers.
Yes, I know... The Mac Mini... Which is rumored to be discontinued.

I'm trying to be as small of an apple apologist as I can, but I feel there are some factual innacuracies in the points made. If I was wrong on anything, please let me know; this is all based on information as I've read it, so I'd like to be corrected where I'm wrong, thanks :)
No problem. I like correcting people. :cool:

Also, don't you see a bit of a pattern here? Microsoft comes out with a product in a market, where they usually just provide the software (DirectX, PlayForSure/WMP), combining the hardware and software (like apple) and sells moderately well. It usually is kinda clunky and ugly but does what supposed to do well. Next iteration, it comes out looking mighty spiffy and upgrading the previous gens features and sells even better with lots of people considering it to be better than the competition. Is Microsoft learning? I think so.:eek:

I think Microsoft will apply this to the phone market pretty soon. Maybe even a computer of their own? (gasp!!)
 
3. I fail to understand how the fact that it more closely propietary in terms of the hardware it runs on makes it more "locked down." OS X, because it's designed by the same company for the same hardware, has many advantages over windows, especially in the fact that it's open-source. It's also based on a better and more secure kernel, as well as being based on BSD unix.

OS X isn't Open Source. It is based on Open Source software but it isn't Open Source itself. The Hackintosh argument prove that pretty well.
 
I had one because I liked it and found it useful. Got rid of it only because someone gave me a free iPhone. So much for being an elitist.

It's an unfortunate reality that every week a student gets robbed of their sidekick at gunpoint at my wife's school.

Oh, and ghetto = cool in that neck of the wood.
Normally I'd say something like "I hate to harp on an old subject", but someone needs to educate you. No, "ghetto" doesn't "equal cool", nor does it "equal cool" for you to use words and slang that you clearly do not have the sociological capacity to comprehend.

I happen to hail from (was born and raised in) "that neck of the wood", and frankly, I cringe whenever I hear that word uttered by someone who doesn't understand it's current meaning. I suppose there's no such thing as a lexicon for slang, since such things are usually written by people that just plain don't get it, therefore let this definition serve you:
Ghetto, adj, Pieced together or put together from the tools/items on hand to serve a purpose that was originally unintended.​
The term was based on the premise that people in poor neighborhoods don't always own or have access to the latest or top of the line products, and will put together their own items to serve the same purpose. But you've never done that before, right? And funny, I don't see how the Sidekick (any version) fits into that description. It serves every purpose it was intended to. Interestingly enough, a 'hacked' iPod touch/iPhone is, by description and definition, GHETTO.

btw
Elitism, n, the selectivity of the elite; especially : snobbery (e.g., elitism in choosing new members [or] your poor attitude)

Perhaps you should go down to your wife's school and take a few courses yourself.
 
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