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Notes from MWC: Copying iPhone, Offline Gmail, Turn by Turn GPS for iPhone
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Ballmer as usual fails on so many levels. He needs to stick a sock in it. Until MSFT's stock is higher than AAPL's, and according to my holdings, its not, he needs to worry about his own stuff.
iPhone ftw! WM ftl
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iPhone ftw! WM ftl
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Wow, Ballmer is so insightful.
No single company can create all the hardware and software, eh?
Yet what has Microsoft been working on for the past several decades? They dominate the operating systems market. They dominate the productivity software market. They're trying to dominate the music market. They're trying to dominate the mobile phone market. They're trying to dominate the computer gaming market.
Whatever market they can't dominate, their strategy is to kill or cripple the competition. I'm fairly certain it would be Gates & Co's DREAM COME TRUE if one day they woke up and found all-Microsoft software running on PCs, mobile phones, gaming systems, etc. all being manufactured by Microsoft.
And just how "open" and "full of choice" do you think that would be?
Pot, kettle, black.
No single company can create all the hardware and software, eh?
Yet what has Microsoft been working on for the past several decades? They dominate the operating systems market. They dominate the productivity software market. They're trying to dominate the music market. They're trying to dominate the mobile phone market. They're trying to dominate the computer gaming market.
Whatever market they can't dominate, their strategy is to kill or cripple the competition. I'm fairly certain it would be Gates & Co's DREAM COME TRUE if one day they woke up and found all-Microsoft software running on PCs, mobile phones, gaming systems, etc. all being manufactured by Microsoft.
And just how "open" and "full of choice" do you think that would be?
Pot, kettle, black.
M$ doesnt make computers or phones. Thats his point. Apple makes the phone and doesnt make the software. Hes basically agreeing with their strategy and hes right.
The SDK doesn't include the "why", just the "what". And Apple has not said anything as to the "why". It just isn't.
In all fairness, the software/hardware integration is what makes Apple products good. They don't design hardware and they don't design software - they design and deliver a good overall user experience. Their products are far from perfect, they often lack desirable features, sometimes features we think are basic or intuitive - copy and paste, voice dialing, turn-by-turn app for a device with GPS, video recording - I could go on and that's just about the iPhone.
As for openness there are valid points on both sides of the argument. Apple's closed system allows them to do things they could not do otherwise. It's about controlling the user experience, which is what they design and sell. So it's understandable, but the iPhone platform is not true openness by any stretch of the imagination. If you follow the news about iPhone apps, you well know Apple has killed and denied many an app from the App store simply because they don't want people making whatever software available. That's not openness, that is total control of their closed system. I'm not arguing for or against Apple's approach. They certainly have valid reasons for their approach given their business model. It is what it is but it's not open.
I like Apple's products but Apple is not a nice company. When it comes to markets they have serious interest in they play hardball and they aren't afraid to bully others around when they can.
Apple does make the software. They make the OS that runs the phone, they make all the critical apps that are on the phone - the phone app, email, browser, iPod software, the photo taking/viewing software, the Core services software and SDK that every other app will use. I even read recently that the Google Maps app was actually written by Apple, not Google. I'm sure Google was involved but the fact that Apple had control of the code and put it out says a lot. Just because Apple allows others to write apps for their platform, doesn't make it an open platform. The App store is very much a closed system - nothing gets into that App store unless Apple wants it there.
Google: "what the market currently charges for this sort of thing when not looked at thru the filter of the everything must be 99cents or else crowd".
You will not see recording app neither turn-by-turn on iPhone 3G. Its not just because, the reason is iPhone 3G hardware limitation such GPS signal etc. Because it is possible to do that does not mean its right for this iPhone and developers dont know that because don't have access to core iPhone OS to confirm it. But Apple got that access and thats why you not see such apps. They want top quality of prduct which will work with iPhone without any problems and I think they doing right job to keep that way.
By the way....hold your breath and wait for iPhone 3.0 hopefully this summer. As rumor says it might have quad core processor+other components, which give enough power for your apps and other surprises including my favorite iChat AV.
And don't forget the yearly Map updates...
No! They have to be free, 'cause, yah know, cause... 99 CENTS!!!!!!!!!!!
How else do you think they are going to be able to make you buy a new iPhone, or even a new software bundle? They are working on it and you can bet it won't be anywhere near as cheap as any of these thrid party apps.
I used my GPS for about an hour while plugged in the the car charger on a road trip and the phone got so hot I could fry an egg on it.
Never got hot again after that because I haven't used GPS for that long before.
So, unless my phone is just jacked up (highly possible given the issues MANY have had with the 3G) then I don't see the need for turn by turn on this unit.
Never got hot again after that because I haven't used GPS for that long before.
So, unless my phone is just jacked up (highly possible given the issues MANY have had with the 3G) then I don't see the need for turn by turn on this unit.
And yet Sygic has already produced a demo of turn-by-turn navigation running on a iPhone 3G. So, it's not a hardware limitation.
It's people like you that killed the app store. No one will pay more than $.99 now so no serious developers are looking at making good apps. They're just making crappy $.99 widgets.
Microsoft is a proponent of "choice" - as long as people are "choosing" Microsoft.
Ballmer is a tool. End of story.
And yes, it is ludicrous that 6 months after the iPhone 3G debut, we still don't have a real turn-by-turn navigation app. Ridiculous.
Apple may force me to "choose" another device if they can't pull their heads out and allow some basic functionality.
Ballmer is a tool. End of story.
And yes, it is ludicrous that 6 months after the iPhone 3G debut, we still don't have a real turn-by-turn navigation app. Ridiculous.
Apple may force me to "choose" another device if they can't pull their heads out and allow some basic functionality.
Seriously. Google maps is really helpful sometimes, but it is terribly inaccurate other times - not to mention how dangerous it is to simply follow your blue dot 'avatar' and guess if you're at the correct turn or not instead of keeping your eyes on the road. I though TomTom or one of the big companies was working on a true GPS navigation software app for the iPhone? How long has the SDK not allowed this? Did I miss some major announcement here? If apple wants its own programs on the phone, that's fine, that's what most of us trust - but google is not an apple app and it is NOT reliable enough to be the only navigation software available!! This is ridiculous, and their losing sales to all the less capable phones that do have this feature and sell because of it alone!
What's kind of funny is Apple doesn't really "make" the hardware. Apple just picks the best parts from manufacturers like Samsung, Intel, Toshiba, etc. and then assembles them. So it's not like Apple has a factory where they make everything from scratch. Interestingly, Macs often use the same exact crap that's in PCs for major components yet the Mac doesn't fail nearly as much (suck it, Ballmer!).
But anywho, the integration is what makes Apple. They can pick a few different hardware pieces for each part and then write the OS to work with those. This beats Microsoft's approach for giving support to 18,000 different video cards, 17,500 of which don't really work well. You're either going to kinda work on a lot of crap, or really work on not much crap. Wonder which one Microsoft chose.
TomTom did it as well, but apple said there is a software problem to it. Wasn't politics involved there, oh no. My point is that developers can create great products, which work just fine but on long run can affect Apple core apps or generally stability of iPhone. Those developers don't have tools to check that out but Apple have. Remember that app has to go through Apple hands first before appear in app store. They don't just sit there and watch how pretty app is, they test it as well.
Wait? Didn't you say earlier it was a hardware limitation? Maybe I misunderstood what you were trying to say. If so, my apologies.
Ballmer is absolutely right with what he said about CHOICE. The business market always wanted a consolidated software platform and also only one hardware architecture -- but businesses want to choose from multiple vendors and manufacturers. They don't want an Apple-like total vendor-lock in.
Microsoft has always been very smart to NOT sell an own brand of computers. That was the key to their extreme success. They "just" offer the common software platform that everybody needs.
Now the mobile market, especially the market for smartphones, is also in need of consolidation. Apple introduced a beautifully designed user interface, but once again they are ruining their own options by limiting their software to their one device. One size does not fit all - it never has and never will.
Simply speaking: They could own the SOFTWARE market for smartphones if they would just license their damn software to the other hardware players. And if they would allow competing AppStores, of course.
Basically, they are repeating the very same mistake they've made with the Mac. And afterwards, they are whining about all those companies "copying" their ideas and about "all those clones". Instead of letting everybody else play with them.
But that is the difference between Apple and Microsoft: Microsoft provides platforms and ecosystems for an entire industry. Apple only cares for themselves. They don't play well with others at all.
Microsoft has always been very smart to NOT sell an own brand of computers. That was the key to their extreme success. They "just" offer the common software platform that everybody needs.
Now the mobile market, especially the market for smartphones, is also in need of consolidation. Apple introduced a beautifully designed user interface, but once again they are ruining their own options by limiting their software to their one device. One size does not fit all - it never has and never will.
Simply speaking: They could own the SOFTWARE market for smartphones if they would just license their damn software to the other hardware players. And if they would allow competing AppStores, of course.
Basically, they are repeating the very same mistake they've made with the Mac. And afterwards, they are whining about all those companies "copying" their ideas and about "all those clones". Instead of letting everybody else play with them.
But that is the difference between Apple and Microsoft: Microsoft provides platforms and ecosystems for an entire industry. Apple only cares for themselves. They don't play well with others at all.