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The Future - Other companies making iPad's ?
- Thread starter Piggie
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for the foreseeable future (ie next 10 years) they will NOT be licensing everything. they've been there, done that and it just doesn't work for them, and it would just ruin them too.
Yup. If Apple were in it for the money, they would have licensed just about everything by now. Sorry, but it's not going to happen. Apple doesn't work that way. Moving along...
Bottom line is that they don't have to license!
With their war chest ($$$) they can plan and develop anyway they want so they make all the profit and still keep that thing they like most - control. There is plenty left over for the 'made for iPad' companies.
My thinking is that SJ is going to spend most of that money before he tips out in development in areas that can't be reversed to insure Apple stays ahead for at least 10 years after he's gone.
Just guessing.
With their war chest ($$$) they can plan and develop anyway they want so they make all the profit and still keep that thing they like most - control. There is plenty left over for the 'made for iPad' companies.
My thinking is that SJ is going to spend most of that money before he tips out in development in areas that can't be reversed to insure Apple stays ahead for at least 10 years after he's gone.
Just guessing.
If Apple wants to let others make tablets that run iOS, then Apple should stop making iOS hardware altogether. Basically, either Apple is the only company that makes iOS tablets and no one else makes them, or Apple doesn't make iOS tablets and just sells iOS licenses. If Apple maintains iOS, makes iOS devices, and at the same time licenses iOS to OEMs so they too can make iOS devices, Apple will take a huge hit on profit margins.
To understand what I'm saying, look at the Windows PC business world. It consists of Microsoft, which makes and sells Windows, and the OEMs (e.g. Dell) who make the computers. The only company making money is Microsoft. The other OEMs make pennies on the dollar. The reason is simple. They all make essentially the same product. The OEMs have no way to truly differentiate their products. As a result, they're left with little to compete on except for price. This is why Windows machines have gotten less expensive over the years.
To understand what I'm saying, look at the Windows PC business world. It consists of Microsoft, which makes and sells Windows, and the OEMs (e.g. Dell) who make the computers. The only company making money is Microsoft. The other OEMs make pennies on the dollar. The reason is simple. They all make essentially the same product. The OEMs have no way to truly differentiate their products. As a result, they're left with little to compete on except for price. This is why Windows machines have gotten less expensive over the years.
Every new release from Apple has a video featuring Jony Ive talking about how much effort goes into making a good product and maximizing the user experience. Their design team is insane. But they should let other manufacturers make different models because some schlub is less likely to buy an iPad if he has to walk down an aisle past 20 other tablet models? What kind of person buys a product because there is a wider variety of product by the same manufacturer surrounding it? Who are these idiots and how did they get any money to begin with?
This beggars belief, since it doesn't happen with Apple's MP3 players, phones, desktops, or laptops.
What would a third-party be able to do, anyway? They would have to use the same glass, at least the same proportions. Sony could make a wider bezel and ruin the balance/proportions! Dell could put little grippies on the back! RCA could cut costs and make it out of plastic!
Oh, okay, this might not happen now, years in the future, who knows what might happen? I guess it is possible that people working at Apple could lose their minds or make stupid decisions, sure.
This deserves comment. Do you think James Dyson, with over a billion dollars in his pocket, cares if Dyson is the #1 seller? He cares if it's profitable. The two aren't always compatible and this fact bothers nobody.
This beggars belief, since it doesn't happen with Apple's MP3 players, phones, desktops, or laptops.
What would a third-party be able to do, anyway? They would have to use the same glass, at least the same proportions. Sony could make a wider bezel and ruin the balance/proportions! Dell could put little grippies on the back! RCA could cut costs and make it out of plastic!
Oh, okay, this might not happen now, years in the future, who knows what might happen? I guess it is possible that people working at Apple could lose their minds or make stupid decisions, sure.
This deserves comment. Do you think James Dyson, with over a billion dollars in his pocket, cares if Dyson is the #1 seller? He cares if it's profitable. The two aren't always compatible and this fact bothers nobody.
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Yes, but there's a difference between other companies making a "cassette player" and making "Brand Xs" cassette player. I don't remember Sony licensing others to make Walkmans, which isn't the same thing as other companies copying the Walkman to make a competing product. I still don't see how that relates to other companies making iPads. Plenty are already making tablets, and iPad is really just a tablet with Apple's touch, not an entirely different device altogether.
Apple have a very profitable iPad and iPhone business. Both these products have been very profitable since day one and continue to be. Google have made practically nothing from android, yes they have the largest market share, but still hardly any money.
Their way, they make a huge amount of money. Google's way, hardly any. Why would they want to emulate Google?!?
Their way, they make a huge amount of money. Google's way, hardly any. Why would they want to emulate Google?!?
Apple is genius when it comes to marketing. Their specialty is selling products no one needs, nor understands, yet they buy to impress others. In some cases it's a fad, other times it's a flop, sometimes they are a long term success.
Statistically, it will take a few years before the fate of this product is known. All we know thus far, is Apples marketing works, they are using their influence and selling in massive quantities.
Statistically, it will take a few years before the fate of this product is known. All we know thus far, is Apples marketing works, they are using their influence and selling in massive quantities.
Why in heaven's name would Apple even consider changing what they're doing when it's all working so well ? It would be insanity to license out iOS to hardware manufacturers. There's no point. It would only cause problems in the long run and they've been down that route before and it just doesn't work.
Are you saying someone doesn't need an iPad... but they need a Xoom or Playbook? If tablets are not needed... then why are a dozen companies now releasing tablets?
And about marketing... I hate when people suggest that Apple is only good at marketing. Maybe Apple isn't good at marketing... but everyone else is so bad at marketing.
I see way more commercials for the Xoom and Playbook (incuding that god-awful Flash Gordon commercial) than I see iPad commercials. And the Xoom has been featured in the Best Buy flyers for months.
I rarely see iPad marketing. Why? The iPad had a one-year head start. Word of mouth speaks volumes.
It took 14 months from the announcement of the first iPad for any credible competitor to come to market. That's not Apple's fault.
I think you're saying that Apple makes crappy products... but people are tricked into buying them because of clever marketing. That is simply untrue. Apple does make great products that work as advertised.
Other companies make terrible commercials for their terrible products (Xoom robot spaceship commercial... seriously... WTF was that?)
Some people say the only reason the iPod was a success was because of marketing. While there were plenty of those colorful iPod commercials on TV... the iPod had something that no other MP3 player could offer... the iTunes Music Store.
No amount of marketing for the Sansa MP3 player could compete with that.
In the end... you can have all the clever marketing you want. But you gotta have good products to back it up. And Apple has those.
And look how much influence this situation has had on Apple's decisions so far.
Look - it's just not happening while Jobs is in charge.
And once he's gone? Still not happening while anyone's in charge who remembers the last time Apple lost Jobs - which is this exact thing, and necessitated his return to save the company. Because chances are, the next time he leaves the company, there won't be any way to get him back if they ****** it up with a scheme like this.
The flaw in the idea of Apple licensing iOS or OSX is the mistaken assumption that Apple is both a hardware and software company. On the surface this view makes sense, Apple makes great hardware and great software, but if you look at it from the perspective of where does Apple make it's profit you would see that Apple is a hardware company that makes software as a means of adding value to their hardware. Apple didn't grow to be worth $330 billion selling OSX for $29 or iWork for $79. While I'm willing to accept that Apple makes some profit on software the majority of that $330 billion comes from the 35% to 50% margin they make on hardware. If Apple were to license iOS, or OSX, they would need to shift their profit model to a more software oriented focus, doing so would mean selling their software, at least the software that doesn't come bundled with a Mac or iDevice, at a significantly higher margin, let's say $329 rather than $29.
I've heard this a thousand times and frankly, it's getting old. Marketing is a part of putting out a successful product.
Also, as another user has alluded to already, there are at least a dozen companies that don't agree with you, Dell, HP, Amazon, Acer, HTC, Samsung, just to name a few.
As many on this forum have pointed out, the whole computing industry thinks this product is the next big thing so statistically, as long as Apple doesn't screw it up, things are looking good.