Apple vs. Google vs. Facebook vs. Microsoft... does that even make sense??? I mean, Apple and Microsoft make computers right? Google is a search engine. And Facebook is a social networking site. So how are they competing? Well those two things may have been what these two COMPANIES were mainly known for but I think that is all about to change.
As of right now the main battle going on between Apple and Google is the mobile computing duopoly they have on smartphones and their operating systems. Apple has done well to stay ahead of the curve and invent new consumer electronics such as the Macbook, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. The iPhone was really the first widely accepted and used smartphone on the scene. But then Google came out with its own operating system for mobile devices called Android OS to compete with iOS for the iPhone. It really is a battle between a closed, limited system (Apple) versus an open, choice based system (Google).
And now enters the heavyweight into the smartphone fight. Microsoft’s Windows Phone has been released and is starting to get play from new phone users that have a history using Microsoft software. Microsoft has long been known as the leader in operating systems with Windows being a steady winner. Back in the late 80’s and 90’s Apple tried to use their own software with their own hardware against IBM and Microsoft and other companies that used a more open form of computing.
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| Gizmodo.com |
Nowadays it’s a fight for a chunk of the social media and mobile computing market. The Nielsen Company released data on who is winning the U.S. smartphone battle. The following graphic illustrates that it depends if you look by operating system Android holds a slight lead but it shows Apple and Blackberry as companies make their own devices so are they winning?
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| The Nielsen Company |
Enter Mark Zuckerberg and his fresh company, Facebook. Android phones have started to incorporate more seamless apps and experiences with Facebook on their phones but Google and Facebook are competing. So we may not be far off from a Facebook operating system. Either that or a merger of sorts between Apple and Facebook are possibilities. John Dvorak, a writer for Wall Street Journal, writes:
Let’s assume that Facebook does not want to develop a new phone OS from scratch. This leaves open the possibility that Apple Inc. could do a specially branded iPhone that is Facebook-centric. It could be a blue model, for example, and have the Facebook brand burned into the body. This is not a stretch for Apple, since it has done special versions of the iPod in the past.
This all leads to some very interesting situations in the mobile computing market and beyond. The post-PC era is dawning on us and these four tech giants are competing for the right to change the way we use technology to communicate. Beyond smartphones and tablets the options are limitless for these digital leaders.
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I believe Google will always be unbeatable... even though Facebook comes
ReplyDeletecloser in competition with Google, we must remember that Facebook is defined
as a social network & Google is apparently a search engine. Therefore, both
have altogether a different purpose.
I agree but the only question I have is if Facebook and Google are satisfied with 'just' being a social network site or a search engine. I don't think so. Google has Google Buzz as their social network but that pales in comparison to Facebook.
ReplyDeleteAnd as Facebook receives more and more hits from web users, more advertisers will move their ads from Google to Facebook. It's a business competition for online marketing money.
This was a really great entry—and really interesting. Your first paragraph was both an attention getter and informative on what the rest of the entry is about. It also addressed exactly what my question was when I read the title—how are all of these (especially facebook) in competition.
ReplyDeleteYou did a good job of explaining the controversy in a logical way. Your links and graphics were relevant and used well; I would say they could be explained just a bit more though, especially since they contained so much information it was a bit difficult to filter out the main/relevant points.
Nice blog. It was informative and I am interested to see what will happen with phones, tablets and/or computers in the future.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is nicely laid out throughout the posts. My only issue is more of an accessibility issue. I found it very hard to read white text on a black background. It tends to tire out the readers eyes faster and for people with dyslexia or other neurological disorders it can make it very difficult. If you are still wanting the black background to stay then maybe just increase the font a little bit.
Overall, a nice blog and very informational.
I really liked this post. It was up-to-date and easy to read and most of all, informative. The thing that tied it all together for me was the picture you posted showing all the "ties" between the companies you were discussing. That really helped put the final piece together and was a nice find for a graphic.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I think the design of you blog is great, including the use of multimedia with pictures and links. Everything seems to work well together. Also, your updated "About me" section is a nice touch as well so your reader gets an idea about the person behind the posts.