The appearance of the iPod and its rapid adoption gave Apple the keys to explosive growth. From the iPod to the iTouch to the iPhone and now the iPad, Apple’s think tank has found a way to make its products more than electronic gadgets designed for everyday use. CEO Steve Jobs has masterfully sold investors and the public the ‘experience’ of these devices. The public is buying and the profits are great for Apple; even in the current economic downturn. It seems that Apple has an app and a device to adapt to any situation; but how dominant is Apple? Is this domain a perception or a fact?
Apple to apple…
Many comparisons have been made about the differences between Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. The general consensus is that Windows is unstable and inferior, while Mac OS X is clearly superior from user interface to stability. Given the mass appeal of Apple device designs; You may be led to believe that there is really no use for the Windows platform other than for viewing spreadsheets and crunching numbers. Overall, it’s easy to forget that Microsoft’s strength and business value are software, while Apple is based on a proprietary model. Since Apple’s inception, Apple created software to run on its proprietary hardware. This legacy goes back to the days when computer companies built their own systems from scratch and marketed them to build brand awareness and generate sales. Microsoft chose to create compatible software to initially run on the IBM PC, which eventually led to Microsoft’s MS-DOS being installed and running on the systems of different PC manufacturers.
I’m a PC, you’re a Fanboy…
Looking back over the years, you can see the effect the two business models have had on both companies. In the early 1980s, Microsoft was a new kind of start-up, while Apple was the darling of the industry; in the 1990s, the roles had changed as Microsoft rose in stature and Apple all but disappeared from the scene. Changes in technology pushed companies in different directions, as well as market share and size. Due to Microsoft’s expansive growth in the PC market, Apple chose to stick with what worked best, which was the proprietary model it started with. In the early 2000s; File sharing sites like Napster led to the development and popularity of the mp3 player. This gave Apple the opportunity to innovate and take advantage of a growing market that Microsoft was not quick to enter. Over time, Apple continued to develop exciting new products like the iPhone. Apple’s experience in construction hardware has helped Apple develop a product line that is consistent with what the public is looking for in consumer devices today. Microsoft’s relative inexperience in hardware development has hampered Microsoft’s ability to capitalize on new market trends. The development of the XBOX 360 for Microsoft has been a great success, but it could be said that the success of its online gaming service; XBOX Live, has made quite a stir. It is a recurring theme in both companies; they both enjoy being the ‘head dog’ at different times.
Why can not we Be Friends?
Fast forward to today; where we have Mac stores and advertisements showcasing the new and trendy Apple device of your choice. It takes a good dose of perspective to understand that despite Apple’s apparent ubiquity; Microsoft is also enjoying its own measure of widespread success. Windows 7, the company’s latest operating system offering; it has been widely hailed as a great launch by consumers and industry insiders alike. Kinect, the motion-sensing device designed for the revamped XBOX 360 console, has also been widely hailed as a win for Microsoft. Apple is enjoying a fair amount of visibility these days, and it’s certainly well deserved. However, in all the segments in which Apple is succeeding; its competitors are also losing Apple’s lead and looking for an opportunity to innovate. Google has increased in size and stature that rivals both Microsoft and Apple. Google has the largest search engine, a widely accepted browser, and an Android phone operating system that has gained rapid acceptance in the mobile phone segment. Like Microsoft, Google places an emphasis on software over hardware, but has products designed and marketed exclusively for Google. The company is something of a hybrid in its business model; a bit of Microsoft and a bit of Apple. The industry is starting to see that, like Apple and Microsoft before it, it’s clearly becoming Google’s time to shine.
conclusion
Domain? No. Perception? Yes. The eighties belonged to Sony; the Walkman and later the Discman. The popularity of those devices was equivalent to that of the iPod, iPhone and, recently, Apple; iPad. History has clearly shown that the ‘dominance factor’ enjoyed by Sony was simply an arc in time shared by all innovative companies. Soon we’ll be reminiscing about Apple’s past triumphs as we marvel at the newest company enjoying the market accolades Apple used to. Maybe it’s not a device; but some form of biotechnological interface. Either way, we’ll soon find out.