The Google+ iPhone app is out. And I can’t get it. Apparently it is not yet available on the local app store. What? App stores are by country?!? Yup! And it’s not solely for content distribution purposes. The Internet is breaking down international barriers of time and distance (how else can offshoring work so well?) and yet some people (cough*apple*cough) insist on raising artificial barriers. Boo!
Nokia <3 Microsoft
“WTF!” was my immediate reaction when I read about Nokia CEO Stephen Elop’s announcement that Nokia is partnering with Microsoft and putting Windows Phone 7 in their phones.
A few days ago, Elop sent out a memo likening Nokia to a burning oil platform. There was anticipation that a big change is coming, perhaps Nokia joining the Android juggernaut or perhaps Nokia joining Elop’s former employer Microsoft.
Unfortunately, it was the latter. Apparently, Elop has decided that they Nokia must first and foremost beat Android. I guess this is a nod that Android will beat the iPhone. Unfortunately, his decision precludes choosing Android. Too bad since, choosing Microsoft is IMHO just dumb.
The iPhone is formidable because it is such a tightly-controlled well-directed “closed but powerful ecosystem”, to quote Elop himself. More importantly, behind that control and directions is a true visionary: Steve Jobs. It also enjoys with a considerable lead time in the market and in the number of developers and apps.
Android is formidable because, being open, a lot of players can (and did) join in: HTC, Motorola, SonyEricsson, Samsung, and LG. Even the KIRF makers in Shenzen are joining in. With the huge marketing effort by these players and the huge availability of phones, comes a lot of developers and apps. Who cares about fragmentation? The PC is fragmented. There is no doubt Android will beat iPhone. It’s the PC vs Apple II all over again.
But WP7? It is the descendant of Windows CE and Windows Mobile both of which were failures. The constant rebranding should be clue enough. Symbian is not any worse than WP7. Heck, Symbian has more apps and developers than WP7!
There could be some synergy in Microsoft and Nokia working together, combining their strengths in marketing and technology development. But such close cooperation might actually alienate HTC and others who also make WP7 phones, nudging them completely to the Android side.
Elop has just failed Nokia’s stockholders.
UPDATE: I guess investors feel the same way because Nokia’s stock took a dive a bit after the announcement.
How Smartphone Users See Each Other
C-Section Comics came up with this matrix of how smartphone users see each other. Pretty accurate if you ask me. Interesting to note that Nokia is not included. It seems it has lost relevance in the smartphone space.
Joining The Side Of The Light
Now that’s a rather ungainly title. The dark side would be Microsoft. The side of the light would be Apple: somehow it evokes images of a supposedly utopian society, open, clean, orderly, and full of happy, contented people. But under the surface is a dark and sinister truth: Steve Job’s and his infamous reality distortion field. Those under its spell goes where he wants them to go and want what he wants them to want.
This is quite ironic since Apple’s famous ad “1984” portrays Apple as the liberator from a controlling entity representing supposedly IBM and, later, Microsoft. The ad is based on the novel of the same name by George Orwell. In the novel, Oceania is totalitarian state whose government controls the speech, actions, and thoughts of its subjects. The ruler of Oceania is the dictatorial Big Brother. These days, Apple is more and more like the Oceania government and Steve Jobs Big Brother.
Still, it’s undeniable that Apple pulled off a mean feat with the iPhone. Apps is is now an everyday word and the millions and millions of users presents a very compelling argument for developing them. Of course, users buy only apps Apple wants them to buy. What is available on the App Store is tightly controlled by Apple. But hey, just develop what Apple wants you to develop!
Unfortunately, you need a Mac to develop for the iPhone. So today, I pulled the trigger on a 13-inch MacBook Pro. I chose it over the slightly less expensive MacBook because of the faster processor, bigger RAM (4GB!), and, of course, the aluminum unibody (call it higher-end-in-an-egalitarian-society look). Plus I still have the capability to develop Android apps. I can even play games (that’s the key thing)!
And so begins my journey to the Apple dystopia and hopefully towards becoming an iPhone developer. But first, Starcraft II!
Wherefore Art Thou Samsung Galaxy S?
Globe supposedly has the exclusive right to sell the Samsung Galaxy S but I’ve been to several Globe business centers and I haven’t seen one. One business center told me it’s not in stock. Another told me it’s on reservation basis with a possibility of delivery in 1-2 months (vs the Apple iPhone 4’s 1-2 weeks). Yet another told me it has been phased out. What is the story really? I wonder if Globe was required by Apple to sell so many iPhone 4s that they’ve decided to curtail sales of its most potent competitor.