Apple seldom competes directly — with anyone .
Instead of slugging it out with other ironware and software company on a level playing field , Apple historically create its own playing battleground from scratch , then dominates it utterly .
While almost the whole industry take part in what used to be foretell the “ IBM - compatible ” market , with clone computer hardware running DOS , OS/2 , Windows and , later , Linux , Apple refused to play . Instead , the troupe always build its own estimator that melt its own operating scheme .
Those funny “ PC vs. Mac ” ad create the fictitious picture of verbatim , one - on - one , mano - a - mano competition between microcomputer and Macs , but it ’s a marketing sleight of hand . While a Mac is a incorporate , tightly controlled hardware - and - package merchandise from Apple , a microcomputer contains an irregular mixture of hardware constituent integrated by any figure of company , lorded over ( commonly ) by a Microsoft operating arrangement .
If PC were made by Microsoft , and Microsoft did n’t allow anyone else to make PCs , then you could make an Malus pumila - to - apples comparing , as it were , between personal computer vs. Macs . But they ’re not , so you ca n’t .
While Dell competes directly with Hewlett Packard and hundreds of other company in the PC space , Apple does not vie directly with anyone in the Mac market .
Do n’t get me amiss ; this is n’t a bad affair . There are advantages and disadvantages to Apple ’s approach , and the succeeder of Apple bring welcome selection to the market place .
Likewise with the iPod . The portable media player market is the House That Apple Built . The companionship owns the iTunes platform and largely check digital music dispersion . Steve Jobs is the most brawny man in Hollywood , and he does n’t even live there . Apple does n’t compete directly with anyone in the medium player market because , like the Macintosh market place , Apple created the media file management platform ( iTunes ) , the contentedness mart ( digital file cabinet dispersion through iTunes ) and standards , and does n’t have anyone else take on .
With the iPhone , Apple is once again refusing to compete directly in the cell telephone market . While some French telephone makers contend straight with each other in the Windows Mobile , Symbian and other “ open ” platform market , caller like Research In Motion , Palm and , soon , Apple all play in their own respective , ego - created sandboxes . Controlling your own political program has test for RIM and Palm to be the way of life to go , and will also be successful for Apple .
Apple is once again creating its own category — call it the Mac OS - based cell telephone set category — and I ’m sure Apple will win 100 % market contribution .
I can think of only one lesson in which Apple competes instantly with other company on a degree , open playing theatre of operations : the software media player market .
Apple ’s Windows version of QuickTime competes immediately with Microsoft ’s bundled Windows Media Player , RealNetworks ’ RealPlayer and others . Although QuickTime hold back its own , Apple does n’t predominate mart share . But from a lineament and usability point of view , QuickTime is by far the superscript player , in my opinion . For telecasting quality , reasoned caliber and relief of use , QuickTime rules in every component of the drug user experience .
So why do I have such a bad feeling about Safari for Windows ?
By harbinger a Windows version of Apple ’s Safari browser app , Jobs uncharacteristically recruit a mature market not created or controlled by Apple .
This is Sparta
The insular Apple universe is a comparatively gentle position , an Athenian utopia where Apple ’s occasional misstep are forgiven , all partake of the many blessings of citizenship , and everyone feel like they ’re part of an Apple - created favorable age of rarified theme and higher-ranking design .
But the Windows reality is n’t like that . It ’s a cold , unforgiving place where nothing is sacred , users become like rabid brute on any company that make even the smallest mistake , and no prisoners are learn . specially the Windows web browser market .
This is no Athens . This is Sparta .
Apple sent its first envoy , the beta edition of Safari for Windows , into the Windows world , and it was unceremoniously kick into the well .
hour after Jobs announced Safari for Windows ( and despite Apple ’s title that Safari is “ design to be secure from Day One ” ) security experts published selective information about some 18 security mess find in the new web internet browser . blogger and message instrument panel bill poster lunged at the news , and heaped vicious scorn and derision on Apple and Safari .
The web browser is beta , and bugs are ask . Apple fix the job just three days after they come on .
Apple - fan blogger are dismayed at the unsmooth treatment . But they ’d well get used to it .
While security nerds were ripping Apple for a buggy beta , the UI enthusiasts start out break after Apple for the look and feel . Here ’s asmall sample . Apple can expectmuch moreof this in the future . The problem ? Safari for Windows just is n’t Windows enough .
Windows can only be resized from the bottom - right wing recession . Safari employ Mac OS ex font anti - aliasing instead of Windows ’ built - in ClearType , and face look blurred and all sheer , all the prison term . Menus are grueling to read . Safari uses its own , unalterable , nonstandard key combinations for things like tack through tabs . The leaning pass on and on .
In Apple ’s Athenian utopia , the companionship ’s consuming superiority building complex is a good affair . Its intersection are beautiful , Apple store are breathless and the software exploiter port smack of sublime ne plus ultra .
But when Apple asserts its “ higher-ranking ” user port conventions in a Windows context of use where everyone is used to and well-to-do with the Microsoft way , bad things happen .
Windows users are forced to apply iTunes if they want to act their iPods , which , like everyone else , they do . But it ’s a painful , time - consuming and irritating experience for many who are used to largely standardise Windows conventions of clit , cake and menu placement and functionality .
Apple gets away with its our - means - or - the - main road UI design with QuickTime because controls beyond the received VCR “ Play , ” “ interruption , ” “ Stop , ” “ Fast - forward , ” etc . , are unneeded and therefore absent .
But on a web internet browser , Apple will need to do things the Windows way or get eat on active .
Although Microsoft ’s Internet Explorer dominates web web browser market percentage , Apple ’s actual challenger is Firefox , which most active and forward-looking users screw and which is the other major web browser not bundled with Windows . Most people prepared to install a 2d or replacement web web browser on Windows have already done so , and most have installed Firefox .
Firefox fans are small in number compared with Internet Explorer users , but they ’re a passionate , enthusiastic and vocal crowd . It ’s these Firefox drug user that Apple will find at the entrance of the Windows web browser market , with swords and shields at the ready .
Mozilla has taken a play out of Microsoft ’s own playbook by making Firefox almost fully compatible with a World blanket Web mostly design to run on IE . Rather than defend and resisting these de facto standards , it has embraced and even meliorate upon them .
Will Apple espouse this winning expression ? The beta suggests it may not .
Apple will ask to approach Windows UI with humbleness — a rare commodity at Apple — and do things the Microsoft way , or pay the price in market percentage .
Why pick a competitiveness now ?
Some analyst are suggesting , and I incline to concur with them , that a primary motive for inscribe the browser app fight this tardily in the game has little to do with browsers and everything to do with iPhones .
Jobs declare Monday that the iPhone would support third - party program only in the grade of Internet - free-base web internet browser program . And venture which internet browser runs on the iPhone ? Apple no doubt want to render additional inducement to software developers to ramp up sites and applications that support Safari .
See how Apple “ call up different ” about these things ?
Rather than providing iPhone users with the live universe of for the most part IE - optimized applications and sites in a internet browser that supports subsist standards , and distinguish iPhone program developer to just go forward and build universally compatible apps that will also run on the iPhone , Apple feel the overpowering need to once again build and control a Modern , proprietary performing field of operation .
This is the problem with Apple ’s program : To hold in the drug user experience of third - political party apps on the iPhone , Apple call for to control a quasi - proprietary internet browser political program . To get developer to make for the web browser , Apple require the power of marketplace share . To get market share , Apple needs Windows compatibility and Windows - substance abuser acceptance . And — here ’s where the logic fails — to get a critical mess of Windows users , Safari needs to hug exist Web criterion , UI conventions and functionality .
The iPhone will do fine in the market , and a handful of nerveless apps will be written for Safari - on - iPhone . But I think Safari will get slaughtered in the bare - knuckle brawl that is the Windows internet browser grocery store .
Apple may believe that it can enter and dominate at least the “ substitute ” Windows browser app market place as it did the media player blank space . But this is an whole young and unfamiliar universe for Apple . Direct competition on a point - playing line of business that Apple does n’t control just is n’t Apple ’s thing .
Safari on Windows will fail .
Mike Elgan compose about engineering science and globular technical school culture . Contact Mike at mike.elgan@elgan.com or his blog , The Raw Feed .
