Apple dethrons Microsoft as top US tech company...

[Alvin.C]

Apple pumps all kinds of funds into marketing for a reason. If people only bought it based on its own merits it would be a fourth of its current size if not dead. Apple can only survive by trying to ping itself off of Microsoft.

Apple do pump all kinds of funds, as it were, into marketing. But I think it's rather naive to suggest that Apple is only successful because of their marketing. Any knowledgeable tech journalist, blogger, reviewer or investor in the field would disagree with your statement. The product or service matters too. To illustrate, Microsoft spent a lot in their global marketing drive of Windows Vista, but could you say that the majority of users were happy with Vista, that it was a big hit, that it is was a success...?

The funny thing is that Apple doesn't tell the whole story. OS-whatever works like it does because Apple has an iron fist on the hardware (just try to upgrade an Apple...). Windows is only software as MS doesn't make their own computers, and it has to be able to run on almost anything. If Apple was honest about all of that up front then only the hardcore fanbois would buy their stuff.

Apple are pretty honest about this. In fact, I would say that they see and market this —proprietary hardware and OS from the same manufacturer— as an advantage (in terms of support, compatibility and usability).

 

[carnageX]

my sony ericsson from 4 years ago does more then the phone, multitask, i can use any browser, I can run any java app I want for free. I can video and picture message, the list goes on!

Reminds me of a Maddox article... NSFW (language):
The iPhone is a piece of ****, and so is your face.

 

[remixedcat]

OMG I love that site!!!!

 

[Oreo]

Actually, atleast within my own family, apple are popular for another reason.

My aunt is not tech savvy at all, but she can appreciate nice quality and good looking computers/laptops. Buying a laptop for her is daunting, she wouldn't know how to use it, she wouldn't know if they were well made and she wouldn't be particularly aware of what she's getting. With apple she has answers to all of those, she knows with no doubt any apple laptop she buys will be of outstanding build quality, and more importantly to her if she can't do something or needs help she can just pop into the apple store on the way home and sit down with some Apple geek who can answer her every question.

I can see why Apple have topped Microsoft, and i am almost tempted to say they deserve it. They have came out with some fantastic products over the years and have now revolutionized both the portable music player market and the phone market. For the home owner and casual user Microsoft have gave us XP and Windows 7, that is about it.

Apple do what they do extremely well. The iphone is on it's 3rd iteration now (well, almost 4th within a few months), and in all this time i have yet to find a phone that has bettered apples touchscreen, there have been some close calls but I've still not tried one that is better.

 

[S0ULphIRE]

That being said, the amount of limitations/red-tape Apple places on the use of its software/hardware is a nightmare for developers. They're really working against themselves there...

 

[Alvin.C]

That being said, the amount of limitations/red-tape Apple places on the use of its software/hardware is a nightmare for developers. They're really working against themselves there...

I agree. Although, I wouldn't go as far to say that it's a nightmare. On the flip side, what Apple has to offer to developers are a comprehensive set of tools. Also, such tight controls help ensure good quality software.

 

[remixedcat]

FYI everyone if you didn't know this:

apple moving to intel made them practically like regular pcs:

the only differences they have are as follows:

EFI intead of BIOS

and GUID parititon table instead of MBR.

and pcs are now using this, as server 2008 R2 natively supports this config. so apples, being also made by foxxconn (motherboards, etc) so they are really a hardware controlling company/ software company.

they do not own any of the plants, they do not control the manufacturing process, they outsource some design.

think different? mabye not.

 

[office politics]

what has enabled apple to reach a level greater than MS? Marketing has alreasy been mentioned. I think the word-of-mouth and the buzz created within the community. So many people were talking and haising the hype about the iPhone that it was an instant hit; not just for techies but for business people as well. What does the iPhone offer to business people that Blackberries do not? touchscreen? unnecessary BIS/BES service for corporate email accounts?

I was reading an article on nytimes and they said because the handheld devices are the wave of the future. I believe this to be true.

 

[remixedcat]

I agree. Although, I wouldn't go as far to say that it's a nightmare. On the flip side, what Apple has to offer to developers are a comprehensive set of tools. Also, such tight controls help ensure good quality software.

to make ipad apps the development must be carried out on apples own systems.

 

[Baez]

Market value means nothing in terms of what everyone is thinking.