Apple worries

Jason Calcanis wrote an interesting piece on Apple, which summaries many complaints I read against Apple for a while. To some things I agree, but others I don’t.

He says that the iTunes ecoSystem destroys MP3 player innovation. Apple should allow other MP3-players to link up to iTunes. I do not agree that there is a lack of innovation. The iPod Touch is a huge innovation. He says that he saw a lot of innovation on MP3 players in Japan. We see the same here in France. Apple is not the only player. So what is the worry?

He wants to get into iTunes. So software is key? Or is it the iTunes store? There are other stores, such as Amazon, which is doing pretty well it seems. So is it iTunes? So iTunes is like the Windows monopoly? Any MP3-player ships it’s own player, so what is the monopoly? iPod’s to expensive? Buy an alternative. It is not as if you are forced to buy the iTunes ecosystem.

I call this a bullshit argument. However I love to see it opened up, I guess people will continue buying Apple’s products.

Monopolistic practices in telecommunications is an interesting argument. What’s new here? This exists already for ages with other phones. So why the complaint now? Just because you are not happy with the ATT/iPhone combo? What a nonsense. This linking between network and phones made GSM popular in Europe. And I know only of France that forbid this linkage. I see this just as an opportunistic argument.

Draconian appstore policies is also strange. How many apps are there? About how many apps are there complaints? Some apps had to be rejected over age limits (know your FCC stand on infringements). Now they can open up some more with the age settings for apps. This is one of the first (relatively) open mobile platforms. Never before a phone provider created this. So what are you complaining about? It will only get more open.

The argument about other browsers seems valid. However the iPhone is not a standard platform. You should not be running anything from a performance point of view. By the way remember this is still a niche product. There is no monopoly!

The same goes for Google Voice. My guess is that it is all about revenues. With Google Voice Apple does not get its share. What is new in the telco-business.

The problem is more that people want Apple to be different, open, like Unix. And see where that got us.

 


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