Second-Phase: Apple - Android War

[Keilyn]

Apple won the first war and established itself for a brief period as leader of tablet sales and OS. Then Samsung invented a better product while (OHS) Google came up with the Android OS for Tablets.

In the second-phase of this war we see a repeat in history. A challenger is outselling iOS and Apple has resorted to the extremes of "suing governments and corporations at a nationwide level to BAN a competitor from markets"

They recently succeeded in banning Samsung tables in Germany. They failed in the Netherlands. They are attacking Japan and England next. Here is the latest Article.

http://www.dailytech.com/Apple+Looks+to+Kill+Samsungs+Android+Tablets+and+P hones+in+Britain/article22729.htm

Enjoy. ^_^

[Randomness]

Please do not remind me of that. They effectively got a court to rule that they owned the rights to combining minimalism (an aesthetic that has existed for decades) with miniaturization (e.g. having minimal border around the screen, being lightweight, etc.)

That ban actually applied to most of the EU, in fact.

[blace]

"Apple recognizes this familiar state of affairs. But this time it's determined not make the same mistake and try to outcompete its more open, more diverse rival."

Oh Apple, limiting yourself to closed spaces.

[BIG OLAF]

Apple is poopy.

[Randomness]

"Apple recognizes this familiar state of affairs. But this time it's determined not make the same mistake and try to outcompete its more open, more diverse rival."

Oh Apple, limiting yourself to closed spaces.

I'm still dumbfounded by the 100% markups they get away with in the PC market. There's Apple and Microsoft stores across from each other at the mall... I can literally find a laptop for ~$1k in the Microsoft store, and then go across to the Apple store and the comparable laptop is priced at ~$1.8k.

[blace]

You know what they say,"bigger is better". Price markups are a way to entice consumers into thinking they have the upperhand/better products. Not true in all cases, but it does the same nonetheless.

[McLaughlin]

Samsung is also countersuing to block the sale of the iPad in Seoul and France, I believe.

Honestly, having read a few articles on this patent warfare, I'm a little dumbfounded that Germany actually decided in Apple's favor. They compared rough draft drawings of both devices and concluded that Samsung's "minimalist design" was infringing on Apple's patent. If you actually look at Apple's drawing, it's essentially a rectangle with a screen, and if you actually compare the devices themselves to one another, they're really nothing alike.

I'm amazed people are even allowed to patent math in the first place.

[Randomness]

Samsung is also countersuing to block the sale of the iPad in Seoul and France, I believe.

Honestly, having read a few articles on this patent warfare, I'm a little dumbfounded that Germany actually decided in Apple's favor. They compared rough draft drawings of both devices and concluded that Samsung's "minimalist design" was infringing on Apple's patent. If you actually look at Apple's drawing, it's essentially a rectangle with a screen, and if you actually compare the devices themselves to one another, they're really nothing alike.

I'm amazed people are even allowed to patent math in the first place.

They're not. But nobody has both resources and incentive to make the argument of algorithms=math in court. Well, US courts. It's not allowed in the UK to my knowledge. But software patents are slightly off-topic (Slightly, because Apple's involved in lawsuits of that nature too, though in a somewhat less evil way)

In any case, minimalist design shouldn't be copyrightable, patentable, trademarkable, or any of that, because it's a general concept that's used by everyone in the electronics business.

[Palle]

Samsung need to release that LTE Verizon piece with Android + hardware keyboard so I can finally ditch this BlackBerry.

[Akaimizu]

Kind of old news. This has been going on for a while. The only thing, however, that seems a bit more of a Samsung Apple thing is that Samsung had special knowledge of Apple hardware before they presented this new stuff to the ring. In a way, it does look a little like an insider-trading breach of trust; but that's another matter.

Take note, the better product is still subjective as we all know the major disconnect between Tech-heads and the General Public as to what they want most in a device.

It's not a lot different than the Unix vs. Windows debate, except unlike Windows, the iOS stuff works well without constant maintenance you have to learn or be coached on to do and runs very well (or better) on comparable hardware. Since Unix went so long without a version that is easy to use and maintain by joe public, it didn't catch on with the majority.