We must then assume that Android is playing some other game. Either that, or he is simply ignoring large facts that don't fit his narrative.
I would say a bit of both - Android is different ecosystem, but to ignore Android's market impact in smart-phones is negligent.
If smart-phones was actually the market that we were talking about, the fact that my iPhone sucks balls for making actual phone calls would matter.
It's quite amazing really, that Apple comes in as a late entrant and shaves all the massive profits off the top, leaving the rest of the market to fight over less profitable items.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/04/26/nielsen-consumer-desire-for...
I think Kottke was referring to specific one off products like the iphone itself. Google and the rest of the handset world collectively has surpassed iOS usage, but we know that the iOS pie slice consists of just 3 broad models -- iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch -- while Android slice consists of seemingly every other phone under the sun. How does the landscape look if you stop looking at it by collective mobile OS and start looking by handset model line?
I'm asking out of genuine curiosity, not to try and prove a point, so if this post sounds smarmy or anything its not deliberate. Culturally, collectively, "Android" seems like it is going toe to toe with iOS, but when you get down to single models, everyone talks about the iPhone and iPad, but not much about specific Android-sporting handsets. Android, in those conversation, always gets abstracted back down (incorrectly) to a nebulous brand/make, or (correctly) a platform.
I'm not going to argue about "my phone is better than your phone"; but Android is definitely in the market and rising: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Android-Has-37-...
I think it's wrong to focus on particular models with Android, that's not how Android is getting traction.
Yes they are. In terms of "beating apple at their own game", is that even relevant?
They'll all want to talk about how they're unique and better
so far the vendor-UIs on top of android have been unique, but better? Not usually. If one finally is, I'd welcome it, but there hasn't been a stand-out that I know of.
not about how they're holding hands.
As a coder I'm interested in targeting all of them, which I can, and they'll want to talk about "comes with a store full of bajillions of apps" so in that sense they will make the co-operative nature a feature.
What impact the failed Xoom has taken on their bottom line, I don't know however.
The fandroids in topics like this one are delusional and seemingly motivated by anti-Apple hatred. Reminds me of all the Linux advocates who 5 or so years ago insisted that Linux and OpenOffice were going to take over the desktop from Windows and Office.
Market share means nothing when the adopters are freetards, you may have some numbers, you will not have quality of revenue. And anyway, what is the return rate like on Android handsets?
"Android Jumps Past iOS in Overall U.S. Smartphone Usage"