Prediction: Google and Apple go to War.
thenextweb.com
thenextweb.com
My favorite rumor is the Apple vs Nintendo rumor, because first off it makes more sense (iPod touch vs DS), and second off because both companies make excellent products but design them from different points of view, Nintendo focusing on innovative gaming and Apple focusing on its outright perfectionism. The one that would be my favorite rumor but is absolutely true is Google vs Facebook, and that's the one that interests me most if Google's making its own OS. Facebook acquired Parakey a few years ago, and since then rumors of it launching a webOS have been scattered about. Interesting to see how they take advantage of this announcement.
Regardless of how good Google's products get, their core business doesn't involve building the products that Apple is building. And even if beige box PCs came with an operating system and applications that better compared to a Mac, they'll still lack that integrated quality-assured ecosystem joining them together.
E.g. For the average user, a web-app-focused OS is going to have even more confusing UI inconsistencies than Windows.
The 'google' territory centers around eyeballs, ads and possibly at some point in the future paid services (though it looks like google wants to avoid that).
The 'apple' territory is a unified media presentation vision centered around slick hardware and a common user interface design.
The 'microsoft' territory is mostly (xbox) centered around licensing software.
All three companies have a completely different take on how to make money of their IT business. Sure there are overlaps, and for sure there will be users crossing over from the one service to the other.
But if this were a 'real' war google would be selling hardware (or worse, giving it away), Apple would be getting in to the search business and microsoft would be going for the eyeballs at the expense of their licensing strategy.
Some of this is happening, but at least for the foreseeable time things are relatively stable and market shares will slowly fluctuate, no 'mass casualties' are expected.
For an idea of what happens when there is a war check out what happened to digital research, netscape and altavista. Skirmishes, yes, sure. War ? Definitely not.
Apple has shown their strenght in combining great apps with tailored hardware so that simple "multimedia" tasks just work.
Anything can be replicated, but so far, I haven't see Google go after the same target at all.
thenextweb.com had been banned here before, and I think it should be again:
Today saw the announcement of ... something I’ve wanted for quite some time; an ... OS with the web and Google’s services as its backbone.
Why do you want this? Is there something wrong with your current method of accessing Google's apps? What is it? What do you expect this new OS to improve?
The move by Google is sure to leave Apple and Microsoft shaking in their boots
Why?
I’m certain this is the beginning of the end for Ubuntu.
Why?
Since the increasing development and improvement of Google Apps, the increased speed of Chrome, the release of Android and now, the Google OS. I’m left torn.
Why? What do these technologies have to do with one another? Do they interoperate? What do they offer you that you didn't have before?
My current commitment to Google Apps has left me ... entertaining ideas of what it would be like to truly incorporate all my primary web services into an operating system
What would that be like? What benefit would it offer? Why do you want this?
I’m left wondering what Apple can bring to the table between now and Google’s OS release
What should they bring? What does the new Google OS offer that you think Apple should incorporate in OS X? Why would that improve it?
The point is this. As long as Google and web applications continue to improve at the rate they are, [Apple is] going to have to start thinking far more Google-like.
For love of all that's good, why?! What does it mean to think more google-like? What is wrong with how Apple is thinking now? What improvements is google making? How are those superior the improvements Apple's making (if, indeed, they are not completely orthogonal).
this is the beginning of an era of Google dominance, the likes of which we’ve never seen before
Why?
The company is slowly but surely taking over every aspect of our lives ... for some its scary, for me... I’m excited.
Why?
And for now at least, the one company I want to see step up to Google’s surge in dominance is Apple
W-H-Y?
and I predict they will, but its not going to be easy.
Predictably: why?
I propose a new rule. If you're considering posting something to HN, think how a fifth grade teacher would mark it up. If there would be more red than black on the page by the end, maybe give it a miss?
Microsoft, Google, and Apple have figured out ways to make money in different ways. Whatever Google has to offer, it is going to help Apple and Microsoft further delineate what they do best. I hardly see this as "going to war".
It's funny how ex-marketing dudes, who now call themselves "social media experts", write crap just for the sake of it.