Apple considering cheaper - and larger - Android-like phones...

[PSkeptic]

Apple is working on new versions of the iPhone that are aimed at slowing the advance of competing handsets based on Google’s Android software, according to people who have been briefed on the plans.

Apple working on cheap iPhones to counter Android | Google Android Blog


Seems Apple is copying a note from Android's playbook: Make a range of devices; and one size does NOT fit all.

Last time Apple copied someone else, they were in the losing position in the battle of Mac vs. PC. And then, they tried it again in Mac. vs Linux. We saw the end result of both of those battles.

 

[IOWA]

Apple working on cheap iPhones to counter Android | Google Android Blog


Seems Apple is copying a note from Android's playbook: Make a range of devices; and one size does NOT fit all.

Last time Apple copied someone else, they were in the losing position in the battle of Mac vs. PC. And then, they tried it again in Mac. vs Linux. We saw the end result of both of those battles.

If Apple does this they might as well raise the white flag to Android. There goes half of their marketing strategy.

 

[PSkeptic]

If Apple does this they might as well raise the white flag to Android. There goes half of their marketing strategy.

Like I said, Apple did this twice before: Once with Wintel, then with Lintel. Then, they all but capitulated.

 

[Drhyde]

Well, if the phones are decently built like the Nanos and Shuffles are, then they could gain a good size boost. I doubt it will help them in the long run though. Unless they can offer their phones for free (think things like T-Mobile's Comet and Charm that have been offered several times for free plus a recent sale with the G2, a high end Android), they're not going to gain anymore ground.

Apple may get a boost in hardware sales, but I think they're counting more on app sales. Depending on how much weaker a low end phone would be, if it can't run all the apps that the regular iPhone can, they'll be risking losing app sales as well. They'll still have regular iTunes sales, but not a very good long term move I think. Perhaps if they just stopped overpricing the regular iPhone then they would gain more customers.

Still, if they are going this way, then yes, Stevie finally realizes that Android is going to pummel Apple eventually. Its a move that looks more desperation than strategic. I doubt they would have ever conceived such a phone unless Android came along and started rocking the smartphone boat.

 

[Bnice]

So they going to go to a three grid icon row now?

 

[Vihzel]

This seems to be just a rumor. There is hardly good evidence for this and it also seems to be very unlike Apple.

 

[A.Nonymous]

Does seem very unlike Apple. Also, Apple ended up beating Linux. Has a bigger market share than Linux does. Just throwing that out there.

 

[PSkeptic]

Does seem very unlike Apple. Also, Apple ended up beating Linux. Has a bigger market share than Linux does. Just throwing that out there.

Yeah, by like a percentage point lol

 

[ElasticNinja]

Yeah, by like a percentage point lol

i think Linux is at 2% and Mac is at 7%

 

[PSkeptic]

i think Linux is at 2% and Mac is at 7%

Ok, 5% lol

Of course, those numbers do not take into account servers...

 

[SoFLO]

Very unlike Apple but I think a smart move by them...get their product into more hands, maybe people who thought the iPhone was out of their range before.

 

[IOWA]

Linux - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a leading server operating system, and runs the 10 fastest supercomputers in the world.[11]

 

[A.Nonymous]

Linux - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not entirely true. While it may run some of the fastest computers in the world, MS still has something like an 85-90% share in the server world.

 

[EarlyMon]

The single iPod became a range of devices.

I iBook became a range of laptops that are the MacBooks and MacBook Pros today.

Don't see how changing from one device to a range of them would be in any way un-Apple-like.

 

[EarlyMon]

Not entirely true. While it may run some of the fastest computers in the world, MS still has something like an 85-90% share in the server world.

And 90% of them are delivering spam.

 

[mikedt]

Not entirely true. While it may run some of the fastest computers in the world, MS still has something like an 85-90% share in the server world.

This is probably why we see so many big red 'This site may harm your computer.' warnings these days.

http://blog.auctionbytes.com/cgi-bin/blog/blog.pl?/pl/2009/2/1235318918.html
...seriously, is MS really the best software to be running on a large-scale server operation?

The organisations with the biggest large-scale server farms, e.g. Google and Yahoo!, are using Linux.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/08/20/spanair_malware/
'Malware may have been a contributory cause of a fatal Spanair crash that killed 154 people two years ago.... If the airlines' central computer was working properly a take-off after three warnings would not have been allowed, thereby averting the tragedy.'
...I only feel safer, because I know they're NOT using MS software to actually fly aeroplanes.

 

[A.Nonymous]

This is probably why we see so many big red 'This site may harm your computer.' warnings these days.

Trojan-Clicker Infects eBay Vendor Auctiva
...seriously, is MS really the best software to be running on a large-scale server operation?

The organisations with the biggest large-scale server farms, e.g. Google and Yahoo!, are using Linux.

Trojan-ridden warning system implicated in Spanair crash ? The Register
'Malware may have been a contributory cause of a fatal Spanair crash that killed 154 people two years ago.... If the airlines' central computer was working properly a take-off after three warnings would not have been allowed, thereby averting the tragedy.'
...I only feel safer, because I know they're NOT using MS software to actually fly aeroplanes.

Most companies that run servers are not running large-scale server operations.

 

[EarlyMon]

Most companies that run servers are not running large-scale server operations.

Windows Servers have gained a popularity we never expected a decade ago.

I credit their certification training programs that make IT hiring easier for the unwashed/untrained types in HR.

FWIW - we're a small company, we use Linux servers - and we don't use Exchange email - that's the driver for Windows Servers at the corporate level, in my opinion only.

Speaking of the topic - any takers on my idea that a range of iPhones WOULD be very Apple-like?

 

[A.Nonymous]

Windows Servers have gained a popularity we never expected a decade ago.

I credit their certification training programs that make IT hiring easier for the unwashed/untrained types in HR.

FWIW - we're a small company, we use Linux servers - and we don't use Exchange email - that's the driver for Windows Servers at the corporate level, in my opinion only.

Speaking of the topic - any takers on my idea that a range of iPhones WOULD be very Apple-like?

I don't know about that. Mapping network resources and running network apps when your workstations are Windows workstations and your servers are Linux servers can cause complications. There are a lot of specialized, industry specific apps out there that don't have versions for Linux or Mac or anything other than Windows. I think the combination of the two is what drives Windows server markets more than anything. People want to run a specific app. They need Windows Server to do it. People want to use Windows computers. They network easier with Windows Server than anything else. I think that's also part of the reason why WinMo still has a market in the business world, but has virtually no market share in the consumer world, but that's another thread.

 

[EarlyMon]

I don't know about that. Mapping network resources and running network apps when your workstations are Windows workstations and your servers are Linux servers can cause complications.

Not really.

We produce industrial-grade Windows software - and have zero issues with distributed software or anything else relating to our Linux servers.

For storage, they're simply SMB/CIFS mount points - even in the old days over a dozen years ago when it was necessary, we simply had them spoof that they were Windows servers so the 2000 and later XP machines wouldn't try to take over services - not hard to config at all, really.

Oh, yeah - and they serve just fine as the DNS and WINS servers (sorry for the redundancies).

(edit - btw - Put a network sniffer on a subnet with a single Windows Server and a few Win workstations - they babble contantly like little kids at a sleepover - all to see if it's really a Genuine server while the other little beaties try to take control. Pathetic, really.)

So - Apple making a range of iPhones - I say it's very Apple-like.

 

[mikedt]

I think that's also part of the reason why WinMo still has a market in the business world,

For vertical and specialised applications I think, yes. From what I seen the traditional mobile device/phone of choice, was nearly always the Blackberry. Even that's now changing as many companies are allowing their staff to use their own choice of devices, e.g. iPhone.

Is MS still committed to and supporting WinMo 5, 6 and 6.5, which was always popular for specialised corporate mobile uses, or are they concentrating all efforts on Windows Phone 7 now?

Talking of specialised uses of MS WinMo. One which I always found ironic, was the Microsoft Windows Mobile based portable EPOS systems used in Apple Stores. Apple have since gone to a homegrown iPod Touch based EPOS system now.

 

[A.Nonymous]

Not really.

We produce industrial-grade Windows software - and have zero issues with distributed software or anything else relating to our Linux servers.

For storage, they're simply SMB/CIFS mount points - even in the old days over a dozen years ago when it was necessary, we simply had them spoof that they were Windows servers so the 2000 and later XP machines wouldn't try to take over services - not hard to config at all, really.

Oh, yeah - and they serve just fine as the DNS and WINS servers (sorry for the redundancies).

(edit - btw - Put a network sniffer on a subnet with a single Windows Server and a few Win workstations - they babble contantly like little kids at a sleepover - all to see if it's really a Genuine server while the other little beaties try to take control. Pathetic, really.)

So - Apple making a range of iPhones - I say it's very Apple-like.

I don't think anyone uses WINS any more, but you're absolutely right about DNS. I'm not debating about which is the more effective server. I'm just saying that most people will go with Windows because it more seamlessly integrates and is easier to support IMO.

 

[EarlyMon]

Ease to support is a matter of know-how. If you only learned about servers from MS, yes, they'll be easier to support.

So - Apple making many phones in the iPhone-line - very Apple-like.

 

[A.Nonymous]

Ease to support is a matter of know-how. If you only learned about servers from MS, yes, they'll be easier to support.

True enough, but the average computer user who is semi-literate can administer a Windows server on a day to day basis. The hardcore problems will always require a professional regardless of what the platform is. I've never used a Linux server, but from my desktop experience with it, I'm going to guess that it probably is not as easy to do as Windows Server is.

 

[mikedt]

True enough, but the average computer user who is semi-literate can administer a Windows server on a day to day basis. The hardcore problems will always require a professional regardless of what the platform is. I've never used a Linux server, but from my desktop experience with it, I'm going to guess that it probably is not as easy to do as Windows Server is.

I'm thinking they shouldn't even be allowed to do this. Then perhaps we wouldn't be reading about air-accidents been implicated with malware. As someone who flies regularly, you can imagine I have quite strong opinions on this.

IMO servers, especially mission critical servers where life or death may be involved, should be administered by professionals only, or at least staff who know what they're doing.

Here is some more food for thought, about improperly administered servers:-
BBC News - Hackers hit 'at least five oil and gas firms'
'Hackers have run rampant through the networks of at least five oil and gas firms for years, reveals a report.'
'....computer vulnerabilities and weak security controls, the attackers gained access and stole secrets, it says.'

BTW unprofessionally administered Linux servers can be just as vulnerable as Windows ones.