[HapaxLegomenon]

OK, I have a question (and I'm not being thick on purpose). Microsoft was taken to court for its proprietary and monopolistic business practices, right? What about Apple? Why aren't lawyers knocking on Jobs's door trying to break the stranglehold of Apple over my computer when I install iTunes or telling Apple that it can't lock up the iTouch or iPhone with proprietary software?

[MarioJP]

good question and here is a good answer. Because the people vs microsoft has gotten to out of hand that even if microsoft did something right they still think its bad even when its not.

Apple in the other hand can get away with murder. ah let see lets not make our 17 inch macbook pro battery user replaceable and yet people will defend that. Lets make everything on one platform that controls by one company name apple people will defend that too.

But ah here is where it gets interesting. If microsoft says Ahh i want windows to be on every shape or form of device does not matter what hardware you have you can install it to whatever hardware you like. People will file a lawsuit to ms because of the vista capable??. Give me a freakin break.

[bluelobe]

Apple's not being sued for monopolistic practices because it's not a monopoly, i.e., having a dominant market share and consumers not having much choice. There are more Windows PCs than Macs, there are dozens of mp3 players one can choose from. There several sites one can buy music from. Nokia and RIM are more dominant in the phone market.

MS got into trouble because instead of coming up with products that people really liked and wanted to buy, they gained their dominance by using their monopoly in the OS market get them market share in the browser and office tools market. Apple doesn't have the same capability--it has to come up with great products or people will go elsewhere. With MS, most of the software you'd want or need only run on Windows or your company/clients require you to use it so you don't have a choice. So no matter how crappy, virus-filled, unintuitive Windows is, you have to use it. With Apple, it's a choice. With the iPod/iPhone it's a choice.

Same with Adobe, you don't have to use Photoshop, but it's number one because it's a great product. And Adobe will sue anyone who tries to copy its interface which is what makes it Photoshop, just as Apple will sue anyone who copies the iPhone interface which is what makes it the iPhone/iPod Touch.

[MarioJP]

yea its a choice if you have the money to buy apple computers. At those prices you would expect that the hardware will be like a pc but apparently not really.

What turns me off about apple computers is their hardware design its just too simple. Now for the phone market that is a different story too many different phones. Speaking of phones isn't apple wanting to threat other companies if they try to mimic their iphone??. and you call that a choice?. As far as software goes Microsoft only controls the software and not hardware. In fact i don't even think if ms even have much interests in this business nowadays. Especially if its making money off their xbox live and the 360. Zune was either you like it or hate it. Have friends that likes it and have friends that hates it so i really can't say about that since i don't have one lol.

[eagleal]

bq. [bluelobe:|~194756]Actually browsers that can compete with Safari have started appearing on the AppStore.
Is Firefox avaiable in the AppStore, or can you install it on the iPhone without flashing or modifieng the system or the firmware? Is Opera available for download (although it's free)? Opera was dennied 2 times from the AppStore, while Google was accessing undocumented iPhone APIs.

As for the language (Objective-C) it's not the fact that it's good or powerful. All the languages are good and powerful (c, C, Javascript, etc). Specially Javascript can be used both on client browser and operating system. The problem is that Objective-C used only by Apple for it's products, that without MS have the large market-share.

FingerWorks was bought only in 2005 by Apple. Multi-touch or not it's always touch technology.

Let's say that granting a Patent for finger gestures, seems like a cospiracy.

[itproandteacher]

Software IP is getting ridiculous, on all fronts. Our IP rules need to be overhauled to keep patent trolls from suing to keep truly innovative products off the market. Apple is being ridiculous here, but unfortunately, they are far from alone, just one of the larger names threatening it. And at least their primary products are actually software and hardware, instead of lawsuits. ;)