Apple's chief executive Tim Cook doesn't see success in Microsoft'sstrategy to have Windows 8 power everything from notebooks totablets to hybrid transforming devices, comparing their convergenceto a refrigerator with toaster functions tacked on the side. When asked by Richard Gardner of Citigroup whether Apple willeventually converge its iPad and MacBook Air products into a singlecomputing device combining the portability of a tablet with thefunctionality of a keyboard and full desktop operating system, Cookdismissed the idea as poorly conceived. "There seems to be a lot of work, particularly on PC basedplatforms," Gardner said, "to combine the PC and tablet experiencegoing forward, in part because Windows 8 is a touched basedoperating system as well. Can you comment on why you don't believethe PC and the Ultrabook and tablet markets will converge?" "Anything can be forced to converge," Cook answered. "But theproblem is that the products are about tradeoffs. You begin to maketradeoffs to the point where what you have left at the end of theday doesn't please anyone." Cook quipped "you can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, butyou know, those things are probably not going to be pleasing to theuser." Apple's intent to create distinct products with iOS and OS X hasbeen clearly evident since the original iPad was launched in early 2010. While Cook noted that the two platforms have freely borrowedfunctionality from each other from Messages to Reminders to GameCenter and the Notifications Center planned for the upcoming OS XMountain Lion, he said the form factor of tablets and notebooksaren't destined to merge anytime soon, due to how the the twocategories of products are actually used. Apple sees huge market for tablets Cook added, "Our view is that the tablet market is huge," notingthat Apple realized this before the iPad ever went on sale, justfrom observing how broadly useful the tablet device was in internaltesting. "The iPad has taken off, not only in consumer [markets] in ameaningful way," Cook stated, "but in education and in enterprise,and its sort of everywhere you look now." Additionally, "as the ecosystem gets better and better and as wedouble down on making great products, I think the limit here isnowhere in sight." Cook added that in its first two years, Apple sold 67 millioniPads, noting that it took 24 years to sell that many Macs, fiveyears to sell that many iPods and three years to sell that manyiPhones. Cook: notebooks and tablets are different markets After noting the "universal" appeal of iPad, Cook noted that marketresearch firms from IDC to Gartner to Forrester are all predictingthat tablets in general will grow to over a 300 million unit marketwith just three years. Cook also stated that he also sees tremendous potential forconventional systems like the MacBook Air, noting that "we continueto innovate in that product. But I do think that it appeals tosomeone that has a little bit different requirements. "You wouldn't want to put these things together because you end upcompromising in both and not pleasing either user. Some people willprefer to own both, and that's great too. But to make thecompromise of convergence, we're not going to that party. "Others might, from a defensive point of view particularly," Cooksaid, a clear dig at Microsoft's strategy of offering one convergedproduct line under Windows 8 while advertising that it will offer'compromise free' computing. "We're going to play above," Cook stated. Windows 8 gets closer to more demos Microsoft plans to show off a functional preview of Windows 8 inJune, a year and a half after announcing its Windows-on-ARM plansto revamp the Tablet PC product that it has never succeeded ingetting off the ground over the past decade of attempts. Microsoft most recently attempted to deliver a Windows 7-basedtablet under the new name "Slate PC" in a partnership with HP, justdays before Apple announced the first iPad. Slate PC was quickly abandoned but Microsoft spent the rest of 2010 and 2011 talking about how the next version of Windows would eventually deliver a worthycompetitor to Apple's tablet. Microsoft has also lost its once significant share of thesmartphone market with the release of Apple's iPhone, and attemptedto thwart sales of the iPod with its own music player that didn'tever gain any real traction. Windows 8 hopes to pool thetechnologies and look and feel invested in Windows Phone and the Zune to turn the stagnant PC business around while alsolaunching tablets it hopes will only compete with iPad and notfurther cannibalize the market for conventional Windows PCs. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as China Aluminum Foil Bags , China Bubble Wrap Rolls, and more. For more , please visit Kraft Bubble Mailer today!
Related Articles -
China Aluminum Foil Bags, China Bubble Wrap Rolls,
|