Why does every tech company wait for Apple?

[swbsam]

I notice this time and again - Apple releases a product that seems fairly obvious, and the rest of the industry reacts by releasing me-too products, always remaining one step behind Apple.

Why?

For example, the iTablet - tablets have come and gone but now we have the technology (capacitive touch, cheap/low power processors) to really make low-cost, high utility tablets mainstream. Heck, windows 7 already has great tablet support. Instead of just releasing a sub-$1,000 slab of plastic, the industry's just waiting for Apple to do it first.

Why?

The iPhone was another product that anyone else could have done, but only now are the competitors catching up. Hell, it seems like if I was MS (and faced threats from google and Apple), I'd cram some developers in a room for 6 months to make a great, low-bloat and touch friendly OS that will make them competitive again, vs. annoying point releases of an aging platform. I know it's more complicated then that, but I really wonder what's stopping others from innovating

 

[tasmanian]

Maybe apple invented a time machine and is stealing inventions from the future.

 

[Crusty]

Because Apple is better than it's competitors at getting products designed and out teh door?

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: tasmanian
Maybe apple invented a time machine and is stealing inventions from the future.

No, it's not that *shiftyeyes*

 

[swbsam]

Originally posted by: tasmanian
Maybe apple invented a time machine and is stealing inventions from the future.

Wait, I think you're kinda right in a weird way - Apple's lawyers apply for patents like crazy. Maybe it's risky for developers to develop products that infringe on these patents, even though the products are still unreleased?

 

[mchammer187]

Aren't there at least a dozen tablets on the market right now?

 

[Crono]

Apple dedicates a lot of time and resources to a smaller number of products and revisions of those products, while the other companies flood the market with a variety of products.

Their products usually come with a premium price, so they are more willing to add cutting edge features that other companies can't afford to add to lower cost products.

Apple also copies other companies (you think they invented most of the technology they use?), but people notice that less because Apple is Apple.

 

[oogabooga]

Microsoft has been developing a tablet. I think it's called courier?

In terms of the phone: While WM and RIM had phones way before apple did, they certainly didn't develop a good touch interface by the time the iphone launched. It is amazing how well the iphone works. Personally based on my previous experience with touch screens I thought it would suck.

I think MS focused on office 2010 and windows 7. Probably a wiser choice for them all things considered.

 

[swbsam]

Originally posted by: mchammer187
Aren't there at least a dozen tablets on the market right now?

Nothing that's finger friendly, easy to use, and slick/pretty. "Affordable" is relative, but most tablets seem to be priced near/above $2,000. They're currently niche products and I do see work to make them more mainstream, but we all know that apple will release an iTablet, the world will buy it, and Dell and HP will release products that compete with it, when they could have just released a netbook with a touch panel and been ahead of the game.

 

[TehMac]

Apple is the smaller company. They have to make sure each product they release is good, otherwise it hits them harder.

 

[spidey07]

Are you kidding me? Apple comes out with a few innovative products and competitors copy it. Every tech company comes out with good products and their competitors try to follow it, or they just buy the competition. This is called the market place and apple/tech companies behave no differently than any other industry.

Look at the japenese and their auto industry. They can't innovate shit, just pick up somebody elses great idea and reverse engineer it and spend a shit ton to market it.

 

[Parasitic]

Because in this world, business and money talk. As much as people love to hate on Apple, they're obviously doing something right.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

What kind of weird parallel universe are you living in OP? Apple hasn't innovated in years, all they do is refine existing products.

 

[swbsam]

Originally posted by: oogabooga
Microsoft has been developing a tablet. I think it's called courier?

In terms of the phone: While WM and RIM had phones way before apple did, they certainly didn't develop a good touch interface by the time the iphone launched. It is amazing how well the iphone works. Personally based on my previous experience with touch screens I thought it would suck.

I think MS focused on office 2010 and windows 7. Probably a wiser choice for them all things considered.

I don't understand how microsoft works, and I will totally claim ignorance and stupidity here. Doesn't microsoft have teams/departments for each product line? I've heard that Windows Mobile 7 took a back seat to Windows 7, but couldn't multiple teams work in parallel? Why would updating their mobile OS take away resources from Windows 7 development?

Also, HTC keeps on releasing phones that ALMOST get it.. Why can't they just get it from the get go? For example, the HTC Hero has gotten great reviews aside from the sluggish performance, a deal breaker for me. Um, why not use a better CPU from the get go, instead of developing a product with an obviously deficient processor? The entire line of recent android phones use the same sluggish processor, why not shove the readily available chip used in the iPhone 3gs and palm pre, instead of releasing re-hashes?

 

[swbsam]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Are you kidding me? Apple comes out with a few innovative products and competitors copy it. Every tech company comes out with good products and their competitors try to follow it, or they just buy the competition. This is called the market place and apple/tech companies behave no differently than any other industry.

Look at the japenese and their auto industry. They can't innovate shit, just pick up somebody elses great idea and reverse engineer it and spend a shit ton to market it.

See, I don't like Apple much, even though I'm typing this on a macbook pro. I own a palm pre and a sony MP3 player. But, sony for example, kept on releasing terrible/drm crippled MP3 player after another, basically forfeiting the MP3 player market to the iPod. They had YEARS to set things right and only recently have - their new MP3 players don't rely on the horrid sonicstage and offer great sound quality. But 5 years? Shouldn't poor sales for a quarter or 2 be enough for a company to re-think their strategy?

 

[spidey07]

So let me get this straight. You think tech companies actively wait for another company to come out with a product so they can then spend a year developing and bringing to market something?

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

 

[Redfraggle]

Apple is very good at knowing their customers, and what they'll buy. They make products that are "edgier" than the competitors because they are willing to take the (calculated) risk and reap the benefits. Sometimes they fail -- remember the Newton?

Or, more simply put: Apple is the trendsetter in junior high, and everyone is just trying to keep up to seem cool, too.

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Originally posted by: swbsam
I notice this time and again - Apple releases a product that seems fairly obvious, and the rest of the industry reacts by releasing me-too products, always remaining one step behind Apple.

Why?

For example, the iTablet - tablets have come and gone but now we have the technology (capacitive touch, cheap/low power processors) to really make low-cost, high utility tablets mainstream. Heck, windows 7 already has great tablet support. Instead of just releasing a sub-$1,000 slab of plastic, the industry's just waiting for Apple to do it first.

Why?

The iPhone was another product that anyone else could have done, but only now are the competitors catching up. Hell, it seems like if I was MS (and faced threats from google and Apple), I'd cram some developers in a room for 6 months to make a great, low-bloat and touch friendly OS that will make them competitive again, vs. annoying point releases of an aging platform. I know it's more complicated then that, but I really wonder what's stopping others from innovating

lol wut?

Your two examples don't make any sense. PC makers have been making tablet PCs for years. Cell phone makers have been making smart phones for years. If anything, Apple is waiting for everyone else to innovate then just releasing their own version.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: swbsam

Originally posted by: spidey07
Are you kidding me? Apple comes out with a few innovative products and competitors copy it. Every tech company comes out with good products and their competitors try to follow it, or they just buy the competition. This is called the market place and apple/tech companies behave no differently than any other industry.

Look at the japenese and their auto industry. They can't innovate shit, just pick up somebody elses great idea and reverse engineer it and spend a shit ton to market it.

See, I don't like Apple much, even though I'm typing this on a macbook pro. I own a palm pre and a sony MP3 player. But, sony for example, kept on releasing terrible/drm crippled MP3 player after another, basically forfeiting the MP3 player market to the iPod. They had YEARS to set things right and only recently have - their new MP3 players don't rely on the horrid sonicstage and offer great sound quality. But 5 years? Shouldn't poor sales for a quarter or 2 be enough for a company to re-think their strategy?

Sony isn't as tightly run, efficient or as focused as Apple.

 

[swbsam]

Originally posted by: spidey07
So let me get this straight. You think tech companies actively wait for another company to come out with a product so they can then spend a year developing and bringing to market something?

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

I notice you get quite angry on these forums, worked up over really nothing. Aren't you the guy who gets worked up about HFCS? Why are you so hostile? I think you should go out for a nice, long walk

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: swbsam

Originally posted by: spidey07
So let me get this straight. You think tech companies actively wait for another company to come out with a product so they can then spend a year developing and bringing to market something?

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

I notice you get quite angry on these forums, worked up over really nothing. Aren't you the guy who gets worked up about HFCS? Why are you so hostile? I think you should go out for a nice, long walk

Not angry. Just dumbfounded and a lot of face palming. Have a great day!
:beer:

 

[swbsam]

Originally posted by: RyanPaulShaffer

Originally posted by: swbsam
I notice this time and again - Apple releases a product that seems fairly obvious, and the rest of the industry reacts by releasing me-too products, always remaining one step behind Apple.

Why?

For example, the iTablet - tablets have come and gone but now we have the technology (capacitive touch, cheap/low power processors) to really make low-cost, high utility tablets mainstream. Heck, windows 7 already has great tablet support. Instead of just releasing a sub-$1,000 slab of plastic, the industry's just waiting for Apple to do it first.

Why?

The iPhone was another product that anyone else could have done, but only now are the competitors catching up. Hell, it seems like if I was MS (and faced threats from google and Apple), I'd cram some developers in a room for 6 months to make a great, low-bloat and touch friendly OS that will make them competitive again, vs. annoying point releases of an aging platform. I know it's more complicated then that, but I really wonder what's stopping others from innovating

lol wut?

Your two examples don't make any sense. PC makers have been making tablet PCs for years. Cell phone makers have been making smart phones for years. If anything, Apple is waiting for everyone else to innovate then just releasing their own version.

Yes, but you won't see people hanging out in coffee shops using their tablets until Apple releases one.

Smart phones were also a niche product (or enterprise) until the iPhone was launched.

I'm not calling them innovators. Again, I really dislike some of their practices and consider their products over priced... BUT they take niche products and make them mainstream using common sense and simple design choices, that the rest of the industry chases after the fact.

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Originally posted by: swbsam

Originally posted by: RyanPaulShaffer

Originally posted by: swbsam
I notice this time and again - Apple releases a product that seems fairly obvious, and the rest of the industry reacts by releasing me-too products, always remaining one step behind Apple.

Why?

For example, the iTablet - tablets have come and gone but now we have the technology (capacitive touch, cheap/low power processors) to really make low-cost, high utility tablets mainstream. Heck, windows 7 already has great tablet support. Instead of just releasing a sub-$1,000 slab of plastic, the industry's just waiting for Apple to do it first.

Why?

The iPhone was another product that anyone else could have done, but only now are the competitors catching up. Hell, it seems like if I was MS (and faced threats from google and Apple), I'd cram some developers in a room for 6 months to make a great, low-bloat and touch friendly OS that will make them competitive again, vs. annoying point releases of an aging platform. I know it's more complicated then that, but I really wonder what's stopping others from innovating

lol wut?

Your two examples don't make any sense. PC makers have been making tablet PCs for years. Cell phone makers have been making smart phones for years. If anything, Apple is waiting for everyone else to innovate then just releasing their own version.

Yes, but you won't see people hanging out in coffee shops using their tablets until Apple releases one.

Smart phones were also a niche product (or enterprise) until the iPhone was launched.

I'm not calling them innovators. Again, I really dislike some of their practices and consider their products over priced... BUT they take niche products and make them mainstream using common sense and simple design choices, that the rest of the industry chases after the fact.

I tend to agree...Apple has a knack for taking an existing product and making it into something lots of people want.

But, I was just referring to the OP, who was making it sound like other tech companies just sit around and wait to see what new and exciting product Apple will release.

Apple doesn't innovate or create any "new" products really...they just have excellent marketing and design to take an existing product and make it the next "hot item".

 

[swbsam]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: swbsam

Originally posted by: spidey07
So let me get this straight. You think tech companies actively wait for another company to come out with a product so they can then spend a year developing and bringing to market something?

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

I notice you get quite angry on these forums, worked up over really nothing. Aren't you the guy who gets worked up about HFCS? Why are you so hostile? I think you should go out for a nice, long walk

Not angry. Just dumbfounded and a lot of face palming. Have a great day!
:beer:

to get back to my earlier point, YES, the tech existed for all apple products before and, yes, other companies did much of the work that lead to apple "innovations." Hell, Palm should sue Apple for creating 99% of the iPhones tech! But Apple was the company to take every influence and make a product that everyone could just pick up and use, and marketed it accordingly. It seems like Microsoft could have done the same with their eyes closed. I loved my Zune, but the design was always a generation behind the iPod and now (finally) the Zune hd appears to be competitive

 

[frostedflakes]

Apple doesn't innovate as much as they popularize existing technology. There are tons of tablets available right now, but Apple will create a sleek, easy to use tablet, and it will sell like hotcakes because it'll be the cool new Apple product.