Quote Originally Posted by lutjens View Post
The fact that a very large software player is throwing their weight behind Android is significant. To me, this is demonstrative of the growing momentum for Android. The Apple App Store may be larger at this moment, but they've had two years head start. The fact that Google has kept Android open and available to all carriers and allowing them a cut of app revenues will prove to be a huge boost to Android. Widespread and rapid adoption of Android is a very serious threat to Apple. The greater the presence that Android has in the market means the greater the number of developers that'll devote serious time and resources to developing for it. The ease of developing for Android will serve as fuel on the fire, so to speak. The Android Market is going to grow very rapidly as more and more developers become disillusioned with Apple and their insistence on total rigid control of both hardware and software and become drawn to Android. The main things that Google has to ensure at this point in Android, is security, stability, and an enjoyable and flawless user experience (to compete with Apple's UI). Doing this will encourage consumers (especially those with iPhones on expiring contracts) to adopt Android devices. Failing to do this will encourage those folks to return to Apple and will slow Android's growth and penetration into the market. If consumers are given a similarly pleasing experience with Android, they'll begin to adopt it, especially at the more attractive price point that comes with abolishing the "Apple Tax". Devices with Android must be smooth, function well with each other and be very stable.

Many worship Steve Jobs for his success with the iPhone and Apple loyalists treat him almost as a deity. I find it difficult to laud someone who has enjoyed limited competition for some time in the smartphone arena. Apple's hardware is inferior, yet they are able to continually sell it at a premium, because people perceive it of being higher quality due to the smooth integration between Apple's devices and their simple, user friendly UI. With the new Android devices emerging constantly, Steve has good reason to feel a chill of apprehension. The recent lawsuits against HTC are a prime example of this fear. I feel strongly that many of Job's authoritarian decisions and attitudes will come back to haunt him and soon. If Google is able to execute well on the necessities of security, stability and polished UI in Android and devices that run it, I'd not want to be Job's ego over the next decade.
No competition from the smarth phone arena ?

let me tell you something, apple is a small player in the smarth phone arena, you have NOKIA and RIM with really SMART phones....

The iphone is a success because it became trendy to have an apple product, if you have an apple ipod or iphone or imac or whatever you have status, not because their hardware is superior or their software, the usual apple costumer doesnt care about the HW, they only want to state they have an apple product.