For quite some time Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft kept to themselves and even occasionally helped each other out in little ways here and again. Apple ruled the mobile world, Microsoft was the king of computers, Google ruled the Web, and Amazon sold everything under the sun, including Apple and Microsoft products. Together they made more than a trillion dollars. But in the last year and a half, the mutual agreement has turned into a tech war.
Although recently the war has entered into a new realm, Microsoft and Apple have been butting heads before many of their consumers were old enough to hold a conversation. Back in the 1980s, there were Microsoft and Apple who were at the top of the heap in the tech world. In 1994, the battle was taken all the way to the high courts when Apple sued Microsoft for patent infringement.
Now, in 2013, Microsoft and Apple have readied their battle stations like never before. Microsoft, coming off the release of their revolutionary Windows 8 system has made integration over desktops, laptops, and tablet, possible, something that they beat Apple to. Microsoft also made a major step with releasing the Surface Tablet, the first true tablet computer, running Office, virtually the worlds only office suite.
“The Surface tablet is Microsoft’s way of telling the world that it’s ready to move on from the desktops and laptops that put the company where it is today,” said a recent CNET article.
Microsoft also entered the phone business a few years ago, and is planning to release a line of Windows 8 Phones, taking another jab into Apple’s market dominance.
While Microsoft had finally taken steps to get back on top market wise, Apple hasn’t been sitting around waiting for its tide to change. As of now, Apple is the king of tech, no questions asked. Apple is worth over 600 billion dollars, and it is the most valuable company in the world. But with all that success some analysts are saying that Apple might be setting itself up for failure.
“Apple may be king of the tech hill these days, but many experts say that just gives the company more areas it needs to defend,” said a recent MSN article on the big four of technology.
While Apple is not always the inventor of products, they do seem to be the perfector of products. The company didn’t invent the tablet, which had been around since the early 2000s, or the walkman that had people knocking their heads for years before the ipod came along, but they transformed both. Maybe it was Jobs, maybe it is brand loyalty. Whatever it is, its working, for now as least.
Google, who has single handedly ticked every one of the other companies off, has made three very big, enemies. Google ruled the web for years. Google purchased Youtube, the undisputed king of web video. Google also nudged Apple the wrong way when it introduced the Android OS. The system’s growth made the iPhone’s user growth seem like it should be in the kiddy pool, and today accounts for over 50% of total phone users on the globe. The battle between the two led to Youtube and Google Maps being removed from the iPhone 5.
Google has managed to not make too much of an enemy out of Amazon, but did leave a bad taste in their mouth when they launched Nexus Tablets, competing head to head with the Amazon Kindles. But Microsoft was the first one to really step on Googles toes with Bing, which quickly became Google’s only real competition.
Amazon, the new kid, is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with, and is a big target on these companies’ radar. For a while Amazon sat back quietly making billions of dollars in book and other sales. But in 2011, Amazon evolved to a real force ready to compete with the sales of mobile device makers everywhere. The Kindle Fire was released, and with it so was Apples brigade ready for battle. The Kindle Fire was at one point selling more than a million units a week, and this continued for almost two months. The Fire family, which now includes four new and improved models, put a nice size dent in the iPad’s dominance, becoming the second most owned tablet as of January 2013. But as Amazon continues to be in constant war with Apple, swirling reports that an Amazon Phone is coming in 2013, the company might turn the heads of Microsoft and Google.
As of now the war is in a transition stage with four big companies. Microsoft will win the computer race and has potential to become a leader in the tablet market, after people realized they can be used for more than Angry Birds and playing music.
Amazon has the best chances to become a tablet leader as more reports swirl that the next generation of Fire tablets will include an office suite. Google’s wide range of Android phones will most likely keep it at the top of the phone charts, and Google search isn’t going anywhere for a very long time.
Apple is harder to predict. Many companies do not stay on top uninterrupted for long. But Apple, because of its great products will most likely stay in the top three of the cell, tablet, and computer markets, and it begs the question. Is it better to be number one in one area, or runner up in many?
Even with changing trends, most can guarantee that each of these companies will be around for a long time, and with it they will most likely toss up the top spots in the market of the consumer pocket. Its a war between Apple, the innovationist, Amazon, the people’s digital highway, Google, our gateway to the web, and Microsoft, the old faithful, and a winner isn’t as clear as black and white, and isn’t so cut and dry.
