Microsoft copying Apple again

[maflynn]

I know it's from 2011. You're not pointing out anything. You think lawsuits get resolved in a matter of weeks ? If it had been recent, I wouldn't have had to spent quite a few minutes digging it up (Google seems to not like to display old stuff anymore).

They do when MS throws the other party 300 million dollars.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I'm just gonna throw this out there...

It looks to me like instead of trying to copy Apple, and run their own e-book store, Microsoft is letting a book company do what it does best - sell books, and they'll continue doing what they do best - writing a platform for programs(including the nook exe) to run on. Win/Win for everyone, and completely different from what Apple is trying to do - control everything.

 

[KnightWRX]

They do when MS throws the other party 300 million dollars.

I think it took a while for MS to actually get to the point of throwing though, that's the idea

 

[smoledman]

I'm just gonna throw this out there...

It looks to me like instead of trying to copy Apple, and run their own e-book store, Microsoft is letting a book company do what it does best - sell books, and they'll continue doing what they do best - writing a platform for programs(including the nook exe) to run on. Win/Win for everyone, and completely different from what Apple is trying to do - control everything.

Apple has just created the best textbook creation tool in history. You can call that controlling, but I and most other call it INNOVATION. Something Microsoft is not really known for. Excel is good though!

 

[boss.king]

Apple has just created the best textbook creation tool in history. You can call that controlling, but I and most other call it INNOVATION. Something Microsoft is not really known for. Excel is good though!

"Best" is a pretty subjective thing.

 

[smoledman]

"Best" is a pretty subjective thing.

Really everyone is raving about it. It allows authors to create super interactive textbooks and publish them with ease.

 

[roadbloc]

Really everyone is raving about it. It allows authors to create super interactive textbooks and publish them with ease.

As someone in the book industry, I don't see people 'raving' about it. It was focused on Education, a large share of the book industry, but certainly little interest to the majority of fiction. It is great for textbook makers to earn some extra £ on the students who can afford the iPad. Other than that and the small amount of self-publishers who will take advantage of the service, it hasn't exactly shook the industry up.

Books and eBooks will continue as they are, now with iBooks Author making interactive textbooks for students.

 

[boss.king]

Really everyone is raving about it. It allows authors to create super interactive textbooks and publish them with ease.

If it was the best, wouldn't I see people using it? I'm a uni student and have yet to anyone other than the odd geek using an iPad for textbooks. There's nothing that can beat a physical book.

 

[smoledman]

As someone in the book industry, I don't see people 'raving' about it. It was focused on Education, a large share of the book industry, but certainly little interest to the majority of fiction. It is great for textbook makers to earn some extra £ on the students who can afford the iPad. Other than that and the small amount of self-publishers who will take advantage of the service, it hasn't exactly shook the industry up.

Books and eBooks will continue as they are, now with iBooks Author making interactive textbooks for students.

Soon enough there is going to be an explosion of iBook-authored interactive textbooks along with more iPads in schools. Apple is projecting they will sell 120 million iPads this year.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

If it was the best, wouldn't I see people using it? I'm a uni student and have yet to anyone other than the odd geek using an iPad for textbooks. There's nothing that can beat a physical book.

I have a few friends who have gone e books for class but for the most part they are still really limited. It is mostly like a huge pdf than anything else.

They did like using it with a tablet that they had this semester because of Senior project but personally I still like the physical book. Plus I can sell the book and my net cost are still lower than what they paid.

iBook for the most part for all of its hype was written off at junk by students. It is way to limited to be that good (iPad only) The ones that will take off will work on all platforms no problem. Apple system fails to deliver that basic requirement.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Soon enough there is going to be an explosion of iBook-authored interactive textbooks along with more iPads in schools. Apple is projecting they will sell 120 million iPads this year.

Drink the kool-aid much? My school's newspaper did an article a few months ago basically saying that eBooks are out there, but there's a litany of reasons why kids aren't adopting them.

 

[roadbloc]

Soon enough there is going to be an explosion of iBook-authored interactive textbooks along with more iPads in schools. Apple is projecting they will sell 120 million iPads this year.

Which is great and I'm sure they'll sell plenty of interactive eBooks with them. But it isn't a book industry game changer.

 

[G51989]

Apple has just created the best textbook creation tool in history. You can call that controlling, but I and most other call it INNOVATION. Something Microsoft is not really known for. Excel is good though!

Really, Microsoft isn't know for innovation? Sure, they aren't always super orginal, but no one knows how to make a package like Microsoft, they're number 1 in the Console, and home computer market for a reason.

Who's the company who makes the best traditional gaming console? With tons of " first's ", its Microsoft.

Whos the company that makes the best MP3 player ( while not most popular ), its Mircosoft, the Zune HD with the ZUne Store blows away the ipod.

Whos the company who makes a original, easy to use, super compatible OS? That runs on 10,000+ confrigs? Its Microsoft.

 

[malman89]

Soon enough there is going to be an explosion of iBook-authored interactive textbooks along with more iPads in schools. Apple is projecting they will sell 120 million iPads this year.

I wonder if even 1.2 million iPads have been purchased by schools - not for professional/staff use, but the classroom (recently graduated and our school's Conference Services dept had 2 for campus tours). Schools are still struggling to pay for books or supplies. Many schools are forced to choose only 2 of the following 3 needs: a librarian, music teacher, and art teacher.

Let me know when the iPad explosion hits that K-12 mess. Then let me know when the iPad shatters the deep walls of academia. Thanks.

 

[smoledman]

Really, Microsoft isn't know for innovation? Sure, they aren't always super orginal, but no one knows how to make a package like Microsoft, they're number 1 in the Console, and home computer market for a reason.

Who's the company who makes the best traditional gaming console? With tons of " first's ", its Microsoft.

Whos the company that makes the best MP3 player ( while not most popular ), its Mircosoft, the Zune HD with the ZUne Store blows away the ipod.

Whos the company who makes a original, easy to use, super compatible OS? That runs on 10,000+ confrigs? Its Microsoft.

PS3 is at least as good as XBox. Zune HD was a total bomb in the market, nobody cared. As far as PCs, maybe having a highly calibrated Mac is better then 10,000+ crappy configs.

 

[ChazUK]

PS3 is at least as good as XBox. Zune HD was a total bomb in the market, nobody cared. As far as PCs, maybe having a highly calibrated Mac is better then 10,000+ crappy configs.

Who are you to define what is a "crappy config" or not? For Auntie Doris who wants a simple computer to browse the Web and send emails, a low end pc will be perfect for her purposes

You may feel the low end PC market is Crap, but there are are plenty of people who would find anything hither spec needlessly more expensive and overkill for their needs. I'm pleased Microsoft has software and PC manufacturerd have hardware suited to all of the computing spectrum, from the light user to the power user and gamers of all budgets.

 

[G51989]

PS3 is at least as good as XBox. Zune HD was a total bomb in the market, nobody cared. As far as PCs, maybe having a highly calibrated Mac is better then 10,000+ crappy configs.

Yeah, the PS3 is at least as good, despite having less developer support, a horrible online service, with VERY unreliable hardware, even compared to the 360s high failure rate, and I HAVE a PS3. And those controllers are garbage.

Zune HD was a total bomb, but I love mine. And I wouldn't trade it for an iPod any day. 15 bucks a month for as many songs as I want? Im sold. Plus, way longer battery life.

And, who needs a Mac for basic tasks? No one. Macs are great computers, but they are highly overpriced. If I had a 1500 dollar budget, I'll build a PC that blow away a 1500 iMac no problem.

Macs are great, and Apple is a great company, but most hardcore Apple guys thinks Apple invents every single thing they put out, which isn't true. And if Apple Computers were so great, and so freaking amazing, why have the 5% of the marketshare and not 90% like Microsoft?

Easy, because most people just want a 400 dollar Dell box that does basic tasks, and most Gamers want super high performance at a low price, a lot of people want this thing called expandability, which unless you have a Mac pro, doesn't exist in the Apple world.

 

[smoledman]

Macs are great, and Apple is a great company, but most hardcore Apple guys thinks Apple invents every single thing they put out, which isn't true. And if Apple Computers were so great, and so freaking amazing, why have the 5% of the marketshare and not 90% like Microsoft?

Yes that's what consistently people say - Macs are great and Apple is a great company. Why settle for 2nd best when you have the best?

 

[wikus]

a lot of people want this thing called expandability, which unless you have a Mac pro, doesn't exist in the Apple world.

This thread should end with that.

 

[boss.king]

Yes that's what consistently people say - Macs are great and Apple is a great company. Why settle for 2nd best when you have the best?

Do you think before posting? This is the kind of mentality I'd expect of a 14 year old. There is no "best", there is only "best for you".

 

[roadbloc]

Yes that's what consistently people say - Macs are great and Apple is a great company. Why settle for 2nd best when you have the best?

Because Apple's stuff isn't *always* the best for *everyone*? Since OS X Lion, I have exclusively used Windows because I dislike the iOS approach to OS X. However, I still think my iPhone is a brilliant phone (despite it's annoying antenna issues), I love iTunes Match and I own three AirPorts (two express and one extreme).

Not everything by Apple is brilliant for everyone. Especially since Apple has focused it's efforts more on consumers over the past few years.

 

[smoledman]

Because Apple's stuff isn't *always* the best for *everyone*? Since OS X Lion, I have exclusively used Windows because I dislike the iOS approach to OS X. However, I still think my iPhone is a brilliant phone (despite it's annoying antenna issues), I love iTunes Match and I own three AirPorts (two express and one extreme).

Not everything by Apple is brilliant for everyone. Especially since Apple has focused it's efforts more on consumers over the past few years.

The only part in OS X Lion that is iOS-like is Launchpad, you don't have to use it. That sounds like a FUD argument against the best OS on the planet.

 

[roadbloc]

The only part in OS X Lion that is iOS-like is Launchpad, you don't have to use it. That sounds like a FUD argument against the best OS on the planet.

Okay, if you really want to get down to brass tacks, then I shall. It wasn't just the whole iOS look that put me off it was a combination of stuff.

- I don't like Mission Control.
- Multi-monitor support went down the pan with system-wide full screen apps.
- Autosave and resume are more hinders to me than help; however I do understand they help a lot of novice computer users.
- Very buggy.
- Wifi issues on both my iMac and MBA.
- Slower and requires more resources than Snow Leopard.
- Lack of Rosetta was a bit annoying too, although I did find intel alternatives for the majority of my PPC apps.

That is just some of the reasons I dislike Lion and currently use Windows 7 on all of my computers now. Best OS in the world is a very opinionated thing, judged by the needs of the user. If OS X was the best OS in the world for me, why would I be wasting my time with Windows? It'd be shooting myself in the foot.

This does not mean I hate Apple. I like a lot of Apple products. OS X just isn't one of them anymore.

You're like a immature version of *LTD*. Please begin to appreciate that what may be the best solution for you, isn't always for everyone else. Also realise that just because someone has a bad thing to say about Apple and it's products, it doesn't make them a hater.

 

[G51989]

Yes that's what consistently people say - Macs are great and Apple is a great company. Why settle for 2nd best when you have the best?

Because, Apple is not the best, it might be the best for you, and some people. And they are great machines, but Apple just doesn't cut it for some people, Need a over powered insane workstation with 8 Hot Swappable hot drives and 512gb of ram ( yes, these machines have REAL applications ), Apple can't help you.

Gaming Computer? Apple Can't help you
Low Priced Computer? Apple can't help you.
High End Work Station? Apple can't help you.
Servers? Nope
Rackmounts? Nope.
OS Support? Hell no.
Anything with the abilty to expand? Nope. Unless you buy a Mac Pro, and even then, its not awesome.

Apple makes a good computer, but they aren't very good for a lot of customers, which explains the tiny marketshare. Apple also limits your hardware choices, big time.

Thats why I refuse to make my main Machine a Mac, because I know in 3-4 years they will drop all support for their product. Apple doesn't support their products for very long, forcing you to upgrade. Microsoft Supported XP for 11 years, and still patches the damn thing and provides updates. Apple doesn't do that.

I love my new iMac, and I use it as my living room machine, and its pretty epic, but I'd never consider it my serious machine. And I can afford to upgrade to the next line of machines whenever they drop my OS support in 4 years.

I have Macs, and I love them. But I understand why alot of people are turned off by them, hell for anything other than my daily driver at home computer, my iMac is useless. Which is why I have mah awesome GAMEPC Tower as my gaming rig