The next decade begins with two behemoth software (slash hardware) companies going at each other: Google and Apple. I like both of them as well as their leaders, so it will be a fantastic time to watch how it all unfolds as from early 2010.
Mobile Telecommunications
On January 5th, Google will most probably announce the availability of its own Google-branded phone, the Nexus One. Already billed as an iPhone-killer, it is going to be no small feat for Google to overtake Apple’s established dominance.
However, ‘no small feat’ does not mean that Google cannot make it. Actually, I don’t think Google is actively pursuing gaining market share from Apple in Mobile Telecommunications. In reality, Google is pursuing a vision, the efficiency and immediacy of a digital lifestyle optimized by Google Engineers. That this pits Google against Apple within the Mobile Telecommunication space is coincidental, an emergent phenomenon.
Some people are questioning that Google’s move into the handset branding will kill its own partners who manufacture handsets. I don’t think this is the case since the hardware itself is built by HTC and all the software enhancements can trickle to other manufacturers. Here, I have the distinct impression that Gartner analysts do not get open-source or the implications within Google’s own eco-system.
Although the inroads by Apple with the iPhone and the iPhone O.S.-based iPod Touch are amazing, Apple breaks Google’s services on their devices. Ever tried using Google Analytics or Google Finance on an iPhone or iPod touch? They don’t work as Apple restricts Flash.
Apple’s machines have sub-standard multi-tasking, and Apple does not like handing control or enhancements to the open-source community. Google, on the other hand, will have good multi-tasking out-of-the-box and loves open-source. To be successful in Technology and Business in this day and age, I advise that you build ‘hackability’ into your product or service. Let it be open and allow other people to build on it.
Here, my preference goes to Google although I appreciate Apple bringing such an impressive multi-touch screen and UI to the masses and I expect Google to subsidize a Telecommunication service through ads as they usually do. I just hope that the FCC and other organizations don’t block the acquisition of AdMob further.
It will hard to resist the brand appeal and a phone which reminds you simultaneously of BladeRunner and Tron.
Mobile computing – Netbooks and smartbooks
Apple has enjoyed enormous success with its laptops. The latest machines are innovative, with the multi-touch trackpad, the amazing screens and 64-bit Snow Leopard with Grand Central Dispatch (easily dispatch computing to several cores) and OpenCL (harness the GPU for computing).
With Google-branded notebooks rumoured for the end of next year, I expect the two to clash again in the mobile computing space.
It will all boil down to what value the end-user derives when on-the-go. Do you derive more value from using the Web and connecting to your social networking applications than doing hard computing?
If so, Google will eat up market share, as it will be cheaper. The rumoured specifications are superlative, with SSD being the norm as well as computing power by ARM and graphics powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra. With no moving parts and a higher throughput, Google’s machine can be faster and optimized for the Web.
It is still open whether Apple’s own tablet (an Apple announcement for the 26th of January is planned) will contain the iPhone O.S. or Snow Leopard but that device will also compete in a similar space. No doubt this will pitch Apple into the eBook industry and Google already occupies some of the space here because of their Book digitizing activities.
I love the Apple machines and Snow Leopard 64-bit, and for the moment I give them the edge, but I am open to the fact that Google could wow us all at the end of 2010.
If there is one thing that Google should do, it’s not to reinvent the wheel but rather leverage Linux for the computing intensive applications.
The Cloud
Google has optimized data centers around the world and scalable architecture, built on customized open-source GNU/Linux. Google’s cost of development of Operating System and software is minimized as it highly leverages existing Open-source code and volunteers around the world. Google has its core operating architecture optimized even down to the level of hard disk drivers.
Google optimized DNS resolution, optimized JavaScript, owns dark fiber, builds one of the fastest JavaScript browsers ever, is preparing a Chrome-based Operating System, etc…
What does Apple have?
Google unquestionably has the edge for the Cloud. And I argue that Google’s edge in Cloud computing goes beyond any other cloud computing offering in the world because it is the better engineered solution.
Videos
Google has YouTube, which reigns supreme with the user-generated content/’Broadcast Yourself’ crowd. The addition of HD videos on YouTube has increased the quality level very much. Being free because of ad-subsidization is a boon,but can also be a distraction.
Here, however, I would prefer buying HD from Apple, as my user experience would be better – I don’t get ads unless the ads are product placement inside the content, not inside the player.
Music
With iTunes, the Apple Store and such a wonderful experience finding songs, being recommended new artists, albums and songs by Genius and purchasing songs immediately downloaded, Apple has an edge.
However, Google potentially has better algorithms for recommendations for music. Apple grabbed Lala as well and is targeting music streaming from the cloud, so Apple is leading the way here.
It remains to be seen how Google manages this space.
Google vs Apple
Conclusion
All in all, 2010 and the next decade will be a fantastic time to watch these two companies and their leaders compete. To me, Google has the better algorithms and engineered products at the software engineering level while Apple has better hardware, design and user experience.
