Tech Wars: THE ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN!!!
I have posted on here quite a bit about new technologies and their impact on the way we are able to do our work. Really, freelancing in the way we know it today would be near impossible were it not for the plethora of new ways to connect we now have available.
Some people were hesitant to embrace it all at first, but now, using modern tech is essential if you want to stay on the cutting edge of the gig economy.
Even after you embrace this new tech, though, you still have a big decision to face:
Which brand should I go with?
There are now sooooo many to choose from. Of course, Apple and Microsoft are in the game with Mac/ OsX and Surface/Windows 10 respectively, but Google seems to slowly be breaching the market for office devices and software.
The question is, how are these tech giants doing now in terms of their prevalence in American business, and what does the future look like. Here is a brief breakdown of some of the facts and possibilities:
APPLE
Apple has always lagged quite a bit when it comes to the workplace and workforce utilizing its technology. While Apple devices are indisputably gorgeous, with smooth interfaces and remarkable cloud syncing capabilities, a lot of the software and tools that have become pro forma on a daily business day do not operate as smoothly on Apple products (or at least, the majority of them do not seem to be native to Apple). This is particularly true when it comes to the software wars. Think Pages vs. Microsoft Word: when in the heck was the last time you used Pages to create a document for work? I can€™t remember a time, but then again that is just me. It seems that for the time being Microsoft has at least won the battle for the personal office computer software.
(The graph posted below at business insider is indicative of this:
http://www.businessinsider.com/ratio...to-macs-2012-7
It is worth noting that while Microsoft may be winning the battle for the personal office computer, Apple is dominating the market for phones, whether it be for business or personal use. Microsoft has not really even made a significant play in this market; the newest windows phones have not sold very well, despite the full version of Windows 10 they boast. It seems that in this case, Apple has benefited from the same kind of initial stroke of luck that solidified death hold grip of Microsoft on the PC market.
MICROSOFT
As I said literally two sentences ago above, Microsoft has won the software battle, and a lot of that win has dictated the outcome of the hardware battle. Because Microsoft software was so predominant initially, it was essential for businesses to have machines that would run the crucial software. Ergo, the total takeover of PC computers: Hewlett Packard, Dell, ASUS. There are a whole slew of PC manufacturers that have benefited from that initial trend. However, Microsoft has only recently caught up in the market for hardware. With the release of the surface, a two-in-one tablet laptop, Microsoft made its opening gambit into the world of hardware. Thus far, it has not been too terribly successful. It seems the old trenches are dug deep, and people are used to the traditional way of interacting with PC computers. Only time will tell the eventual impact of having a full-blown tablet computer available.
GOOGLE
Google has always been a bit more subtle in the way it has crept into our lives. At the beginning, there were several search predominant search engine companies: AskJeeves, Yahoo, MSN, AOL. Slowly but surely, Google has boxed them all out of the search engine market; some of them may still exist in the same or modified forms, but there is no question that Google dominates. While they have not released any personal computers, Google did just release their first phone, the Pixel. We do not yet know if the new cellular device will make an impact on Apples seeming monopolization of that market, but time will tell. Meanwhile, Google is also invested in every new tech imaginable, from projects as vast and spectacular as AI, to work cutting edge work in SEO (which we all know). While Google may not yet be a player in office hardware, it does not seem to large a stretch of the imagination that they could muster up a very powerful competitive series of devices if they wanted to.
All together, these tech giants make up the majority of the market for new tech in the United States, just three companies. Sure there is always an opportunity for someone to break into this market, but I have a hunch that it will be a long time before any of the aforementioned companies are pushed of the global stage.
To all of you out there, which of these companies do you find yourself more loyal to? Which has had the greatest impact on the work you do and how you do it? Do you have a favorite company or set of products, a least favorite?
Some people were hesitant to embrace it all at first, but now, using modern tech is essential if you want to stay on the cutting edge of the gig economy.
Even after you embrace this new tech, though, you still have a big decision to face:
Which brand should I go with?
There are now sooooo many to choose from. Of course, Apple and Microsoft are in the game with Mac/ OsX and Surface/Windows 10 respectively, but Google seems to slowly be breaching the market for office devices and software.
The question is, how are these tech giants doing now in terms of their prevalence in American business, and what does the future look like. Here is a brief breakdown of some of the facts and possibilities:
APPLE
Apple has always lagged quite a bit when it comes to the workplace and workforce utilizing its technology. While Apple devices are indisputably gorgeous, with smooth interfaces and remarkable cloud syncing capabilities, a lot of the software and tools that have become pro forma on a daily business day do not operate as smoothly on Apple products (or at least, the majority of them do not seem to be native to Apple). This is particularly true when it comes to the software wars. Think Pages vs. Microsoft Word: when in the heck was the last time you used Pages to create a document for work? I can€™t remember a time, but then again that is just me. It seems that for the time being Microsoft has at least won the battle for the personal office computer software.
(The graph posted below at business insider is indicative of this:
http://www.businessinsider.com/ratio...to-macs-2012-7
It is worth noting that while Microsoft may be winning the battle for the personal office computer, Apple is dominating the market for phones, whether it be for business or personal use. Microsoft has not really even made a significant play in this market; the newest windows phones have not sold very well, despite the full version of Windows 10 they boast. It seems that in this case, Apple has benefited from the same kind of initial stroke of luck that solidified death hold grip of Microsoft on the PC market.
MICROSOFT
As I said literally two sentences ago above, Microsoft has won the software battle, and a lot of that win has dictated the outcome of the hardware battle. Because Microsoft software was so predominant initially, it was essential for businesses to have machines that would run the crucial software. Ergo, the total takeover of PC computers: Hewlett Packard, Dell, ASUS. There are a whole slew of PC manufacturers that have benefited from that initial trend. However, Microsoft has only recently caught up in the market for hardware. With the release of the surface, a two-in-one tablet laptop, Microsoft made its opening gambit into the world of hardware. Thus far, it has not been too terribly successful. It seems the old trenches are dug deep, and people are used to the traditional way of interacting with PC computers. Only time will tell the eventual impact of having a full-blown tablet computer available.
Google has always been a bit more subtle in the way it has crept into our lives. At the beginning, there were several search predominant search engine companies: AskJeeves, Yahoo, MSN, AOL. Slowly but surely, Google has boxed them all out of the search engine market; some of them may still exist in the same or modified forms, but there is no question that Google dominates. While they have not released any personal computers, Google did just release their first phone, the Pixel. We do not yet know if the new cellular device will make an impact on Apples seeming monopolization of that market, but time will tell. Meanwhile, Google is also invested in every new tech imaginable, from projects as vast and spectacular as AI, to work cutting edge work in SEO (which we all know). While Google may not yet be a player in office hardware, it does not seem to large a stretch of the imagination that they could muster up a very powerful competitive series of devices if they wanted to.
All together, these tech giants make up the majority of the market for new tech in the United States, just three companies. Sure there is always an opportunity for someone to break into this market, but I have a hunch that it will be a long time before any of the aforementioned companies are pushed of the global stage.
To all of you out there, which of these companies do you find yourself more loyal to? Which has had the greatest impact on the work you do and how you do it? Do you have a favorite company or set of products, a least favorite?
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Faulkner -
Thanks
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