[IP] Re: About the Dark Side

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Bob Drzyzgula <bob@drzyzgula.org>
Date: September 30, 2007 3:19:35 PM EDT
To: dave@farber.net
Cc: ip@v2.listbox.com
Subject: Re: [IP] Re:   About the Dark Side

On Sun, Sep 30, 2007 at 01:16:37PM -0400, David Farber wrote:
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Ole Jacobsen <ole@cisco.com>
> Date: September 30, 2007 1:06:20 PM EDT
> To: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@vortex.com>
> Cc: Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>
> Subject: Re: About the Dark Side
> Reply-To: Ole Jacobsen <ole@cisco.com>
>
> Apple will argue that they have more control of the "experience" if
> they work closely with a carrier, and will point to Visual Voicemail
> as an example of something that requires network tweaks. While this
> may be true, it is either something that just can't scale or some
> kind of hidden GSM feature that everyone could easily implement. In
> either case (and no, I don't know the answer) I don't think it is
> important enough to restrict an entire market segment: those who
> simply want to buy a phone for its features and who will happily
> get service from any carrier as they choose.

It strikes me that this starts to toy with one of the
fundamental differences between Apple and everyone else
in the world: For most smartphones, this would be an
opportunity for product differentiation.  Carrier A goes on
about how, on their network, the Foobar Brand Smartphone
can slice carrots, while Carrier B goes on about how when
it's connected to *theirs*, that same phone can dice them
as well.  But this is anathema to Apple. In Apple's view
of the world, when someone buys an iWidget Femto(tm), it
will work precisely the same as absolutely every other
iWidget Femto sold, localization notwithstanding. It
will dice carrots if and only if Apple claims it will
dice carrots. In Apple's view, it's all about Apple,
and the Apple-branded product. When it starts being about
the distributer/retailer/carrier, even just a little bit,
Apple has lost something.

--Bob



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