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Apple Wants To Block Some HTC Products From US Under Tariff Act of 1930
An anonymous reader writes "Days after filing another suit against Samsung, Apple took aim at smaller rival HTC, filling a claim with the International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban the sales of the competing smartphones and tablets. Apple said that HTC was infringing on 'groundbreaking' [technology] that Apple developed for its iPod, iPhone and iPad products."
Contrary to Jobs' statements, they don't want competition and they learned their lesson back in the early Mac Vs. PC days when they got their lunch eaten by a bunch of nobody OEMs churning out cheap PCs. Apple's model is not sustainable, and it's even less sustainable when people aren't flush with disposable income. Any moron could have predicted Apple would be in trouble years ago - they're one company trying to make one model of phone (which is just an iPod with a 3G chip) versus numerous Android vendors each innovating.
*By ironic I mean M$ and Apple appear to be colluding to take down another competitor while leaving each other alone.
It's not just appearances. Apple, Microsoft and Oracle have actually formed up to go after Android: Apple, Microsoft, Oracle Lead Unholy Patent Alliance Against Android
Just nobody noticed because they were tiny. For a little while in the beginning they were a real techie company. I call that the "Woz Apple." However it wasn't long before they became more locked down and controlling than MS ever was. I've seen it time and time again throughout their history, but they were small, it only affected a small number of people, most of them fans who would forgive any transgression.
They also got a pass from a lot of geek types since they were "against Microsoft." They figured anyone who opposed MS in any way, no matter how minor, had to be a good guy. They never looked in to it past that. The love of the underdog and the dislike of MS meant Apple could do no wrong and they needn't look deeper.
Now Apple is massive, they are a consumer electronics giant. However this is not because of any change in their way of doing business, just that they found a market that they do well in. However because they are large, people are taking notice of what Apple does. They seem to think Apple has changed, and don't realize that only their visibility, and the effects of their actions have changed.
Your post was right with the exception of this one part.
What's more, the Android market moves much faster. Right now you can get Android phones with 4G, with dual core CPUs, with 3D screens. Now I'd say other than the first one that is not so useful, but it is new gadgets that people want.
I own the phone you are talking about, the Evo3d. I wasn't too sure about getting this phone, even though I could get it for free (sold my Evo4G for $250 and picked up the 3D for $200. The extra $50 paid for taxes, fees and a new Zagg screen protector).
I thought the 3D would take away from other things, like the fact that it only had a 5MP camera instead of the 8MP of the 4G. I also thought the 3D would be a gimmick. Well, it is a gimmick, but it's a really really cool one. Text messaging was a gimmick at one point. A camera was a gimmick at one point. I even remember when mp3 ring tones were a gimmick, much less an actual mp3 player. Of course, 3D cameras and screens won't become standard like text messaging, but it is still very cool. Go to a Sprint store, check it out and see how good it looks. I've taken 3D video and stills that will blow your mind, like a water skier with the rope close up and the skier far away or a simple coffee cup on a pier with the sunrise in the background. Awesome.
The dual core processor is really handy. My Evo4G would become nearly unusable when installing or updating applications. My Evo3D can installs apps in the background without me even noticing.
4G, of course, is pretty useful if, and only if, you are in an area with coverage and you are not going to venture out of it. For some reason, when the phone gains and loses 4G signal, the batter drains quickly.
There is no "I disagree" mod for a reason. Flamebait, Troll, and Overrated are not substitutes.
Too bad that Apple is admitting how they can't compete with their design and technology, so they will compete with lawyers instead.
Sad.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
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Whoa there dude! Check your keyboard, somebody might have slipped you a Dvorak.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
It isn't like it would put them out of business, but it could shrink the profitability a lot and no company is interested in that.
Take a look at the P/E ratio on AAPL of 16+, analysts' earnings and one (1) year target estimates; not exactly a bargain, considering the risks (Android is both a serious and viable competitor), if you ask me. Plus, if Apple fails to meet expectationsor worse starts missing on quarterly earnings because of Android then look out below because Apple has a long ways to fall, especially given the fact that its meteoric rise in recent years is due in no small part to the fantastically profitable iPhone. If you want to see an example of how quickly the markets and Wall Street can punish a tech company that fails to deliver on expectations, look no further than RIMM which some commentators now refer to as, "wasted research, downward motion". Research in motion is down 63% from its 52 week high; that's brutal if you were a buyer any time between then and now.
I consider myself to be a fairly savvy investor, but the smart phone market changes quarterly and the pace of new handset releases, especially Android phones, is only increasing. There are many unknown variables, including killer apps or features, that are both disruptive and come out of nowhere on a regular basis. This may be good for consumers, but that level of risk and volatility, especially in a narrowly focused company like Apple with a healthy stock premium, is high risk and high stakes for all but the hardiest and best informed investors. I'm not a buyer of Apple, especially at these prices, because (a) the stock is expensive and (b) the risks in a disruptive and unpredictable business, like the smart phone business, with plenty of well informed insiders, are too high. In my opinion, most small investors would be well advised to steer clear of these rocky shoals. Alternatively, the telecoms have come down in price somewhat and all of those smart phone users are still paying $30+ per month, in spite of the jobless recovery, for their data plans.