What all this patent nonsense amounts to is companies that got in, people who made billions, and are now closing the doors behind them. Try and start an innovative company, web service, etc. without being stymied by patent trolls or legitimate companies with too many lawyers. You can kiss tech innovation goodbye.
As for Google, they're subsidizing their "free" phone OS with ad revenues. It's called "dumping" and MS has done the same thing. So did Rockefeller when building Standard Oil. Say what you will about Apple, at least they've been up front with their product pricing - charging a fair (if not higher than most) price. Plus, they have finally learned how to leverage their first-to-market advantage, vs. years past when MS/IBM routinely stole their lunch.
Patent reform and FTC scrutiny are in order. For Google to provide freeware is dubious. There's no such thing as a free lunch, and all that...
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Jerry Kaplan and Mitch (Lotus123) Kapor at GO Corp. did this before MS and Apple's Newton. MS "partnered" with GO and sunk them.
What all this patent nonsense amounts to is companies that got in, people who made billions, and are now closing the doors behind them. Try and start an innovative company, web service, etc. without being stymied by patent trolls or legitimate companies with too many lawyers. You can kiss tech innovation goodbye. As for Google, they're subsidizing their "free" phone OS with ad revenues. It's called "dumping" and MS has done the same thing. So did Rockefeller when building Standard Oil. Say what you will about Apple, at least they've been up front with their product pricing - charging a fair (if not higher than most) price. Plus, they have finally learned how to leverage their first-to-market advantage, vs. years past when MS/IBM routinely stole their lunch. Patent reform and FTC scrutiny are in order. For Google to provide freeware is dubious. There's no such thing as a free lunch, and all that...