The Smart Phone & Browser Wars: Who will Win Safari, IE, or Android?

Apple vs Microsoft Redux

     During the 1980s - 1990s it was Apple vs IBM http://www.ibm.com/, and later vs Microsoft/Intel http://www.microsoft.com/ & http://www.intel.com/ in regards to the PC/Operating System Wars.  I recently went to a Apple store at Briarwood Mall near the University of Michigan and the war is on again but this time it is Smart Phone OS/Browser along with OEMs for Smart Phones that is the battle field with the Smart Phone superceding the PC/laptop.  Here is what I mean....

The Apple Store Briarwood Mall

     When a friend and I went the Apple Store http://www.apple.com/briarwood  in Briarwood Mall

instead of being attacked by sales people they let us browse and hold and play with the hardware, and software; including the iPad until we approached them with questions.  The reps we met (Mr. Robert Lewis & Mr. Emeka Amene) were excellent, and you can schedule training at the Apple Store (652 Briarwood Circle Suite D127, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 780-2471 http://www.mapquest.com/) if you want to learn more about a product like the iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple Server, or the new Apple TV hardware product.  The store had software, custom made backpacks/laptop carrying cases for college students and business executives.    

Hardware Specification & Prices

iPad - $499 16 GB  

iPad - $599 32 GB

iPad - $699 64 GB  I personally suggest the 64 GB version if you want run Windows 7 in a dual boot mode or in a seperate Partion because Windows 7 is 64 bit.  You also want to check your older software and hardware for Apple and Windows becasue for 64 bit the software and hardware must be compatible for the install or you will have problems. 

iPhone - $99 3Gs 8 GB http://www.att.com/

iPhone docking station - $29

Macbook - $1199 2.4 GHz

Macbook - $1499 2.66 GHz

There was also something called the Magic Pad http://www.apple.com/ I am still investigating.  The software section was much bigger than the software I am used to seeing in computer/electronics stores.  Apple right now is positioned to win the battle on the smart phone front, and even challenge Microsoft's once invulnerable position as the dominant office suite on the smart phone desktop, but they will need a little help from Oracle's Larry Ellison now that Oracle http://www.oracle.com/ owns MySQL.  The question is will Oracle co-operate with Apple or will they fall into conflict because by purchasing Sun Microsystems, Oracle has now entered the smart phone market and PC business with Sun's Ultra Sparc hardware.  I will follow up what I think will happen as well as Oracle's great show in Detroit at the Resaissance Center http://www.gmrencen.com/  featuring Oracle hardware and software products; along with the implications of the Oracle lawsuit against Google http://www.google.com/.  As a side note, SAP has just been handed a decision where they have pay Oracle over $1 billion dollars for infringing on Oracles intellectual property.    

Mr. Winston Shines is a consultant for Maximillian Bryan & Marcell Technologies Internationale LLC http://www.mbmtinternationale.com/,  he has been published in Baseline magazine http://www.baselinemag.com/, (to view the article click on http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/IT-Management/Ensuring-ITs-Survival-301220)  has written the copyrighted book Training Today's Youth for Tomorrow's Technology which is on sale at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/ and has been a paid speaker at the Michigan State University School of Education http://www.educ.msu.edu/ annual education technology seminar in East Lansing Michigan.