Apple vs. Google vs. Microsoft - the platform wars

Apple CEO Steve Jobs took to stage with 'All Things Digital' producers Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at the D8 for candid interview, we have covered comprehensively today. Below is a summary of what he had to say about platform wars between Apple, Microsoft and Google. When it comes to Apple vs. Google vs. Microsoft, we would love to know that who among them build the better platform from the three giants. However, It’s really hard to differentiate between Apple, Google and Microsoft that who among them have made a better platform for its users. Well, most of the things regarding this was revealed during the talk of Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO with Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg at the D8 conference.
Apple vs. Google vs. Microsoft

To the hosts' question as to whether Apple is at war with other platform-makers Google and Microsoft, the Apple CEO said, “We never saw ourselves in a platform war with Mircorosft, and maybe that’s why we lost  [audience laughs].” Apple, he said, was merely concerned with “how to build a better product.” It were the users that mattered to Apple, not the competitors. On the competition with Google, which has even led to dropping Google as the default search engine for iPhone, he said, “They decided to compete with us… so they are. They started competing with us and it got more and more serious. We didn’t go into the search business!” When asked if recent acquisition of 'Virtual Assistant & Search' Siri pointed otherwise, Jobs replied, “They’re not a search company. They’re an AI company. We have no plans to go into the search business. We don’t care about it — other people do it well.”

When asked about Google's cloud-based OS, ChromeOS, Jobs responded, “ Chrome is not really baked yet.” He also said that ChromeOS was based on work they "did at Apple”, the Webkit. Which is correct, since most modern browsers are based on WebKit, including offerings from Nokia, Palm, Android, and RIM. “We’ve created a real competitor to IE”, Jobs said.

Apple's fingers 1 - Microsoft's stylus 0

Steve Jobs said that his vision of a tablet, operated using a finger is a winner over Microsoft's earlier tablets that used a stylus and handwritiing analysis: “it’s too slow. If you need a stylus you have already failed.” That is also the reason that Apple had to create an OS of their own: “But the minute you throw a stylus out, and you have the precision of a finger, you can’t use a PC OS. You have to create it from scratch."

On Apple's Market Value exceeding Microsoft's

Jobs admitted that, "it was surreal but not important. Apple was 90 days away from going bankrupt. was much worse than I thought when I went back. People actually asked, "Why are you still here?" And answer was, because I bleed in 6 colors", said the Apple CEO, referring to the old logo of Apple Inc. That one is for the quotationary. We're touched.

Apple vs. Microsoft
Well Steve Jobs had a little say about the platform war between Apple, Microsoft and Google. Jobs basically said that they never thought they would see themselves in the war against Microsoft about building a better product to compete with each other. In addition to this, Jobs said that his vision of a tablet, operated using a finger is a winner over Microsoft’s earlier tablets that used a stylus and handwriting analysis and it’s too slow as well.
Apple vs. Google
Now, Apple vs. Google – There is a competition of Apple with Google, that’s why Google is no more the default search Engine for iPhone. Steve Jobs further added in this correspondence that they have no plans to enter the search business as they don’t have any concern with it. In addition to this, there is a little talk about the Google’s cloud-based Chrome OS, Jobs replied in this regard, “Chrome is not really baked yet.”
What do you think about Apple vs. Google vs. Microsoft?

Google vs. Bing vs. Yahoo

Difference between Google, Bing and Yahoo

While the search engine wars have traditionally revolved around two major players- Yahoo and Google-the recent entry of Bing has caused the two giants to reconsider their respective approaches. It appears that the scene is ripe for another combatant into the scene and Bing is proving to be a worthy adversary. Let's take a look at how the three measure up against each other.

Home Page

Bing definitely takes top honors in this category, with a stunningly designed front page that features some pretty impressive photographs. In spite of the high graphics content however, Bing remains easy to navigate with the most commonly used features conveniently laid out for easy access.

The Yahoo home page on the other hand takes on a decidedly busier approach, with plenty of links that lead to various points of interest on the Internet. This clearly shows that Yahoo positions itself as a portal for anything and everything on the Internet, rather than just a search engine. The various links lead to search features, news, communications and other areas of interest.

Google is quite a bit different from the two and its plain white background and the lone Google Search text field stands in stark contrast to the "maximalist" approach of Bing and Yahoo. Nevertheless, this simplicity serves Google rather well, and various links along the top of the page make it easy to get to the more commonly used sites such as the e-mail service.

Search Results

Bing offers users two main tools for performing searches: a selection of quick tabs intended for quick 'n' easy searching, and a row of search results grouped into categories. Both options provide instant answers as well as more in depth results.

Yahoo takes on a decidedly no nonsense approach to searching, with results coming up as blue links ranked in order of relevance. Results typically include instant answers, deep links and multimedia.

Google is pretty much like Yahoo in this regard, although it seems to unearth a lot more relevant results. The results also cover instant searches, multimedia and deep links.

Refining Search Results

This category has to do with added functionality of the search results. Bing again takes top honors with search-refining that accompany each search. This is a lot more accessible than the Yahoo and Google features, which require users to click on a link to get more results. Google does offer a 'Show Options' link, which allows you to sort results according to content. Yahoo offers similar functionality with a tab beside the query field.

Summary

Google

• Still the leader in search engine results
• Simple and basic home page

Bing

• Attractively designed home page
• A host of innovative features
• Decent number of hits

Yahoo

• Offers a more comprehensive selection of links in the home page
• Numerous links and special features
• Serves as an Internet portal as well as a search engine

Macintosh vs. Windows

Difference between Macintosh and Windows

"Not another Mac and Windows comparison article!" you say? As ubiquitous and long raging as the Mac-Windows debate is on the Internet, few devotees on either side are willing to give up the fight. Everyone loves a good shootout, and the battle for supremacy between the two OS giants remains popular fodder for heated online exchanges. The flames show no signs of dying down and to fan them even more, here is yet another Mac-Windows comparison. Enjoy!

Origins

Macintosh or Mac is the name of a line of personal computers marketed by Apple Inc. Such computers use the company's proprietary hardware and an operating system that is included with all Macs. The operating system comes in two flavors: the older Mac OS, which was included with all Macs up until the release of OS 9, and OS X, which was developed from OS 9.

Windows on the other hand was released in 1985, and it quickly became the operating system of choice for the majority of personal computer users. The development of Windows actually followed two paths, with one going the personal use route and the other targeting the needs of professional market. The two are distinguished by their focuses on multimedia and networking respectively. The current version of the OS is Windows 7, which followed on the heels of Windows Vista and Windows XP further back.

Usage

Windows is based on the DOS language while the Macintosh system is based on Unix. An important usage distinction between the two is that Windows can be used in any PC, and even the newer Intel-based Macs, while the Macintosh OS will only work on Apple computers.

The universal nature of Windows unfortunately means that is a lot more prone to hacking than Macintosh is. The prevailing notion is that Macintosh is quite a bit harder to breach security-wise, and it is a more secure OS all around.

On the other hand, Windows offers far fewer features than Macintosh does, and it doesn't handle resource-intensive programs as well. Macintosh for its part offers a pretty comprehensive set of features right out the box, and it is a lot easier to use. All things being equal it would seem that Macintosh has the edge in terms of graphics and multimedia applications, while the strength of Windows lies in business applications.

Software

The best thing about the Mac is that it pretty much has everything you would need for basic tasks right out of the box. When you purchase a Mac, you get a music player, photo editor, recording software, video editing tools, a browser, and many other useful apps. Windows doesn't offer that many applications, although it does include a basic music and video player, a movie editor, and a few other tools.

Summary

Macintosh

• Current version is Mac OS X
• Better option for graphics work, video editing and music creation/recording
• Offers more features/applications right out of the box
• Less prone to hacking and viruses
• Works only on Apple computers

Windows

• Current version is Windows Vista and Windows 7
• Works well for business and personal applications
• Relatively limited feature set
• Comparatively easy to hack
• More prone to virus attacks
• Works on virtually any computer, even the new Apples

Apple iPad vs. Google Tablet

Difference between Apple iPad and Google Tablet

The Apple iPad is one of the most anticipated mobile computing devices to have hit the scene in recent years, although it is not without its share of competitors. The most worthy opponent seems to be the Google Tablet, and already numerous comparisons have been made between the two innovative products. Here is yet another one, and it just may help you decide which one to choose.

Design

Like many of the company’s products, the Apple iPad offers a very attractive design, and the tablet concept is undoubtedly quite innovative. The iPad’s design stands in marked contrast to the bulky laptop paradigm, and users who have struggled with the unwieldy keyboard design are sure to take to it in droves. The iPad is also made a lot more convenient and easier to use thanks to its multi-touch UI.

The Google Tablet is considerably handier than a laptop as well, although it is not nearly as sleek and portable as the iPad. Nevertheless, it offers enough of a departure from the traditional laptop design that new users should be eager to try it out.

Accessibility

One of the biggest drawbacks of the Apple iPad is its inability to read Flash content. While many technophiles feel that Flash is on the way out, there is no denying that the iPad’s omission of this compatibility will hinder its flexibility somewhat. Many users of such products will no doubt be disappointed to find out that they simply will not be able to access flash based sites and sites with plenty of video content will just not be the same on the iPad.

The Google Tablet will offer similar functionality to a laptop however, given its onboard Chrome OS. Of course this also means that the Google Tablet will be prone to variances in content reliability, although most users probably won't mind too much given all the functionality that the device offers.

Platform

The fact that the iPad is basically a closed system is also a mixed blessing of sorts. Potential users will likely balk at the fact that the only way to get applications into the unit is by way of the company’s App Store, although this will of course ensure a much greater degree of reliability and compatibility. The Google Tablet on the other hand uses an open platform, which means a lot more flexibility that its users are sure to appreciate and take advantage of. As to whether or not this issue will cause you to favor one or the other is dependent on your particular needs and preferences.

Summary

Apple iPad

• Attractive design
• True multi touch display
• Comes with a pen/stylus input
• Can only be loaded via Apple’s iTunes/App Store
• Cannot read/display Flash content

Google Tablet

• Poised to capture the low-end tablet market
• A lot cheaper than the iPad
• Open platform
• Offers numerous options in applications and programs

Google Docs vs. Microsoft Office

Difference between Google Docs and Microsoft Office

In the world of online office suites, Google Docs has traditionally been the only real option. Sure there are a smattering of other software suites available, but it was pretty clear that Google Docs is way ahead of the pack...until now that is. With the recent release of the Office Live Workspace beta by Microsoft, it appears that Google Docs finally has some serious competition. While many think that the new web-based add-on to Microsoft Office was intended to compete directly with Google Docs, the question that now comes up is whether or not Microsoft has succeeded in trumping Google. Let's see!

Compatibility

At the time of this writing, Google Docs allows a fairly limited set of file types that you could edit online. Included in the list are HTML, .txt, .doc .rtf, .xls, .csv, .tsv, .tsb, .ppt, and .pps files.

Office Live Workspace on the other hand allows you to upload and edit practically any type of file. The list isn't limited only to Office documents, and include file types such as .PDFs, and photo and image files, with the exception of files on the "blocked" list, many of which are considered "executable" or program files.

File Sizes

Google Docs places a cap on document sizes, limiting them to only 500kb each, with a 2MB ceiling for each image included. Google Docs does allow users to upload 10MB presentations. Spreadsheets are measured in terms of content, with 10,000 rows, 256 columns or 100,000 cells being the upper limit. Google Docs accepts spreadsheet with up to 20,000 cells.

Office Live Workspace is a lot more generous in this regard, and it accepts individual files (of any type) of up to 25MB.

Sharing And Collaboration

Google Docs allows for plenty of flexibility with regard to file sharing and collaboration, with. Users can share files simply by clicking on a checkbox next to the appropriate files and selecting the "share" option. These can then be shared to "collaborators" or "viewers", and you could also add a note with the invitation. There is a limit of 200 viewers for documents and presentations, although spreadsheets can be shared with as many contacts as you want. Google Docs allows collaborators to work on files in real time.

Office Live Workspace offers similar features, with added options for allowing viewing without having to sign in, and it displays a preview of the file as well. All types of files can be shared with only 100 people. Office Live Workspace does not allow for real time collaboration.

Summary

Google Docs

• Allowable files include HTML, .txt, .doc .rtf, .xls, .csv, .tsv, .tsb, .ppt, and .pps files.
• Real time collaboration is allowed
• Allows up to 200 viewers for documents and presentations
• Allows unlimited viewers for spreadsheets
• 500kb limit for files, 10MB for presentations
• 10,000 row/256 column/100,000 cell/40 sheet limit for spreadsheets

Office Live Workspace

• Virtually all file types are allowed
• No real time collaboration
• Allows up to 100 viewers for all file types
• 25MB allowable file size