THE APPLE OR THE ROBOT

Evolution has never stopped. Not only has man continued to develop but his tools of trade too have followed suit. This has definitely been the case with mobile telephony. The technology has evolved from simply being a means of communication to basically providing a computing tool that fits in the pocket.
The smart phone industry has changed face and has seen, arguably, two major companies on the rise. As is the norm, when two equally competitive companies strive to dominate a single market, the products emerging baffle the ordinary human mind. Products of evolution. The companies engaged in this war are majorly, Google with their Android operating system and Apple with their infamous iO.S.
The two Silicon Valley companies rolled out their smart phone operating systems in 2007. In this play, Apple was the protagonist having launched its iO.S in January of that year. Google smartly followed suit a few months later. Given the close association of the two companies over the years, it did not come as a surprise that they both ventured into the smart phone industry, even more so in the same year. So given the success of both companies in the smart phone industry, a question is posed; of the two, who is the greater one?
Figures from Millennial Media put Android in the lead with 54% market dominance. Apple’s iO.S follows at 26%. The figures, however, change when individual phones are looked at. The iPhone from Apple takes the biggest slice of the market share at 16% dominance. Samsung follows next being boosted in the recent sale of the Nexus brand of phones. Research in Motion’s (RIM) Blackberry are placed a close third with 12% market share.
Since December last year, Android has continued to take the lead in smart phone dominance. This has been attributed to the fact that the O.S is available for adoption on a wide range of mobile phones; therefore, not pegging its consumption on one phone brand as is the case with the iO.S. Software developers are especially attracted by the fact that the Android O.S provides a suitable platform to explore. This is in comparison to the Apple one which has stringent approval laws.
Crucial in achieving its dominance in the mobile telephony sector is the Android run Huawei IDEOS phone. This phone has, without doubt, made smart phones cheap and easy to acquire. Smart phones were originally viewed as the reserve of the affluent in society. Google and IDEOS broke the norm. Android and IDEOS are poised to dominate the third world with this little but apt achievement.
The Android O.S has been credited with the ability to use it on various phone models. This, as mentioned before, enabled it to increase its dominance in the world of smart phones. Perhaps due to this ability, the operating system is viewed as being cheaper. As a result, third world countries have been able to join the band wagon of advanced mobile telephony.
On the flipside, the Android O.S experiences many technical difficulties. This has been attributed to the fact that Google does not make its own hardware to go with the Android O.S. The Android market has also not found a way of directly tapping into users’ credit cards and the developers have a complicated and lengthy way of getting paid. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that app developers are less motivated in making suitable apps for the platform. Why go through all the trouble when the mode of payment is equally troublesome hence the half-baked apps.
Apple’s iO.S is unequivocally the operating system to beat in terms of technicality and quality. Given their stringent and shrewd laws to meet the threshold of applications listed on their apps store, the apps available are a cut above the rest. This reason, coupled with their ability to create their own hardware in tandem with the hardware demands of their software ensures quality is preserved. Apple has also been able to capture plenty of customers with credit cards. This enables them to get direct payment for their products. Consequently, this matches their financial acclaim.
Apple, however, fall short of providing an affordable phone that will receive recognition in the developing countries. The iO.S is only restricted to iPhones and other apple products; a factor that serves to reduce its infiltration into other phone brands and consequently the smart phone market. Granted, their stringent laws on the threshold to be met so as to run on the iO.S restrict many developers from delving into the platform, they provide the best and easiest way of payment to developers. This gets the developers in a catch twenty two situation. My bet is, many of them could and do risk the trouble of meeting the iO.S threshold since the payment procedure is easy.
It is hard to speculate who will in turn emerge the victor in this tussle. The ultimate winner is, however, expected to have a cheaper smart phone to infiltrate the third word, easy payment and buying of apps procedure and, cardinally, the best performance in speed, technicality and user interface.
With time, Apple is expected to unveil a cheaper phone to battle the Android dominance in developing countries. On the other hand, with the recent acquisition of Motorola by Google, it is expected that Google will be able to come up with phones tailored for its Android O.S. The stakes, as it stands, could flip the see-saw either side. I guess only time will tell.
This is a matter of African importance. With advances in communication and technology comes easier working conditions and prosperity (that Africam desperately needs). It goes without saying that such battles for market dominance sets you and me, the consumer, at an advantage.
So I beg the question to you, where do you place your bet? The Apple (iO.S) or the Robot (Android)?

SUGAR AND SPICE

If i could taste her beauty
All she would be is
Sugar and spice

She walks in grace and beauty
Her silk dress dancing on her body delicately
Dancing to the rhythm of my pervasive thoughts

She hums in a tender tune
Her voice boils a storm in me
And troubles the devil that be infatuation

Rage
That is what she gives me
Oh yes she does
I cannot resist the urge to take her
Oh yes, i want to
I have to

Perchance i could
Lick your honey-colored skin
Perhaps
No!
Maybe, nibble on your juicy fingers
No!
I want a bite
A bite of your tender flesh

And I would relish her
And down her with the finest wine
And oh yes!
All she would be is
Sugar and spice