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Google and Apple are engaging in a pissing contest the likes of which may not have been seen since the early 40’s. I think it’s awesome.

It seems very personal, and driven by the gargantuan egos of the two CEOs Eric and Steve! What began as a skirmish on the edges of a Cell Phone DMZ, clearly orchestrated during Eric’s sojourn on Apple’s Board has become an epic multi front battle. I say bring it on!

Microsoft has long supplied arms to both sides, but is offering the bi(n)g guns to only one. Interesting times.

 

 

I posted earlier that the iPAD launch was a relative failure for Apple, a company increasingly used to widespread adulation and awe when they flick something white and shiny to the hoi polloi, but I think I was wrong.

In reality, the iPhone underwhelmed the market at launch. It was pricey and short on features. Same too for the iPOD, again it was pricey and basic when compared to the iRiver or Creative devices available at the time. In each case though there were unique, subtle elements that would go on to drive frenzied levels of consumer desire for Apple’s gear. The iPOD brought instant cool via white earbuds, simple but unique and instantly recognisable. The iPhone’s Ap Store created a hundred thousand product demos, and millions of iPhone owners all too eagre to show off even the most inane ap (shaker restaurant finder anyone?) to their friends. And I suspect the first tranche of iPAD owners will willingly justify their purchase with Had to Have platitudes, that’s human nature I suppose.

And beyond the certainty that the iPAD will have some must-have attributes, albeit they are less than obvious today, there is a large base of Apple fans out there who must have Apple’s Latest, period. I suspect that base of loyal followers to number in the tens of millions, let’s call them iSheep for the sake of providing a Noun, offering Apple a sizable base of early adopters less sensitive to price or usability who will ably fund the evolution of the iPAD into the ultimate device it so easily could have been, while convincing the market as a whole that the iPAD is indeed a must, must, must have! Which it isn’t.

But it will succeed. Of course it will. Damn you Apple!

Still, The Simpsons get it, least we can do it have a chuckle. Click the image.

http://en.sevenload.com/videos/aRCLEpW-Simpsons-Mock-Apple-The-Simpsons-Mapple-Store

How I would love to be a fly on the wall in Steve Job’s Cupertino office, I am absolutely convinced that the *most* self assured man on the planet will have thrown at least one of his much vaunted iPADs against his crisp white wall.

Just as the device left his hand, his seismic rage may have produced the words “…..youtube video” [in case you haven’t seen it], or “…giz…f&*^ing… modo” [here], “FLASH’ support” or “multitasking” or many many other reasons to be angry.

 

I think this comment from Segador sums up the product launch best:

“What gets me most about the iPad is how Un-Apple it is. It’s not a shitty product, or bad engineering, but it’s just not good.

You’d expect things like this to get killed in focus group, not touted as "the most important thing" Steve Jobs will ever do.

I’m sad for you, Apple. You lost a good piece of your mystique and grandeur today. You’re now a company that can release bad products, just like everyone else”

 

Actually, I think Hitler says it best

As I mentioned in my previous post on Apple, the biggest challenge I see with the iPAD is neither the hardware or the speeds and feeds, or even the built in software, it’s the Bill of Materials. Unless this device can hit critical mass, and quickly too, I just don’t see how they can reach the 40% Net Margin required to keep The Street happy, lest this should become another Apple TV!

Of course, the built in store may be the saviour, driving a sufficiently large Average Revenue Per User to support the required margin, and maybe, just maybe, there are enough fanboys out there who are willing to ignore the shortcomings just to have the hardware, or maybe the price is right, and the device is compelling as an media/ereader? Time will tell. Still wish I was there with Steve though!

UPDATE: 29th January @ 11:00am (Sydney time)

Apple’s stock performance should be a good Market indicator for iPAD given the launch was pitched by Apple as being “very significant” for the company. The chart below seems to reflect positive anticipation prior to the launch of iPAD, and outside of a short 2 or 3 hours recovery on the 27th a post launch slide in share price.

I have included comparisons to Google and Microsoft to try and provide a balanced view (MSFT just announced record revenues, the stock price still declined) yet it does look like the Market isn’t all that impressed by iPAD.