Quote:I think Apple are frightened that people will pick up a Galaxy tablet, thinking it an iPad, and prefer it over Apple's offerings.
I think you're absolutely right about this. (From Apple's point of view, a similar thing happened before with the Macintosh versus the IBM PC + Windows, and threatens to happen also with the iPhone vs Android phones). From Apple's point of view, they sit down, design a product that changes the game (look at tablet computers before the iPad versus tablet computers after the iPad), then others produce something similar, perhaps cheaper, but in their opinion inferior, and they fear customers choose the other product.
The question is, then -- should this be allowed? If Apple do things like the iPhone and Pad, that completely change consumers' expectations of a product category, should everyone else be forced to do it 'the old way'? For how long should the exclusivity last? Are the similarities between Samsung's devices and the iPhone and iPad so significant that it really constitues 'infringement' rather than 'inspiration'?
These are questions I'm still wrestling with. Coming from a Mac
and a Linux background, I want robust, strong competition, because that benefits consumers and keeps things fresh, but I also recognise that Apple might legitimately feel like they are the ones who take big risks with new product ideas, and everyone else jumps on the bandwagon.