[PugetSoundSoldier]

Android's open platform and the rapid growth of Android in the market makes it the best long-term bet for developers. Add in the free tools, known language (Objective C is Apple-only), and one-time low-entry fee (not an annual fee) and you have a situation for a win. And developers agree.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Android (is going to rule the world) ping!

[r9etb]

known language (Objective C is Apple-only)

Painting themselves into corners like this one, is a predictable Apple trait....

[tired&retired]

Anyone know about the Samsung Droid Verizon sells? I was looking at one today and they are buy one get one free.... works out to $99 for two units or I can substitute one Droid x or Droid 2 for one of them.

[dayglored]

Since the mid-80's, Apple has always been content -- indeed has always successfully aimed -- to supply a premium product to the high and mid-high end of their chosen markets. They produce the first successful "whatever", get a lot of airplay, seize some marketshare, and then as competitors copy their products, they yield the market (percentage-wise) while continuing to make a hell of a profit margin. Their competitors race to the bottom.

I do not know of any market where Apple has tried to own the majority of the market after their competitors start supplying low-end product for the masses.

So why is it somehow surprising that in the smartphone market, Apple would be content to produce a top-notch product, make excellent profits, make their shareholders happy, and then move on to the next innovation?

In other words, when will people open their eyes and see that Apple's business model is not based on marketshare (or in this case, developer share)?

Some day in the future, when Apple stock drops and the company is losing money, maybe some of these bogus criticisms based on marketshare will become valid. In the meantime, it's just a salesman's game of "I sold more widgets than you did", or "More developers like my platform than yours", instead of noticing, "I'm making more money and doing cooler stuff and my stockholders are happier than yours are."

It's all in how you define the goal, isn't it?

[B Knotts]

Objective-C is not Apple-only.

[B Knotts]

I agree that Android has greater potential, though. Just pointing out that Objective-C is cross-platform, though the open-source GNUstep framework.

[Revolting cat!]

Huawei (China) is coming out with a $100-200 Android smartphone that they coulda sell for a fitty and still prophet! (Available today for under $100 in Obomba’s homeland.) Sell my Apple stock and move to Switzerland? Those damn Swiss have betrayed us, the Obama tax dodgers, though.

[Revolting cat!]

There have been better music players that Apple’s iPod, check the Cnet reviews for proof. And what of it? Apple is holding its own, pisses on everyone else, just like Coca Cola does against whatever’s better in the marketplace. Yugo was at one time better than my buddy’s brand new Caddy, and I ain’t kidding. And where is Yugo today, while you (go) and I own a piece of the mighty GM. BY the way, when are the Obama dividend checks coming?

[cabojoe]

Wow a tech thread with no preemptive warnings in big red bold fonts about trolls, or bullet lists of subjects that are not to be talked about. WTG Soldier!