Counternotions:
Suppose you were the CEO of Apple in 2005 when a couple of intergalactic visitors with time-warping technology offered you this bet:
Design and manufacture a small mobile device that seamlessly combines the functionalities of a cellular phone, a web surfer, an audio/video player and a small PC, and your company will double its market cap and establish a third mass-market computing platform after Windows and Macintosh.
Would you take it?
Before you say, “Are you nuts, why wouldn’t I?” ponder just a few of the issues involved.
Reading his analysis of the issues Apple faced back in 2005 makes it even more remarkable that Apple “bet the company” on the iPhone.
It seems like a number of these questions would still apply to a 2010ish Apple considering a move into the television market “in a few years”.
“Often, the anything-but-Apple choir doesn’t quite appreciate the immensity of the risks Apple took with the iPhone.”
Absolutely true. As someone who has used macs since 1984 I can say I was worried and excited to see what would happen. I never imagined APple would ever get this big. On the one hand I am happy because I have always loved Apple and supported most of what they have created. On the other hand I miss the smallness of the Apple group. I guess you can’t have it both ways.
Now imagine a second bet from the visitors. Take five minutes to read the the end of all taxes google site (google the end of all taxes). Would you as CEO now try to make a deal with your government so that everybody can always get the new iPhone for free while promoting this taxfree system while giving the following two reasons for that:
1 -The belief that the law needs a new amendment that says that people have the right to buy the best new smartphone for free because it is more than just a device. It’s an accelerator for the progress of the human race.
A simple example is facetiming with the police or doctors to give them a more detailed idea of a life threatening situation.
2 -The government has no problem whatsoever paying the smartphone companies in this new system when someone trades his free smartphone
for the new free smartphone in a system where the abusers of this free system only get that many warnings before they have to pay for it.