The verdict was in Apple’s favor. Of course.

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Since I like Apple I am aware of that there are a lot of lawsuits about patent infringements, but at the same time I haven’t got enough technical knowledge to understand the details. The largest lawsuit of them all, with Apple versus Samsung and also Samsung versus Apple is however of another dimension. Thanks God the jury made the verdict that Samsung has copied Apple’s iPhone on purpose. By some reason the verdict was not the same for the iPad?

I have written about Apple and the copycat Samsung before in my blog.

To me it’s obvious that Samsung has copied Apple in a way that seriously damages their rights as innovators and originators. How hard can it be? You can chose to develop your own products with a sovereign ”personality” made out of technical features, design and choice of materials and then you make sure that you stay outside the greyzone where doubtfulness about copying may occur. Or you do like Samsung, analyze which smartphone is the best on the market and then make sure to copy it, piece by piece – which obviously is what they have done. The goofs even emailed about this so that anyone can read about how their ”development process” was performed.

There will always be an amount of ”inspiration copying” in the overall development. But then it’s in a sound way. One sees how someone has solved a problem, sees how someone else has solved a similar problem and you melt it together to something new. That’s a common way to define creativity. If you follow the development och tech stuff from the beginning then you will naturally see that at certain type of solutions follow each other during the years. But when it’s done in a sound way, everyone makes their own interpretation, so to speak.

My first question is how Samsung could be as bold as they have been? My next question is how Samsung could be as stupid as they have been? I think they have burnt their candle in both ends. A lot of their products will get banned in US which is a considerable part of their market, they will have to pay more than $1 billion to Apple and they have nurtured a lot of developers who have been forced to specialize in copying in stead of innovation and at the same time they have became enemies with one of their biggest (if not THE biggest?) customer for electronical parts… Do you fancy buying a Samsung share? Well, I would not think so…

I wonder how many of Samsung’s devices that will get banned from the US market? How did they dare to take that risk? And yet you hear the choir of complainers go on about the verdict being a lose for the american people, it will reduce their options and the verdict will make it difficult for the developers. Oh, wow… Of course it should be difficult for the developers! Isn’t that part of the job as well as coming up with good solutions? What kind of lazy persons have done this ”copy-developing”? If they really want to make a difference then they should all be happy now when the border for what is allowed has found a perfectly clear contour which means they are forced to think in new ways. Think outside the box. In fact we can all cheer upon the fact that the world now can look forward to another type of development that might give bigger opportunities for developers to test real innovations so that we all can gain from the new ideas instead of the lame copying that used Apple as the motor.

Furthermore, Samsung is not the only one that is occupied with copying among the Android developers. Google has just been too tame by giving access to Android development. The believers have talked warmly about how fantastic and open and optional the Android world is compared to Apple. Of course it is when they can ran around like maniacs without showing any consideration to others… Add the fact that not even developers like to develop for Android because the android users don’t real like to pay for apps – they expect everything to be free. Iphone users however, like to pay. Apparently they appreciate the work that is behind the apps.

I expect Microsoft and Windows 8 to gain from this verdict. They have tried to develop a operating system with a sovereign ”personality”. Cred to Microsoft! Unfortunately it seems that Windows 8 is not so warmly welcomed, but I keep my fingers crossed to make sure they go on and make it better.

Because, I don’t think that the world gets any better if Apple are the only ones being innovative. Apple could also become lazy. To see other’s good solutions gives you energy to perform better. I am glad that the verdict made the rules clear. Let’s all be happy!

Apple has a strong relation with the customers

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 When Apple’s value is growing more and more people discuss how long the success can go on. I think that in order to analyze and value Apple’s value it’s necessary to count with the strong relation Apple has to the customers. As usual I read an interesting analyze at the Asymco blog, but I think that one of the comments (signature “davesmall”) hits the nail:

“Computers have about a five year life cycle. Smartphones maybe two years. With 95% customer satisfaction, a couple hundred million customers are going to be upgrading their devices every two years. They’re not going to switch to Android or Windows Phone. This means the base business is renewable. Apple is not just a factory producing hits.The customers are repeat customers.”

Well, there are always some people who nags and complains and there will always be some people with a bad consumer experience, but 95% customer satisfaction… Hey! That’s a whole lot of satisfaction!

If you scratch the surface of that satisfaction there are a lot of clever people who also understand that there are good reasons to why they like their Apple devices. The devices are the result of good teams working at Apple with a good set of goals and a desire to make a difference. I think that from the moment a person add that understanding to the customer experience, then comes the stable trust in Apple as a company.

A lot has been written about Apple and Steve Jobs and there are reasons to that: Apple is an amazing company and the greatness seems to be consistent almost all the way from the surface to it’s inner core. I write “almost”, because there is a question mark concering the working conditions in some of the factories, though because I love and trust Apple I also trust that they will find a way to solve those problems. 

Since 1988 when I discovered the beauty of Apple I have felt so frustrated when I tried to understand how people could NOT understand what Apple is about. That question mark has now changed to a happy smile. We are a lot of Apple customers in the world and 95% of us are satisfied with Apple’s products. I think that Apple is totally worth it but at the same time it’s like a fairytale. 

If I was a designer at Samsung…

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This never ending story about Samsung shameless copying Apple’s design for iPhone and iPad.. The last thing I read was on Cult of Mac where they let two spokespersons from each side express their opinion.

To make it short you can say that the Android people defend themselves with that all gadgets that are built upon about the same technic will by time get about the same look because it’s handy. Though, that can’t in no way explain why Samsung also design the accessories, packaging and advertising in the same style as Apple. Now they have even used the same actress in their commercials!

It’s just stupid and silly when Samsung claims that they are not copying Apple. The truth is that they are copying Apple as much as they can!

I can’t understand how they can stand living with themselves? I try to imagine that I got the job as a designer at Samsung (which I of course would never ever accept, but hypothetically… and BTW, I’m not even a designer…) or as an Art Director for their advertising. Then I would of course want to create a visual identity that is as much different from Apple as possible. Android has for example created their little green ”spaceman” and I think I am pretty close when I assume that the green man is created because they want to show that Android stands for something else than Apple’s iOS.

From a professional point of view I would also like to show respect for the designers who has created Apple’s visual identity. Exactly the way I wish that others would pay respect for the things I create. But, as long Samsung keeps on copying Apple, there’s no reason to pay them any respect.

If I owned Samsung I would be even more concerned. Okay, there are a lot of examples to show that it’s not always the first and the best product that becomes the market leader and stays alive in the future, but at the same time it seems totally sick to build almost the entire company identity on copying another company. What if the company that you are copying chose the wrong path? How can you trust another company to shape the future for your own products? How do you dare to stop innovate and in stead focus on copying?

As the Apple-fan I am I watch this dirty fight between Samsung and Apple with frustration and amazement. It’s totally unreal that Samsung keep up their copying. They have no shame.

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Update:

Apple buying Samsung would be interesting.
@asymco Yes! Totally. Not only interesting, but also logical. Maybe that’s what Samsung is going for? Apple buying Samsung = peace?

Click here if you want to read Horace’s blog Asymco!

Cameratest iPod and iPhone 4S

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It’s really amazing how the camera has developed in iPhone 4S. Now and then it has surprised med with good photo quality even though the light condition has been really poor. I did this little test.

This photo is taken with my iPod Touch, the latest model. A good iPod.

This photo is taken with my iPhone 4S. I don’t know if it’s necessary to write much more than that. You can all see it. How can this little camera handle the candle flames so well for example?

My feeling that the camera in my iPhone 4S is so much better is confirmed. Wow! This is why it’s getting harder to sell small and simpler cameras today – there is no use for is when you have an iPhone. The iPhone has really taken over so many functions in our lives.