Google Will Learn that Open Ain’t What It Used to Be

Google really kicked up the rhetoric this week openly declaring war on Apple.  However, what Google, Microsoft, and rest don’t understand is – it is not about having a front facing camera, multi-tasking or any other “do-hickey” the haters scream about.   It is the total “Experience.”  When I received my iPad a few days ago, I sent an email to my buddy informing him.  He sent me an email back saying “Welcome to the family.”

Mobile computing will not play out like desktop did 25 years.  It just won’t.  Everyone from the users to the producers are more savvy.  Google is attempting to play off the open versus closed debate and in my opinion it will be their down fall.  This morning’s New York Times article “The Death of the Open Internet” should at the least stimulate some discussion at the Googleplex.

I’m more technical savvy than many – my first job required that I learn UNIX.  So, I can hack around when necessary.  However, when I have to continuously re-install a printer driver for whatever reason or when Quicken refuses to connect to my bank account and Google search after search provides no solution; my acceptance of Apple’s “so called” closed environment becomes more appreciated.

My last gig in corporate America was selling software to engineers designing semiconductors.  It would always kill me when the front line engineers whined about the cost of our software.  They just didn’t get the big picture, but their management understood the productivity gains the software provided.  Apple products are more expensive.  However, when you take in consideration total cost of ownership (i.e. fewer Google searches for work arounds) Apple wins.

Curation is one of the hottest buzzwords floating around now.  According to Wikipedia, a curator makes decisions regarding what objects to collect, oversee their care and documentation.  This is becoming very important in the digital world.  Countless hours are wasted sifting thru useless information.  Trusted curators gathering and delivering the most pertinent information are quite valuable.   As much as the haters whine, this is exactly what Apple is doing with their app store.  Apple customers get the total cost of ownership story.  Open ain’t what it used to be.