At the end of an audio conference yesterday evening there was a heated debate on Apple’s view of subscriptions which led to an equally charged discussion on the restrictions it places on developers. The three of us engaged in this conversation have combined experience in IT of 75 years plus so you can guess that it was quite lively. However at the heart of the discussion was our different requirements and expectations from our ICT which got me thinking….
In the press the last few days there has been a backlash against apple and even the Independent went all The Sun on us and called it a Mac-Lash which wasn’t very PC. Some of this is down to the media feeling aggrieved by the subscription cut of 30% levied by Apple when the transaction is carried out in-app but Apple allow subscriptions to be done outside the app so not sure what the problem is here. For smaller publications though it may make a lot of sense as the e-commerce pain is taken away, and it’s easier for potential customers to hook up with the service. The key point here is that you choose a service that fits your business model and therefore meets your requirements.
So I use Mac’s for business and most of my customers use Windows, but up to this point I have had no problems exchanging documents or collaborating on projects, so at the level we use our diverse technologies there are no issues. However, if more specialist applications are required that run on one specific platform then there would be an issue. If that was the case my business model would be different and there would be a set of very specific requirements that need to be fulfilled. These requirements would in most instances dictate the platform I would buy, so as long as I followed these to the letter I can be pretty sure that the system chosen would meet my needs.
For consumers then the same thought process should still apply, but in a way they are perhaps more complex, as there are greater number of potential uses than there is within a business. Here’s a few questions and answers as an example.
Q. What’s my budget
A. Good question!!!
Q. Which applications do I use
A. Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Video Editing, Photography, Music, Browsing, E-Mail, Social Media
Q Where do I use these applications
A. Home: WP, Spreadsheet, Video Editing, Photography
A. Home & Away: Music, Internet, Browsing, E-Mail, Social MediaA Away: Music, Browsing, E-Mail, Social Media
Q. Mobile phone integration
A. Yes I would like it to be integrated
Q. Will you be buying all Music, Applications and Media from a limited number of suppliers
A. Yes
Q. How much control do I need over the system
A. Happy to let the system do all the work
This is a really simplified view but it could start to lead you in a certain direction on the technologies you need to meet your requirements. So to me it looks like a Desktop system allied with a smartphone and the last question tends to steer towards a Windows PC with a Windows Phone or a MAC with an iPhone. If the answer was no to mobile phone integration then this could be a steer towards a tablet for mobile needs.
So is the Android vs. Apple vs Windows argument irrelevant. My view is that it is and the most important thing is to understand the requirements and what you want to get for your cash. We all do this when buying cars, you wouldn’t buy a Mazda MX-5 if you needed four seats, but it does appear that we don’t do this when buying technology.
