RE: Apple's longevity

Joe Barrera (joebar@microsoft.com)
Tue, 21 Jan 1997 16:46:59 -0800


Having a strong but vulnerable competitor (isn't there a boxing term for
this?) is better than having a weak (token) competitor. Having a weak
competitor is bad because it breeds complacency and reduces the urge to
fight your hardest. None of this has anything to do with copying ideas.

Chess makes a lousy solitaire game for anyone with a normal (or even
below-normal) amount of intellectual laziness. In a two-player chess game,
you don't copy your opponent's ideas, but you do play against them.

And of course there is the separate but related issue of justifying
resources to continue fighting the good fight when the opposing side has
clearly already lost. Don't take my word for it - just stop by your
friendly neighborhood defense contractor on the way home tonight.

- Joe

Joseph S. Barrera III (joebar@microsoft.com)
http://www.research.microsoft.com/research/barc/joebar
Phone, Redmond: (206) 936-3837; San Francisco: (415) 778-8227
Pager (100 char max): 1338993@roam.pagemart.net or (800) 864-8444

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Kohn [SMTP:dan@teledesic.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 1997 1:56 PM
To: 'FoRK@xent.w3.org'
Subject: Re: Apple's longevity

>>Oh, and I will bet that ApppleStep plus Java will create new product
>>categories that don't exist under Windows.

>As usual. Then Ms will copy it. Their is a considerable argument to be
made
>that Ms needs Apple to lead the way.

Ah, a point of agreement! There is nothing better in this world than
having a weak competitor. Keeps the feds off your back and provides the
occasional inspiration, but with no real threat to the bottom line.

- dan