On one hand, yay. Apple and Motorola have been talking about making a wonderfully happy sounding ipod cell phone for a while, but according to the NYTimes and tons of other media sites. According to Alicson, I shouldn’t be nearly as excited because:
1) I already have an iPod
2) I’m in China
3) I’ve already got a cellphone; and
4) I’m in China
On the other hand, Apple’s been having a pretty crappy summer. Microsoft beat Apple to the punch by initially securing the iPod patent. Why Apple was so slow in applying for it in the first place is beyond me. While they can still appeal, it looks poor follow-through to me.
And as if that one experience wasn’t bad enough, Apple has also lost some crucial patent issues with Creative. The issue here is the menu system and heirarchical menu system used. Apple has always been viewed as the underdog fighting against “the man” and all that jazz. But if this is how they run their business, then I guess I’m not too surprised. As a huge Apple user myself, I have to say that not only am I surprised, but I am a bit embarrassed that they’ve dropped this many balls.
/rant.