Opinions - NokiaSoft grows stronger by the day

[HEXUS]

The main beneficiaries of Apple’s war with Google could end up being Microsoft and Nokia.

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[crossy]

Excellent piece - I found it informative and insightful

I really hope Nokia+Microsoft do make a good showing with WP7 next year, if for no other reason than if they become successful will Apple try and sue them. If so, then I suspect that the potential countersuit based on a combined Nokia + Microsoft patent portfolio would be a sight to behold - and damn near irresistible. So, for that reason alone, I suspect if Apple does try going after WP7 then they'll pick on a softer target - say HTC (again!).

Just as long as NokiaSoft launch their new phone by June (when my current contract comes up for renewal).

Microsoft and Nokia must be watching Apple and Google (and Oracle) knocking chunks out of each other with unbridled glee.

For some reason (Friday feeling?) that quote above reminded me of Wacky Races, with Apple as Dick Dastardly. (and Oracle as Muttley of course).

[Brewster0101]

Excellent piece - I found it informative and insightfulwill Apple try and sue them. If so, then I suspect that the potential countersuit based on a combined Nokia + Microsoft patent portfolio would be a sight to behold .

Apple know full well that Microsoft can go toe to toe with them when it comes to legal disputes and patents - They have a long history of it.

It is unlikely Apple will stretch its resources into attacking Microsoft while going after Samsung, Google and HTC - but even so, a counter attack by Microsoft/Nokia would probably cause too many issues for Apple.

I think Apple has attacked HTC and Samsung because it feels they can bully them - They know full well they can't bully Microsoft.

[Denis_iii]

Isn't Microsoft a large share holder in Apple? I assume that alone would prevent commi Apple sueing M$ re: Win Pho 7?

Any update on when the Samsung Galaxy Win Pho 7 version will be released?

[Biscuit]

Isn't Microsoft a large share holder in Apple? I assume that alone would prevent commi Apple sueing M$ re: Win Pho 7?

Intel possibly are, i don't think Microsoft are though?

[DannyM]

I believe Microsoft did have share but they were NON voting shares and from what I have gathered they sold the shares in the company a while back.

It's always been a game of cat and mouse but Nokia has been in the phone business for a rather long period and with MS researching a lot of hardware these days you'd like to think they will have plenty of patents in the drawer. Especially with the Zune which pretty much covered most hardware you would see in a phone.

[Funkstar]

I seem to remember that MS had to pump somthing like $150million in Apple about 15 years ago to keep them going so the DoJ and the EU didn't really hammer them for being a monopoly. No idea if that stake still exists. i think they also had to guarantee to maintain Office, Internet explorer and some of the software on Mac OS. Of course this has changed since as MS has dropped some of these.

[McPhee]

I really hope Nokia+Microsoft do make a good showing with WP7 next year, if for no other reason than if they become successful will Apple try and sue them. If so, then I suspect that the potential countersuit based on a combined Nokia + Microsoft patent portfolio would be a sight to behold - and damn near irresistible. So, for that reason alone, I suspect if Apple does try going after WP7 then they'll pick on a softer target - say HTC (again!).

Won't happen for so many reasons. Mainly because Microsoft are cash rich, have a massive patent portfolio of their own and are keen on settling things before they get to court. Plus, the existing litigation is basically an attempt to stop Google from taking over the market. There's a serious danger posed by Google, they have the potential to freeze out a lot of areas of the tech market to other players simply because they don't need to make money from products and services. Microsoft's monopoly in the 90's is nothing compared to what Google has the potential to sew up this decade if someone doesn't put the breaks on them.

[crossy]

[snipped] Plus, the existing litigation is basically an attempt to stop Google from taking over the market. There's a serious danger posed by Google, they have the potential to freeze out a lot of areas of the tech market to other players simply because they don't need to make money from products and services. Microsoft's monopoly in the 90's is nothing compared to what Google has the potential to sew up this decade if someone doesn't put the breaks on them.

I can't see the current Apple v's Samsung case being Apple generously trying to stop Google - if so then why aren't they suing Google directly? No Apple v's Samsung is more about the evil fruit trying to protect their garden. The Oracle v's Google makes more sense to me (and that's difficult to admit, because I despise Oracle with a passion), and I actually hope that Google do end up paying something for Java (although nowhere near the obscene amounts that Oracle are looking for).

Google's problem is that - unlike Microsoft - there are plenty of alternatives to their services. Heck, use Bing and Firefox with ABP (or similar) and use a Win7Phone phone and they're not going to make any real money from you. So if you hate/fear Google, then don't use them! Personally I don't think Google can establish a monopoly like MS' in the 80's. Then you really had a choice of Windows, Windows or Windows if you wanted desktop (yes, I know there was Mac and Linux, but the latter was pretty darned crude, and the former too expensive to be in the running), and arguably Office was the office suite that no-one got fired for buying. Like I said, Google would like to be in that position, but aren't.

I've got three Android devices, but I'd quite happily switch to Bing, (when they start doing decent time-based search limits). I don't use Google Docs much, and I use Firefox just as much as Chrome (actually I use Firefox more than the Chrome equivalent on my Android tablet, mainly because the 'droid tablet browser sucks big time). Don't think I'll be using Google Music, don't like Google Books, and ChromeOS leaves me cold.