Techs & Trends

The iPhone 3GS is a brilliant device, almost magical in its ability to render graphics, toy with audio and jump from app to amazing app with such poise and grace that all other smart-phone developers must "kiss the ring" before exposing their next attempt at a serious contender. What those of us old enough to remember have learned from the past is that a single hardware manufacturer, with complete control over the creation and distribution of their product, no matter how brilliant cannot hope to maintain dominance over everyone else indefinitely. In this particular case, perhaps Apple's considerable advantage in development, support and a large user base would have overcome past models of innovative hardware releases, but they made a fatal error.
The use of AT&T as the sole American wireless carrier has allowed the internet giant Google to infiltrate all carriers with an alternative to the iPhone hardware/software design. When initially released as the G1 on T-Mobile, Apple probably chuckled, feeling no serious threat to their muscular, suffocating lead over any other platform's efforts to compete. But subsequently, the Android platform has "Tribbled" its way onto all other wireless carriers in a multitude of form factors, from a widening variety of seasoned mobile device manufacturers. Additionally, the software writers that were at one time beholden to the "fruit" have also insisted on writing for the ever growing number of Android devices that customers are warming to. But that's the "Trouble with Tribbles".