blastdoor

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blastdoor
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  • Microsoft blames European Commission for global CrowdStrike catastrophe

    blastdoorblastdoor
    I agree with Microsoft.

    The irony is, we actually have a much more competitive market today than we did 25 years ago. Back in 1999, there was Wintel and not much else. Apple had about a 2% marketshare of the PC market, there was no smartphone market, almost all of the RISC guys were throwing in the towel out of fear of Intel, AMD was barely hanging on, etc etc. 

    Today, we have three major platform companies (Apple, Google, and Microsoft), not just one. We have real competition between Intel and AMD plus multiple very strong ARM-based competitors and RISC-V on the horizon. 

    This is basically a golden age of competition in computing platforms and the EC is trying to wreck it.
    9secondkox2timpetusbadmonkwilliamlondonbaconstangradarthekatIG-apple_viennawatto_cobra

  • Global chaos erupts as Windows security update goes bad

    blastdoorblastdoor
    avon b7 said:
    AppleZulu said:
    So this is where we see letting third-party vendors have that level of access to the OS in order to provide security becomes a vulnerability in itself. 
    These issues can affect first party vendors in exactly the same way. 

    Sure, they “can,” but the important question is the probability that it happens. If first party reduces the probability, then first party control is the way to go.

    across multiple industries, I think we are now seeing the advantages of vertical integration. Apple has been a champion of vertical integration for a long time, but now we are also seeing how formerly integrated companies are crashing and burning when they give up control of key product components — ie Boeing. 


    tmaydanoxbadmonkbaconstangradarthekatAlex1NForumPostCurtisHightwatto_cobra

  • TSMC 2nm processor won't arrive until the iPhone 18 Pro

    blastdoorblastdoor
    N2 production would need to start in the first half of 2025 for apple to get it into the 2025 iPhones. 

    I had assumed that wouldn’t happen, but some other stories made it sound like it could. A combination of good luck and lots of money might make it happen. 

    Though honestly I’m not sure why Apple would want to accelerate N2, except perhaps for the Mac so they can compete with Intel 20A and 18A. But for the iPhone, nobody will be on a more advanced mode than apple, so no need to rush.
    nubustenthousandthings

  • Microsoft China bans Android, demands staff use iPhones

    blastdoorblastdoor
    StrangeDays said:
    ssfe11 said:
    Yup a Wall Gardened type of security does have its advantages. 
    As does being based on OS X which is based off Unix.
    Android is based on Linux which is very unixy. 

    I’m quite sure that it is not the esoteric differences between Linux and Unix that are driving this but instead Apple’s superior commitment to security and privacy.
    williamlondonmuthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobrajony0

  • EU hits back at Apple withholding Apple Intelligence from the region

    blastdoorblastdoor
    blastdoor said:
    blastdoor said:
    blastdoor said:
    Every time I read one of these EU stories I try to think about what Apple should do to deal with this situation. It’s tempting to say Apple should just leave, but it doesn’t make sense to leave money on the table.

    They won't be leaving money on the table by pulling out of the EU. First, the EU is just a fraction of what Apple classifies as "Europe" (which includes the Middle East and at least parts, if not all, of Africa), and obviously doesn't include European countries not in the EU, such as the UK and Switzerland. The fines the EU is threatening far eclipse the value of the EU as a market. Second, if EU rules force Apple to cripple, compromise or otherwise dumb down their products, that makes them less competitive in the rest of the world. There is at this point almost no upside for Apple to release anything in the EU and plenty of downside, not to mention all the resources wasted "negotiating" with EU bureaucrats who are not acting in good faith and are making up the rules as the go and changing them retroactively.

    So, what exactly is the downside for Apple to simply pull out of the EU until there is a more favorable business climate there? I can't see any upside to staying at this point.
    I’ve read that the EU represents about 7% of Apple’s revenues. That’s almost $30 billion a year. I see no reason to walk away from that if you don’t have to. 

    I think it's less than that because Apple doesn't break out revenue for the EU as such, only "Europe" which includes the Middle East and Africa. Even actual Europe, you have to drop out revenue from non members of the EU like the UK and Switzerland.

    But, even if it is 7%, if they are threatening you with fines of 10%, seems like a no brainer to drop that market. Why sell for a loss?
    The point is to avoid the fine by complying with the law. That is, I’m saying Apple should swallow their pride and  sell the dumb products that the EC demands. It might be bad for consumers but that’s on the EC. And only sell the lobotomized product in the EU, obviously. 

    Let the baby have its bottle. 

    Unless it turns out to be impossible to please the baby, and then leave. 

    It’s also better from a PR perspective to let people see that it’s the EC that’s being unreasonable. How they handle this in Europe can affect laws and regulations elsewhere. Apple needs to be seen as the good guys, the EU as the bad guys, so that politicians in other countries conclude they don’t want to follow the EU example 
    Well, Apple has already said it will sell the EU the dumbed down products and the EU (Vestager) has said publicly that that is unacceptable, so I think we've already moved well past that point. (Apparently, Microsoft is in trouble for not selling the dumbed down product, so with the EU it's damned if you do, damned if you don't.)
    Vestager complaining in public strikes me as a sign of weakness. It makes me think she's afraid that EU Apple customers might not appreciate the consequences of her actions. So I don't think Apple should run away from the EU just because she's huffing and puffing. And I think there's plenty of room for Apple to lobotomize the products further. For example, eliminate the App Store in Europe and make all apps side-loaded. Or let anybody have an App Store and leave it to the EC to protect consumers. Kick EU users out of iMessage and let them only have SMS, so that the EC can snoop all they want.There are a lot of cards to play here. 
    tmaymuthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra