Post Quarter Life

I dismissed the Galaxy Note right off the bat, but perhaps it does have a use case. I think Samsung did it an injustice by marketing it as a “fourth device” to compliment the smartphone, tablet, and laptop.

I got some hands-on time with the Note yesterday and…kind of liked it. It’s still not clear whether there’s a big market for a phone this humongous. (Let’s face it: If you hold it up to your ear to make a call, you’re going to look silly.)

Kudos to Samsung’s legal defense team for their creativity.

I hope Microsoft is able to pull it off. The tablet market needs more innovation and competition. Android isn’t there yet and the iPad is too limiting for a lot of consumers.

If Microsoft is right in believing that people don’t actually want limitations, and that they’ve been forced into those compromises because the iPad is the only device giving them the ease of use they’re after, Windows 8 will be triumphant.

Samsung has gotten around this problem for their phones by manufacturing its own displays, processors, on-board storage, etc. — that’s why the Galaxy S 2 has such amazing hardware.

This isn’t just for displays either, whether it’s glass, screens, chips or any other parts, Apple uses its cash hoard to secure exclusive rights by investing in companies and manufacturing processes. This is seen within HP not only as a way that Apple secures the best hardware for itself, but also as a way that Apple stymies innovation in other companies by using its power to cut exclusive deals.