Q&A on PhotoShare for iPhone, by Cult of Mac

If I am Microsoft; the software giant who has the most used OS in the whole world, I should’ve feel uneasy right now, worried and sweating. Because everybody are converting to Mac right now as I speak, and I’m not just talking about new Windows users but also long time users and software developers too.

Take for an example; Satoshi Nakajima, a senior software engineer who once was the lead architect of Microsoft’s Windows 95 & 98. Not only that, he also oversaw the development of IE 3.0 & 4.0. After he left Microsoft, where he used to see Apple from the spectacle of Microsoft as a competitor, Satoshi tried to understand why some people are so into Apple, and so he picked up a Mac two years ago.

Later on, he fell in love with it and now he says he’ll never touch a PC again. Wow, talk about die-hard Apple-fan. In the end, Satoshi started a company in April, called Big Canvas; and released the first application especially made for iPhone: Photoshare.

Like what have been explained by Cult of Mac; Photoshare is like Flickr for iPhone photographers. The downloadable Photoshare app allows users to upload pictures to Photoshare’s website, and then share those pictures publicly or privately - without any required registration or the need for a computer.

But better than just make a quick review over Photoshare, Cult of Mac has managed to interview Satoshi and here are some partial of the Q&A:

• After working so long in the Windows environment, what attracted you to start exploring the Mac? --- … They have some kind of emotional high that’s very strong, very attractive - most addictive (laughs).
• So you’re OK with Apple’s 30% AppStore fee? --- I think that’s a fair number. A lot of people are complaining about that but compared to the other costs you’d have to bear to market for multiple hardware and also the complexity of provisioning for a lot of wireless operators are costs you avoid with iPhone, because it’s a one-time cost. So I think it’s fair, yes.
• What do you think about the future of Open Source mobile platforms such as Android? --- That’s a good question. We’re watching it, but at this moment there’s no business reason to go there. Right now Google is offering it as a platform to build phones, not applications. So some device manufacturers, especially manufacturers in Taiwan and China, they love it because it allows them to compete with Nokia and Motorola. But for software developers, they want to make money, so at this moment they need to become job shops to either those device manufacturers or wireless operators to build the software for them. …
• So you think the AppStore business model has a great future, not just for Apple, but that it might be the model for Google, Microsoft and whoever else wants to get in this game? --- Yeah. Nokia, for sure. Every industry needs to have some kind of consolidation to optimize. Right now, all over the world, we have thousands of stores, fragmented. Very expensive to sell, and Apple has proved that having a single app store does make sense to users as well as the offerers, so I believe Microsoft, Nokia and possibly Google will follow and we’ll have five stores, and that’s ideal. It’s almost like a miracle that Apple has managed to make this happen, I think this is Mr. Job’s contribution. …

I’ve cut-out some of the lines from the interview, and only pasted the ones that I think more interesting to know like that last part one there. Where IMHO, it’s already becoming a reality. Because rumor has it, that Android will also have an App Store alike application in it called “Market”. But then again, we’ll have to wait for Google to announce the release of Android before we spell-out the verdict.

Head on to Cult of Mac weblog to read the whole complete interview. All pictures are courtesy from Cult of Mac.

Let’s get back for awhile on the “love” for Apple’s products that is spreading fast these days over the globe, what really are the reasons for Apple-fans (yes, that includes you too ;-D) to fell in love so much like that?

Could it be the answers are just as simple as what Satoshi has write in the company’s blog:

1. We love Apple products - MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, iPod, iPhone, Apple TV, etc. You need ‘love’ to be creative.
2. We believe the devices like iPhone will change people’s life style, and we really would like to participate in that process.

Then why can’t Microsoft or any other tech companies out there do the same like what Apple is doing with its products? There are plenty of ideas, opinions & arguments on how Microsoft should act to topple-off Apple growing dominance over the software (& hardware) market. But can they all create that kinda “love”?

”Love”, the mysterious and missing ingredient that Microsoft hasn’t found yet to complete the recipe. Can it be created, now or in the future? So far, there’s no indication that Microsoft is mixing the right ingredients needed…

Microsoft is indeed should be worried…

And for the reminder on how Microsoft’s PR works in the past, why don’t you witness yourself one of the worst Microsoft’s ads on Windows 95 promo video below. Have a good laugh then! ;-D

[blogged with my Treo 750v]