Dogfight: How Apple and Google Went to War and Started a Revolution - Fred Vogelstein
2014-03-07 #books #fred vogelstein #reviews #it #apple #google #stars:2 #published:2013GoodReads Summary: The rise of smartphones and tablets has altered the business of making computers. At the center of this change are Apple and Google, two companies whose philosophies, leaders, and commercial acumen have steamrolled the competition. In the age of the Android and the iPad, these corporations are locked in a feud that will play out not just in the marketplace but in the courts and on screens around the world.
It starts as a very interesting story, telling the behind the scenes stories about the first iPhone and the creation of Android. Then it derails and do two stupid things: starts brown nosing one side and focus on a single region.
Mid book you'll see how Jobs was aggressive, how Apple was nasty and how Page, Brin and Schmidt were open and Google was an innovative company. The author doesn't deny the effect of iPhones and iPads, but focus solely on what others were doing instead of giving at least some acknowledgement too the company that created such devices. And yes, I know I sound like a fanboy, but when the author talks about Android it is never about its effects, only how cool and innovative and customisable it is. This very much makes the whole book look one sided, in a non funny way.
The other point is the effects of mobile ecosystem. Everything focus solely in the USA. It's really weird for someone read about Google Music and its dent on Apple music stronghold when your country have no access to Google Music since its inception 3 or so years ago.
If the whole book focused on the behind the scenes stories and how they intertwine, it would be a really interesting book. But a narrowed vision and the author personal opinion leaking through the story really ruins everything.