And thus it seems Apple are starting the anti Google campaign

SteveOBHave · 21 Jan 2010 at 09:31

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/20/apple_and_ms_in_talks_over_iphone/

The Register said:
Onetime mortal enemies Apple and Microsoft are in talks over the possibility of Redmond's Bing replacing Google as the default search engine on the iPhone, according to a report citing two people familiar with the matter.

Anonymous sources speaking with Business Week say the two tech giants - so long at odds in the operating system wars - have spent "weeks" discussing a slap to Google on the Jesus Phone. "Apple and Google know the other is their primary enemy," one source told BusinessWeek. "Microsoft is now a pawn in that battle."

It looks like the point where Google and Apple are proper rivals is coming closer. In my opinion it can't come soon enough. Once Google start to release the full capablility of their hardware with multitouch in Google maps and no pandering to not damaging the Apple Google relationship the better for us as consumers.

I think Apple are making a long term mistake tho - there is an aversion to microsoft product and regardless of how capable Bing may be, I think there could be a potential backlash against Apple if their force people into using somthing they don't like. On the other hand some iPhone users do strike me as being sheep like surrender monkeys that couldn't give a damn about their phones as long as they work. Actually on second though I think I must belong to the minority that actually cares about this stuff - gah! Damn you Apple for showing me up to be a geek... again!

ChrisD. · 21 Jan 2010 at 09:35

Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Android is a major threat to the iPhone. Saying that, they need to get it to be as slick and easy to use as the iPhone.

Not everyone wants a phone that they have to **** about with to get it to work properly. People want a phone that is easy to use. With the iPhone, a 10 year old could use it very easily, something which can't be done with current Android handsets IMO.

LizardKing · 21 Jan 2010 at 10:00

Apple running scared?? There relying on Google and MS playing ball, there's no reason why either of them could not block the iphone, after all they probably get very little return and a vested intrest in disallowing the device access.

Though having the iphone limited to the likes of Yahoo would be quite funny!

But no doubt Apple have the marketing prowess to turn that around to there advantage and make Yahoo or any other search engine hip.

**goes off to buy some search engine shares**

GeX · 21 Jan 2010 at 11:22

MilanoChris said:
Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Android is a major threat to the iPhone. Saying that, they need to get it to be as slick and easy to use as the iPhone.

Not everyone wants a phone that they have to **** about with to get it to work properly. People want a phone that is easy to use. With the iPhone, a 10 year old could use it very easily, something which can't be done with current Android handsets IMO.

Conversely, not everyone wants a phone dumbed down to the level of a 10 year old!

Saying that tho, my little sister, who is convenietly aged 10 could use my Hero without much trouble. I think Android with senseUI is a decent UI, better than stock Android.

SteveOBHave · 21 Jan 2010 at 11:25

GeX said:
Conversely, not everyone wants a phone dumbed down to the level of a 10 year old!

Saying that tho, my little sister, who is convenietly aged 10 could use my Hero without much trouble. I think Android with senseUI is a decent UI, better than stock Android.

I whole heartedly agree - much more polish.

ChrisD. · 21 Jan 2010 at 12:56

GeX said:
Conversely, not everyone wants a phone dumbed down to the level of a 10 year old!

Saying that tho, my little sister, who is convenietly aged 10 could use my Hero without much trouble. I think Android with senseUI is a decent UI, better than stock Android.

To be fair, I haven't used the sense UI, may have to put it on my Magic to see what it's like.

GeX · 21 Jan 2010 at 13:00

It's a vast improvement. I used my sisters Magic over Xmas and thought 'oh.. so that's what its like stock.. :/ '

Vonhelmet · 21 Jan 2010 at 13:25

Clearly Apple need to start their own search engine.

SteveOBHave · 21 Jan 2010 at 13:29

vonhelmet said:
Clearly Apple need to start their own search engine.

That's the rumour - but we've seen how successful recent search engine startups have been. It's one hell of an upward climb.

"andy" · 21 Jan 2010 at 17:44

apple are playing a dangerous game when in an instant MS or google could both just block iphone use if they wanted. imagine your ipod or iphone with no you tube , google mail , maps , msn messenger , windows support etc

Nash · 21 Jan 2010 at 18:00

Business politics is interesting. I am keen to see how this will develop.

ChrisD. · 21 Jan 2010 at 18:01

"andy" said:
apple are playing a dangerous game when in an instant MS or google could both just block iphone use if they wanted

I highly doubt that it is that simple.

Dolph · 21 Jan 2010 at 18:03

"andy" said:
apple are playing a dangerous game when in an instant MS or google could both just block iphone use if they wanted. imagine your ipod or iphone with no you tube , google mail , maps , msn messenger , windows support etc

And indeed, doing such a thing would only be following in Apple's footsteps of locking everything else out of their products such as itunes.

Nash · 21 Jan 2010 at 18:04

They didn't do that retroactively though did they? It's been like that since day one.

Beansprout · 21 Jan 2010 at 18:05

I don't see the issue here...isn't the search engine only the search box in Safari?

I simply use the Google app...

Dolph · 21 Jan 2010 at 18:06

Nash said:
They didn't do that retroactively though did they? It's been like that since day one.

But they work hard to ensure it stays that way.

Vampyre · 21 Jan 2010 at 18:15

It would be a laugh if Google blocked iPhones from youtube in protest. Thing is Google surely has the upper hand here, it's not like Apple blocking anything for Android 'phones is going to bother Google much.

Pug · 21 Jan 2010 at 18:23

my iphone - which i love not for its style (i actually think its a wee bit dated now?) but for its functionality - would be a MUCH less enjoyable and useful tool if google gets dropped from it. Bing? please...

Nash · 21 Jan 2010 at 18:38

Dolph said:
But they work hard to ensure it stays that way.

And? It works for them as their hugely popular range of phones show. I wouldn't want to make a business and then open it up so people can steal my potential profits.

SteveOBHave · 21 Jan 2010 at 18:44

Beansprout said:
I don't see the issue here...isn't the search engine only the search box in Safari?

I simply use the Google app...

Nah the search box has always been linked to Google. It's the main reason why Google has been treading so carefully with their phone rollout and allowing functionality that is clearly originally developed for the iPhone.