Being first isn't so relevant. Being successful is. You're right. Being first isn't meaningless, but being successful, or at least widely visible, is much more important. Apple has been an awesome marketing machine, and because of the concentration of iOS in just a few products (they are the only manufacturer of the hardware it runs on), they have wonderful visibility. People often knock Apple for claiming to invent things they didn't invent, but it's usually consumer misperception - not Apple - making the claims. Furthermore, when Apple releases something perceived (wrongly) as their invention, it's most often because they took existing technology and pieced it together - much like ingredients in a recipe - in a manner never done before (like the most delicious cake you've ever had, in keeping with my analogy). With respect to the fingerprint scanner and many other items...they didn't invent them, but they did make them more usable and broadly appealing/visible than anyone else. By the same token, however, Samsung and others should be knocked when they improve upon the same features/products. All companies seek to improve upon what exists; inventions are rare, and not the only/best way to go. |
