On Samsung’s use of Capital, Value Chain Evolution and Below the Surface. Why would you read the balance sheet of a tech company, the difference between R&D and capital spending, how to prevent suppliers becoming competitors and what are the economics of systems and application software in a device-centric model. Finally, why you shouldn’t confuse obscurity with secrecy.
via 5by5 | The Critical Path #67: Manufacturing Flying Cars.
An update on Asymconf California, a discussion of engagement and why Android does not get enough of it, why Amazon likes giving away Fires and the causal hypothesis of Samsung’s success in smartphones. That plus announcing a new 5by5 show: High Density.
via 5by5 | The Critical Path #65: The Shoe Seller’s Dilemma.
A dialogue with Benedict Evans, mobile analyst. Benedict has observed not only the technology and telecommunications industries as an equities analyst but also worked for an operator and a major media company. We take a look at mobile strategy and what the media industry will evolve into.
Horace and Moisés talk about the consequences of Samsung’s absorption of all Android profits, the limits of iPhone’s addressable market, Apple bear markets and, like an object in orbit, how Apple seems to always be falling but never hits Earth. Finally, Horace introduces Asymconf California.
In this episode Horace and Moisés discuss the iPad mini launch weekend (vis-a-vis older iPads and Windows 8), the curious case of choosy late adopters of smartphones in the US and the mystery of Apple’s capex late in the year. Horace spins a yarn about how Apple is playing chess with Sharp and Foxconn (and others) vs. Samsung.
5by5 | The Critical Path #61: Testing the App Supernova: An interview with Maxwell Wessel.
Horace interviews Maxwell Wessel, fellow at Clay Christensen’s Forum for Growth and Innovation at Harvard Business School. We explore the notion of apps as a disruption for multiple industries, especially entertainment.
5by5 | The Critical Path #60: Innovation Anxiety.
A talk about the iPad mini, my trip to Taiwan, the cycle time of Apple’s breakthrough innovations and the new Asymco Store.
I talk to Jean-Louis Gassée about the early years of personal computing. The conversation spans from 1968 to 1991 and covers his roles at HP, Exxon Office Systems and his years at Apple. The story takes us back to a time and place that seems so distant and yet so familiar.
via 5by5 | The Critical Path #59: Gut-level Affection, An interview with Jean-Louis Gassée.
We discuss composing presentations on an iPad while on the road and, at long last, the completion of the Critical Path book. We examine Apple’s honing technique in design, and how it contributes to forging products that are as uniquely experiential as the traditional samurai sword.
What job is there for the iPad mini to do? How do we stay focused on fundamentals when it comes to analyzing Apple’s stock price?
A conversation with Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Apple’s relationship with the media. How did the relationship evolve, is it changing and how is Apple addressing different media channels. Philip brings 30 years of experience to Apple journalism and provides some poignant anecdotes about Steve Jobs, the folklore of Apple and the disruption of journalism itself.
via 5by5 | The Critical Path #57: There Were Too Many Newspapers in New York.
