苹果的竞争战略

    上周，苹果CEO蒂姆•库克在一年一度的苹果世界开发者大会（Worldwide Developers Conference）上首次做了主题演讲。这也是标志苹果迈入库克时代的一个里程碑。不过库克的工作也有很的大风险。首先要走出乔布斯的阴影就不是件容易的事，其次分析师、投资者以及成百上千万的“果粉”们都在寻找苹果是否出现了创新减缓的苗头，又或是是否有哪里出现了失误的迹象。不过苹果的声明里有一个核心焦点，那就是现在库克正在准备对微软（Microsoft）和谷歌（Google）发动进攻。眼下苹果一边在与微软最新发布的Windows 8操作系统进行竞争，另一方面苹果还想挑战Android系统在手机数量上的优势。以下就是苹果采取的战略：

    微软推出Windows 8后，苹果发布了安装了视网膜显示屏的新款MacBook Pro。随着微软相继发布Windows 8和Metro UI，并开始支持ARM架构，看起来微软已经准备好了通过一系列的新产品发布，让自己这样一个庞大的计算平台朝着更加移动化的方向转变。另外近日微软还推出了一台名叫Surface的平板电脑。那些以移动业务为中心的创业公司、特别是那些主打平板电脑产品的小企业应该会非常关注微软Windows 8的发布。

    不过最近苹果凭借新MacBook Pro的发布扳回了一城。新MacBook搭载了先进的视网膜显示屏，据说待机时间长达7小时，以今天的价格来算，可以说苹果再次为那些靠“Windows系统+英特尔芯片”吃饭的PC厂商提高了追赶的门槛。虽然苹果在现在的全球PC市场上仍然只占了一个较小的份额，但它的营业利润却是其他PC厂商望尘莫及的，说不定未来还有可能把普通PC厂商的利润空间彻底榨干。由于苹果一直保持并扩展着与普通Windows PC厂商的利润差距，因此微软的最强项，也就是它的Windows PC业务被限制住了手脚。对于苹果来说，这相当于对微软的核心业务形成了狠狠一击，同时苹果还在它的主打业务——也就是移动业务上继续保持着行业领导者的地位。

    苹果与Facbook的集成也给了谷歌的Android系统造成了不小的打击。最日苹果与Facebook联合宣布，苹果将在即将正市上市的iOS6操作系统中更深度地集成Facebook。用户会发现，用iOS6登录Facebook变得更容易了，而且利用iPhone或iPad上传照片或音乐也会变得更容易。

    这一举动在战略上直指谷歌和Android系统，但在我看来，最大的受益者其实是Facebook。据报道，Facebook的移动业务一直不甚理想，原因之一就是从移动设备上传内容到Facebook上一直不是很方便。而苹果与Facebook的战略联姻似乎解决了这个问题。同时，通过在iOS上设置默认程序深度整合Facebook，iOS的开发者也拥有了一个渠道，可以获取越来越多的社交网络信息流。如果执行得力，此举还会进一步打压谷歌的社交平台Google+。一直以来Facebook都被人怀疑对移动业务重视不够，现在通过收购照片分享应用Instagram，Facebook终于可以对这种说法给出强力回击了。

    Last week, Tim Cook took the stage and keynoted Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference for the first time. It wasanother milestone marker at the beginning of the Cook era, and a high stakes one at that. Apple's new CEO is laboring not only in the shadow of the great Steve Jobs but the millions of fanboys, analysts and investors looking for any signs of a drop-off in innovation, a loss of a step. But the announcements had one core focus: Cook is going on the offensive against Microsoft and Google. Cook and Apple want to set the competitive battle ground on which Microsoft launches Windows 8 and it wants to attack Google mobile OS unit leadership with Android. Here's how:

    Apple's (AAPL) New MacBook Pro with Retina Display is going after Microsoft (MSFT) Windows 8. With its upcoming Windows 8 launch, its Metro UI and ARM support, Microsoft has a major Windows release that appears well tuned to evolve its mass scale computing platform to a more mobile-centric world. (A new tablet dubbed Surface isn't likely to hurt either.) Mobile-centric startups, especially with tablet offerings or enterprise focus, should watch Microsoft Windows 8's launch closely.

    Apple's new MacBook Pro announcement has stolen a bit of a march on Microsoft here. By launching this new MacBook Pro lineup -- with Retina Display, a reported 7 hour battery life, at today's prices -- Apple is raising the bar (and likely the BOM costs) on WinTel-based PC manufacturers. Though still a small percentage of unit share in the global PC marketplace, Apple now accounts for the vast bulk (potentially all) of PC manufacturer profits. Maintaining and extending that profit pool leadership against the WinTel PC manufacturers limits Microsoft's maneuverability on its strongest front, namely its Windows PC business. From Apple, this is a solid jab at Microsoft on Microsoft's core front, while Apple retains its leadership on its key mobile fronts.

    Apple's Facebook (FB) integration hits Google (GOOG) Android hard. Apple and Facebook announced that Facebook will be much more deeply integrated into the upcoming iOS6. Users will find it much easier to connect to Facebook from iOS6, making it easier to post a photo or a song from your device to Facebook.

    Strategically, this aims right at Google and Android, and the big beneficiary in my view on this announcement is actually Facebook. Facebook has reportedly struggled in mobile, in part because it's been cumbersome to get stuff from your mobile device onto Facebook. This development appears to address this problem. Also, by opening up Facebook on iOS via an API, iOS developers will get access to the increased social flow that this integration enables. Done well, this move may tighten the vice on Google Plus. With the Instagram acquisition and now this, Facebook has some strong responses to any perceptions that they're not focused on mobile.