Top 10 Similarities Between iPhone 4 and Windows Vista

At Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference July 11 to 15, Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner told attendees he believes Apple's iPhone 4, with its antenna problems, could be that company's Windows Vista. Turner was referring, of course, to the issues faced by Microsoft after its Vista operating system failed to deliver an experience that customers had hoped for. Turner's comments were certainly interesting, and they undoubtedly will make some wonder if he's right. After all, there are parallels that can be drawn between the two releases. Depending on what Apple does to address the iPhone 4 antenna issue beyond offering a free case, the iPhone 4 could turn out to be just as big of a problem for Apple as Vista was for Microsoft. Let's examine some of the similarities between Windows Vista and Apple's iPhone 4.

Top 1. Two Major Companies Making Mistakes

Perhaps the first major similarity between the iPhone 4 debacle and the mistake that was Windows Vista is that both products come from major companies in the market. Many tech lovers expect flawed products to come from small companies that don't have the cash or employee talent to deliver top-notch products, whereas major companies are expected to offer robust products that don't have big issues. And yet, both Microsoft and Apple delivered products with problems. And there is no excuse.

Top 2. The Predecessor Was Major

The products that came before the iPhone 4 and Vista were wildly successful. Windows XP was a huge success for Microsoft that helped solidify its position in both the corporate world and the consumer market. Apple's iPhone 3G and 3GS were arguably the best smartphones ever released. They delivered most of the functionality users wanted, plus a design that has yet to be matched in the marketplace. Then Vista and the iPhone 4 hit store shelves. Although both performed well at launch, issues arose. The products aren't as dissimilar as Apple and its supporters want to believe.

Top 3. Problem? What Problem?

Unfortunately, it seems as if Steve Jobs examined what Steve Ballmer did when Vista's issues started arising, and followed his lead. The iPhone 4's problems are being dismissed as minor inconveniences that consumers should live with. When Vista turned out to be too resource-heavy and was experiencing security issues, Microsoft said they would all be addressed over time. When Apple admitted that the iPhone 4 had antenna problems, Jobs said it was an industrywide issue that hopefully would be addressed in the future. As both companies pretended that their products' problems weren't significant, they made themselves look worse.

Top 4. Other Companies Complain

Neither Microsoft nor Apple handled other companies well in regard to their respective products' problems. Microsoft, for example, continued to force Vista on vendors that didn't want to get bogged down with software that no one wanted. And Apple pointed to products from competitors to prove that the rest of the smartphones on the market have the same antenna issues as the iPhone 4. The companies basically took aim at others and have been forced to listen as those companies shot back with complaints of their own. Microsoft had to hear from HP and Dell, while Apple received a retort from RIM. As the competition fired back, it made Apple and Microsoft look worse.

Top 5. It Starts Small

With both the iPhone 4 and Vista, the issues started small. For Vista, it was simply that the operating system was too new, too resource-intensive and too insecure. For the iPhone 4, there were complaints about signal reception. But those issues grew as more consumers complained and neither company, at least in the eyes of its customers, responded well enough to those complaints. And now, both companies are trying to work their way out from under the mistakes they made.

Top 6. Sales Are Robust

Top 7. Fight for It

Top 8. The Issue Is Fixable

Top 9. Placing Blame Elsewhere

Top 10. The Competition Gains

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