Digital Wars
Apple, Google, Microsoft and the Battle for the Internet
by Charles Arthur
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date May 28 2014 | Archive Date Aug 20 2014
Description
Arthur looks at what are now the three best-known tech companies and through the voices of former and current staff examines their different strategies to try to win the battle to control the exploding network connecting the world. To win their battles: Apple used design and a relentless focus on the customer to the exclusion of others; Microsoft depended on the high quality of its employees' programming skills and its monopolies in software to move into new markets; Google focused on being quick, efficient and using the power of data analysis to make decisions and get ahead of would-be rivals. Accessible and comprehensive, Digital Wars analyzes the very different cultures of the three companies and assesses exactly who are the victors on each front.
The new edition will be brought up to date since the last edition in 2012, taking into account the growth of Android, mini-tablets and Microsoft's Surface. It also includes a new chapter looking at how China moved from being the assembly plant for iPods and other music players, and smartphones, to becoming the world's biggest smartphone business -- while shutting out Google both as a search engine and smartphone provider.
Advance Praise
Praise for the previous edition:
"[A] journalistic tale of competitive intrigue… For anyone with an interest in how our digital world has evolved, Charles Arthur's Digital Wars is required reading." --ForeWord Reviews
"Arthur traces the ups-and-downs of the companies over time and the cutthroat competition that persists today to create the next state of the art server, music device, smartphone, tablet, or something entirely new. ...Lively and informative, even non-geeks will find this story riveting." --Publishers Weekly
"It's rare to say that a business book is a page-turner. But Charles Arthur's book, Digital Wars, is just that. ...[Arthur] does something unexpected in his book: He breathes life into these billion-dollar companies and makes them...human. …Digital Wars does more than rehash familiar stories of these industry giants, instead focusing on overarching narratives complete with an accounting of the victories and losses of each. …If you enjoyed Walter Isaacson's biography of the late Apple CEO as a personal glimpse into the man, Digital Wars is a must-read for a view of Jobs' doppelganger, Apple, and the other companies that waxed and waned in no small part due to his genius." --New York Journal of Books
"Science and technology journalist Arthur (Guardian, UK) provides a summary of the big three Internet-era companies, focusing on search platforms, digital music, smartphones, and tablets. …Where many similar works such as John Battelle's The Search and Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs focus primarily on personalities and management approaches, this work focuses more on various aspects of market economics and strategies, as well as competitive patent practices. Valuable for all readers, and a suitable addition for history of technology and business collections. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries." --CHOICE
"[R]arely do I enjoy books as much as Charles Arthur's new Digital Wars. …Not only is this highly informative, but it is extremely well written. …He somehow manages to craft an exciting thriller out of what could have been written in a very arid and boring way. …This book is a "must read" for anyone who really wants to understand some of the changes that have taken place in the ICT industry over the last 15 years. …There is much to be learnt about the past from Digital Wars to help us shape the future." --Tim Unwin, CEO, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
"[A] great read, written in a concise, clear and engaging style." --Tim Anderson, ITWriting
"[A] definitive history of the battle for internet dominance between Microsoft, Apple and Google. … What distinguishes his book from the many volumes written about the Big Three is a passion for detail, checked and referenced facts, laced with anecdotes collected over decades of his professional writing career. There is a forensic quality to his writing that is as impressive as it is much welcomed. …There are so many lessons to be learnt from this book." --Liberate Media
"I believe that history shapes the future even in the fast moving world of technology. So, if you share the same beliefs, then this this is indeed an interesting read. …I recommend it." --A. Jaokar, Open Gardens Blog
"[A] revealing account of Apple, Google and Microsoft’s battles for dominance in search, digital music and smartphones." --Robert Skinner, Ertblog
"getAbstract recommends it to students of history, technology and corporate success. And if you are reading this abstract on a tablet or phone, you will soon learn more about the myriad decisions that led to the device in your hand." --getAbstract, Inc.
"[A] fine survey documenting battles over search technology, mobile music, smartphones and more, and considers how these companies embarked on campaigns that not only changed their business structures, but the nature of information as a whole." --Midwest Book Review
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780749472030 |
| PRICE | $19.95 (USD) |
Links
Average rating from 4 members
Featured Reviews
Eustacia T, Reviewer
So thanks to the Understanding Media by Understanding Google course that ended recently, I developed an interest in Google, Apple, and the rest of the tech giants. So I was really happy to see this book in NetGalley.
Digital Wars looks at Apple, Google and Microsoft, and how each of them have been reacting to the digital age. Microsoft established its dominance early on, but Google has overtaken it since then, and Apple has turned out to be a formidable contender.
This book goes through a quick introduction, and looks at the Microsoft antitrust case. After that, it looks at Search, Digital Music, Smartphones, Tablets and China, and compares how each of these three companies have done in each respect. So while it's not a chronological narrative, it does capture a good snapshot of how each company has performed in a given field.
I found this book to be very easy to read and extremely interesting. I haven't really considered Microsoft at all, but this book has showed me that they have been trying to regain their former dominance - although they don't seem to be succeeding in search or digital music.
As the different types of technology start to converge, what with rumors of an Apple smart watch, the debut of Google Glass, Microsoft 8, anyone with an interest in the technology market should read this book. Understanding how these companies have been acting in the past will help understand what they're doing today.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
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