The three-way struggle between Microsoft, Apple, and Google really has no precedent in the history of computing platforms. In early contests it was typically a single firm that rode the crest of a new technology to become the dominant player. Examples include IBM’s dominance of the mainframe market, Digital Euipment’s dominance of minicomputers, Microsoft’s dominance of PC operating systems and productivity applications, and Cisco Systems’ dominance of the Internet router market. In the current struggle are three firms trying to dominate the customer experience on the Internet. Each firm brings certain strengths and weaknesses to the fray. Will a single firm “win,” or will all three survive the contest for the
consumer Internet experience? It’s still too early to tell.