The Dog That Didn't Bark

Here’s John Gruber on the Apple vs Google slugfest for dominance in smartphones — and eventually, in consumer electronics:

It’s exciting, vicious, fun to watch, and ultimately should prove to be excellent news for consumers. Competition drives innovation and innovation raises the bar for everyone. And the bar, for smartphones, is rising quickly.

Like any great rivalry, there are striking differences between the two competitors. Apple and Google are jostling to shift the comparison between the two platforms to their very different strengths. Apple’s strengths: user experience, design, consistency. Google’s strengths: the cloud, variety, permissiveness.

He’s right. But what’s interesting is who isn’t mentioned: Microsoft and Sony. Those two behemoths have been pretty much shut out already, and the contest is only just getting underway.