Reading1 - Panpan Deng

   As reading through part1 to part7 of the article "In the Beginning was the Command Line" by Neal Stephenson, I realize that how hard it is to make technology easier to use. We can easily see the changes from author's high school teletype using experience to the students' iMac using experience in class. Also, people who are in different positions have different levels of demand among computers. Just like what Neal states: "People who are inclined to feel poor and oppressed construe everything Microsoft does as some sinister Orwellian plot. People who like to think of themselves as intelligent and informed technology users are driven crazy by the clunkiness of Windows."(Page15). As long as customers believe that they get something in exchange of the money they pay, the companies are successful. 

   

As for the "invisible war" between Apple and Microsoft, I think there is little even no comparability between these two companies. First, Apple is an hardware company while Microsoft is a software company. "Apple therefore had a monopoly on hardware that could run MacOS, whereas Windows-compatible hardware came out of a free market"(Page16). Each has its own merits as well as drawbacks. For Apple, its arbitrary pieces of hardware and hardware monopoly are rewarding. The cost is low compatibility and high costs of the products. Microsoft has more freedom in the market but dependent. Even though there is no necessity of comparing these two companies in general, this link specifically compares somethings they have in common. 

  In the article, Neal mentions two ways to sell a product: price and features. I got my Macbook Pro in 2010 and there was no iWork pre-install on my computer. So I had to buy those collections from the Apple Store. Few weeks ago, one of my friends brought a Macbook Air and she got all iWork already installed on her computer. I know these iWork were not for free but in the money she paid for the computer. At this point, Apple choose features rather than lower price. Same as Microsoft.

  

  No one can predict which one will ultimately win, Apple or Microsoft. But one thing for sure is that the friendly competition between these two companies can definitely benefit our customers and create more historic products in the future.