Smart Phones, Google, Apple, and the Next Ten Years.

I recently purchased T-Mobile's newest (as of 8/1/09) smartphone, the "MyTouch 3G". I've been a loyal T-Mobile customer for 11 years, since 1998 (can you believe it?). No, I have never switched phone service providers, although I have sought information about other providers a few time. However, I've stayed with T-Mobile based on their customer service, equally low or lower rates, and the loyalty minutes they provided to me for my long-time patronage. How can I leave that?

So far I am really enjoying the MyTouch. I was slightly jealous for some time of IPhoners. It seemed like they had all the fun. It turns out the MyTouch is basically the same thing--go figure, the name even seems to imply it, am I wrong? That doesn't bother me, though. Although I was a loyal Mac user for many years, I actually switched back to PCs. Having an IPhone probably would have made more sense if I still used Mac products. The odd thing is is that I don't miss the Apple world much at all. I wouldn't say I don't miss it one bit, because I do, but it's only a bit.

The mobile operating system on the MyTouch is Google's Android. It is one more vacuum into the Google world (I say this as I am in Blogger...). However, if you feel comfortable in Google's universe, then you are probably right at home. I am lazily against the magnate of Google, but I am suspicious of the monopoly. I suspect Apple and Google will for only a short time longer become more competitive in their rivalry in the smartphone world. Apple was lucky to have rocked the smartphone world first with the Iphone and all it's capabilities. However, I am guessing Apple will have to be the first again at something else as smartphone and music downloading competitors who are not Apple heads, such as myself, get their needs met by second and third place finishers. What else can Apple do? What does anyone need or want anymore? Besides jobs in the U.S. We shall have to see. Ten years ago we couldn't have known the extent to which information and communication technologies would change our lives, even the lives of the reluctant to change, but they have. What will another ten years bring? Will Google and Apple merge? Will another small start-up, perhaps not even in Palo Alto, do what Google has done? Could any start-up resist Google's massiveness, even if they wanted to? Share your thoughts and crystal ball visions on the information technology to come in the next ten years. Tell us what you think.