The first time that Apple, Google and Microsoft found themselves sharing the same digital space was 1998. They were radically different companies that would subsequently fight a series of battles for control of different parts of the digital landscape that would be world-changing.
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 ist employees' programming skills and ist 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 is completely up-to-date to take into account receent developments such as 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.