Most people in the tech world will be aware of Apple’s famous “Think Different” campaign for Mac which solidified their position as the rebel alternative to the PC. It is a slogan and ethos which has carried on throughout the company’s products and allowed them to become one of the world’s most beloved brands.
A growing percentage, however, believe that in recent years Apple has allowed other companies to innovate and then take a step back and look at a different approach. It’s a point which is hard to argue, just look at NFC which Apple implemented in this week’s launch of the iPhone 6 after being first introduced in the Android-based Nexus S four years ago. Google may have been the leader, but Apple once again brought the polish.
Google is still an infant compared to other tech leaders. The company was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin back in 1998, which for comparison, Apple and Microsoft were founded in 1976 and 1975 respectively. In 16 years, Google has become a household name and a true leader who isn’t afraid to think different and disrupt the industry.
Google has the feel of a startup with more money than it knows what to do with.
Apple builds, for the most part, on its winning foundations. Microsoft is similar but has been criticised for sitting on its laurels and missing out on important new trends; such as mobile. Google has the feel of a startup with more money than it knows what to do with. It’s fresh, it’s modern, and it is also still feels like it is finding its feet in some ways.
The company tends to be at the forefront of new technology – a lot due to its open source attitude – but it can ship products which can be described as being a little “rough around the edges”. Now the company has built its technical foundations; Google seems to be focusing on the user experience with their ‘Material Design’ push.
There is one division in particular at the Mountain View-based company which can be thanked for the company’s greatest (and wackiest) innovations; Google X. The research team, led by Sergey Brinn himself, is responsible for some of the most unique but ground-breaking ideas which come out of Google. Some of these include; Google Glass, self-driving cars, modular phones, drones, smart contact lenses, and even network balloons…
Not one to settle, Larry Page has made the news this week for proposing a ‘Google Y’ to tackle “even bigger challenges” and disrupt even the most established parts of life; such as airports. A more efficient airport design is one idea which has been proposed; which for those who spend a lot of time in airports would be more than welcome.
Perhaps the most obvious of suggestions for Google Y is exploring the idea of a smart city. For those with fears of how much data Google holds about its users, and how it is being used, this is a project which might not be met with such open-arms. Just remember you current slogan, Google, and “Don’t be evil.”
Do you think Google is the new “Think Different” company? Let us know in the comments.
