This idea is eerily similar to the way that the new North Korean leader Kim Jung Un wasn't able to countermand the order to perform a long range rocket test, because the order was given by his late father Kim Jong Il.

I think if he had lived for another five years, he would have made peace with Google like he did with Microsoft.

If he had lived for another five years, apple would have a new product. As it is, we're looking at ipad 8 and iphone 11. There are a ton of smart, talented people working at apple, but no indication of focus or vision. Maybe, after a few years of mourning, apple might be able to do something really new. As it is, all those smart people are going to keep doing what they have been doing. That's ok in most organizations, apple is a race car. It's delicate, fragile, and super fast. Also, it's never getting another oil change. let's see how long it runs until it throws a rod.

> If he had lived for another five years, apple would have a new product. As it is, we're looking at ipad 8 and iphone 11. There are a ton of smart, talented people working at apple, but no indication of focus or vision. Maybe, after a few years of mourning, apple might be able to do something really new. As it is, all those smart people are going to keep doing what they have been doing. That's ok in most organizations, apple is a race car. It's delicate, fragile, and super fast. Also, it's never getting another oil change. let's see how long it runs until it throws a rod.

I am confused but do you know something we don't? How are you so sure that they have no long term focus or vision? As far as the rest of the general public is privy to, the only new products out are the slim 15" MBP and the iPhone 5, hardly enough samples to assert that there is no new product out there and they are only iterating on current products...

Apple is an incredibly secretive company. There were no indications the iPhone and iPad were on their way, either. Apple could have a dozen more products like that behind closed doors and we'd never know (until they start planting vague, conflicting rumors 6 months before release to start the anticipation media storm).

There were in fact lots of iPad rumours and I was mocked at the time for assuming they would introduce a tablet.

Your memory is incorrect.

The iOS updates needed for the iPod touch > iPad jump where minimal. It was such an obviously good idea I like many people was surprised to took that long.

PS: iPod touch was released 2007, iPad was released 2010

Very true. But remember, those rumors were steadily coming in for 4 years befor iPad introduction. But it got really worse in the last couple months, and that was when we were really sure there would be an iPad. Right now, we're sure about an iPad mini, but not about the TV thing.

Didn't Jobs want Apple to work on a car next?

Why do you think this is Apple's fight? The iOS 6 comes out 5 years after the original iPhone. That's a nice round number and it's highly likely that there was a 5 year contract and Google simply refused to license Maps to Apple at any reasonable rate (take for instance people moving to open street maps instead of Google Maps because of the recent rate hikes). Hell they bought a whole company for what $15 billion seemingly just to sue over patents.

You know, maybe Apple is in the wrong here, but without actual evidence I don't think it's safe to say which company is the greater evil.

I don't fully understand the background/history in this specific scenario, but I would think that the major reason for large non-patent-troll companies to buy patent portfolios is to give themselves some protection & insurance against being sued by others, i.e. some ammunition to counter-sue with.