Knowledge@wharton

Just as computer operating systems vied for dominance back in the late 1970s and early 1980s smartphone makers these days are jostling for market share hoping that their mix of capabilities -- ranging from web surfing to email to calendar management -- will ensure them a critical mass of customers. What the makers of such mobile devices as the BlackBerry iPhone and Treo are trying to avoid is the outcome of that earlier race when one company -- Microsoft -- ended up the dominant player. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.