NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article, July 2012
but, is Siri a Google killer?
By Linda Gonse, Editor/Webmaster,
Orange County PCUG, California December 2011 issue,
nibbles & bits
http://www.orcopug.org
editor (at) orcopug.org (click to email author)

The following two points of view offer interesting observations projecting the value and usefulness, and duplication of Siri in other OSs. Siri is an artificial intelligence feature built into the iPhone 4S. David Coursey begins. He has been a tech writer for the past 25 years for major computer publications. Rebutting Coursey’s article is Jon Jones, NCMUG’s newsletter editor and president of Lunarparcel Media. His videos explaining 4S iPhone features, such as Siri, are at http://bit.ly/vPOZcy. — Linda Gonse

To start, in his Five Reasons Siri Is Not A Google Killer on Forbes.com, David Coursey said, “I don’t mean to minimize the impact Siri will have on mobile devices, remote controls, etc. But, we are very early in the game and saying that Siri is going to kill anything is way premature. Let’s revisit this in a year and see what the competitive landscape and Siri’s market share look like then. “I understand how much many in the Apple community want something bad — really bad — to happen to Google, but I don’t think it’s Siri, at least not yet.” http://onforb.es/v7mAuK

Jon Jones responds: “Interesting points. I think he’s mostly right, but not all of the points are on target. In Point 3, he seems to make the mistake of categorizing iPhone users as the “typical Apple devotee” niche, and that’s just not the case at all. Most iPhone users couldn’t care less about Apple, and don’t own or use other Apple products.

“He’s also a bit zealous in his statement about Google’s inherent wisdom in Point 4. I wouldn’t give them such latitude. They do their share of experimentation to see what sticks, and will continue to make bad calls along the way, just as everyone else exploring new territory will as well.

“While it is definitely true that Siri heralds the developing method in which folks will typically engage their technology, it will in no way be a Google killer. I think folks just use that type of terminology to be sensationalistic and baiting. While Eric Schmidt has categorized Siri as a threat to Google, the reality is that some of Siri’s functionality still finds Google’s fingerprints under the hood, as well as a significant helping of Wolfram Alpha’s mojo, which was also posited as a Google killer, which was never to be. They’re different animals living in the same zoo. In broadcast news terms, Google is the info coming off the wire, and Wolfram Alpha is the guest commentator framing it for viewers. Siri is up on the roof re-positioning the rabbit ears.

“By that analogy, I mean both Google and Wolfram Alpha have demonstrated their unique approaches to gathering and presenting their data. I equate Google with a straight up clinical presentation of data. Wolfram Alpha serves more to contextualize the data for practical use, and Siri provides a more convenient method of tuning in to these pre-existing channels of accessing data — whether that is through a simple search, or a more intelligent and nuanced exploration of relevance.

“Google already has some of the basic framework on how a similar interface might be realized, and they’ve been ahead of the game on that front for quite a while. What they are lacking is the AI component that Apple invested in, but I know that both they, as well as Microsoft, have been exploring similar avenues for a while. I personally don’t see this in the context of competitiveness, though each of the businesses will continue to frame it that way. Each of them will seek methods to keep their product locked into its own ecosystem….even Google with their “free,” “open source,” platform will be undergoing some growing pains trying to leverage control in the arena. But I think there is still a lot of room for all the contenders to continue to grow and develop. The core of the article is accurate. Google is in no danger of being killed by Siri. “Basically, Siri itself doesn’t pose a threat to Google. It is an Assistant, not a search engine. It utilizes pre-existing search mechanisms to access and acquire information.”

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