First, take a deep breath and repeat after me. "Competition is a good thing." Apple, Google, Amazon, and Sony all have fanboys. Some more passionate than others. Apple fans are constantly under fire and that only makes them even more fanatic. The main criticism is that Apple produces shiny products with little substance. It is often said by techies "If you are in the know, there are better alternatives to Apple's closed ecosystem."

Strangely enough, the tech capital of the US, Silicon Valley is one of Apple's most successful regions. And while Apple's products do have sex appeal, they are masters of what I believe to be the most important aspect of consumer hardware and software, usability. This I believe is what the three incumbents must figure out to beat the champ and Apple has a huge head start.

Sony - Usability has not typically been Sony's strength in consumer technology, so I say Nay. Amazon - When I make a purchase from Amazon, it isn't because they have a captivating shopping experience. The price is right and I trust the vendors. Amazon is somewhat new to the hardware and software game, but they have some really bright minds. To be continued... Google - Google is certainly not new to the software game. They've had lots of experience with user interfaces, but their products continue to fail at offering a unified experience. To me Google is a bit of a mixed bag. Some products have simple interfaces(gmail), while others seem to be a bit peculiar and awkward (google reader and google docs). Android has come a long way, and like Amazon, Google has access to some of the most talented minds in tech.

If I had to make a decision, I'd put my money on Google being Apple's biggest competitor in the years to come and for Amazon to continue to excel in its core competencies of internet commerce.