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The Samsung Way

The current Business Week's cover story is about Korean tech company Samsung, and its ascendance from third-rate copycat to bleeding-edge envelope pusher. Apple gets quite a few mentions throughout as well; Samsung's MP3 player line is third in the market worldwide, behind Number 2 iPod. Good article, showcasing how Samsung defies the conventional wisdom with its old-school processes, though it begs the question of how long the company can keep that up. Speaking of Apple and Samsung, Jon pointed me to this article, wherein they discuss Apple's threatened lawsuit over the Korean tech-maker's latest revision of their Yepp series MP3 player. Seems it looks just a little too much like the iPod. Samsung's agreed to go back to the drawing board. Seriously, though: I love my iPod, but how many different ways are there to design a good MP3 player? Cool your jets, Steve-o. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. As long as it's not an exact, specification-for-specification, look-by-look copy, let'em go. The iPod will still spank'em.