Hey Siri, Cortana and Alexa, it’s Time to Stop Fighting.

For years now there’s been an ongoing fight in tech-land. Like bullies on the schoolyard, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe and Google have all been pushing and shoving to be top dog. As a consumer, I’ve used software and apps from all these companies. I’ve had Android phones and an iPhone. I’ve had an iPad.  I have a Microsoft laptop and I use google to search the web and publish my blog. 

I don’t use Adobe anymore, why? Because they removed my photoshop program from my laptop(which I purchased) during an ‘update’ and now want me to purchase the same stuff by subscription. My answer: NO.

I don’t care whose tech is best. All I care about is how well it works for me.  

I want to be able to use my iPad to publish my blog. But the google blog app doesn’t work with my new iPad. Google decided NOT to update it leaving thousands of bloggers out in the cold. Why? Because it turns out, they are developing a complete ‘suite’ of new products that includes blogging. Right now, they are selling it to corporations. Yup, leaving their original, base customers, blogspot bloggers out of the loop.  

There are hundreds of google bloggers who, like me, can’t use the app anymore, can’t post text or pictures, can’t get into their blogs and can’t get any help from google. No matter how many times you ‘google’ it. 

The latest crop of Apples have a lot of bumps, too. 

My new iPad is faster but I can’t use my blogger app. Now with my new iPad, my co-editor can’t open our newsletter draft in either pdf or pages formats because her iPad is older. I can’t text my daughter from my new iPad now because she has a google phone. And my Microsoft laptop can’t open iPad documents unless I convert each and every one from iPad’s pages to Microsoft’s word program. 

If I’d known getting my new Apple would upset so many other tech ‘carts’ I wouldn’t have done it.

Seriously, this is an easy problem to solve. Work together. 

I understand Apple, Microsoft, Google and Adobe are all competing for the same customers. So what? So are most companies on this planet. It’s not who’s better and faster and shinier that matters. Meeting the consumers needs that should matter to these companies.  

And knowing that almost everyone on this planet has multiple devices, in multiple formats, using many brand name products, these companies should be looking for ways to make using their products easier for people. Not harder. 

Here’s the deal, and really guys and gals, get real: top dog is no match for friendly dogs who play together nicely.

Hey, Google, Siri, Cortana and Alexa, find cooperation.