WhyDoesn’tAnybodyCopyApple?Apple’sproductsaretheenvyoftheworld.Theyhavebeenspectacularlysuccessfulandarewidelyimitatedifnotcopied.TheminuteApplecrystallizesaproducteveryoneknowshowtocompete．Thiside

　　WhyDoesn’tAnybodyCopyApple?

　　Apple’sproductsaretheenvyoftheworld.Theyhavebeenspectacularlysuccessfulandarewidelyimitatedifnotcopied.TheminuteApplecrystallizesaproducteveryoneknowshowtocompete．ThisideathatthebasisofcompetitionissetbyAppleandthentheraceisontoclimbthepathofimprovementisunquestionable．WhenApplereleasesaproductthatdefinesacategoryordramaticallychangesthestructureofanindustryitbecomesobviouswhatneedstobebuilt.ButwhatIwonderiswhyeveryonewantstocopyApple’sproductsbutnobodywantstocopybeingApple?

　　Icanthinkoftworeasons.FirstlyAppleisnotworthcopyingbecauseit'snotsuccessful;secondlyApple’ssuccesscannotbecopiedbecauseitisamagicalprocess．

　　Thereisagreatdealofevidenceforthefirsthypothesis.TheideaofApplebeingsuccessfulisnotsomethingreflectedinitsstockprice．BeingvaluedlowerthantheaveragecompanyintheS&P（标准普尔）500indicatesthattowhateverdegreeApplewassuccessfulinthepastit'snotseenbythevastmajorityofobserversassuccessfulinthefuture．WhyshouldonebothercopyingAppleifitresultsinbeingpunishedwithalowvaluation?Ifoneworksreallyhardatinnovationandthenthatinnovationbecomescommoditized（商品化）veryquicklywhyshouldonebother?

　　WheninnovationpractitionersareaskedwhatmakesApplesuccessfultheanswersregardingthecauseofthissuccessborderonthemythical.Theclimaxofthishypothesisisthe“chief-sorcerer”theoryofsuccesswhichplacesonemagicianlikeSteveJobsinchargeofcastingalltherightspells（符咒）．

　　WhataboutApple’sownopinionofwhatmakesittick?TimCookreferstoagreatteamandintegrationofhardwaresoftwareandservicesasuniqueAppleadvantages.It’sabetterexplanation．Integrationissomethingthatcantakealongtimebutitispossiblewithgreateffort．Afewcompaniesarestartingtomakemovesinthatdirectionbuteffortsarehalf-hearted．Thereisno“movetheEarth”panictobecomeanintegratedcompanyfromSamsungGoogleorMicrosoft．

　　MyownsuspicionisthatAppleismoreawareofwhatmakesitspecialthanitletsout．HoweverasTimpointsoutit’snotaformula．It’scomplexit’ssubtlebutit’snotmagic．It’saprocessthatreq