In Post-PC Era, Content Matters

The argument that device marketplace success hinges on software, or that software is an increasingly key part of any "hardware" experience, is not a novel argument. The refrain has been growing, for obvious reasons, for decades.

In the music and video business, for example, the business "is" software (content). For that reason, Sony decades ago concluded that content was an essential component of its video appliance strategy, however poorly one might argue that strategy has been executed. 

Content clearly is what made the Apple iPod so dominant, and how Amazon hopes to achieve success with the Kindle Fire. The app store now is viewed as a crucial element for sales of smart phones and tablets overall, as well. 

In the PC business, software likewise has made a difference. At a retail level, spreadsheets were the reason PCs were adopted first by financial personnel. Microsoft productivity suites likewise have been considered a necessary application for consumer PCs. 

Looking only at equity performance, one might well conclude that software and content now are key features of "winners" in the post-PC era of computing appliances, as well.