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The Tapping of Cellular Phone Software Electronic gadgets ha

游客2024-10-15  15
问题                 The Tapping of Cellular Phone Software
    Electronic gadgets have changed a great deal in the past few years. Most obviously, they have become smaller sleeker, smarter and more versatile. Billions of people now carry around tiny devices that are more powerful than the desktop computers of a few years ago. But these gadgets have also changed in a less obvious way. Once they were lumps of hardware brought to life by a layer of software; today they might be more accurately described as services in a box.
    It was ever thus with mobile phones, of course: the handset is useless without a network operator, and mobile phones are, in effect, the container in which operators sell their services. But the handset and the network service have hitherto come from different companies. Operators do not manufacture their own phones, and handset-makers are not operators.
    But now device-makers are increasingly providing the services that power their devices—or, to look at things the other way around, building devices that encapsulate services they wish to offer. Apple’s iPod started off as a piece of hardware in 2001, but it really took off in 2003 when Apple launched the iTunes Music Store, a service that makes it easy for iPod owners to download music, video and games to their devices, and which is now the leading online music retailer.
    There are several motivations for the gadget-makers’ shift into services. First, margins on hardware are generally lower than margins on services. Second, saturated markets in many parts of the world mean that hardware sales are slowing in some categories. Soon, everyone in western Europe who wants a satellite navigation will have bought one; what will the manufacturers do then? Make money from subscriptions and updates, of course. At least, that’s the plan. Finally, services provide a way to hold on to customers. If you have signed up for a service tied to a particular gadget-maker, the thinking goes, you are less likely to switch to a different manufacturer’s device in future.
    The world’s most successful gadget-makers are those that have been quickest to recognize the importance of offering accompanying services. Makers of stand-alone music-players, such as Rio, have been unable to compete with Apple; and Motorola, once the top dog in mobile phones, let RIM, once an obscure Canadian start-up, grab the mobile e-mail market.
    With elaborate branding and advertising campaigns, gadget-makers have long promoted the idea that they were selling something more than just a bundle of electronics in a snazzy case. Now, funnily enough, some of them really are. [br] According to the passage, which of the following can describe the relationship between the handset and network service best?
选项 A、They are independent but intertwined.
B、They are collaborative partners.
C、They are competitive rivals.
D、They are of the mutual benefit.
答案 A
解析 事实细节题。根据题于关键词relationship between the handset and network service定位到原文第二段第一句和第二句：．．．the handset is useless without a network operator，and mobile phones are，in effect，the containers in which operators sell their services．But the handset and the network service have hither to come from different companies．可知手机如果离开了网络运营商就无法使用，所以手机事实上就是运营商们兜售其服务的容器。但手机和网络服务迄今仍来自于不同的公司。这也就意味着手机和网络运营商之间是一种既相互独立又紧密联系的关系，故选[A]项。原文只提到他们相互联系。并没有提到他们之间的合作问题以及其共同利益问题，故无法推知[B]项“他们是合作伙伴”和[D]项“他们具有共同的利益”；由上文解释可知，[C]项“他们是竞争对手”也错误。
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