By: Hillel Fuld

Before I start, let me wish all of you, my loyal readers, a happy 2010.  I know it has become so cliché for bloggers to thank their readers, but I am going to do it anyway. When I started writing for Tech N’ Marketing, I never imagined how fast it would take off and how popular it would become. I really have you to thank for that, and so, at the risk of sounding corny and predictable, let me say, that it is greatly appreciated. Really.

Since we are on the topic of new years, and my Twitter stream (follow me here) is filled with “Top 10 <fill in the blank> of 2009” and “Top 10 <fill in the blank> to expect in 2010”, I thought I would sum up the past year, and some might say the decade, in two words. Yes, two words that pretty much include almost all the huge developments of the tech world in the last year and decade. If these two words are not directly involved with some tech development, they are almost for sure involved somehow behind the scenes. The two words are Apple and Google.

I am  not going to talk about all the things these two tech giants have accomplished since the year 2000 because the list itself can be an entire blog post, I will just say that together these two corporations have completely changed tens if not hundreds of industries. What is interesting to me is that the two companies who are so dominant in the same markets have such different outlooks on products and their releases. While Apple will not release a laptop that has the screws on the bottom sticking out too much for their liking, Google pretty much thinks of an idea, then releases it to get consumer feedback. They did it with Gmail, they did it with Wave, and they most recently did it with Chrome for Mac.

Apple’s iMac, iPod, or Macbooks are pretty much engineered to perfection both in their software and hardware, and Chrome for Mac has no Delete option for bookmarks (yes, this is true, I dare you to find one). OK, relax, I know it is in Beta, but I just cannot imagine Apple releasing such a product to the public. Now, let there be no misunderstandings, I am not expressing an opinion here, and I honestly do not know which method I like better, I am simply pointing out the different ways these two leading corporations approach the same subject.

If I gave you the impression throughout my various articles about Apple, that I am a fanboy, let me clear the air. I have a Macbook, yet, I am writing this post on my home PC. I have an iPod Touch,  but I use a BlackBerry Bold as my primary mobile device. I think Apple makes superb products, but they are not without shortcomings. It is also true that Google released tens if not hundreds of new products over the past few years, so to get all these services out the door, one can say that Google cannot afford to have the strict standards for which Apple is so well known. Another difference is that Google is a software company, while Apple, although they have software products as well, are  best known for their superior hardware.

At the end of the day, Google and Apple have both changed the tech world forever, and I cannot help but wonder what the future will bring for these two companies. We  have some amazing products to expect this year from both Google and Apple, such as Chrome OS, the Nexus One, iPhone 4G, and the famous Apple Tablet. I don’t know about you, but I am excited to see what’s next.

Lastly, one of the big components of Apple’s unprecedented success is of course their marketing machine, which, fanboy or not, most people would admit, is oiled to perfection. The biggest part of that marketing strategy is of course their famous keynotes and more importantly, the presenter, Steve Jobs. However, as you will see from this video, even Apple makes mistakes. Here are some of the funniest Apple bloopers over the years. Enjoy and happy new year!