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  3. The Tapping of Cellular Phone Software Electronic gadgets have changed a great deal in the past few years. Most obviously, t

The Tapping of Cellular Phone Software Electronic gadgets have changed a great deal in the past few years. Most obviously, t

admin2014-06-13  58
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 some-thing more than just a bundle of electronics in a snazzy case. Now, funnily enough, some of them really are.
According to the author customers are likely to stick to a particular gadget-maker if______.
选项 A、they are satisfied with the services provided
B、they have used its former services
C、they are hooked by the services provided
D、they never try services tied to other gadget-makers
答案B
解析 根据题干关键词stick to和particular gadget—maker定位到第四段最后一句：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．如果你使用了某一个设备生产商提供的服务，按常规而言，你将来转向其他设备生产商的可能性不大。即固守某个设备生产商的一个可能性前提是使用过其服务，故选B项。A项“他们对提供的服务满意”和D项“他们从未尝试其他生产商提供的服务”原文没有提及；原文中的signed up for意为“参加”，故C项“他们沉迷于其服务”也错误。
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