Since you guys seem to think ghost is being too hard here...what exactly SHOULD be taken from the thread the OP posted? There was every bit the tone to support the idea that she felt attacked by the upgraded features coming in iOS 5, the same tone that has been echoing across the internet with these developers feeling some how "robbed" when the device they develop for upgrades features and renders things they worked on obsolete (since it will now be a stock feature)...and he was brutally honest, make your stuff better or move on, there's really no other way to look at it.
What does it mean for your "tiny company" as you put it? It means you need to step up and make something different that stands out enough to be paid for so that you can make money as a developer...you did it once with iOS 4 obviously, so think of something else, get down to the definition of your title and DEVELOP something new!
What does it mean between Apple and Microsoft? Nothing...that patent is most likely no more a legitimate ground for Microsoft to plan an attack on Apple than Apple's recent patent on touch screens...Microsoft may try something, who knows...they definitely feel the marketing crunch all the other cell phone manufacturers do taking on the iPhone now with their WP7, but the truth is, i think they are smarter than that, they arn't new kids around this neighborhood, and they know Apple has the weight to throw around via their bank account.
Bottom line...patents on this wont amount to any "battle" and if you feel threatened by the development in iOS 5, further your own...that's really all there is to it.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram