3 ms·

So... which search engine are they going to buy?

by jsz0 17y ago

mahmud 17y ago
Search engines are a bait to bring users to advertisers, and to study user behaviour. Apple already has the users, not just by through their bookmarks, familiarity or desire, but by their actual physical devices. A google user can quit google. An apple "user" can't quit apple without a significant investment. By their minority status in the market, they're able to do what Microsoft always wanted to do with the majority, without incurring the wrath of the law for monopolistic practices. Apple diversified itself as well; they're the largest desktop minority platform, but also the largest smartphone minority platform, largest music store, MP3 players, soon tablets, etc. They have a finger in a lot of pies, and they're weaving all these disparate platforms and devices into a giant, highly lucrative meta-platform.
- patio11 17y ago
  A google user can quit google. I think this is true in roughly the same sense that an English speaker can quit English -- not strictly speaking impossible, but it requires a significant investment and wrenching adjustments to the way you have done things for years. Try going cold turkey on Google for a week. I have attempted it before and I can't even make it 24 hours. And most damningly, I'm generally not even aware I'm failing at it -- the fingers type google.com for my navigational needs before my brain even gets involved in the loop.
seldo 17y ago
Six months ago I would have said that was a stupid question, but Apple has bought a mapping company, now an ad network, and a gigantic server farm in middle America -- it's really only a matter of time before it begins to make sense for them to expand that server/advertising combo over to the web, at which point a search engine becomes a sensible purchase. Maybe they'll buy Ask?
marcofloriano 17y ago
Actually, search engines are very efficient, but what about the design ? What about the way that they show results ? It´s still like 10 years ago, raw text. Maybe Apple could do for the search design what it did for the cellphone market.

So... which search engine are they going to buy?

by jsz0 17y ago

So... which search engine are they going to buy?

Search engines are a bait to bring users to advertisers, and to study user behaviour. Apple already has the users, not just by through their bookmarks, familiarity or desire, but by their actual physical devices. A google user can quit google. An apple "user" can't quit apple without a significant investment. By their minority status in the market, they're able to do what Microsoft always wanted to do with the majority, without incurring the wrath of the law for monopolistic practices. Apple diversified itself as well; they're the largest desktop minority platform, but also the largest smartphone minority platform, largest music store, MP3 players, soon tablets, etc. They have a finger in a lot of pies, and they're weaving all these disparate platforms and devices into a giant, highly lucrative meta-platform.

patio11 17y ago
A google user can quit google. I think this is true in roughly the same sense that an English speaker can quit English -- not strictly speaking impossible, but it requires a significant investment and wrenching adjustments to the way you have done things for years. Try going cold turkey on Google for a week. I have attempted it before and I can't even make it 24 hours. And most damningly, I'm generally not even aware I'm failing at it -- the fingers type google.com for my navigational needs before my brain even gets involved in the loop.

seldo 17y ago

Six months ago I would have said that was a stupid question, but Apple has bought a mapping company, now an ad network, and a gigantic server farm in middle America -- it's really only a matter of time before it begins to make sense for them to expand that server/advertising combo over to the web, at which point a search engine becomes a sensible purchase. Maybe they'll buy Ask?

marcofloriano 17y ago

Actually, search engines are very efficient, but what about the design ? What about the way that they show results ? It´s still like 10 years ago, raw text. Maybe Apple could do for the search design what it did for the cellphone market.