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YES! YES THEY DID! This was a no-so-directly stated purpose and intention of Android since day one. That any late to the party analyst looks at the situation a

by ergo98 16y ago

YES! YES THEY DID! This was a no-so-directly stated purpose and intention of Android since day one. That any late to the party analyst looks at the situation and thinks they've discovered a hole in the plot speaks more to how ill informed the field of analysts are than to Google's strategy. Google's intention with Android -- they haven't been quiet about this -- was to create an open, competitive ecosystem that isn't controlled by any one vendor (incl. themselves). If Apple dominated and decided to cut Google out (and smartphones continued their path to dominance), that single point could decimate Google. However if 20 handset makers make Android, and one of them decided to cut Google out, the damage is limited. If Google provides an experience that customers want, they would vote with their wallets because they could. (see the negative reception of Bing on some Verizon handsets)

blub 16y ago
I believe their intention was to make sure that they get a piece of the mobile ads pie. There are a lot of clues indicating this and it's the reason that I'm disenchanted by Android. I'd rather use products from someone who's in the business to make money from products: Apple, Nokia, RIM, MS (and Palm I guess).
- jcl 16y ago
  Apple is also in business to make money from the mobile ad pie (iAd), as is Microsoft and maybe others.
  - blub 16y ago
    There's a huge difference in having ad revenue and being completely dependent on ad revenue. If Google lost ad revenue it would immediately collapse, unlike Apple or MS.
- ergo98 16y ago
  I believe their intention was to make sure that they get a piece of the mobile ads pie Well sure -- the reason they want you using Google search is so they can advertise to you. And they can get you using Google Voice, and Google Maps, etc. They are less likely to have their products -- which are largely sponsored by ads -- cut out. I'd rather use products from someone who's in the business to make money from products: Apple, Nokia, RIM, MS Apple is a terrible example of that. Aside from the fact that they have a very big advertising initiative, a big part of the iPhone experience is lock-in with various other Apple products and conduits. Want some music? Oh well look, Apple is your conduit, taking their piece of the pie. How about a movie, or a book, or a newspaper? Hi, Apple here, ready to tax you. Nokia...sure. Apple -- absolutely not.
  - threepointone 16y ago
    Music, movies, books, newspapers - I can get all of these painlessly on the iDevice without the Apple tax. The only lockin I have with the iphone/ipad, is iTunes. That's an aggravating piece of software, sure, but it doesn't really lock me into paying apple anything. PS- When i say newspapers, I mean news delivered digitally. Not issues, so to speak.
    - ergo98 16y ago
      Just as you can use an Android device without ever seeing a single Google ad. However Apple's media strategy is a big part of their iDevice push. Simply selling you a piece of hardware is only a small part of their plans for you.
      - YooLi 16y ago
        "However Apple's media strategy is a big part of their iDevice push. Simply selling you a piece of hardware is only a small part of their plans for you." You say this as if it's a bad thing, like it's some secret plan by Apple. They tell you up front they are selling you the complete package. It's what they tout as their advantage. You want music on your phone? Tap one icon on the screen and you can pick from arguably one of the most complete catalogs there is. Movies? No problem, they are just as easy. Want to play a game? One tap away from the store. If you don't like to use Apple's services for getting your media, don't get the iPhone, but don't pretend they are hookwinking everyone by integrating it all so nicely on their phones.
        ergo98 16y ago
        There's a context to this thread that you disregarded.
  - blub 16y ago
    Well, Google might want that, but I don't like ads and I don't like products that are subsidized by ads. It's all about revenue streams ergo98: if you take ads away from Google they collapse. If you take ads away from Apple they shrug and move on. I'm not an iPhone expert at all, but I thought that you could use 3rd party apps to play music & read books. e.g: Amazon Kindle.

by ergo98 16y ago

blub 16y ago

I believe their intention was to make sure that they get a piece of the mobile ads pie. There are a lot of clues indicating this and it's the reason that I'm disenchanted by Android. I'd rather use products from someone who's in the business to make money from products: Apple, Nokia, RIM, MS (and Palm I guess).

jcl 16y ago
Apple is also in business to make money from the mobile ad pie (iAd), as is Microsoft and maybe others.
- blub 16y ago
  There's a huge difference in having ad revenue and being completely dependent on ad revenue. If Google lost ad revenue it would immediately collapse, unlike Apple or MS.
ergo98 16y ago
I believe their intention was to make sure that they get a piece of the mobile ads pie Well sure -- the reason they want you using Google search is so they can advertise to you. And they can get you using Google Voice, and Google Maps, etc. They are less likely to have their products -- which are largely sponsored by ads -- cut out. I'd rather use products from someone who's in the business to make money from products: Apple, Nokia, RIM, MS Apple is a terrible example of that. Aside from the fact that they have a very big advertising initiative, a big part of the iPhone experience is lock-in with various other Apple products and conduits. Want some music? Oh well look, Apple is your conduit, taking their piece of the pie. How about a movie, or a book, or a newspaper? Hi, Apple here, ready to tax you. Nokia...sure. Apple -- absolutely not.
- threepointone 16y ago
  Music, movies, books, newspapers - I can get all of these painlessly on the iDevice without the Apple tax. The only lockin I have with the iphone/ipad, is iTunes. That's an aggravating piece of software, sure, but it doesn't really lock me into paying apple anything. PS- When i say newspapers, I mean news delivered digitally. Not issues, so to speak.
  - ergo98 16y ago
    Just as you can use an Android device without ever seeing a single Google ad. However Apple's media strategy is a big part of their iDevice push. Simply selling you a piece of hardware is only a small part of their plans for you.
    - YooLi 16y ago
      "However Apple's media strategy is a big part of their iDevice push. Simply selling you a piece of hardware is only a small part of their plans for you." You say this as if it's a bad thing, like it's some secret plan by Apple. They tell you up front they are selling you the complete package. It's what they tout as their advantage. You want music on your phone? Tap one icon on the screen and you can pick from arguably one of the most complete catalogs there is. Movies? No problem, they are just as easy. Want to play a game? One tap away from the store. If you don't like to use Apple's services for getting your media, don't get the iPhone, but don't pretend they are hookwinking everyone by integrating it all so nicely on their phones.
      - ergo98 16y ago
        There's a context to this thread that you disregarded.
- blub 16y ago
  Well, Google might want that, but I don't like ads and I don't like products that are subsidized by ads. It's all about revenue streams ergo98: if you take ads away from Google they collapse. If you take ads away from Apple they shrug and move on. I'm not an iPhone expert at all, but I thought that you could use 3rd party apps to play music & read books. e.g: Amazon Kindle.