Battle of the Media Ecosystems: Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft 79
bsk_cw writes "This article takes a long look at four major consumer tech ecosystems — Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft — and examine how well (or badly) they're serving up their media. The authors talk about how each company approaches gaming, music, video, books, etc., and how each integrates all its parts into some kind of whole. The conclusion? That none of the four can be said to be the best in all things, but they're certainly trying."
Amazon still does not offer an android app (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Ecosystem (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Apple has no central place for payment info??? (Score:1, Informative)
If you actually read the article, they are saying things like google wallet lets you shop at many retailers. Itunes lets you shop at Apple. I can't use the fact that my card info is in itunes to shop elsewhere online.
Apple not limiting anyone (Score:2, Informative)
They really limit their market by requiring iTunes. You can't even buy DRM-free MP3s from them without it.
I would suggest they have only limited themselves from Linux only users - hardly a large enough market segment to get really concerned. They have more credit cards of file than even Amazon (and sell VASTLY more online music/video than Amazon) so obviously Apple is doing something right.
Yes you can buy video from Amazon and stream it in a browser but with more limited control than iTunes offers over playing video and all of the perils you get by running in a browser plugin - sluggish performance, risk of using the back button and so on.
In order to argue what Apple is doing is hurting them you'd have to show how any competitor is doing anything better...
Amazon is great at buying physical stuff. It's absolutely horrible when used for digital materials, I know because I have prime so I get access to some things for free. Free is hardly even worth it for the pain that is using Amazon to find video.