""...Apple has paying customers, long term clients with proprietary tools, the only licensed hollywood music and film collection and the tools in place to deliver it to a TV screen not a webpage. Every youtube video comes from a MAC computer as does Hollywood production- they are a cult, a community.
All Google has is finding new ways to place ads. Free video and lawsuits versus 1.99 by the billion.
And through the Google access point, every Microsoft user is a prospect to see what they've been missing all these years- you'll get your Mac, PC or any appliaction from iGoogle and iPhone
No one wants to see what is right before their eyes. 10 million iGoogle subscribers this week have taken a huge dent out of PPC. And most people don't even know they launched it or how it takes the reason for visiting Yahoo or MSN away. This is a game changer.""
***FS*** Owen.. brilliant comment sir. Here's your blog again for all who are interested: http://fragerfactor.blogspot.com/
It's not a merger, it's an alliance, a technology agreement. Basically allows Google to become a reseller of it's coveted music and videos and creation software. Allows Google to clean up YouTube and have iGooglers subscribe to video feeds- like cable that will be delivered to their single access point, but with the Apple Set box interface that delivers it as full quality TV. Safari, the mail program, keynote (which blows ppt away), garage band, iphoto (amazing will put flicker right out to pasture-- makes webpages, cofee table books, retouch.. and they have templates for every need and personal trainers to walk you through. That's why millions have been paying to be part of this private world when everyone gives it away free. The kid on Idol composed that whole beat box thing on garage band-remastered Bon Jovi's song. Anyone can be whatever they want to be. like Napster with a future. Mark Cuban was my first tip on all this but having worked for the company that could have done this 10 years ago, and having these kinds of tools avialable to me on a PC- (while I was stranded in a hotel for 10 fdays during 9/11) was something I'll never forget. It's like a plow to do your driveway after you've been using a shovel (microsoft).
Posted by: owen frager | May 06, 2007 at 04:27 PM
As Flickr is set to come out with a youtube offering soon (video sharing, hosting), I think this opens the door to Yahoo/Apple opportunities. Both Flickr users and Apple users are a creative bunch, cult mentality.
Posted by: Sahar Sarid | May 06, 2007 at 07:00 PM
Hmmmm. I see some synergy between these companies but they seem to be stepping on each others toes in many areas at the same time too. Google will be aiming and likely get more content deals for youtube just like Apple. Many features of igoogle are very similar to what Apple does with .mac . .
I think they could definetely partner in some areas but I dont see a huge importance to the igoogle release. Could someone expand on that ?
Lastly, Blake Lewis said he used this software to mix his songs - http://www.ableton.com/
Posted by: Adam | May 07, 2007 at 03:18 AM
This is very long but he asked for expansion.
Adam,
"features are similar to what Mac does" for the same reason Toyota features are similar to what Lexus does. They are two of the world's biggest brands. That's what brands do. That's the big deal. It's as bigger deal as Apple licensing Google's search tools for its computers or Netscape's browser.
On a PC you are using MS and on a MAC I am using Google to search within my networks. Which guy will have the edge?
And what kind of edge will Google gain understanding the users behavior both when working or surfing? That's why Apple's revenue stream will explode. This is common in software. Autos. Costco.
Think of it as PPC with one sponsor that is connected to 100 million hard drives and the other sponsor connected to every surfer. What's the return on that traffic when there are no other listings to compete with on a page. One big reciprocal link that churns cash all day every day.
Like the mail order pharmacies that I worked with in the 90s, if you find someone with a terminal condition and needing $20K a year prescription drug to keep them alive for the next 50 years, when you set up automatic refills and direct billing and deliver to the door, you can take 20% of the ENTIRE market and ensure it will never set foot in a Walgreen's again.
It's not about Google buying or making anything. It's about access. Or as it's known in marketing "share of wallet."
Apple has sold 100 million iPODS each with a PC or MAC interface that manages the music and keeps control of the customer experience. Imagine 1090 million people with handcuffs on that makes it too expensive and time consuming to do the conversions necessary or part with the features they'd have to buy their next phone or pc that wasn't compatible. That locks anyone else out from catching up. Even Google. Integrating this browser with Google's is as significant as the Intel chip making it possible for a MAC to be both a MAC and a PC. Because when PC users with iTunes go to upgrade their next PC, they will take it to MAC and they will transfer all the PC programs on an Intel MAC that gives them the best of both worlds. Moreover, since they have credit cards and emails on file, they might just make an offer like "trade your Mac for a PC and get ten years iphone for free and a free subscription to iGoogle where you can use any application without having to buy or install it?"
As for Blake, he said he did the beat boxing on that software but only the MAC version had the plug-in possible to interface with his instruments and to mirror the bon jovi samples on Garage Band.
That's the thing about MACs pc users will never understand. They have everything a PC has but a lot of competitive advantages for the creative communities.
If you watch the recaps when they show Blake in his home studio you'll see the MAC And that scene was probably a sponsored product placement, if not his whole appearance. That's been Apple's key advertising strategy.
Plus the final cut was edited on video software called "Final Cut" because that's the only one the control room could sync to his ear piece with the cue track only Blake hears to trigger the lip sync modes.
Hope this helps, but the fact that no one could guess the 3-letter domain or even has gotten excited about a domain that's earning a billion a year with no development or staff other then templates anyone can put on their domain, baffles me.
People will look for three type-ins a day, but how many could find domains with sub-domain appeal that is worth so much more?
Any way, today I posted an open letter to Bill Gates on my blog. He can kill this whole business but it requires imagination, not cash.
Btw, There are 100 million people that have a compelling reason to choose the iPhone over others. Apple wouldn’t be paying Cisco estimated $300 million a year to license the “I” name (consider that figure when thinking what a name is worth), and Google wouldn’t be adding an a small “i” to its #1 positioned brand, if there wasn’t something more then meets the “i”. And Cisco wouldn’t give it up if Apple’s potential, in their eyes, wasn’t brighter than their own. Apple has a 50% margin on the phone and royalties from telcos, MPEG4, voice search, Google gateway etc. The fact the Cisco estimates earning $300 million in royalties means Apple’s revenue will increase 95 times that at 50% margin. Don’t think Google has a way to do that by cutting deals with Hollywood as you describe.
Couple of articles might help you see it. Cisco is the corporate standard in VOiPand this release indicates a way into to MS entire universe. I’d be buying Cisco too.
iPhone
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/04/18/apple_cisco_attempt_to_meld_iphone_technologies.html
Blake
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/msg/323706269.html
Posted by: owen frager | May 07, 2007 at 04:45 PM
I forgot something key. The xxx billion songs downloaded out there in the universe will only play in the iTunes application. To unlock them in other applications, which is key to making the mobile play successful, a royalty will be earned by Apple to license the rights management. The cost of acquiring a mobile customer has been around $300, so here we have a way for Apple to monetize something they already sold and delivered. Brilliant!
Posted by: [email protected] | May 07, 2007 at 09:22 PM
Lost me on this - - "no one could guess the 3-letter domain or even has gotten excited about a domain that's earning a billion a year with no development or staff other then templates anyone can put on their domain, baffles me."
A domain that's earning a billion a year ? Do tell.
***FS*** mac.com?
Posted by: Adam | May 08, 2007 at 12:09 AM
Go to the store- see a demo
Posted by: owen frager | May 08, 2007 at 01:06 AM