Google Play: Nice catch-up move. Now what?
Google's move to integrate its app store with music, e-books and movies is fine so far as it goes. It's just not all that different from similar 'ecosystems' from Apple and Amazon.
Google has rebranded Android Market and outlined plans to be your multiplatform ecosystem. The problem: We already have a few of those multiplatform ecosystems.
The search giant's Google Play (the area formerly known as Android Market) will feature books, music, apps and movies. Google Play is designed to be a one-stop content shop. In Google's vision, you'll swap files and content between your Android smartphone, Chromebook and tablet. We'll overlook the fact that few of you have the latter two devices.
Google obviously wants to change that tablet equation. Google Play is a nice set-up for a cheap Google branded tablet. Think the Kindle Fire model except with Google services throughout.
And once Google integrates Motorola Mobility, rest assured this one-stop shop will also make it to your TV via those cable set-top boxes in the field.
On the whiteboard, Google Play looks great. There's just one issue for me: Google Play is yet another ecosystem to deal with.
My content is being sprinkled all around the cloud. I'm in Apple's iCloud, but mostly I'm in Amazon's ecosystem via the Kindle Fire.
I look at Google Play and think the following:
- Storage for 20,000 songs for free. Nice move, but I'm doing that with Amazon and Apple already.
- Download Android apps. Also nice for my Samsung Galaxy Nexus, but that store isn't all that different.
- Browse a big selection of eBooks. That's ok too, but again I'm in Amazon's ecosystem.
- Rent movies galore. Google Play is in the game, but I have Netflix, Amazon and Apple for that.
Add it up and there's just not that much different about Google Play. Sure, I'll give it a spin largely be accident via my Android device. But Google Play looks like a lot of me-too. I need something more if I'm going to fiddle with YAE (yet another ecosystem).