Google to Compete with iTunes?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Bear Stearns (http://www.forbes.com/2006/01/26/google-apple-0126markets08.html?partner=yahootix) speculates that Google will create an iTunes competitor. Google recently entered the Video download market in early January.

"We would expect Google to rollout a Beta service within 3 to 6 months. We note that Google has not confirmed our expectations, and that our thinking is based on Mosaic theory"

[narco]

Well, hopefully it does a little better than Google's video store.

http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/google_we_made_a_big_mistake_with_google_video/

Fishes,
narco.

[alywa]

I wonder what DRM they will use. It hasn't looked too good for the others with .wma, and without a player I just don't see how even the mighty Google is going to succeed where Yahoo, Napster, Walmart, and MS have struggled.

Is it just me, or does Google seem to lack focus (outside of their core search business)?

-alywa

[iMeowbot]

Is it just me, or does Google seem to lack focus (outside of their core search business)?
Random stupid ideas, if they don't cost too much to try, are part of the Google business plan (seriously, that was in their IPO).

[Edit: In their prospectus (http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1288776/000119312504073639/ds1.htm) (that's one seriously long page), they explained the peculiar investment strategy as follows:

We will not shy away from high-risk, high-reward projects because of short term earnings pressure. Some of our past bets have gone extraordinarily well, and others have not. Because we recognize the pursuit of such projects as the key to our long term success, we will continue to seek them out. For example, we would fund projects that have a 10% chance of earning a billion dollars over the long term. Do not be surprised if we place smaller bets in areas that seem very speculative or even strange. As the ratio of reward to risk increases, we will accept projects further outside our normal areas, especially when the initial investment is small.

]

[arn]

I wonder what DRM they will use. It hasn't looked too good for the others with .wma, and without a player I just don't see how even the mighty Google is going to succeed where Yahoo, Napster, Walmart, and MS have struggled.

Is it just me, or does Google seem to lack focus (outside of their core search business)?

-alywa

Google's video actually uses their own proprietary DRM.

arn

[qtip919]

Im really skeptical on this,

Google is great at doing a few things on the web. They have some very compelling products and services. The thing that makes this rediculous is how people constantly forget that it isnt any one thing about iTunes that sets apart the Apple music experience

Vision =

+ Online Music Service
+ Portable Media Player
+ Integrated computing experience


Lets see...

Apple is great at all of those things

Google might do a good job at one, but that doesnt mean squat...just ask Sony or Creative or Microsoft or...etc...etc...etc...or Napster ... hehe

[awinn233]

That would be a stupid move, they shouldn't of even moved into the video market imo.

[nagromme]

They can try what they like, and I'd rather see Apple against a significant competitor (Mac-compatible of course) than Apple alone dominating the market. I'd also rather see that competitor be Google than Microsoft or Real.

But it's just speculation--less than rumor for now.

[Super Dave]

Is it just me, or does Google seem to lack focus (outside of their core search business)?

Google are flakes some times. Their search engine and mail are the only worthwhile things they make.

Google Earth looks like someone based the interface around a photograph of their own vomit.

After I saw them design software that bad I realized that their stock is entirely overpriced. The search business is all they have going for them, and it'll be a commodity market one day I suspect.

David:cool:

[oldMac]

If Google has demonstrated anything since going public, it's that they are unfocused and undiciplined when they get their hands on investment money.

Too many directions, half-working ideas, etc.
Their good stuff is stuff they bought.

They look more like MS every day.

They just better hope their cash-cow (search engine profits) hold up long enough for them to get their act together before the shareholders realize how much money they're wasting.

[Super Dave]

I just checked out Google Video (http://video.google.com/).

Wow! Even Microsoft couldn't make something this ugly.

David:cool:

[Yvan256]

Google are flakes some times. Their search engine and mail are the only worthwhile things they make.

Google Earth looks like someone based the interface around a photograph of their own vomit.

After I saw them design software that bad I realized that their stock is entirely overpriced. The search business is all they have going for them, and it'll be a commodity market one day I suspect.

David:cool:

You forgot Google Maps (in the worthwhile list).

[Doctor Q]

Cross reference to previous MacRumors stories:Apple and Google Partnership? (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2005/08/20050815090608.shtml) (August 2005)

Google Music and Apple iTunes (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2005/12/20051215104615.shtml) (December 2005)

[mduser63]

If Google has demonstrated anything since going public, it's that they are unfocused and undiciplined when they get their hands on investment money.

Too many directions, half-working ideas, etc.
Their good stuff is stuff they bought.

They look more like MS every day.

They just better hope their cash-cow (search engine profits) hold up long enough for them to get their act together before the shareholders realize how much money they're wasting.

I'm glad there are other people that think the same thing about Google that I do. I'm happy to see competition for Apple, but based on the majority of their work, I'm not expecting anything worthwhile from Google. Google Earth is a very mediocre implementation of a good idea, and one which Google didn't even do, they just bought it. The Google video store is a disaster. I can't quite figure out why everyone loves them so much. Their search is good, and so is GMail, but that's about it. Google maps is OK, but I actually like MSN Virtual Earth better as it lets you zoom in quite a bit farther, at least in my area.

[2nyRiggz]

Wow Google is trying to rip into everything now....search engine, maps, mail, videos, music, operating system/PC.....are they gonna open up a fast food chain next?....i like the search engine and mail.


Bless

[Xapplimatic]

I'm not impressed with Google or its way overinflated begs to be the next .com disaster stock value. As a sellable product, the only thing they have going for them is an alright but starting to get saturated by spam techniques search engine, and a great map system online supported by advertising revenues. Beyond that they bought out KeyHole to make Google Earth, and cool very nice to make a Mac version too now (yes, it is available but buggy) which has some low potential for upsale to deluxe versions.. but frankly with the uncomfortable interface it has with the controls designed by kindergarteners, not up to even the quality of their more simplistic map and satellite map online system although it emulates it in a few ways.

Stock investers in Google should be quite alarmed. What else does Google have to offer in the form of a sellable commodity? No MP3 players. No computers. No offline software packages. No Google OS... Just *SMOKE AND MIRRORS* people. With Google buying all these engineers and talent out from all areas of silicon valley as it's been told many times, where is all that wonderful effort and brainpower being directed? I don't see the fruits of all this engineering investment.. I see doom on the horizon for Google. You couldn't make me invest in Google under gun-point. I wouldn't do it! Now Intel and Apple on the otherhand.. both proven solid long-term growers.... I've invested in Apple, and now I can see that Intel wasn't blowing smoke about their next generation stuff, I'm gonna invest in them too.. They make cents... lol..

[maxterpiece]

don't forget picassa... iphoto rip-off or not, it's still nice software

[Analog Kid]

Wow... The backlash has begun... I'd swear this site felt much more pro-Google in the past.

At any rate, I really don't think that Google is going into the music business. Google's got a ton of cash under their mattress and people can't help writing about any wacky idea that comes to mind. I think GM's next. The Google car-- available in any color as long as it's primary.

Frankly I don't think it's ethical to for analysts to talk out of the bums like this. Google is perceived as a threat by everyone because of their available capital- floating ideas based on whimsy should be viewed as market manipulation.

[shadowmoses]

This is never gonna work especially if its anything like google video's, google better spend there money improving there other services......

Shadow

[Daschund]

I just wish that Apple would give us a choice of buying full screen (TV full screen, that is) video so that I could buy, burn to a DVD and watch on TV. I don't have a video iPod and would rather have a way of watching it on TV, even if I had to pay a bit more for the full screen...

[snowmoon]

I just checked out Google Video (http://video.google.com/).

Wow! Even Microsoft couldn't make something this ugly.

David:cool:


That was my first though as well. It's the ugliest thing I have ever seen*. Between that and the pathetic quality ( I have looked time and time again to see decent video and every one has so many artifacts as to be nearly unwatchable at anything over 320x240 ). I was excited to see how it would stack up to iPod video quality and I can say that iTunes blows away google for quality.


* Ok, ok... it's not as ugly and pathetic as the web browser based on x-emacs that came out in 1995.

[snowmoon]

Looks like we are not the only ones who though video.google.com was terribly half-baked.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/257040_googlestore26.html

[kev0476]

Google could never compete because they don't have a music player, that is part of the reason the ipod and itunes do so well because they come in a bundle.

[Epicurus]

Google's whole game plan in this area is to dump a little money in and see what happens. They might have hurt their chances of getting better search access within the iTunes databases by offering a competing service, but they'll probably outlast many of the other stores out there.

Google will probably keep adding free content in addition to the pay stuff, much like the podcasts on iTunes. Having much better search engines will eventually give Google the upperhand (in some respects) since they'll be able to mine their massive libraries better than iTunes. That is, of course, if they massively overhaul their GUI. If they're smart they'll just open up the interface API and let somebody else design it for them. That way someone can make up an "iTunes"-like interface and drop it on top of the Google library without it actually being Google doing it.

I can see a widget coming that does something like that...:D

[BlueRevolution]

somewhat off topic, but did anyone see this video on Google Video?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4677620510531891944

does that guy look like a vampire to anyone else? now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go practise pressing ^X, ^C and ^V. I aspire to be able to keep my other hand on the mouse at the same time, but I'm not quite there yet.

[crees!]

Rumor has it that Google is to acquire Napster. Keep your ears peeled!

[mwpeters8182]

don't forget picassa... iphoto rip-off or not, it's still nice software

Agreed, Picasa is probably one of the best free software programs out there. I actuappy prefer it over iPhoto. Granted, it wasn't developed by Google, it was bought.

[ph0rce]

somewhat off topic, but did anyone see this video on Google Video?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4677620510531891944

does that guy look like a vampire to anyone else? now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go practise pressing ^X, ^C and ^V. I aspire to be able to keep my other hand on the mouse at the same time, but I'm not quite there yet.

nah your right mate, he does look like a vampire... hehe what a silly man.

[cycocelica]

After seeing their "video" service last month I can see them not being successful in the digital music business. It seems to be close to impossible to beat iTunes unless you offer all the music free.

[Austin.xstone]

I realy like google - but im not realy wanting another music player! Google dont seem to care about design but then they are only playing with most of there stuff i supose.

[zeppiecr]

Dr. Eric Schmidt CEO of Google was elected to Apple's board today

[AvSRoCkCO1067]

Dr. Eric Schmidt CEO of Google was elected to Apple's board today

Now that's what I call using the search feature....:p

[Peace]

Dr. Eric Schmidt CEO of Google was elected to Apple's board today

This news kinda negates this Google vs. iTunes thread doesn't it ?;)

[wmmk]

This news kinda negates this Google vs. iTunes thread doesn't it ?;)
And the rumors of picasa and google desktop search for OS X:(

[evilgEEk]

And the rumors of picasa and google desktop search for OS X:(
Are Picasa and Google Desktop Search necessary for OS X? I've used both only once, and only when they both first came out, so maybe they're better now, but my memory of both is that they weren't all that impressive.

[JSchwage]

Didn't I just read something about Apple and Google joining together? If this is true, I highly doubt Google would create something to compete directly with iTunes.

[weg]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Bear Stearns (http://www.forbes.com/2006/01/26/google-apple-0126markets08.html?partner=yahootix) speculates that Google will create an iTunes competitor. Google recently entered the Video download market in early January.

Considering that a Google CEO recently joined the Apple Board (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=228937) this sounds a bit unlikely...

EDIT: Sorry, next time I'll read before I post :(

[AvSRoCkCO1067]

Didn't I just read something about Apple and Google joining together? If this is true, I highly doubt Google would create something to compete directly with iTunes.

This rumor is from January.

[trainguy77]

Considering that a Google CEO recently joined the Apple Board (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=228937) this sounds a bit unlikely...

Yeah, I don't think they would do something to compete with each other......however it might be something that compliments itunes via the web?