Live data from Hacker News

The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

medium.com

41–50 of 118 posts

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#41

I honestly find it very easy to not use any of their services. They all have quality competitors.

Please provide your recommendations. I've been prying myself off of their services but currently, I've not found a solid replacement for:

Facebook: nothing else has the network effect.

Google Drive: online documents are really convenient

Google Voice: what else has seamless integration with either android or ios.

Amazon: Buying household items like toilet paper, dishwasher detergent, etc, saves me a ton of time.

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#42
post #6

I'm genuinely unsure how I feel about this article. First, the internet itself is only in danger if net neutrality is genuinely threatened by ISPs. Until then, the network itself is as open as it ever was. As for the services on top, the meta-layer of products and infrastructure we rely on--social media, content sources, smartphones and smart devices, etc--there's a lot of reason to be concerned. But Amazon's markets…

> Google is successful in a few areas ..., but they've proven incapable of pushing into other major areas (streaming services... Are we talking about the same Google here? The one that owns YouTube, which created an entire culture around video streaming online?

> Are we talking about the same Google here? The one that owns YouTube, which created an entire culture around video streaming online?

they purchased youtube because their own video services was terrible

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#43
post #4

> Your iPhone signals you’re wealthier, better-educated, and more attractive than an Android user. The "status" argument is a bit silly. An iPhone costs about the same as a dog annually, [1]. [1] https://xkcd.com/980/huge/#x=-980&y=-2276&z=5

The "status" argument is the least silly thing in that statement.

Good point.

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#45
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calling Apple the genitals because they're a luxury brand? As soon as I saw that graphic I knew what quality of article I was in for.

Yeah, that was pretty tenuous. And assertion that women buy Apple products to deter "romantic rivals from poaching [their] relationship partner" seems almost ridiculous. I would say that iPhones and MacBooks are almost mass-market these days. Sure, they are more expensive than the alternatives, but they are so ubiquitous that can't really be considered status symbols anymore, can they?

Go to a public university or high school and count the MacBooks you see.

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#46
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calling Apple the genitals because they're a luxury brand? As soon as I saw that graphic I knew what quality of article I was in for.

Yeah, that was pretty tenuous. And assertion that women buy Apple products to deter "romantic rivals from poaching [their] relationship partner" seems almost ridiculous. I would say that iPhones and MacBooks are almost mass-market these days. Sure, they are more expensive than the alternatives, but they are so ubiquitous that can't really be considered status symbols anymore, can they?

Go to a public university or high school and count the MacBooks you see.

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#47
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually Chromebooks have already passed the Mac in the US and growing at 38% YoY versus the Mac is flat. https://www.theverge.com/2016/5/19/11711714/chromebooks-outs... Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the US - The Verge Heck we have. http://9to5google.com/2016/06/20/chromebooks-taking-over-mac... At Apple CEO Tim Cook's old high school, they are selling their ...

This is sort of a silly argument though. Mac and Chromebook don't really exist in the same space. One is ultra high-end and one is decidedly budget conscious.

I don't think it is so silly. The owners of the devices still use them for general computing as a desktop. Also, I am fairly sure the vast majority of apple's laptops sold are the "low end" versions such as the Macbook and the Air. Lets also not forget you can get some fairly pricey chrome books. The last one I bought was $2100 which out specked most of apples offerings with the exception of storage.

But beyond that if people don't want "high end" and are buying "low end" that still does not change the argument. Chromebook uses is growing and apple laptops usage is not, so maybe apple is providing a product people don't want... And that is sort of the point the parent made.

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#48
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is sort of a silly argument though. Mac and Chromebook don't really exist in the same space. One is ultra high-end and one is decidedly budget conscious.

I don't think it is so silly. The owners of the devices still use them for general computing as a desktop. Also, I am fairly sure the vast majority of apple's laptops sold are the "low end" versions such as the Macbook and the Air. Lets also not forget you can get some fairly pricey chrome books. The last one I bought was $2100 which out specked most of apples offerings with the exception of storage. But beyond that…

My point was that Chromebooks are eating away at the market formerly catered to by netbooks. They aren't really useful as full fledged machines to the average user. I don't believe that the people who are buying Chromebooks were ever in the market for a apple laptop.

As an aside, why did you buy a Chromebook that was that high spec?

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#49
post #2

In case you want to shorten the title in similar situations ("The GAFA War"): FAMGA - Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon GAFA - Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple FANG - Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google

or call them the big four.

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#50
post #6

I'm genuinely unsure how I feel about this article. First, the internet itself is only in danger if net neutrality is genuinely threatened by ISPs. Until then, the network itself is as open as it ever was. As for the services on top, the meta-layer of products and infrastructure we rely on--social media, content sources, smartphones and smart devices, etc--there's a lot of reason to be concerned. But Amazon's markets…

>Apple is already being beaten on many fronts, smartphones included.

Not if you're measuring profits and not just sales. They're still the dominant manufacturer by far. But maybe I'm just being pedantic.

Otherwise, I pretty much agree with all of this. The article comes across as hyperbolic to me as well.

Post reply on HN