threehv

There’s been a lot said about the brewing corporate war between Google and Apple. They started out as friends in the face of a common foe (Microsoft) but as that foe has diminished, they have turned their sights on each other. Google moved in (unsurprisingly) on Apple’s turf with Android and suddenly the gloves were off.

The two have very different approaches to the same thing though. Apple is being attacked for being too closed, too controlling. And too expensive (as always). Google is saying that Android is open, that their products are free.

But if you step behind the scenes, I much prefer Apple’s model.

You see with Apple I can understand them at a glance. They sell an iPad, they make some money. Quite a bit of money as Apple historically has very high margins.

How does Google make its money? Not off Android – no Google is actually an advertising company, and their revenue comes from placing the right adverts in the right places. In other words it’s hidden. How much do they make off a page view? It depends – upon which page, how many times it’s been viewed and who you are.

And for all of Apple’s great product design (how it works, not how it looks) and Google’s “don’t be evil” rhetoric, ultimately, it’s all about the price you have to pay.