Google Pushes Play Front And Center

http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/27/google-play-hits-navbar/

by aritraghosh007 • 14 years ago

21 14 14 years ago

freehunter3• 14 years ago

When I saw it, I was kind of confused. It takes me to an app store, but it's not immediately obvious if the apps will work on the PC I was browsing on. The Android name was shown front and center all over the page, but when I clicked on (for example) Angry Birds, it says "this app will work on all your devices." I have an Android tablet and I assume Google knows that. I know Angry Birds will work on PC in the browser. What I didn't see was for which platform the apps were being advertised.

Google seems to be playing the Ubuntu route recently, throwing things against the wall, obviously building to something greater, but still pushing unfinished works into production without stressing (like they used to) that the product is not yet finished. I don't like it.

Whether they like it or not, Google has a huge presence in every market, and they can't pull things like this anymore.

PhrosTT• 14 years ago

and they can't pull things like this anymore

Uhmm... they can and did. It's hardly traumatizing users. It's a good time to do it since the masses unfortunately love Angry Birds... They click the link and realize "Oh look, it's like Google iTunes".

Why should they not leverage the crazy traffic they have?

freehunter3• 14 years ago

Uhmm... they can and did.

English might not be your first language, so I want to be sensitive of this. We have what is called a turn of phrase, or a memorable statement which represents an idea. In this case, when I say "you can't do that", it is similar to how your boss might call you into his office to complain that you deleted the company's production server. He might say "you can't do that", even though you obviously just did. What he means is "you really shouldn't have done that, and you should have known better."

Why should they not leverage the crazy traffic they have?

They can and should. What I'm representing is that the way they have chosen to leverage that traffic is confusing. Selling Android apps on a PC storefront which also has its own apps causes confusion as to whether or not the apps will work on your PC. In this case, they specifically use the name Android in several places, and I didn't see anywhere that it said "works on your PC" or "doesn't work on your PC".

It's a good time to do it since the masses unfortunately love Angry Birds

They've had a webapp store which sold Angry Birds for the PC. Combining the two caused me confusion. If it causes me confusion, it likely causes other people confusion as well.

abraham2• 14 years ago

Google has always been an evolutionary company. They are obviously working towards a single store that supports music, movies, books, Android apps, Google TV apps, and soon Chrome apps. I'm not sure why the should the Play Store back into "beta" mode just because it was rebranded and support for all the devices has not been launched yet.

If you expand the compatibility box does it list your tablet?

freehunter3• 14 years ago

The key is telling if the app works on PC or Android or both or neither. They're selling them from the web, on your PC browser. They have previously had a webapp store which sold games just for your PC browser. Now in this store, they use the word Android as well. So are the apps for PC, or for Android?

GFischer• 14 years ago

Slightly OT: good thing they listened to feedback and kept the black navbar.

I hated the brief time they had the drop-down menu. I use Gmail, Docs and Maps a lot (and search, obviously).

I dislike the name "Play", it doesn't convey what it does as well as Market.

techtalsky• 14 years ago

The play logo is an interesting direction for them. Totally new, non-primary colors and a different form-factor than we usually see from Google.

s0me0ne• 14 years ago

Basically useless for desktop users, they should let us pick the order of that nav. All I need is gmail, docs and reader.

tung92• 14 years ago

Actually, you can rent movies and watch on your desktop (streamed through Youtube) or rent/buy books.

MatthewPhillips2• 14 years ago

I would classify watching a full-length movie on a desktop/laptop computer as being pretty close to worthless.

Jare• 14 years ago

I don't get it, I go to Google Play on my desktop Chrome browser and instead of the Chrome Web Store, I am sent to an Android app store. It makes no sense to me.

Google Pushes Play Front And Center

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