Visualization of Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, and Microsoft’s Consumer Product Lines(papercutslibrary.com)
papercutslibrary.com
Visualization of Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, and Microsoft’s Consumer Product Lines
https://www.papercutslibrary.com/process-notes/a-non-exhaustive-yet-fairly-thorough-view-of-big-tech-via-amazon-apple-alphabet-and-microsofts-consumer-product-lines/
25 comments
Same for cloud and ad services, they're not products (more a platform or a collection of products) nor they're for consumers.
EDIT : Also, tensorflow (not a product) is making his way on the google "cloud", but not .NET onto Microsoft's. What's the reasoning there ?
EDIT : Also, tensorflow (not a product) is making his way on the google "cloud", but not .NET onto Microsoft's. What's the reasoning there ?
Yes, my headline might not be the best, because this chart definitely goes outside the bounds of consumer product lines.
.NET is in there, just above Azure, but as with many of the more technical pieces of this puzzle, I did my best research while also being a little out of my league to make super-consistent calls.
While some aren't consumer options, I consider them a heads-up to the average consumer, as a reminder of how much they don’t know, or to spark connections like looking up Body Labs and then thinking about Amazon Go. Or with the ads, it’s just a reminder that those ads are part of the business.
And then there’s probably a class of them that are "things I’ve seen discussed on Hacker News and know are important without complete understanding them” like AlphaFold on the front page today… as I'm an average lay-consumer too… but in this book, I try to stick with making points well within reach.
It's all about calling out how low the bar seems on consumer technical knowledge.
Thanks for the question and for taking a look!
.NET is in there, just above Azure, but as with many of the more technical pieces of this puzzle, I did my best research while also being a little out of my league to make super-consistent calls.
While some aren't consumer options, I consider them a heads-up to the average consumer, as a reminder of how much they don’t know, or to spark connections like looking up Body Labs and then thinking about Amazon Go. Or with the ads, it’s just a reminder that those ads are part of the business.
And then there’s probably a class of them that are "things I’ve seen discussed on Hacker News and know are important without complete understanding them” like AlphaFold on the front page today… as I'm an average lay-consumer too… but in this book, I try to stick with making points well within reach.
It's all about calling out how low the bar seems on consumer technical knowledge.
Thanks for the question and for taking a look!
Yeah, if that's the case then they should add things like windows hello to Microsoft's bubble.
Thank you for the feedback, I see what you are saying. Definitions were difficult, and hopefully I'm not being too fast and loose with the "product line" categorization of this chart in general. I put these in for visibility sake, and also perhaps because Apple didn't have as much to go in here than expected, but will definitely consider your notes for a future revision, thanks again!
Actually, I think it would be good to illustrate how few product lines Apple has as compared to its competitors.
This also struck me as odd. I can't use Siri on my Android phone in order to "fragment my exposure to big tech".
Yes, in terms of "fragmentation," Mix & Match is vague and only possible in certain ways, but it gets more specific with tips #2-4 about browsers, search, and AI assistants.
As an Apple user, I avoid Safari to fragment (the tip is about switching to Firefox), and also have changed to Neeva to fragment my Google exposure.
Otherwise, I hear you, and definitely hoped for more clean lines and opportunities, but the book turned into being more about raising awareness of these companies' reach and incepting the mere suggestion that a user could (or even want to) fragment or limit their exposure in any way.
As an Apple user, I avoid Safari to fragment (the tip is about switching to Firefox), and also have changed to Neeva to fragment my Google exposure.
Otherwise, I hear you, and definitely hoped for more clean lines and opportunities, but the book turned into being more about raising awareness of these companies' reach and incepting the mere suggestion that a user could (or even want to) fragment or limit their exposure in any way.
This is a really cool idea. At first I thought it was a random cloud and would benefit from organization, but then reading down saw the key.
The only downside is that it’s not obvious up front which area maps to what business segment, eg if I want to find “Mobile” I have to scan the cloud for things that mentally match to that (eg Android, iOS).
It does make the comparison of products in each area clear though, by virtue of density, but not what the area represents.
The only downside is that it’s not obvious up front which area maps to what business segment, eg if I want to find “Mobile” I have to scan the cloud for things that mentally match to that (eg Android, iOS).
It does make the comparison of products in each area clear though, by virtue of density, but not what the area represents.
Thank you very much.
There were so many competing design notions to consider, and while I eventually went heavy on adding things, it was partly due to the seeming bare minimum already being too much, so why not see how far I could reasonably push it.
Unfortunately I admit that the chart is less impactful than hoped because of it… but hopefully it is also a little fun, and maybe someone picks up something from it (like IMDb below!).
On the positive, I agree that being able to eyeball the “comparison of products in each area” is the one element that works nicely, once you pick up on it.
There were so many competing design notions to consider, and while I eventually went heavy on adding things, it was partly due to the seeming bare minimum already being too much, so why not see how far I could reasonably push it.
Unfortunately I admit that the chart is less impactful than hoped because of it… but hopefully it is also a little fun, and maybe someone picks up something from it (like IMDb below!).
On the positive, I agree that being able to eyeball the “comparison of products in each area” is the one element that works nicely, once you pick up on it.
Before we drop off the front page, I just wanted to say thanks again to the HN community for an amazing day!
I was very nervous about sharing here... but while this viz is part of a book meant for a lay-consumer audience, it was written with the goal of being able to withstand the general scrutiny of the Hacker News crowd... so thanks for taking a look and sharing your thoughts and comments!
I was very nervous about sharing here... but while this viz is part of a book meant for a lay-consumer audience, it was written with the goal of being able to withstand the general scrutiny of the Hacker News crowd... so thanks for taking a look and sharing your thoughts and comments!
I'm considering everything under Alphabet to be at risk of going away at any second.
Also, no idea IMDB was Amazon.
Also, no idea IMDB was Amazon.
Great point, with their track record it’s partially a cautionary tale in Alphabet’s case!
IMDb being Amazon is so big. As if the rating system wasn’t already degrading enough, their ownership of it blows the whole deal in my book.
Goodreads was a discovery for me. We are purposely not selling the Papercuts Library on Amazon, but I had been eyeing a Goodreads account. Skipping it as well now.
IMDb being Amazon is so big. As if the rating system wasn’t already degrading enough, their ownership of it blows the whole deal in my book.
Goodreads was a discovery for me. We are purposely not selling the Papercuts Library on Amazon, but I had been eyeing a Goodreads account. Skipping it as well now.
Nice, looks like very “2000” style.
Thanks, that could be a clue to where my head is stuck!
Haven't been able to bring a designer onboard yet so definitely going art brut with the style for now.
Haven't been able to bring a designer onboard yet so definitely going art brut with the style for now.
Oh wow, thanks HN, within seconds of being on the front page, our site is down, cheers!
Checking with my web host about what to do now, but love having this problem!
Hope to have the site back up to share this visualization with you soon!
Checking with my web host about what to do now, but love having this problem!
Hope to have the site back up to share this visualization with you soon!
Congrats! It's up now. Curious about which Dreamhost service are you using to host your website?
Thank you, I was just about to write up some props for DreamHost, because they were totally awesome today!
My site basically crashed within moments of being on the front page, but it turned out to be just as much about the traffic as it was a few technical elements I have not been on top of.
It was only down for an hour, but I was chatting with support within minutes, and the same person stuck with my ticket through resolution.
WooCommerce cart ajax and cron jobs were partially to blame, but DreamHost suggested a few new plugins, and I can tell on the backend that everything is happier now.
Meanwhile, traffic has been flowing in happily since. (What a day!!!)
Anyway, I’m using DreamPress Plus and have been very happy with the service and support!
My site basically crashed within moments of being on the front page, but it turned out to be just as much about the traffic as it was a few technical elements I have not been on top of.
It was only down for an hour, but I was chatting with support within minutes, and the same person stuck with my ticket through resolution.
WooCommerce cart ajax and cron jobs were partially to blame, but DreamHost suggested a few new plugins, and I can tell on the backend that everything is happier now.
Meanwhile, traffic has been flowing in happily since. (What a day!!!)
Anyway, I’m using DreamPress Plus and have been very happy with the service and support!
Is posting things under alternate accounts to boost the submission allowed? I note that user "papercuts" and user "apeconmyth" appear to be the same person posting and interacting on their company submission.
Hi, sorry, meant no offense. Apeconmyth is my old account here on HN, which is why I posted from there. I created the new Papercuts account after making the front page. I'm not trying to play games.
Really nice! Please make one for their products graveyard, ie:
https://killedbygoogle.com/
https://killedbygoogle.com/
https://comparecloud.in/
https://github.com/ilyas-it83/CloudComparer
Tangentially related, and more cloud focused, but this tool is the best resource I have come across to compare cloud services and offerings between the six cloud providers.
Yes, even has IBM, Oracle, and Alibaba :)
https://github.com/ilyas-it83/CloudComparer
Tangentially related, and more cloud focused, but this tool is the best resource I have come across to compare cloud services and offerings between the six cloud providers.
Yes, even has IBM, Oracle, and Alibaba :)
I don’t see how any of these are to be considered a “product”, especially since they can’t be purchased or acquired in any way apart from some actual product: