Friday, June 10, 2011

Google Music or Apple's iCloud?

Google has been ever so eager to step into already established markets, with services like Buzz, and Google Music. Today we'll take a look at Google Music Beta, which is a cloud based music player. Not that there's anything new with it, but when Google does it, there is this element of curiosity in it. Google Music Beta is no different than the already existing players like Slacker Radio, Pandora or others. This cloud player allows users to stream their music to absolutely any internet connection.
The cloud based music player by Google, was made available for Motorola XOOM owners in the U.S., and some attendees of the Google I/O conference. It is expected to be rolled out to mobile platforms worldwide.
Users will have to download Google's Music Manager and add all the songs from their computer's library. You don't even have to do that really; the software will scan your hard drive and also add all the music. All you have to do is click on a button approving the uploading of songs to the cloud, and the magic happens. Google recommends you to do it over Wi-Fi or 3G, since it requires a lot of time to upload to the cloud. You will also have the ability to stop the upload and resume it at any given time, so it's not imperative that you upload them all at once. You can access the uploaded music by downloading a Google Music app from the Android Market. The app's interface is similar to that of the stock Android player. So there's nothing new in that regard.
The best part about this player is that just about any device with an internet connection, be it the iPhone or the BlackBerry PlayBook, can access the music library very easily. You only need to log in from their respective browsers with appropriate credentials and you're good to go. It's very commendable that this service isn't restricted only to Android. This service will be free, so that's another benefit for users all over the world. Let's hope this service is rolled out all over the world pretty soon.
From the demos it is clear that Google is all set for a grand opening of the Google Music Beta. Since this is still in its Beta stage, it is plausible that some flaws may be found. We'll have to wait till Google releases the full version of the player to get a complete idea of its functionalities.
Apple recently showed off iCloud, which is a similar service, and offers more or less similar functionality. From what we've learnt, iCloud will be able to store absolutely any data on the cloud and is not limited to just music. So Google might want to look closely at that aspect. Perhaps, Google could launch another service to counter iCloud. But one thing is for sure, when the full version of Google Music and the iCloud is released, comparisons are going to be made. Also, iCloud offers photo storage and other data storage facilities as well, so I think we have a clear winner. But nothing can be said as of now, since there is still some time left for the service to be launched officially.

Apple's iCloud

Apple's iCloud

http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Google_Music_or_Apples_iCloud/551-115327-643.html