

So Apple doesn’t collect as much data as Google. Maybe it should - mgreg
https://gigaom.com/2014/09/19/so-apple-doesnt-collect-as-much-data-as-google-maybe-it-should/

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mgreg
This article brings to light the business model differences Tim Cook
highlighted again. Apple sells and makes money from devices while Google (and
its OEMs) don't make much on the hardware but Google makes money from
advertising fueled by personal data.

The implicit argument was that Google's services are better because of the
personal data it collects but I didn't see any solid support for this. Are
google's services really that much better than others (mail, maps/navigation,
search) _that_ much better than competitors because of the personal data they
collect? I'd argue that most of Google's services would be just as good
without the harvesting of personal data. Does gmail really need my search
history to be better? Does maps need to know _my_ locations etc. or just
anonymous & randomized cartography data to improve its accuracy?

I get that personal data helps the make more money but I'm not fully getting
how it makes the services better. On the other hand I'd also be interested in
understanding some of the hidden costs or consequences of them having all of
our data.

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c1sc0
> Are google's services really that much better than others (mail,
> maps/navigation, search) _that_ much better than competitors because of the
> personal data they collect?

Yes. Google Now.

