Getting its start around the turn-of-the-century by bringing books to the people online–and now number one in the world–is the largest and widest river in the jungle out there–Amazon. I can take my manuscript and upload it direct and set my own royalties! I can produce an audiobook using the mic on my iMac (Apple my second favorite brand), and upload it to audible dot com–an Amazon company:
What’s becoming very evident, though, it Microsoft’s incursion surrounding the walled garden of Apple’s Safari browser. Shopify apps. and KD Pilot–KDSpy, Abundant Scribe–all work best on Chrome in a pc loaded with Microsoft. You can try to download the apps on a Mac, but good luck when the iOS is no longer supported on your device. Indeed, Word now clearly out-Trumps Pages. Apple is losing the app battle competition. Good luck using the search function in locating files. Who knows where the disappearing iTunes library files and iCloud Photos go? Indeed, Samsung is looking pretty smart!
The best brands for being a writer is Microsoft Word and Kindle Direct on Amazon. The best for art is FineArtAmerica using an iPhone.
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/union-square-hearts-1-douglas-griggs.html
The best for search and apps for your brand website and video rendering is Google and YouTube. Chrome, Microsoft and Word now beats out Safari, Ventura and Pages.
The biggest brouhaha with network brands is the sickly attempt by Paramount Plus as yet another ten dollar app draining our pocketbook every month with streaming controls vastly inferior to Netflix. The talent setting-up the controls and metrics just don’t have what it takes. Disney was able to hog up Marvel and Pixar, and have enough content to keep us from deleting them–but it’s almost like there should be a law against the Redstone estate to break up or block CBS, or Viacom. The Star Trek franchise–which started in Desilu, and went to Fox / CBS –is now left for dead on Paramount. Tom Cruise should be sad his Mission Impossible series is no longer to be found on Netlix.
Netflix should be able to have a studio section for Warner Bros. Paramount, Universal, and MGM, with rotational ups so we never have to delete, and never have to keep chasing studio product. Or start a classic television series with our favorite TV shows, with a series payment for access.
And don’t get me started on this fee structure for ad based streaming. Have you seen the way they interrupt the episode with ads? And the type of ads displayed are indicative of Diabetic Nation and Sedentary Nation. Fortunately, Audible is bringing up the fresh change once we say, “Enough!”
The Dao of Doug: A Bus Driver's Perspective 