> Hot on the heels of Apple’s subscription service announcement, Google has lifted the curtain on its own offering that will allow publishers to set a price for recurring content delivered via your Google login. The payment system is called “[One Pass](http://www.google.com/landing/onepass/),” and it allows publishers to offer not only subscriptions, but also metered access, “freemium” content, and even individual articles. So far, One Pass seems more flexible than [Apple’s offering](http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/02/apples-in-app-subscriptions-if-we-bring-in-subscribers-we-deserve-a-cut.ars), and the company will likely take a much smaller cut from publishers than Apple will.
via [arstechnica.com](http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2011/02/google-counters-apple-subscriptions-with-more-flexible-one-pass.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss)
This new “One Pass” offering is a classic example of Google following the old school Microsoft business strategy. Favor big business over the consumer, the thinking goes, and you win, because you’ll get all the content deals and Apple will have nothing. The consumer won’t have a choice but to go where the content is.
The problem with that thinking in 2011 is that today’s consumer is much more spoiled than he or she used to be. Devices like the iPod and iPhone have taught consumers that a pleasant computer experience is possible. So they’ve started to demand it. And Apple’s ability to keep its prices in line with competitors means that they don’t have to pay a premium for it, either.
So siding with publishers instead of customers is not going to help Google out any more than Plays for Sure worked out for Microsoft in the music business. The content will go where the people are, not the other way around.
Ultimately, the publishers will go where they will make more money, and, 30-percent cut or not, they’re more likely to make money with Apple right now. Because Apple is the only one selling any tablets.
Until the competition can significantly beat Apple on price, nothing is going to change this.
The only thing that can stop Apple from getting away with this new publishing policy is a “good enough” $200 – $300 tablet. So far, that doesn’t exist.
