In a Skirmish to Control the Screens

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Given the relentless battles by tech companies to win new smartphone users, you would think that the tiny screen is the only one that matters. Those battles are part of a larger war for three screens: smartphones, tablets and televisions. The most important facet of these devices won’t be the sharpness of the display or the sleekness of the design — they will, after all, essentially be the same: flat pieces of glass of varying sizes. What we will want most from these screens is their ability to communicate with one another like a group of gabbing teenagers in the middle of school recess.

Media you will buy or rent online, like e-books, videos, games and music, should be able to flow flawlessly among these devices. Done correctly, you won’t have to do a thing. If your screens are woven together on the same operating system, they will be able to share media by speaking the same language. Can we already see a winner? You might say Apple because it has popular smartphones, tablets and computers talking to one another. Google is further behind because while smartphones are using its operating system, that’s where it ends. But when it comes to the living room, both companies are losing. Surprisingly, it’s the company that has been failing with the smartphone that may be the furthest ahead: Microsoft.


In a Skirmish to Control the Screens