Apple Announces iAd

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Apple is starting to look more like Google, while acting more like Wal-Mart.

This week Apple unveiled its new mobile advertising program, iAd. It was only a matter of time, especially since Apple purchased Quattro; a mobile advertising start-up.

But let's now review:

- Apple took over as the largest music retailer two years ago, beating out Wal-Mart in the process.

- Everytime anything gets sold on iTunes, Apple wets its beak.

- Everytime someone purchases an app for download at Apple's App store, you-know-who wets its beak.

With the iPad, Apple is making no secret that it is aggressively pursuing the e-Book market, more of the music and movie market and even newspapers and other periodicals.

That sounds great. And believe me it is, especially if you are a stockholder. Apple is now the fourth largest publicly traded company in the United States. It's just an eyelash behind number three; Wal-Mart.

That being said, it is clearly not enough. Apple wants to get a piece of the exploding online advertising boom, too (40% of the piece to be exact; that's the cut Apple is demanding in exchange to advertise in their sandbox).

That's the part that creeps me out; their sandbox. What would be the reaction if we were talking about Microsoft, instead of Apple?

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Renee Oricchio

Renee Oricchio is a technology writer and former supervising news producer for CNN Financial News. She has been covering the computer industry since 1987.

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