Google Rolls Out Google Play, Android Market No More

We suppose it was only a matter of time, really, before Google took stock of its media, entertainment, and app stores and decided to roll them up into one unified product. Today, the company is unveiling the Google Play Store, which combines Google’s Android Market, Music, and eBookstore into one ball of wax.

Simply put, Google Play gives you access to music, books, movies, and apps in one place. Even better, like other Google products such as Google Docs and Gmail, it’s designed to be available with a single sign-on across all your devices and the Web. Thus, you can acquire content from Google Play via your desktop Web browser, phone, or tablet and enjoy it on any of those devices at any time. That goes for apps, too; you can buy an app form your desktop, and it’ll be installed on your phone.



For those who are concerned, Google is not going to wipe out your music collection or ebooks; they’ll simply be moved into a new location, where you can access them as before. Unsurprisingly, you’ll be able to share whatever you’re doing in Google Play via text message, email, or Google+.

Google Play is available worldwide today online, with updates coming to Android devices soon.



Side note: Google is the reigning king of copying Apple’s ideas and yet making them work, but the Google Play tour-and-features site is virtually a direct copy of every Apple product page you’ve seen.