Open-source software is a wonderful thing. It’s what made Android the most popular mobile operating system, and is why Linux quietly powers the internet. Programmers with limited experience (like the copy/paste “script kiddies”) and experienced software engineers alike can toy with functioning code to create new services, which are sometimes open-sourced in turn. But for Google, the second edge of the open-source sword is starting to cut, and on a product that actually makes some cash. Google announced it’s sold 17 million Chromecast units as of May, a significant milestone for a software company. On the bright side, both Chromecast and Apple TV have some momentum, as each have launched new products in the past month. Apple announced the new Apple TV, the first refresh to the line since early 2012, and Google launched the new Chromecast this week, as well as a device with the ability to make any speaker with a 3.5mm input Wi-Fi enabled. (The Nexus Q is still dead.) Google has also worked to make its online Google Store a standalone marketplace for its products. During its Nexus event Tuesday, Google execs stressed time and time again that their products were available untethered from any carrier or retailer on the Google Store, which admittedly looks better than it has in the past. The Apple TV uses its own tvOS, carries name recognition, and held a 17 percent market share in 2014 despite not releasing a new model in nearly 3 years. Chromecast performed slightly better with a 19 percent share, but a mid-2013 release.
