Is Facebook Making 'The Netflix Mistake' ?

'The next search engine is just a click away' was how Eric Schmidt famously proclaimed Google's strength in web search - the fact that in spite of that most web users continued to use Google, showed that the product was still the one to beat in the market. A stronger argument could be made for Facebook - add the fact that nobody wants to move their network along with them - you logon to Facebook because 'that is where your friends are' and it is probably never going to change. Probably.

We had written about the mistake that Netflix made - the lack of a device - read 'The One Mistake That Might Haunt Netflix Forever'. The world is moving into platforms in decisive ways. Your gaming console is a platform. Your TV is a platform. Your mobile phone is a platform, too. Your e-reader is a platform. Your shoes - they are a platform too. What is the common thread across these platforms?

Hardware. This is what we wrote, on Netflix: 'As the content distribution game enters the mobile entertainment era, and as a ’5 inch plus’ world thirsty for mobile content gears up to move ‘anytime, anywhere availability’ to the top of its priorities, not getting a device into millions of hands (when it had the opportunity) is a mistake that might haunt Netflix for a long time.'

It might be a mistake that might haunt Facebook as well. Hardware platforms stick. Hardware sticks. Maybe Facebook should just build that 5inchplus device. Because now, it can.