I found this post on Digg.com about Google's newly released Video Store. I actually like the Google Video Store and the idea that the content producers will set their own prices. Hey, it's a free market and the consumer will decide what they will buy and how much they're willing to pay. Very good idea.

I have to agree with the general idea in this post, which is that the store is pretty ugly. I've found this with a lot of Google's products, including Google Reader, GMail  (yes, it's looking clunky to me), and even the Google Personalized home page. They seem all use an Arial font and very minimal design. I'm all for simplicity, but there's also something to be said for beautiful design. Just look at Apple's home page for their new MacBook. Also look at Flickr. They're simple and beautiful at the same time.

I think people will always choose functionality over design, but when their's competition and the functionality is comparable, I think the edge will be on the side of the more beautiful design. I know I do. I guess that's obvious, but I'll be interested to see what Google does going forward. Brand loyalty goes quite away, but what's the tipping point? What do you guys think?

Via Digg.com