Bring back the iBook, you cowards

What It Covers

Amazon sends cease and desist to Perplexity over AI browser Comet accessing Amazon without permission, sparking debate about whether AI agents can autonomously use websites. Apple reportedly developing sub-$1000 laptop with iPhone chip targeting education market previously dominated by Chromebooks.

Key Questions Answered

• •AI Agent Distribution War: Companies building AI agents face fundamental conflict with service providers like DoorDash, Uber, and Amazon who refuse disintermediation. Agents clicking through websites bypass upsells, dynamic pricing, and credit card deals that generate actual revenue, threatening business models even when completing core transactions successfully.
• •Browser as Power Center: Third browser war centers on whether AI companies can deploy agents that pretend to be Chrome, ignore robots.txt files, and click through websites without permission or business deals. Success means avoiding App Store-style API partnerships and 30% revenue shares, but requires overcoming legal and technical resistance from platforms.
• •Perplexity Growth Hacking: Perplexity distributes Comet browser through partnerships like free Xfinity subscriptions and paywall bypass deals with publishers including Washington Post. Strategy targets users who lack leverage to negotiate formal partnerships with major platforms, relying on appearing as legitimate Chrome traffic to avoid detection and blocking.
• •Education Market Laptop: Apple's rumored iPhone-chip laptop targets $600-800 price point to recapture education market lost to Chromebooks. Device could include cellular modem, extended battery life from mobile architecture, and colorful iBook-style design, positioning Mac as phone accessory rather than professional workstation for phone-first generation.
• •YouTube Professionalization Pressure: YouTube pursuing Emmy-winning content and appointment viewing like live events to justify premium advertising rates, but refuses variable creator payments that would attract talent like Stephen Colbert. Platform depends on infinite amateur content while competing against Netflix writing $100 million podcast deals, creating unsustainable creator economy dynamics.