I am back in the bay area for a couple of days coming from Seattle, and it hit me after visiting a company yesterday that Google, Amazon, and Apple are the top companies in each of the areas – Search, eCommerce, Media who combined are defining media distribution. What Microsoft lost in the DOJ/EU court cases is the ability to be in control of Windows as a way to define the user experience on PCs for these areas. If Microsoft didn’t have the consent decree restraints it could be more powerful in search, ecommerce, and media.

But, even if Microsoft had not lost the DOJ/EU court cases would they have moved to Mobile, Search, and e-reader type of devices like its competitors?

Microsoft VP recently left Microsoft to Amazon to work on the Kindle.

Mike Nash, Corporate Vice President of Windows Platform Strategy, will be leaving the company in February. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed his departure when I asked. From the e-mailed statement:

“We can confirm that Mike Nash is leaving Microsoft in a couple weeks. In his 19 years, Mike made an impact in number of key roles at the company. We appreciate his service and wish him well.”

Update: Nash will be joining Amazon.com to work on the Kindle, I hear. I’ve asked to see whether Nash will be replaced. No word back yet on that one…. Microsoft officials declined to comment (at least for now) on when and if that will happen.

There have been plenty of people who have left Microsoft to go to Google as well.

But, few who leave Microsoft to go to Apple. I know plenty including myself who left Apple to go to Microsoft, but not the other way around.

Google, Amazon, and Apple are all trying to define the new media experience which as much as the content creators are in despair, I think throughout history the distributors, those who owned the channel defined the business model.

The content Publishers used to own the channel, now it is in the hands of Google, Apple, and Amazon. Whoever who can define the best business model will win.