I remember when everyone was getting their asses handed to them by AOL, by EA etc... change does happen.

Its important because Live and PSN revenue combined are probably over $4B so far and growing every year.

Apple is already above $4b a year on iTunes alone.

Yahh but Apple is not run by the same type of idiots that ran thsoe two into the ground, i hope. 

Apple doesn't have a console and their service is a mature service, im talking about maturing competitors.

Edit: In addition to this the scope of their potential is limited to the limited numbers of Mac and Ipod/phone/touch units they can sell and they are facing increased competition so they aren't as likely to grow in revenue nearly as quickly as either PSN or Live.

Define mature. Apple has an integrated system with apps/game, video and music. Just because they don't have game first platform doesn't mean they aren't mature.

You don't think they can grow in revenue? With the addition of the iPad, it's possible for them to grow into the space previously held by print media. It's a huge market that has barely been touched.

Only things of relevance are Live on xbox and PSN on PS, both heavly tied to gaming.

The rest is honestly irrelevent.  I dont care at all about PSN on anything but a gaming platform, and i'm a Sony fan.  Why would the average consumer ever care ?

I said they were more mature but I thought their growth potential was more limited.

As far as the iPad is concerned, they haven't set the world on fire there and their initial foray doesn't have the same level of implementation that their amazing iPhone/iPods had reletive to the competition. The Courier, Slate and other reader combinations are even better implementations in some ways.

The fact that you don't care doesn't matter really. Gaming is just one avenue for these services. The average consumer wants convenience, portability and transportability.

The iPod/iPhone/iMac were all doubted just like you're doubting the iPad. Go back to the archives and there was nearly identical criticisms. I'm not saying that the criticisms aren't valid, but Apple has a way triumphing despite all of it.

I'm not saying Apple will dominate, but you have to be silly to say they aren't one of the major forces in networked services.

It does matter, if they can't get a gamer like me to care about their games service coming to other plaforms how will they get some chick of the street to give up her iphone ?  Gaming is a sure bet for thsoe services, everything else is not.  Mostof those other things are pointless.   

Yes yes yes, and Andriod or Apple are much better at that.

Its not a war between PSN Live, its more a struggle for survival.