iPod flourishing, gaining market share

MacNN ^ | 04/25/2006

[Swordmaker]

What about when you download it from P2P sites? FREE

Until you get slapped with that RIAA suit.

[Echo Talon]

I don't own an mp3 player, thank goodness im not that much into music

[gondramB]

>>Bzzzt. Wrong. You can burn *any* iTunes song to an MP3 or Audio CD. Then you can play it on anything.

Again, Apple lets you own your music. Surprise!<<

Hmmm I must have missed the output from DRMed to MP3 choice in ITunes.

I know you can redigitize Itunes into MP3 but all the methods I am aware of involve breaking the ITunes agreement and thus the law.

[antiRepublicrat]

What exactly are the limitations of DRM?

DRM is a necessary evil for now, as the labels wouldn't have allowed online sales if not for it. Even with DRM Jobs had to drag the RIAA kicking and screaming into realistic online sales.

You probably don't notice Apple's DRM because it is loose enough to encompass most of the things iPod owners would want to do with their music. You can copy your music to any number of iPods, stream it to up to five computers on your network simultaneously and burn unlimited CDs (although one play list can only be burned seven times before you have to change it to burn again).

You'll really only notice it if you use something other than an iPod, or a player other than iTunes (although you had to use iTunes to buy the music in the first place).

[antiRepublicrat]

It looks better if you go longer term.

[Spktyr]

Um, that's not exactly an all-in-one device. An AIO would be something like a phone/camera/pda/mp3/video player. Those are already on the market and they're not selling all that well.

[Spktyr]

P2P = Free, but I-L-L-E-G-A-L.

[Echo Talon]

soon as the technology catches up thats where its going. With data sticks reaching 4GB's its inevitable. Imagine one of these with a removable media capability(data sticks) that are self contained in the unit. should be pretty cool.

CORSAIR Voyager 4GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) - Retail $104.99

[Spktyr]

From my PowerBook running iTunes (not my desktop Mac w/ the burner):

[Spktyr]

Yet the iPod shuffle's sales doesn't seem to be affected.

It's not just about the iPod hardware. It's about the seamless end to end experience that you get with iTunes and the iPod that give Apple the advantage. Nobody's been able to duplicate that yet.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

I have been disappointed in their video offerings.

[Echo Talon]

It's not just about the iPod hardware. It's about the seamless end to end experience that you get with iTunes and the iPod that give Apple the advantage.

can it also clean my toilet and take pictures of babes on the beach? :)

[Spktyr]

No, but you shouldn't discount it. Offering a seamless purchase and ownership experience is part of how Toyota got Lexus to be a dominant player in the luxury car market. It's not just the hardware, it's the buying experience, too!

GM and Microsoft (and Napster, Sony, etc., etc.) have yet to learn this. Apple obviously did.

Oh, I don't hear any comments from you about Sony's ATRAC. Why is that, hm?

[Echo Talon]

LOL! you sound like an Apple salesman! WTF! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Here's a hint - all-in-one devices rarely do any of their tasks well and people usually hate them. The phone-as-camera still hasn't made a dent in digicam sales, and the phone-as-music player hasn't yet (and probably won't) make a dent in *any* over-$50 MP3 player sales.

Yes but if you're a hockey player and the coach has just chewed the team out for not playing well, it is so handy to be able to on demand download an inspirational hockey song on your cell phone.......

My apologies if you haven't seen the ad that I am lampooning..........

[Spktyr]

No, but I've studied business - and using the Leisure Suit Larry approach to selling your product isn't going to work any more.

Besides, criticism of the iPod or other music players from someone who doesn't even own one is worth a laugh in and of itself.

Still waiting for you to explain why you worship Sony and don't mention ATRAC or how none of their music players until very very recently supported MP3 at all....

[Spktyr]

Yeah, that silly vCast commercial from Verizon?

Yeah - imagine how happy he'll be when he realizes he spent $5 to get that stupid song. Ooops.

[Echo Talon]

First of all, I had no idea that Sony had a standard, if you read all the posts you would have noticed that, I said Sony or someone will develop a standard that will work on multiple machines, IE Nextel, Motorola, Sony etc. Someone can copy iTunes unless you believe in monopolies

Have you changed the batteries in your Ipod lately?

[Spktyr]

No, but I changed the battery in a friend's first generation iPod last week. Took me all of 10 minutes.

Changed the battery in your Palm PDA lately?

And iTunes is copyrighted and patented. Good luck coming up with an exact copy - plus nobody else in the market has the combination of control over the hardware plus the software design expertise to do this. Maybe Microsoft's vaporware MP3/WMA player will, but I really, really doubt it'll work as well as the tight integration of iTunes and iPod, and that's what matters.

Out of curiosity, you drive something like a Chevrolet or Ford, don't you?

[Echo Talon]

Yes, I drive an American made car.