Jobs on iPod, iTunes and Zune

[MacRumors]

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With the 5th anniversary of the iPod, Newsweek spoke with Steve Jobs about the iPod, iTunes Store and Zune as a potential threat.

According to Jobs, one major reason for the iPod's success was its relative simplicity:

Look at the design of a lot of consumer products—they're really complicated surfaces. We tried make something much more holistic and simple.

Meanwhile, courting the music studios to distribute music through iTunes was an 18 month process, with them gradually coming over. During the negotiations, the initial limited distribution to the Mac platform only was seen as a positive feature.

"If we're completely wrong and you completely screw up the entire music market for Mac owners, the sandbox is small enough that you really won't damage the overall music industry very much."

Finally, Jobs was asked if he was worried about Microsoft's upcoming media player (Zune) and its "community" features:

In a word, no. I've seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever. By the time you've gone through all that, the girl's got up and left! You're much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you're connected with about two feet of headphone cable.

[spicyapple]

I wouldn't want a stranger poking around my song playlists whether they are jacked in or Zuned in. Other than the dubious wireless song sharing capability of the Zune, I don't think it competes at all feature-wise against the iPod and won't pose a threat to Apple's delicious dominance.

[narco]

My favorite part:

Microsoft has announced its new iPod competitor, Zune. It says that this device is all about building communities. Are you worried?

In a word, no. I've seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever. By the time you've gone through all that, the girl's got up and left! You're much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you're connected with about two feet of headphone cable.

Fishes,
narco.

[iJaz]

Me sending a song to someone else who can play it 3 times, what a great community!

[dhollister]

Haha, that's the best part. And it's so true! Walk your ass over to that girl and sit next to her and share your music with her. Screw this "beaming it over" nonsense.

[AoWolf]

Originally Posted by Steve jobs

In a word, no. I've seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever. By the time you've gone through all that, the girl's got up and left! You're much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you're connected with about two feet of headphone cable.

I like this guy :-)

[spicyapple]

Originally Posted by dhollister

Screw this "beaming it over" nonsense.

Yes, that is a very nerdy/geeky thing to do. "Zune"-ing music wirelessly is only something geeks can come up with, whereas Steve's suggestion of sharing earbuds is so much cooler and, dare I say it, sexually suggestive!

[mufflon]

Originally Posted by AoWolf

I like this guy :-)

Yeah he can really make analogies which really sticks - as well as leading us the faithful few towards the holy land of home electronics - integration with your integrity intact (one of the things with the design of the macintosh was that steve wanted the computer to look more like a human - some of the more esoteric ideas such as computer ears on the sides might have been scrapped, but I believe the user/computer interface is more like communication between two humans rather than a human and an inanimate computer)

[jackc]

Yeah, that's a good move. Do you think some girl will want to listen to Metallica with me?

[stainlessliquid]

You're much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear

Before getting slapped... I guess if youre a billionaire you can shove earbuds into a strangers ear, but here in Real World USA the results would not be pretty. Do that with your girlfriend, I dont think ANYONE would want a stranger theyve known for 1 minute coming up to them and putting crap into their ear.

[shadowx]

Originally Posted by stainlessliquid

Before getting slapped... I guess if youre a billionaire you can put earbuds into a strangers ear, but here in Real World USA the results would not be pretty.

Girl troubles??

[illegalprelude]

By the time you've gone through all that, the girl's got up and left! You're much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you're connected with about two feet of headphone cable.

hahaha awesome

[®îçhå®?]

Nice one Jobs. The zune's sharing looks rubbish and he told them that it is. It is also nice to see that the 5th anniversary has come and the ipod is stronger than ever.

[spicyapple]

Did anyone love this quote?

Jobs was equally unconcerned about the prospect of the iPod losing its cool factor as it becomes increasingly ubiquitous.

"That's like saying you don't want to kiss your lover's lips because everyone has lips. It doesn't make any sense," said Jobs.

[sam10685]

Originally Posted by AoWolf

I like this guy :-)

where would we be without him?

[StinktOldC]

Originally Posted by sam10685

where would we be without him?

in PC land

[monke]

Originally Posted by sam10685

where would we be without him?

Stuck with Ctrl-Alt-Delete

[CHROMEDOME]

Originally Posted by spicyapple

Did anyone love this quote?

Yea I saw that...hahahha

Does Jobs have a new love intrest maybe???

[jellomizer]

In a word, no. I've seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever. By the time you've gone through all that, the girl's got up and left! You're much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you're connected with about two feet of headphone cable.

So in other words. With Zune you can share music wirelessly. With an iPod you can increase the chances of getting to the next base! That is a great feature!

[StinktOldC]

"That's like saying you don't want to kiss your lover's lips because everyone has lips".

Steady on Steve!

[mkjellman]

that quote is why apple has a following. jobs is a pretty normal guy and uses technology to help his life not control it. what a smart smart comment.

[mufflon]

Originally Posted by spicyapple

Did anyone love this quote?

That was definetly a really sweet quote, steve jobs must really been on a emotional rampage - really nice considering all the stale and boring business related interviews (featuring other people than steve jobs that is) that one is able to read from time to time - a nice spark of sunshine from a dark sky.

[jackmac13]

The earbuds thing would make a great commercial. Imagine the earbud guy leaving with a girl while the other girl is still waiting for the guy to download. Now, no girl wants a guy to finish early but she doesn't want him to take forever either. It could be pretty funny.

[NewSc2]

In a word, no. I've seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever. By the time you've gone through all that, the girl's got up and left! You're much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you're connected with about two feet of headphone cable.

We heard something really similar to that when every other company released video-playing mp3 players before Apple did, and Jobs said he didn't see anybody wanting to have portable video. Well, Apple bit its tongue and released it, calling it "innovation".

I'm a big iPod fan (i've purchased 3) but wireless capabilities is the way of the future. I don't see ourselves in 10 years still being limited by wired headphones and such. Maybe it'll be easier than the Zune (haven't seen the demo) but the idea of beaming a song for somebody else to download/hear is pretty cool to me.

[wyatt23]

i guess Steve is getting past making apple the trendiest company on the planet... now he's working on being the most smooth.