Dell to Try to Take on Apple's Online Music Dominance?

[MacRumors]

BusinessWeek reports on an upcoming plan from Dell to try to topple Apple's dominance in digital downloads.

The threat is being spearheaded by a former Apple executive Tim Bucher who left Apple on bad terms:

According to a lawsuit later filed by Bucher, Jobs said: "People think you are sometimes manic-depressive.... I think I'm going to have to ask you to leave the company." Bucher was stunned: He'd been promoted only a few months earlier. Bucher left Apple but soon sued for wrongful termination. He says the charges of mental illness are "completely false."

Bucher has since taken a job with Dell and is leading a 120 person team to counter Apple's current dominance in online music and movie distribution.

Dell is reportedly working on standardizing a system across computers, mobile phones and online music sites to provide a universal system for digital distribution.

Central to Dell's plan is software acquired a year ago when it bought Zing, the company Bucher founded after leaving Apple. The software handles behind-the-scenes translations so that content can be "zinged" between computers and other compatible devices. Dell hopes to announce the Zing software as a feature on small, cheap laptops expected in September and to have the software installed on all of its consumer PCs by the end of the year.

Details remain sketchy but some analysts are understandably skeptical about Dell's chances. Dell is expected to unveil details of their plan in September.

Article Link

[Andronicus]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Dell to Try to Take on Apple's Online Music Dominance?

Bring it on.

[BRLawyer]

Originally Posted by Andronicus

Bring it on.

Dell, while you're at it, you may revive also that wonderful piece of crap called Ditty...please do! We all look forward to seeing you drown once and for all in a pool of dirty mud.

DELL IS DEAD.

[slapppy]

Originally Posted by Andronicus

Bring it on.

They already did.....and FAILED!

[andiwm2003]

if they do it in a userfriendly way and bundle the service with mp3 players, free music and dell notebooks it could be a real threat to apple.


this could cost apple some market share. the zune failed because there was no reason to choose a zune over an ipod.
but dell sells 30% of all computers and if my dell notebook comes with a dell mp3 player and some free music in a bundle why would i buy an ipod?

[morespce54]

Originally Posted by andiwm2003

if they do it in a userfriendly way and bundle the service with mp3 players, free music and dell notebooks it could be a real threat to apple.


this could cost apple some market share. the zune failed because there was no reason to choose a zune over an ipod.
but dell sells 30% of all computers and if my dell notebook comes with a dell mp3 player and some free music in a bundle why would i buy an ipod?

True but I think Apple are 2 steps ahead. They have a very good (and nice) player AND a friendly, well-known and rich Music store.

I buy a lot of my music from the iTMS, not because it's Apple but because I can find most of what I'm looking for in a convenient way.

I, for one, buy a computer because it suit my computer needs. I buy a mp3 player because it suit my needs for music (and I buy a phone for... well, you get it). They don't need to be from the same company, but it's a major bonus if they can get along well.

So if I had a Dell, I would still be using an iPod and iTMS.

[Loge]

many consumers are frustrated because the iPod works only with iTunes, at a time when there are many ways to get digital content.

Article loses all credibility with statement like this.

[ryanwarsaw]

Originally Posted by andiwm2003

if they do it in a userfriendly way and bundle the service with mp3 players, free music and dell notebooks it could be a real threat to apple.


this could cost apple some market share. the zune failed because there was no reason to choose a zune over an ipod.
but dell sells 30% of all computers and if my dell notebook comes with a dell mp3 player and some free music in a bundle why would i buy an ipod?

There is no reason not to. Don't be shy run out and do it.

[(L)]

Hmm...

Doesn't sound like cheery news, but probably doesn't go anywhere.

[iTeen]

Dell could never be a threat to Apple's music industry...and the whole "revenge" thing is really dumb.

[nickspohn]

This should come easy seeing Michael Dell wants Apple to hand out all it's stock back out to share holders because Apple is failing.

[dongmin]

one word:


WHY?

[notjustjay]

Better get my umbrella, so I can protect myself from all the zings and squirts.

[lazyrighteye]

Bucher.
Butcher.
Either way...

[ZacUSNYR]

I've always seen Dell as a reseller and not an innovator.

People are happy with iTunes and apple and are not looking for an alternative.

[kas23]

Originally Posted by dongmin

one word:


WHY?

My biggest question is WHY does everyone automatically think it is a bad thing when someone besides Apple tries to start a service or offer a product that Apple has already been doing? (see Google Android thread).

I see this as a great thing. Sure, it may suck and it may fail, but competition usually leads to better products and cheaper prices. I wouldn't mind buy movies from iTunes that are a dollar cheaper or that don't disapear in a 24 hours. I say bring it.

[Small White Car]

Originally Posted by kas23

My biggest question is WHY does everyone automatically think it is a bad thing when someone besides Apple tries to start a service or offer a product that Apple has already been doing? (see Google Android thread).

I see this as a great thing.

This is NOT the same thing as Android. That's good competition to the iPhone.

Likewise, Amazon selling MP3s is good competition to iTunes. Microsoft selling Zunes is good competition to the iPod (well, they would be if they were competitive, but you get my point).

This Dell service, however, is going to HAVE to be a tightly-closed DRM-drentched system that CALLs itself 'open' and 'full of choices' when really it's anything but. It will have to be, based on the way they're describing it.

I'd love for Dell to create a nice, open alternative to iTunes. That's what they SAY they want to do. But once you read between the lines, it becomes quite clear that it will be the opposite: Something even tighter than iTunes that calls itself "free and full of choice" simply because it's not iTunes.

THAT, we don't need more of.

[Trajectory]

It'll all be run from an office in India.

[a1016neo]

Originally Posted by iTeen

Dell could never be a threat to Apple's music industry...and the whole "revenge" thing is really dumb.

I agree.... It's like saying Apple will take over Dell and HP in PC sells! (Seems reasonable with Apple's 73% market share)

[pcorajr]

"People think you are sometimes manic-depressive.... I think I'm going to have to ask you to leave the company."

Lol Funny, i could so see Steve saying that.

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally Posted by pcorajr

Lol Funny, i could so see Steve saying that.

He wouldn't say that. He'd ask him what the f*** is going on and he's that way when it reaches his desk. He then would watch your performance at the executive level since he would be working directly within Steve's tier.

He wouldn't mock someone's mental capacity that is clearly something which would be a massive lawsuit Apple and Steve couldn't defend.

I knew people at Apple on medications. They were never mocked nor called out in such a callous manner.

[jellomizer]

Originally Posted by iTeen

Dell could never be a threat to Apple's music industry...and the whole "revenge" thing is really dumb.

Um in this industry never use the term never. It is Unlikely that Dell can be a threat to Apples music industry. Part of the popularity is a coolness factor (and good products and design), but It only takes a few years for something to go from hip and trendy to the norm to old fashion. Sure iTunes with iPods are hot now and have been for quite a while however... things can change it could be a bad designed generation adding the wrong features adding a feature in too late, or not adding an important feature.

[thecartoonguy]

Originally Posted by iTeen

Dell could never be a threat to Apple's music industry...and the whole "revenge" thing is really dumb.

You took the words right out of my mouth

[Wharrgarbl]

I hope that Dell starts building H.264 decoder/encoders into everything it sells. Because without being able to "Zing" HD video around, this won't hold a prayer against Apple.

Every time someone readies a worthy Apple competitor, Apple announces a new move that puts them 2 years ahead of the curve. Like the launch of the Zune coming right before the launch of the iPod touch!

Zing will try to do *something*, but it won't be anywhere near what Apple is about to do with H.264 and HD video everywhere.

It'll be interesting to watch, anyway.

[mklos]

Apple pretty much has the market nailed. They have people going to iTunes for everything they need, music, movies (rented or bought), audiobooks, and now iPhone apps.

So I guess Dell is depending on people to just stop using iTunes (or Amazon for that matter) and start using their service? If people were going to leave iTunes by now, they wouldn't have already done it. They can easily go to Amazon (and some have done so), or some other service. When people are in a paradigm, such as always going to iTunes for music, movies, audiobooks, and now iPhone apps, they will most likely always do this until something else spectacular comes out. So Dell will have to do something pretty earth shattering to get people to go away from iTunes. Just releasing a store, even with all non-drm songs won't make people automatically skip iTunes for a Dell music store.