Charles Arthur On Technology Why iPod's tune won't change

[MacBytes]

Category: Opinion/Interviews
Link: Charles Arthur On Technology
Why iPod\'s tune won\'t change
Posted on MacBytes.com

Approved by Mudbug

[stoid]

I well written article, a must read for those who decry that Apple is making the same mistakes with the iPod system that they made with computers 20 years ago. It even shows how Apple made the best choices it could, and it was simply fighting IBM and did as well as any company might have done.

[Sir_Giggles]

Very, very well written article... much better than those god-awful Mac360 and Apple-X articles.

[spinner]

A very good article, its nice to see someone "get it right" for a change. I thought that he had an interesting point about letting 3rd party developers andd some missing functionality that would make the iPod indespensible. I can see Apple's point but I would think the pros would outweigh the cons in this case, but I could be wrong.

[nsb3000]

I thought it was a good article with some good points, but, I still have some bone to pick.

The mistake that Apple is making is not that they don't support WMA, as the author correctly points, ACC is superior standard and there is no reason Apple should surrender the audio codec stander battle to Microsoft…the mistake is not licensing ACC fairplay to other music stores, an issue that aurther does not seem to address.

By offering other companies a small slice of the iPod pie, Apple could turn current competitors into partners to help sell more iPods. If you need proof that other companies would love to be able to sell music for the iPod, just look at the tenacity of Real’s efforts to get access to the iPod.

And to those who will enviably say that if other online music stores have access can sell in ACC fairplay, they will “dilute” the iPod experience, I would simply point out everything you can do today would still be an option. Most consumers would probably continue to use Apple own music store. But why not give consumers some choice?

[bennetsaysargh]

i think the only thing my ipod is missing is a calculator! it's not that hard! that's what i really want. just a simple one. oh yeah, and a stopwatch.

good article, but could it be possible that apple only allows certain developers, like maybe griffin for the itrip, to make software?

[J-Squire]

Originally Posted by nsb3000

By offering other companies a small slice of the iPod pie, Apple could turn current competitors into partners to help sell more iPods. If you need proof that other companies would love to be able to sell music for the iPod, just look at the tenacity of Real’s efforts to get access to the iPod.

I disagree with this. I actually see iTunes as a HUGE money maker for Apple in the coming years. I think by keeping the closed link between the iPod and iTunes, Apple can truely capatalise on it's currenty domination. I think you will find that iTunes usage increases at a MUCH faster rate than iPod purchasing, in that a person who buys one iPod may keep that single iPod for 4 years, but in that time may by 20 albums off iTunes, and then continue to use iTunes for life because they have invested in that codec.

I know there will be several people who come up with the "iTunes is a loss-leader business to sell iPods" quote, but that is just untrue now. It was true when it was said - a year ago - but Apple is now making a profit on iTunes, and are increasing their user base and sales at an incredible rate. Once HD based players become the main medium for music (say 5 years from now), the online music industry will be woth billions, not millions - and so Apple has to be the main source of music with iTUnes - not allowing other companies to sell aac music

[nagromme]

Opening Fairplay/iTMS dillutes and complicates a simple, integrated, polished system that Apple has created.

Apple may well do it, but they should NOT do it one minute before it's strategically best. And now's not the time. You don't help competitors while you're so far in the lead.

Controlling the download market is a valuable card to hold, even if the most direct benefit now is iPod sales.

Apple can open Fairplay easily if they want to--so they can stay nimble and not rush into it.