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Dell Digital Jukebox and Dell Music Store

Dell Media Experience

"Dell Media Experience is an application that will soon ship standard on all new Dimension desktops. It enables consumers to use their PC to manage digital media such as photos, music, digital videos and DVDs. Dell Media Experience is designed to be an important tool for making the PC the nerve center of the digital home. "

Note the inclusion of DVD in the new Dell 'iLife' app, I wonder if it will be a iTunes type app for DVD's. Ive been waiting ages for Apple to do this and still I wait! If Dell are going to do this then I might look at getting one of there box's as a home entertainment center.

If I don't get what I want!!!!!!!!

I would love to see Apple bring out a nice little box that that sits on my desk or under my TV that can hold all my Music, DVD's, Photo's and act as a TIVO with 802.11g. Then I could archive all my DVD's, listen to my music, look at photos and browse the internet all in my living room with one remote!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How much longer do I have to wait!!!!! I could go build a wintell box with what I want now! But I want and apple box that I just press the power button and it works!

I want!!!!!!!!!!
 
Re: Re: And yet no Windows iTunes.....

Originally posted by bertagert
The only, and one and only company that has pulled this off is Apple. And that might not be so true. There is no way Apple has recouped its investment on ITMS yet. And they probably woun't for some time.
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Far be it from me to interject facts here, but Apple stated they had recouped their startup expenses ithin the first month of operation, IIRC.



The battle is AAC vs. MS. Not Apple vs. Dell. I wish you guys would get that.
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I agree. Personally, I don't see a WMA-based service thriving; MS simply has not gotten its act together with regard to the purchasing experience yet. Maybe next version, but that's not going to be out for some time.

The great advantage of Apple is that they are going to labels and offering a single, pretty much take-it-or-leave-it, one-size-fits-all contract. Can you control how many times the customer burns "Barracuda" onto a CD? Nope, not physically possible. Can you make sure they only ever listen to "You Can Call me Al" on one portable device? Nope, not physically possible. Can you make our web site pop up in their browser to the beat of the music every time they play "I like Big Butts" on their computer? Nope, not physically possible.

With a WMA "solution", the answer is always, "if you make the deal sweet enough for us ..." Which means, in the end, the consumer suffers from lack of consistency, a horrible burden of keeping track of licensing specifics that make no logical sense but were instead the result of back-room negotiations ("Okay, you give me an extra CD burn and I'll give you an extra 2 cents of purchase price ... you give me the ability to copy to another Windows machine and I'll let you forbid any portable devices ...").

Frankly, lawyers don't have the backbone to hammer out a consistent and reliable contract. If the technology allows for absolute inconsistency, then the contracts will reflect that.

Sounds like an odd argument to be making (as a software engineer I love more controls and switches and fiddles), but I think it is true in this case. Apple's solution is intrinsically simple, and intrinsically limitted, which is why the end result remains ultimately simple and easy for the consumer.
 
Originally posted by Shadey
As a question that kind of relates to this, what do you people use your iPod's for anyway? I really don't see the practicality of it. I have a CD player in my car, so it's not like I would get the same quality with an RF transmitter.

I'm just looking for a real reason to buy one.
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To be able to listen to my entire music library with a few flicks of my thumb has changed my entire music listening experience. I don't have to change a CD or look for the CD for that matter. The iPod has excellent playlists and the full library shuffle is always a treat for pulling out those deep cuts from my library that I might never choose but almost ALWAYS enjoy.

My guess is that you don't have iTunes and you're a Windows guy becuase if you had iTunes you'd understand what I'm talking about.

Honestly, I thought mp3 players were no big deal when they came out but since I have gotten my iPod, I can't say how much that perception has changed. It will change the way you listen to music and it's well worth the money spent. That's just my two $.02

edit: spelling
 
Originally posted by Shadey
As a question that kind of relates to this, what do you people use your iPod's for anyway?
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Carrying around our entire CD collections in our shirt pockets, so we can listen to any song in our collection at the slightest whim.

Originally posted by Shadey
I really don't see the practicality of it.
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You don't see the practicality of being able to carry around your entire CD collection in your shirt pockets, so you can listen to any song in your collection at the slightest whim?

Originally posted by Shadey
I'm just looking for a real reason to buy one.
Click to expand...

Buy one so you can carry around your entire CD collection in your shirt pockets, so you can listen to any song in your collection at the slightest whim!

My car has a combo CD and cassette stereo. My iPod sounds fine through one of those cassette adapters. However, I did purchase a converter so I can connect the iPod to the unused CD changer port on the back of the stereo-- just haven't yet been motivated to tear apart my center console and yank out the stereo to connect it. BTW, the converter was made for use with XM Radio units, but since it just breaks out into L & R RCA jacks, you can connect pretty much any audio device to it.

~Philly
 
Re: shadey is right!

Originally posted by digitalbiker
What is all the frenzy about? Apple neither invented nor created the first mp3 player. Apple was not the first to sell online music.
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It's simple, great companies make great products.
That doesn't necessarily mean they are first. Many companies disappear after introducing a product, but if they can't keep up coming out with new great products or improve on exciting ones, they will fail.
Another thing to consider is TIMING, Apple ( and Dell ) could release a ton of crazy and fun products, but if they don't serve the customers 100%, they will fail.
It's not about being first, it's about being the best. What's why the iPod is a huge success, while earlier bricks went under.

I have a stack of old Wired magazines with many cool gadget reviews, but most of the products are gone today, simply because they didn't understand peoples needs and desires.
 
Originally posted by Moz
How can you possibly say that this is not a complete iPod rip? It's a peecee branded iPod! If dull, oh, I mean Dell, was really, truly making their own brand of innovation, then they'd show the world something that Apple hasn't already.
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well, apple, that fortress of creativity and innovation, still can't come up with a scrolling mouse. the Dell thing adds that to it.

think about something for a minute. apple's motto is think different. Dell's is "use the best business model." Dell is not committed to revolutionizing tech, they are committed to making it affordable, something that apple is not always so good at. that's their innovation; that's what apple must compete with. do you not realize that dell's business model is "completely ripped" by all kinds of businesses?

and again, a "complete rip" would be an iPod rebranded as dell. go check that picture over. it doesn't look like an iPod. the interface is very different.
 
Some car makers are now making special room in the car for the iPod, but what we really need is an Apple car stereo/iPod, the "AutoPod".
 
Originally posted by TheFish
As much as i hate to admit it, i think the dj things looks cooler and easier to use than the ipod. i have a third generation 10 gig ipod and the whole touch interface can really drive me mad when it dosnt register after i hit the button, if this thing is cheaper than the ipod id say apple has a big problem.
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My hands are 9 inches long and I take a size 12 ring, so the iPod feels like a chiclet to me. After a day or so of messing with it, I could fly through the menus with ease.
Apple has always lost out to the "sweatshop-designed PC ripoffs" because most folks don't have a clue what's really good... like the lines of HP's in Best Buy and the hourdes of lying salesfolk pouncing on the average joe with little remorse... but right now Apple has the market, and should hold it.
 
Originally posted by Mr.Hey
three nice confused people voted positive :D .....ha! If you think that Dell will succeed were all others except Apple have failed, I want you to keep drinking that purple kool-aid.
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Just more mindless pro-Mac and anti-Dell zealotry. Did anyone ever stop to think that competition like this will only cause Apple to improve the quality of the iPod and lower the price? Perhaps some of us voted positive because competition like this is a good thing.

I'm a proud owner of a 30GB iPod, but I'm eager to see what Dell will do. I'll bet the 4G iPod will have even more features and be even better than the Dell. But Dell does a great job of competing because they buy in such volume that they can drive the price down way low. Have you seen the price of their Axim handhelds compared to the HP PocketPCs?

Who cares if they commoditize the market? Apple could use some competition because $500 is way too much to pay for an MP3 player (yeah, I know, that's what I paid for mine).

Also, if Dell uses the same 1.8" hard drives that Apple does the price of those will go down as well and that will help drive iPod prices down.
 
It seems ridiculous to scream rip-off about this any more than about the Toshiba or Odyssey HD mp3 players. They also used small hard drives and have LCD displays.

I haven't had any luck with Dell products and I probably wouldn't buy one. They seem to do whatever Intel and Microsoft want of them to be able to marginalise the rest of the Windows world. Regardless, it should stand or fall on its own merits.

If the DJ gives iPod competition, all the better. The iPod could use a huge price reduction. Remember when the iPod arrived? Even the zealots were screaming that it was too much money. Apple could use some competition where they bloody someone else's nose, unlike the clone wars.
 
Re: Re: regarding competition

Apple has spent it's entire existance pretty clueless that in some cases a lower price means more volume and more adoption of product. [/B]
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I disagree too. I think they *know* it, but choose a different route. Mercedes knows it and so does Porsche. But, they also know that there are plenty of people willing to pay more for top quality, well-designed products.

Just because they know something doesn't mean they'd be good at it - they'd end up like a Compaq or a Dell and who needs another Dell?
 
>>As a question that kind of relates to this, what do you people use your iPod's for anyway?<<

I have all my CDs (or at least all the songs from them I want - 9800 songs won't all fit on my 30GB) on it. I never have to look for a particular CD. I have them all wherever I go with the iPod. I can find them easily and quickly. I can easily set up a group of CDs as a playlist - for romance or whatever. I don't have to think beforehand "do I want to listen to X or Y? I better grab CD X." I can decide later or change my mind.

It isn't a requirement, but it sure makes it easy to have all your songs at hand. If I only owned a dozen CDs it wouldn't be an issue of course.

I have a ReplayTV too. I could do what I do with it with a VCR also, but it is much easier. With the current models I can share shows between rooms of the house. I could do that with a tape, but this is easier. Same concept. ;-)
 
ARE YOU SERIOUS!!...LOL!!!!! THIS IS SUCH A KNOCKOFF!! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT THEIR NEW SITE LOOKS LIKE....IF I HAD TO GUESS I WOULD SAY APPLE.COM HAHA...I WONDER WHAT DELL TUNES 1.0 WILL LOOK LIKE...WOW!
 
Originally posted by zedwards
Wow, some ppl here really get bent out of shape and emotional here. :p

Dell's website is a big ol mess, its amazing they sell computers on it. Is this a pre-release announcement or is this thing/store supposedly located somewhere on their website?
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For real... has to be the worst website I've ever been to. I tried to find the Windows Mobile 2003 update for my dad... yeah nowhere to be found.
 
Re: Re: Re: And yet no Windows iTunes.....

Originally posted by SiliconAddict
Give me a break. :rolleyes: First off your insult doesn’t even make any sense. Its siliCON not siliCONE as in computer parts?
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I was referring to your screen name. Silcon Addict...Addicted to Silcon...shooting up...ha ha hee hee...It wasn't an insult. Just having fun with your screenname.
If it’s any good? Define good?
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Can you honestly say there is an MP3 player out there that is as stylish, easy to use and durable as an ipod? If dell doesn't produce something even close to it, Apple won't lose sleep. Look at it from my side: I was in Best Buy getting my ipod. I saw a lady looking at the Nomad (I think thats what it was anyway. HD mp3 player). She pulled it out of the box, I took the ipod out of the box. She played with both and took the Nomad(or what ever it was) back and bought the ipod. Why? Because it feels better in the hand, easier navigation and good looking. What I was trying to say was, if Dell's mp3 player is similar, Apple has some concerns. However, Apple has built the ipod into its own entity. People aren't saying, "do you have an mp3 player"...they're saying, "do you have an ipod". Apple has defined the MP3 player market and thats why I'm not overly concerned.
Just about everything supports WMA. Find me another player that supports AAC.
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Exactly my point! But, maybe I should have made two post for this. What I was trying to say is, Apple doesn't want WMA to rule the roost. If it does, Apple will have to deal with MS. You see, this all started with mp3's. A standard format that no one company had control over. Apple made the ipod to play MP3's. Now we have MS trying to take over the standard format. Apple of course, doesn't want this to happen. And you can't blame them. The reason why I brought this up is because a few people are thinking this music gig is Apple vs. BuyMusic or Apple vs. Dell, and soon it will be Apple vs. Napster. All of these are not true. Its about getting other companies to do the AAC thing. How come all these stores are using MS's WMA? I personally don't understand it as Apple has shown that using AAC works great and allows for decent DRM (Lets leave opions of DRM out of this). Maybe MS just has great sales people? AAC is more free when it comes to reripping, etc. than WMA. The more companies that use WMA, the more chance Apple will have to too. If they do, MS wins the game. Not buymusic, napster, pressplay, dell or even ITMS. Does that help?
 
Why is everyone so mad?

I find it amazing to see all the hypocrites getting mad at a PC maker copying Apple. You are all the same people who whine about how porting OS X to Intel would ruin the company...blah...blah...blah. Why do you care if the PC market copies Apple? Are they encrouching on Apple's sales? No. Apple has it's loyal followers and they buy all Apple products to go with their Apple computers. Apple, to this point, has only sold it's platform and products. "Vertical integration" is what Steve calls it.

Ah, but here is the rub...Apple has finally found a cross over hit -- the iPod. But they need iTunes to complete the picture, but they are slow to bringing it to market because they didn't write for the PC originally or even concurently. They are doing this because iTunes is a success and people are not switching to the platform in droves. If iTunes had flopped then this wouldn't be happening; they had to wait and see what would happen. Now you are all worried that others will beat them to market and leave the iPod and iTunes just another nich Apple product.

And herin lies the hypocracy. If you want the iPod and iTunes for the PC market why not the OS? If Apple is so great (and we all think it is) then why not market it beyond just the PowerPC crowd. If I suggest Apple port it's OS you all berate me with insults and scoff at the prospect, but now you are all bitching about how the iPod and iTunes will be marginalized. The only reason that would happen is because there is an our or thiers platform issue; this is the reason companies like Dell or BuyMusic.com do what they do, because Apple refuses to integrate and keeps itself a nich market. It's good they are finally competing. I for one believe that compition is a good thing; it will force Apple to keep innovating thier products to keep people buying it; it may even drive down the price of the iPod too. You would like that woudn't you?

I am glad that Apple exists in any form. Thier innovation is leading the market and they bring awesome products to us the consumer as a result. Without them their wouldn't be an iPod or music store...of any kind. If it wasn't for Apple we would still have stupid beige boxes and crap software.

I say, let this be a lesson to Apple. The next wiz-bang product they plan on revealing better be compatible with both platforms and be ready to go for both markets. Apple can not afford to only cater to itself anymore. I believe that the future of computing is in innovation, integration, and choice.
 
thinkripoff.gif
 
Has anybody ever seen this site it sure resembles apple's...but those are some sweet monitors they have imagin OSX on those..LOL
 
Originally posted by Shadey
I just registered for this news bite.

You guys seriously need to wake up and smell the rotten apple.

While Dell's MP3 player may look like Apple's, Apple certainly didn't blaze any trails in creating theirs.

Anyone ever heard of Diamond? They had the first MP3 player on the market. Creative? First hard drive based MP3 player. All Apple did is make it smaller.
Click to expand...

Bzzt, sorry, try again.

1) Yes, Apple made it smaller. Something like 6 iPods would fit in the then-current Nomad. But "smaller" isn't the big deal. The big deal was and continues to be that Apple made it small enough to go with you anywhere (ever lug a Nomad I around? I did. Not pretty!) while providing an intuitive and useful interface.

2) Yes, Diamond had the first portable MP3 players, but the interface on them sucked, both specifically (horrible controls and feedback) and generally (32MB -> half hour of music my ass!) Apple's device was more portable than most flash-based devices at the time, had an interface two generations beyond what was out there (meaning, Apple actually did HI research, didn't just say "well, this button can fit here, and this button can fit there ..."), and an incredible capacity for its size.

3) The UI on the iPod was truly revolutionary. It has since been copied in many ways by every competitor making a device large enough to fit a few lines of text. However, to a one, they still seem to strive to mess up the simplicity of the iPod interface by adding a bunch of useless and distracting crap, which inevitably just sits between me and my music. Back to the original iPod, though: there is NO way you can compare the iPod UI with the Nomad UI!

4) While there are a lot more options out there today, and a lot more "tiny" devices out there today, still none of them can be picked up and used by my six year old instantly (her first iPod experience was two weeks ago in an Apple Store ...)

While Apple != God, the iPod certainly does deserve the accolades. And, the rest of the industry certainly deserves a resounding slap on the forehead.

If Dell or anyone were to actually compete with the iPod in size, functionality, and ease of use, I'd cheer for them (advancement is good). I haven't seen it happen yet, and frankly Dell has a really shoddy record when it comes to competing with Apple.
 
Re: Dell Media Experience

Originally posted by Matty P
"Dell Media Experience is an application that will soon ship standard on all new Dimension desktops. It enables consumers to use their PC to manage digital media such as photos, music, digital videos and DVDs. Dell Media Experience is designed to be an important tool for making the PC the nerve center of the digital home. "

Note the inclusion of DVD in the new Dell 'iLife' app, I wonder if it will be a iTunes type app for DVD's. Ive been waiting ages for Apple to do this and still I wait! If Dell are going to do this then I might look at getting one of there box's as a home entertainment center.

If I don't get what I want!!!!!!!!

I would love to see Apple bring out a nice little box that that sits on my desk or under my TV that can hold all my Music, DVD's, Photo's and act as a TIVO with 802.11g. Then I could archive all my DVD's, listen to my music, look at photos and browse the internet all in my living room with one remote!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How much longer do I have to wait!!!!! I could go build a wintell box with what I want now! But I want and apple box that I just press the power button and it works!

I want!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Speaking of what we want -- when is Apple going to give us a product that will integrate and control our home entertainment center? Where is my Apple computer that plugs into my stereo and lets me play my iTunes library, the product that lets me view my iPhoto collection on my 40" Apple Cinema Display (which is my TV), and let's me select and watch my DVD collection too? The media PC is trying to do just that, mind you it sucks royal, but they are trying. Anyone try it yet? It really is lame. This is the next big thing for computers aka. digital hub. I already see computer cases in the PC market that look just like a stereo component. It would look just killer sitting on top of my Onkyo receiver; you know, a case with that brushed metal look, like a mini Xserve.. And speaking of that, how about letting me control all my devices with my iPod's new universal remote capabilities? Everything Rendezvous enabled. Let's see, Gateway has announced that it is changing it's focus to the home market and Dell just announced the same thing today. Hello! Anybody listening in Cupertino?
 
Originally posted by greenstork
To be able to listen to my entire music library with a few flicks of my thumb has changed my entire music listening experience. I don't have to change a CD or look for the CD for that matter. The iPod has excellent playlists and the full library shuffle is always a treat for pulling out those deep cuts from my library that I might never choose but almost ALWAYS enjoy.

My guess is that you don't have iTunes and you're a Windows guy becuase if you had iTunes you'd understand what I'm talking about.

Honestly, I thought mp3 players were no big deal when they came out but since I have gotten my iPod, I can't say how much that perception has changed. It will change the way you listen to music and it's well worth the money spent. That's just my two $.02

edit: spelling
Click to expand...

No, I have iTunes. Look at my profile, I have a 12" alubook. I just don't have an opportunity to listen to my music unless I'm in my car, so I guess I'm not in the demographic. That RCA adaptor thing sounds nice, but my CD player is factory, and doesn't have any inputs available.
 
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