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

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?
 
Re: Zing

Zing & Zune...

How INNOVATIVE of each Dell and Microsoft!

I recall watching a video of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and he was naming his list of innovative companies ... and at the end of the list he state's something along the lines of, "...well, I suppose you could even include Apple in there are well."

Geez, I bet the Zune will have a mobile phone version in a year or two and it will be the most innovative thing to happen ever! Heck, it may even come in an array of fashionable colors such as snot green, turd brown, harvest gold, or orange. Heck, rotary dialing may even be replaced with touch tone, but in order to ship on-time, that feature may have to wait!
 
I agree that competition is good, but why say it repeatedly? We all know this. Lately, it honestly seems like saying "Competition is good" is a politically correct way of saying "The competition is going to suck beyond measure."

How much iTunes "competition" has zinged up over the last few years? Has it really done anything to improve iTunes or the iTunes Store prices and services?

I wish Dell all the luck in the world, but they should really stick with what they do best or fill a market need that hasn't been resolved yet.
 
kas23 said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
The Accursed Z

Can't think of any (good) brand name that starts with a Z except for Ermenegildo Zegna.

But it could have been worse. Say, Zingr, the web two-dot-oh of cross-platform digital music social stuff.
 
Pfff.

One thing that makes Apple so powerful is they have such a good eye for beauty. Every product and the software has to be beautiful. Making a jukebox beautiful isn't easy, and Apple really have mastered this with Cover Flow and the OS X Finder style interface.

Dell, along with Creative just have no clue when it comes to beauty and class. Sony are the only people who have come close to Apple in regards to producing a beautiful MP3 player, however their software just lets them down.

iPod + iTunes is just something that has become so big, it really can't be beaten.
 
Dells purchase of Zing makes it sound like they are still stuck thinking just about music.

Dell will have to figure out how to deliver not just Music but TV, Movies, Podcast, Audiobooks and Apps BETTER than Apple for them to have any chance of competing.

Should be interesting - all I hope is that Dell doesn't create another DRM 'standard' thats incompatible with non-Zing players/software.

Edit: After looking at their site it looks like Zing is more into online streaming to DAPs? Does anyone know what they really do?
 
iTeen said:
Dell could never be a threat to Apple's music industry...and the whole "revenge" thing is really dumb.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Open approach

Dell may have an answer to a problem I face. If they can truly sell you media that will play on your computer, your ipod/mp3 player, your phone (non-iphone in this example), your Linux sub-notebook, car stereo, etc then they might have a unique product. Apple can serve all of those markets, to an extent, and generally quite well BUT only if you buy into their hardware or software. If Dell's files work well across all these platforms no matter who made them (not known for sure, but implicit) then they would become the best online store for many people. Why buy from iTunes if you may not be able to play your new media when and where you want it? That is a big part of Amazon's success in the mp3 market.

There wouldn't be an overnight exodus of customers, but it could force Apple to open up a bit. I hope so.
 
This reminds me of another situation in which people were 100% sure the market could handle more of something. Yes, that's right, the XFL! Actually, I'd be surprised if Dell even has as much success as the XFL as it did give us awesome names like "He Hate Me" haha
 
andyr2120 said:
Dell may have an answer to a problem I face. If they can truly sell you media that will play on your computer, your ipod/mp3 player, your phone (non-iphone in this example), your Linux sub-notebook, car stereo, etc then they might have a unique product. Apple can serve all of those markets, to an extent, and generally quite well BUT only if you buy into their hardware or software. If Dell's files work well across all these platforms no matter who made them (not known for sure, but implicit) then they would become the best online store for many people. Why buy from iTunes if you may not be able to play your new media when and where you want it? That is a big part of Amazon's success in the mp3 market.

There wouldn't be an overnight exodus of customers, but it could force Apple to open up a bit. I hope so.
Click to expand...

Amazon has had success but as the numbers will point out it's not stealing much, if anything, from iTunes. It's like the Zune - it stole customers from Samsung, Creative, etc. Amazon has done well, no doubt, but iTunes market share %'s are just as high as they were before Amazon and I really don't see that changing.
 
It's like Michael Dell enjoys getting bitch slapped by Apple. Ooh that's some kinky stuff Michael!:D

Don
 
andiwm2003 said:
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?
Click to expand...

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.
 
Anybody read through the article yet?

I've been reading it, and I've come across at least one vomit-inducing quote that Dell Marketeers spoon-fed to Robert Enderle, "Apple wants to lock you in...Dell wants to lock you in to choice." Ugh!

Riiiiight, maybe we'll believe this after we take some of those Zing pills that TB is obviously taking to treat his Manic-Depression.

And I'm sure we're all going to shell out the necessary money to get new Cell phones, car stereos, Satellite receivers, etc. that will be Zing-compliant.

For all the would-be TB defenders...No, I don't have all the Zing specs. However, this kind of service will only succeed if one of the following happens...

1. Customers by all new HW that is Zing-compliant
2. Wait for Internet-browsing car stereos to pick up steam and distribute all this content via the Web.
3. (Most likely) Dell creates a magical FM-Transmitter\Base Station\Portable Web Server Combo Device that you carry around with you to stream to your devices.

Obviously, Dell FTW. :rolleyes:

Uncle Stevie was right to get rid of this guy. :D
 
many consumers are frustrated because the iPod works only with iTunes, at a time when there are many ways to get digital content.
Click to expand...

Article loses all credibility with statement like this.
 
Small White Car said:
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.
Click to expand...

Why?

I really do not expect Dell to approach this from a heavily-DRM'd standpoint, especially with all the negative wrap Windows-based DRM systems have been taking the past twelve months as they shut down left and right and leave users with content they can't move, but have to abandon in place and re-purchase.

iTunes started with DRM about the yazoo because music labels were absolutely positive that only one person in the entire world would buy a song from iTunes and then share it with every other person on the planet. They were, of course, wrong, but that was their mindset and it's still somewhat entrenched in them now.

Apple wants songs on iTunes to not have DRM and to be as cheap as possible so people will buy lots of them and need 16GB iPhones, 32GB iPod Touches and 160GB iPod Classics to hold them all. The music studios are starting to let go of their "all consumers are pirates" mentality, but they still want more money for their content then Apple wants to charge because the more expensive the content is, the less you'll have and the less need there is to get the latest, larger capacity iPod to hold it.

I would expect Dell would be more then willing to charge more ($1.49 a song?) and offer only DRM-free content. The labels want more money per sale and if Dell is willing to give it to them, they're going to be more receptive in servicing Dell's store with content.

This would in turn put pressure on Apple to move their entire iTunes music catalog to DRM-free as opposed to the more limited "iTunes Plus" catalog they have now. Also, Dell offering their DRM-free content in MP3 vs. WMA or some other standard that is not as widely adopted would be an even larger sales point.

And while they don't need to be as elegant as the iPod, if they're cheaper, that will help. Zune failed because it launched at identical price points to their iPod equivalents. If the Zune 80GB was $199 (or even $149) vs. $249 for the iPod 80GB, it likely would have fared much better in the marketplace. No, it would likely not have taken a huge dent out of iPods sales (see below), but it would not have been the abject failure it has been so far.

Dell won't be demanding 100%+ margins on their media players like Apple does. They could undercut the iPod significantly on price, plus bundle it with their media player and DRM-free catalog - fully backed by the labels - to offer their own "end to end" solution.

Will it kill iPod/iTunes? I very much doubt it. Many buy the iPod as a fashion statement as much as for it's abilities and that won't change just because Dell has a cheaper offering.

But it could be the first real and lasting competitor to Apple's dominance of legal digital music delivery.
 
Yea, good luck with that Dell. PC software is so horrible these days, nothing runs smooth. My family has been getting non stop viruses on PCs. I finally converted them all over to the Mac side. Why? Cause, uhhhh, I've never gotten a virus EVER on a Mac. Virus free for 10 years. Beat that PC! :D
 
OOOooooooh now I'm scarrrrred. Dell will topple Apple, they already killed the iPod with the Dell DJ...
 
it is always good to have competitors, although i dont use the music sore.
 
RaZaK said:
I've been reading it, and I've come across at least one vomit-inducing quote that Dell Marketeers spoon-fed to Robert Enderle, "Apple wants to lock you in...Dell wants to lock you in to choice." Ugh!

Riiiiight, maybe we'll believe this after we take some of those Zing pills that TB is obviously taking to treat his Manic-Depression.

And I'm sure we're all going to shell out the necessary money to get new Cell phones, car stereos, Satellite receivers, etc. that will be Zing-compliant.

For all the would-be TB defenders...No, I don't have all the Zing specs. However, this kind of service will only succeed if one of the following happens...

1. Customers by all new HW that is Zing-compliant
2. Wait for Internet-browsing car stereos to pick up steam and distribute all this content via the Web.
3. (Most likely) Dell creates a magical FM-Transmitter\Base Station\Portable Web Server Combo Device that you carry around with you to stream to your devices.

Obviously, Dell FTW. :rolleyes:

Uncle Stevie was right to get rid of this guy. :D
Click to expand...

You have that right. I do disagree with the Bi-Polar diagnosis. While there could be tendencies, IMO, he really fits the pattern of a Narcissistic Personality Disorder, especially the lengths he has gone to to seek "revenge."

Dell is making a hug mistake giving this guy their money.
 
Dell can't bring anything unique to this particular industry, so they will probably fail.

I can't see too many artists or record labels jumping at the chance to join with Dell over iTunes or Amazon.
 
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