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iPod Is Doomed

Re: linux or unix

I dont like to say this, only being 13, I respect my elders, but i believe you are wrong. Of course Windows is on top. . .for now. But in the future of computers, with new technology, advanced programs, they wont be. Like I said earlier, Microsoft does make their parts from different companies. Farralon e/net, IBM hard drive, panosonic CD, Orange Link USb, etc. When the change comes for microsoft, and it will, most of their products in their old computers will not work with Linux or Unix. When I say old, I mean EVERY single computer made by Dell, Gateway, IBM etc. before they prepared for the change. So they will have a couple hundred million people saying what the hell. They 1/4 of them atleast will switch to a mac at that time. This change will happen because of technology advances. DOS was written. . .who knows how long ago, and has not changed. It is just a bunch of 10101010X)37DHFJ repeating making a code. This is getting out of date, and must change. At that time, it will be uphill for micrsoft.
 
i hope i am wrong

in this field, the young surely replace their elders ...i will not argue with that -

experience does not count as much as being current-

you are the future of the IT industry and remember if you are to push the mac field further, just never underestimate the resolve of the pc world

though the pc side does not have people as devoted as the mac side, as we know, there are more of them...20 times more who are completely ignorant to Macintosh

to do business with or against them, we need to know about what is going on in the pc world...many mac users think that the pc is still floting around with windows 3.1 and 486 processors, but they have made progress too, even if it meant them copying us
 
iPod is doomed?

Originally posted by Timek
Igordi,

There's a couple of important points to be made in regard to your post. Most importantly, Apple created the hype for this event. Make no mistake about it. Though know very well that Mac users are unique, and as a rule, are always looking for the latest rumor. If people didn't read the rumor sites, there wouldn't be any rumor sites. They sent out a special invitation that just begged for people to be jumping out of their skin with anticipation (myself included). The only problem is that it didn't work. This product just didn't do it, and it's not going to.

If it was a breakthrough product for the industry it would have been shown to a bunch of engineers whereever it is that these folks hang out. You are fooling yourself if you think this event wasn't planned for consumers. That's the only reason why any company does anything.

If it isnt a breakthrough product then what is? The iMac was laughed at also and I anticipated it and bought one. The cube was an iMac with a new box around it and it had some limitation. I was intrigued but passed on it. The iPod strikes me as a really different device. 5 to 10 seconds to record a whole cd....amazing. A five gig hard drive that will transport info to any other Mac with fire wire....also amazing. 1000 songs downloaded onto it in 10 minutes with updating automatically everytime you plug it in.....more than amazing. I want one so that I can get rid of the mp3 player that wastes too much of my time on maintenance issues. Timek, the world is full of naysayers....I am glad most of the Mac folks dont listen to it......

I'm sure that Apple has quite a few things under development. I just hope they are truly revolutionary and breakthrough. As far as Apple having thought of them all, I leave you with two words—Think Cube.
Click to expand...
 
Windows

It's worth noting that with the move from Windows ME to Windows XP, Microsoft has finally rid themselves of the old MS DOS code base. The NT series of Windows which includes 2000 and now XP is a powerful operating system, and I see no reason why Microsoft would ever have to migrate the Windows platform to some kind of UNIX derivative.

Remember Apple had little choice but to use someone else's operating system because they proved over many years that they were incapable of developing their own (Pink & Copland). The use of UNIX was undoubtedly a smart move, but Microsoft is in a very different position to Apple. They can afford to invest more in OS development than Apple. In effect, they're able to build a great new OS from scratch, where Apple can only build on the great work of others. Since Microsoft have NT/2000/XP, they don't need to make the move to UNIX, and the advantages of UNIX which are significant to Apple, would not be significant to the Redmond juggernaught.

Don't get me wrong, I think OS X is extremely significant, and the use of UNIX is key to Apple's future - not only does it deliver a robust system with multi tasking and memory protection, but it opens the platform up to a wider range of applications and a potentially broader user base, like server administrators and Java developers.

Let's not kid ourselves however, Microsoft is not going to be moving over to Unix any time soon.

[Edited by Foocha on 10-30-2001 at 07:30 AM]
 
Hello, I'm 16, I'm new here, and I don't know very much. Please be kind to me. Just one question, how much of a vertiacally integrated conglomerate is Apple when it comes to hardware? Does it do all the component sourcing, manufacturing, distribution and winning retail shelf space in-house? Does Apple build factories themselves or does Apple outsource manufacturing to EMSs like Solectron? There is a lot of difference between the two. By outsourcing the manufacturing part of the equation, Apple can focus its energy on design and marketing. Using contract manufacturing, in theory, Apple's ventures like the iPod would carry a much lower risk.
 
Good point

You're right. Whilst Apple is vertically integrated in the sense of selling hardware, operating system & applications, it's not vertically integrated in the traditional sense of the word. They don't make the components, and they don't do the manufacturing which is typically outsourced to the far east.

iPod is more a design & marketing job from Apple's perspective. The components are probably off the shelf, and the manufacturing outsourced.

The most costly R&D that Apple is investing in right now is almost certainly OS X and perhaps chip design for G5 PowerPC if the rumours are to be believed. That's why these products are more fundamental to Apple's future than the iPod.
 
welcome

welcome to the macrumors bullfights, timbuktu

it is good that you mention that you are sixteen so people could at least be warned so they won't go after you with four letter words or wonder why you have not been buying macs for seventeen years!

people get really mean on macrumors and many times they are on the same side of the fence...one will say a product is "very good" and another will say it is "great" and that will be enough to cause a huge fight on this site...i have never seen anyone as mean in my life as mac users and a lot of that stems from jealousy of the market share pc computers have in the IT industry

i am one of the most attacked posters for two reasons, first i have been here almost the longest among active members and that opens me up to attacks, and second...i am a pc technician, but only because pc boxes break down more and the huge amount of work out there makes me more money so i could buy macs (i have been hooked to macs for almost two decades)

you will get attacked and often, it will be when someone thought you said something different than you meant

i go after mac users who put out ignorant or inaccurate facts about the pc...macs are more justified when we could look at the good in our own apple products without having to attack the pcs...and we know we are better - so attacking the pc does not give any info to most of the mac people that they already don't know

if we put our brains to praising the mac where it is good and constantly looking for improvements only in our camp (without wasting time hating microsoft and the pc world), apple would have had the feedback necessary to have come out with the iMac years before it did and we would have had OS X years ago also...i am convinced of that

being a mcp (a kind of microsoft network techie...it's boring technical crap), i come in contact with microsoft software techies (*some who are mcsd or mcp, some who are employees of microsoft, and some who are independent) and microsoft's key to success is that they don't waste any time bashing the competition...they also know that they often have the second or third best product...but they don't care because they know what is important and that is that the public buys their product

that is the one thing i learned from being a pc techie and if the mac side is weak in one area, instead of attacking the pc side, we should ask ourselves how to make that mac characteristic stronger

...so since i always put out posts like this one, you probably won't see yourself getting attacked as much as me and if you do, it's because we all want better macs and any constructive criticism you make to help apple (which it does) might be taken as a stand for the microsoft/pc "evil empire"

...and this is not star wars, it is business so if microsoft goes down so do we since they own, at the very least, ten percent of all apple stock and perhaps more even though the exact dollar amount could only be speculated, but it is huge

pirates of silicon valley, the cheap tv movie, made it look like microsoft won the war and they ended up practically buying apple in the end...but that, thank god, is tv myth

again, welcome to the bullfights

[Edited by jefhatfield on 10-30-2001 at 07:44 AM]
 
re: windows

thank god DOS is gone

micrsosoft would like to think that NT is an original but it is a UNIX derivative (CompTIA A+ manual) but microsoft put their spin on it

UNIX is not one lauguage like many think, but a family of languages with at least six major branches or flavors and many free BSD and LINUX people/zealots would beg to differ if i simply called their OS just a UNIX flavor... but we have to put languages in some classification so hardware techies and users could understand the complex world of programming

 
I still don't think the iPod is doomed. I might not like the name, and it might not sell as well as they hoped, but at long as we're making Cube references I think the iPod will have a longer lifespan. When the Cube was released, what was the original cost? Something like $2200 I think? Well, that was easily double what it should have cost.

The iPod is priced at exactly what it has to be priced at because of its expensive parts, but it's also much closer to the range that most people think in necessary for it to be successful. I mean, $100 less is a quarter of the current cost, but it's still only a hundred bucks, and it's still doesn't cost more than double what it needs to cost.

It's also important to remember that while software isn't free to create, it's not as difficult to do as getting all iPod owners to buy new hardware. What I'm saying is that the iPod is one firmware/software update away from expanding on it's functionality without having to invest a penny more in new hardware. That could be significant.

And to all of you too young to realize it, a portable Pong machine is the bees knees.
 
Re: Windows

You are wrong. Windows is still written on the DOS base. Using .exe written with letters. When you start up your PC, it shows all the codes, there was no change. All that happened is they said "NT"!
 
Do Macs run DOS?

Yes, it's true that Windows still uses 3 letter suffixes in it's file names. Actually OS X uses suffixes as well. This has absolutely nothing to do with whether Windows NT is based on DOS. Regarding the “code” you see when you start up a PC, again this does not indicate the the PC is using DOS, it just indicates what the machine is loading at startup. If you boot up a Mac running OS X in single user mode you’ll see something very similar - and we all know Macs don't run DOS ;-)
 
The history of NT..

Interestingly enough, Windows NT and its children (Windows 2000, Windows XP) started life as a joint effort between Microsoft and IBM.

Back around 1986/1987, IBM and Microsoft recognized the need to build a more modern OS for PCs. Thus the OS/2 project was born as a joint effort between Microsoft and IBM. Throughout the project, MS continued with its Windows operating system efforts.

Around about 1990, Microsoft and IBM diverged their OS/2 efforts because of differing strategic directions. IBM wanted to take OS/2 down a path where they could take away the clone market that drained their PC revenues. Microsoft wanted as many manufacturers as possible, because it was all just licensing revenue for them.

As a result of this dispute, the joint-effort of IBM and Microsoft was ended. IBM went on with the code base to produce IBM's version of OS/2. Microsoft went on with the code base to produce Windows NT.

Of course, Microsoft had the winning strategy and now IBM's OS/2 is mostly a footnote (barring a few vertical applications.)

 
Thank you

Thanks for the welcome jefhatfield. I am warned. I don't think some people at Apple are as worked out over issues as some people in this forum are! Anyway, I for one may be getting an iPod this Christmas. I'm not paying, of course, but I believe my dad wants it and I am always his excuse for getting gadgets he doesn't need.

Well, I'm glad i've discovered this place. I don't know how long I'll stay. God, it's not even Macworld yet and you're all so hyped up about iPod. I can't wait to see you reactions when Jobs wheels out the new iMac and G5.
 
USB->Firewire converter

Anybody know if it would be possible to make a USB->Firewire cable in order to use an iPod as a traveling hard drive for a digital camera?
 
Re: USB->Firewire converter

Sorry man, I dont believe you can do that. But if you are looking for a wonderful firewire DV Mini DV cam, check out the Sony TRV-30. It is great. 1.55 megapixel stills, and GL1 broadcasting video quality. I know this because we own both. It is fire wire. Go to pricegrabber.com and get it for 1,199.
 
iPod is not doomed...(but this thread might be!!)

Any more thoughts on the iPod as a product rather than as a part of Apple's corporate viability? I think that this thread should really explore whether we feel this product will be a success or not. I for one think it will be a success, and I would like to repost my earlier comments for anyone that would like to read them...

---->

if iPod does not sell, it might not be because people don't like it or want it. every day there are thousands of people being laid off from their jobs, the stock market has plunged, and the September 11th tragedy all have put us into an economic recession. Most people have less money to spend on "toys", and many have given that money to charities toward the relief efforts.

That being said, Apple has created this product:

1. a 5 GB external hard drive
2. firewire connectivity that is extraordinarily fast
3. sleek compact design that will fit into your hand
4. a method to quickly and easily transfer huge files from any firewire enabled pc (ie movies, cd images, iDVD files, etc)
5. the coolest MP3 player I have seen to date.

So, instead of buying a regular external hard drive, you buy an iPod because it is also an MP3 player. Instead of buying an Iomega 2 GB Jaz drive, you buy the iPod because it has more capacity and much faster. Instead of buying any old MP3 player you buy the iPod because it is just better!

What Apple has done is introduced a product that most view as "old hat." We've all seen MP3 players, hard drives and firewire devices. But what Apple has also done is incorporated a strategy that people have been begging for them to do for years--target profitable markets. Apple has entered a commodity market and has immediately created a product that gives its users the most bang for their buck. I think if people were going to buy an MP3 player before, now they will buy an iPod...I think it will be a success and be a product line that will be around for quite some time...any thoughts??

(one last note--the name stinks)

<-----

If there are no more iPod specific rants and raves, lets start a new thread about how the iPod fits into Apple's "Digital Hub" and how economically viable Apple Computer is in this new "New Economy" (or lack thereof).
I for one would like to get into the viability of Apple.

If you want to get into the mix, check out some factual information such as Apple's quarterly and annual reports:

Apple Investor Relations
http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/i...apl&script=11906&layout=7&item_id='index.htm'

or

SEC EDGAR Financial Database
http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml

Anyone for a new thread??
 
PS.

PS...as rumored in this thread, I do like the name iPad for a future Apple branded PDA. Anyone else?
 
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