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I'm so damn tired of this... just because Apple creates a new service or product does not mean it's automatically innovative, nor does it mean Apple ever claimed it was. It's called competition. Let's also not forget that nobody knows *anything* about this service, and for all you know, it does have some innovative features.

The negativity on these forums is at a staggering high...


Really dude?

Look, it's not a question of how innovative. That USED to be the question. Based on recent Apple releases (last 3-4 years), the question is, how HALF-BAKED will it be. Let's accept reality, no?

Certainly, Spotify has nothing to worry about.

:apple:
 
Unfortunately, negativity is running rampant everywhere these days. I see very few positive or constructive criticisms these days on the forums. It used to be enjoyable to read these forums but now it's just a string of rants. Sad...

Just nod and smile...try not to make eye contact...or to sweat too much, they can smell fear. Try to be a positive influence to those close to you IRL, and call it a job well done.

On the OP -
In the end I'm pretty sure that Apple wants to get all services up and running in a way that will continue to recruit new customers, not just retain the current base. As others have said, they need to get their iCloud(s) in order, otherwise a radio service sounds like it has the potential to bog down cloud fixing even further.

Really dude?
Look, it's not a question of how innovative. That USED to be the question. Based on recent Apple releases (last 3-4 years), the question is, how HALF-BAKED will it be. Let's accept reality, no?
Certainly, Spotify has nothing to worry about.

If Apple's hiring and firing have anything to do with future plans, I'd say they're trying to set themselves up for future successes. As for how things have been going for Apple over the past 3-4 years ^ - losing an arguably important leader, and going through some company adjustments afterwards doesn't give them a pass, but they're having to adjust on the fly like everyone else, and I don't see anyone else as a sweeping success either. Spotify only has to worry if Apple or anyone else does it better in the end, and has better deals with the folks that own the music eh? Suggesting that Apple doesn't know how to succeed is just not realistic.
 
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I'm a consumer (including a consumer of a lot of Apple stuff). I'm a consumer who likes to buy Apple stuff. While I completely appreciate that Apple is a business, I view Apple as a consumer. Perhaps you are an employee? Or someone who pretends to be an employee but isn't paid anything for it? Or someone who puts Apple "the business" before Apple's customers?

As a consumer, my "complaints" about this particular "innovation" revolve around not seeing much in it. From my perspective, it's like Apple is looking backwards rather than forwards. I know Pandora, Spotify, etc and think they are not bad implementations waiting for Apple to get it right. I think they are just fine. But even if Apple can do digital radio much better than either of them (and Sirius and others), what's in it for us consumers? One click to spend more money in iTunes is a benefit for Apple much more than a benefit for consumers. It's not that hard to go from hearing a song on free radio or Pandora, etc and locating it in iTunes (or Amazon) if I want to buy it. I think there's even an app that will identify the song for us.

I get what's in it for Apple "the business." I also get what's in streaming radio for Apple's business partners (AT&T, Verizon, etc) too. I'm trying to grasp the big benefit for us consumers. Apparently- per your feedback- it's to lighten the heavy load of cash in our wallets by linking the radio to which we're listening to an immediate opportunity to buy the song on iTunes in one click. I do sometimes get tired of carrying around spare cash. And between Apple making it even easier to buy more stuff from iTunes and AT&T, etc pinching tiers so that streaming radio gets us to our tier limits quicker, this incredible innovation should solve that problem faster than ever before. Bravo! :p

Nice reply... You're right, if the "iRadio" turns out to be what I think it will be (Yes, I could be way off) then the benefit to Darryl will be pretty slim if any at all. "iRadio" isn't targeted to fulfill Darryl's needs. It is targeted to people from about 16-24 years old who spend a lot of time searching for the latest and greatest music. You're a funny guy and express yourself very well. The simple point is: It's not about you Darryl :)
 
I'm so damn tired of this... just because Apple creates a new service or product does not mean it's automatically innovative, nor does it mean Apple ever claimed it was. It's called competition. Let's also not forget that nobody knows *anything* about this service, and for all you know, it does have some innovative features.

The negativity on these forums is at a staggering high...

Probably because with iOS as stale as it is, a rumoured 5S (stale) and no Mac Pro, discontent with people who would frequent this sort of place -long time Apple users is quite high. People on this forum are disappointed with a lot of whats happening lately. Maybe it's because the people here would be the sort of people who are buying the phones every year and have been since they came out and are realizing they're stale, or maybe they're professionals who've been slighted by the Mac Pro and Mountain Lion feature trimming.

I think that maybe people are just fed up with nothing blowing their mind. Maybe the bar was set a bit too high or whatever, but I understand the frustrations of people here. I'm not personally frustrated because I don't really care, but I can totally understand why people are losing their patience a tiny bit.
 
[...]
If Apple's hiring and firing have anything to do with future plans, I'd say they're trying to set themselves up for future successes. As for how things have been going for Apple over the past 3-4 years ^ - losing an arguably important leader, and going through some company adjustments afterwards doesn't give them a pass

If by "an arguably important leader" you are referring to Steve Jobs, I don't think there is any doubt whatsoever that without Jobs, Apple (or a company remotely like it) would never have existed, and without his return in the mid 90's it would have ceased to exist before 2000.

The first time Jobs left the company (fired by the CEO he hired!) Apple tried to milk its cash cow and nearly disappeared as a result. Jobs returned to revive the company, but now he's gone (permanently) Apple seems to have reverted to milking its customers again.

Don't get me wrong, I love Apple products, but their closed world can very easily cross the line to not so benevolent dictatorship. The App Store is a good example, iTunes another. If iRadio is only available on Apple devices and requires an Apple ID I will not be signing up. Apple's ethos seems to be how to maximise their profit and extract as much as they can from their customers. Of course they can do that, and I will refuse to buy their products or enter into their contracts if I think they are being unreasonable.

Microsoft Live, where Microsoft tried to tie everything on your computer to a single ID and account, was severely criticised when MS rolled it out many years ago, but Apple seems to get a free pass from critical evaluation with Apple ID and associated "services" such as iTunes and App Store.
 
Maybe I'm just missing something. Is there really something very wrong with Pandora and competitors that only Apple innovation could "fix"? Is there some obvious hole in digital radio now that only Apple can fill? Even if Apple can come up with some way to do it way better than Pandora, Spotify, etc, is way better that exciting?

See, the thing is, there are some people who really really love these kinds of music services and are anxious to see what Apple (or any new service, really) will bring to the game. The are justifiably excited about it because it's an area that pleases them. Just because you don't get it doesn't mean it shouldn't matter to anyone else.
 
What???

apple - stop trying to be a software company.

you fail at that.

i'll stick with spotify thanks :rolleyes:

Uhm, OS X is software. iOS is software. If Apple didn't do software they'd be... what exactly? ASUS...

Keynote has been better than Power Point since... uhm forever.
Garage band has been better than... what was that crap that Microsoft made?

When Ive gets ahold of OS X and fixes that crap interface in calendar and contacts all will be right in OS X once again...

That isn't to say it's perfect, but far from fail.
 
I use Spotify at the moment but look at this as a welcome addition, I regard competition between these types of companies healthy for us, the consumers. Although I am happy with Spotify, if Apple bring something new to the party, I won't be averse to switching or even using both. :)
 
I don't know IF apple is really planing this or if they are how it will work. I mainstay has been for years is FStream with the iPhone app).

IMHo it is small and use really low resources (and footprint) and if you are wise enough to find you own radio streams and know how to link to those Internet streams. Try it and if you are good enough is all you need.
 
And that's why our favorite company stole iTunes DJ from us : they want to "innovate" with a new music service that will restore iTunes DJ functionalities ... but you'll have to pay for it. :mad:

What, you don't agree? There are already hundreds of thousands radios on the net, we don't need just a new one from Apple unless it brings something special. The "new" thing will therefore come from it's interactivity, and I'm ready to bet anything that this will be the way the user will be able to customize his/her playlists ... much like in iTunes DJ before iTunes 11.
 
No.

iTunes has your music.

iRadio would probably make a station out of your artists.
And play only the music from that artist unlike Pandora which plays some of your artist but also music from other artist.

I'm not sure if you are saying that is an advantage or a disadvantage.

A service that would only play music similar to what I already have would be quite pointless to me. I'm much more interested in music that I don't know already.

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people said the same thing about iTunes Match.

but charging $25/yr is quite the bargain to have instant access to up to 25,000 of your songs, many of which were upgraded for free to 256. much of my music is from the Napster days when 128 was considered the very best - a lot of my early 2000's music is in 96.

i could use my Windows Home Server to create a music server that i can stream to my jailbroken iPhone and iPad. in doing so, it reduces my available storage on my server, adds additional wear/tear on my drives, it destroys my bandwidth at home which my gf complained about, and it still leaves me with my lower quality music

for $25/yr , or $2.08/mo, or $0.48/wk - it's worth it to me to have the benefits of iTunes Match. heck, i have enough change in my coin sorting machine to keep it going for the next 2 years

Mostly agreed, but they urgently need to increase the 25,000 song limit or I'll have to leave within two or three years :D
 
Why does Apple have todo whats already been done by Pandora and others?

Oh yeah sure, nobody else should be allowed to do it because Pandora and others have already done it.:rolleyes:

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Can't apple just buy Spotify?

Why do people say stuff like this? It's not like the company is up for sale. You can't just buy a company when you feel like it. There are however hostile takeovers but simply buying a company isn't a cut n dry as you make it sound.
 
Is this that Pandora like thing Apple was talking about ?

IRadio huh..........

I see a problem already...

1. Its only part of iTunes. &
2. Many other services are out there which are better like Pandora, Spotify.

Their's radio stations already in iTunes already ...What extra can this serve ?

Apple would get a better idea if they merged with Spotify, as I've always said.

There's already "missing gaps " regardless of which service you use. but the gap will be allot smaller if this happened. Plus, "Apple will be one of the largest places to stream music."

Everyone wants to hear Apple finally say this.
 
I can see this as being great. Lets try unlimited streaming without ads for free. Nokia music already does this, but I would love a Nokia music equivalent on iOS.

Perhaps even a subscription service that allows the user to keep a track or two per month.

Plenty of simple ways to make this better than pandora or spotify. Not sure why people are yawning on this one.
 
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