Nope. I think that it would be way too much trouble for them. I believe the messenging frameworks are in the system. Think about the AV part: on the fly mpeg4 encoding. I don't think that's possible on most windows machines and it would require making Darwin Streaming Server work on windows. And what's the upside for them? iTunes sells music and iPods. What would iChat do? Sell iSights? Not worth it.
If iSight was a huge money maker, then maybe Apple would port iChat.
The #1 problem with iSight/iChat AV is there's no one to iChat AV with! I'm sorry, but most people you're likely to run into are using Windows PCs (unless you work in the graphics/publishing industry). Right now, iSights are basically useless unless the important people in your life are all using Macs.
My own father and father-in-law are both using Windows XP PCs, and are quite content using MSN Messenger to see the grandkids. Despite my every attempt to persuade them to switch to Macs, there's just no way in heck I'm going to get them to spend $1000+ on a new system, just to get better videoconferencing. For the few things they do on their systems, Windows XP is more than good enough. For now, my iSight sits in a drawer, utterly useless.
If Apple ever hopes to sell iSight cameras to more than the limited percentage of their user base who communicate mainly with other Mac users, they must create an iChat AV for Windows, or work to ensure that AIM or some other app is made compatible.
I don't think that's possible on most windows machines and it would require making Darwin Streaming Server work on windows.
Darwin Streaming Server already works on Windows. Unfortunately Quicktime Broadcaster (the live streaming element) only works under 10.2 and up but it shouldn't be too hard to port to Windows.
[B]The #1 problem with iSight/iChat AV is there's no one to iChat AV with! I'm sorry, but most people you're likely to run into are using Windows PCs (unless you work in the graphics/publishing industry). Right now, iSights are basically useless unless the important people in your life are all using Macs.
Sorry, but your reasoning is flawed. If Apple started porting all apps to Windows, people will just stick to Windows, and Apple's big profit-margin items (computers/hardware) will take a hit, all in favour of what? More sales of a thin margin product? (iSight). Don't think so.
Apple just ported iTunes because of the Music Store, not so much because of the device (iPod).
Sorry, but your reasoning is flawed. If Apple started porting all apps to Windows, people will just stick to Windows, and Apple's big profit-margin items (computers/hardware) will take a hit
Wrong, and iPod for Windows has been proof. Apple makes very good money on the iPod for Windows, and it hasn't scratched Apple's computer market share. Most consumers do not make a purchasing decision based on a single peripheral or application. Apple understands that by selling products to Windows users, they are introducing them to the wonders of Apple's outstanding designs. Its about mindshare, not marketshare. The more Windows users become aquainted with Apple and its products, the more likely they are to consider Apple when they are ready to buy their next system.
Another reason that your logic is flawed: we do not live in a homogeneous computing environment (all users are not Mac users), but we do live in a social environment (we all have a need to interact and communicate with others). Word processors aren't of much use unless we can (1) print pages and physically give them to others, or (2) transmit them to others digitally. Either way, someone needs to be able to receive and read our writing. That's why there are standards like PDF (or de-facto standards, like Word). An iSight for Mac without an iSight for Windows is like having a Motorola T720 mobile phone that can only call other Motorola T720's from the same provider. Unless everyone who is important to you uses the same phone and provider, its useless. For that reason, iSight on the Mac can be of little or no benefit to Apple's market share. Sure, it looks cool, but when Joe and Jane head to the computer store to get a new system, its not going to convince them to buy Apple.
Quote:
Apple just ported iTunes because of the Music Store, not so much because of the device (iPod).
Ha! I don't think so. Apple has sold over 1,000,000 iPods, with an average selling price of $399. That's $399,000,000 in revenue! (+ a very nice profit margin) By contrast, even if Apple manages to sell 100 Million songs (as is their stated goal), thats only $100 Mil in revenue, with only a small profit (if any) to boot.
In addition, iPod for Windows had been bundled with the (IMHO) ugly MusicMatch, which gave the iPod for Windows a very un-Apple-like experience. I'm sure many iPod for Windows customers complained that their elegant iPod experience didn't carry over to its bundled software. Sure, its Windows, and it's not as elegant as Mac OS, but if its bundled with an Apple product, it had better be of consistent quality. The other big reason for iTunes/iTMS for Windows is that MusicMatch was developing a competing store, and would use the WMA format, which does not play on the iPod. In other words, MusicMatch's product does *not* help sell iPods! Again, the focus is on selling iPods, not songs.
In the end, iTMS (Mac and Windows) and iTunes for Windows exist for the sole purpose of selling more iPods. iPods are very profitable for Apple, and they are in the business of making profits, not Macs.
Sorry, but your reasoning is flawed. If Apple started porting all apps to Windows, people will just stick to Windows, and Apple's big profit-margin items (computers/hardware) will take a hit, all in favour of what? More sales of a thin margin product? (iSight). Don't think so.
Apple just ported iTunes because of the Music Store, not so much because of the device (iPod).
It's standards-based what someone really needs to do is have a company (not apple) get some software (Yahoo, AIM, ICQ, etc.) have a chat feature with ichat av support but there'd be a problem for people who aren't close to you; ms will sell then stinky software and ten when you ask them to get winUltraMessengeVideoChat (R) they'll say ms stuff is fine and course ms will never integrate apple's tech (ichat av) into ms win messenger. people will be stuck with stinky software and won't care. that's what i think will happen a lot of times
Apple just ported iTunes because of the Music Store, not so much because of the device (iPod).
sj said that they dont make very much money at all on iTMS. a lot of that money goes to record companies. they make pretty sucky profits on it. he said its great for boosting iPod sales though, which is a lot higher in profit margins. the port was done so that they'd get more iTMS sales, which would lead to increased iPod sales. but, with the msuci store itself, sales suck.
sj said that they dont make very much money at all on iTMS. a lot of that money goes to record companies. they make pretty sucky profits on it. he said its great for boosting iPod sales though, which is a lot higher in profit margins. the port was done so that they'd get more iTMS sales, which would lead to increased iPod sales. but, with the msuci store itself, sales suck.
"The iPod makes money. The iTunes Music Store doesn't," Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller toldCNET News.com after the launch of the Windows version today. Schiller said that the store is close to profitability but is still losing money, and that Apple doesn't see the online music business as having much long-term profit potential. "Just trying to have a business around downloadable music would be tough," he said
A while back, AOL was granted permission to include video conferencing in its IM application. It had been prevented from doing that for some time. I suspect it's only a matter of time before a version of AIM for Windows comes out that can support the iSight and iChat AV users on the Mac side.
I think what is interesting about the recent music store craze is how apple released the best model, with the whole $.99/song $9.99/album, and of course, like always people tried to follow afterward, many with the same model, also there was buymusic.com with it's (as low as)$.75/song.
now the interesting thing is how, Apple went into the iTMS knowing they wouldn't cut a profit, that it would sell more iPods, but still all these other services popped up...to promote what?
seems as though apple led everyone in a pit of quicksand with this.
now the interesting thing is how, Apple went into the iTMS knowing they wouldn't cut a profit, that it would sell more iPods, but still all these other services popped up...to promote what?
seems as though apple led everyone in a pit of quicksand with this.
That's a good point. I was thinking the same thing myself. That's the beauty of the iTMS for Apple. They're not trying to make money selling the music. It's the iPods they want. But the others? They can sell blank CDR's.
Comments
Originally posted by Xool
If iSight was a huge money maker, then maybe Apple would port iChat.
The #1 problem with iSight/iChat AV is there's no one to iChat AV with! I'm sorry, but most people you're likely to run into are using Windows PCs (unless you work in the graphics/publishing industry). Right now, iSights are basically useless unless the important people in your life are all using Macs.
My own father and father-in-law are both using Windows XP PCs, and are quite content using MSN Messenger to see the grandkids. Despite my every attempt to persuade them to switch to Macs, there's just no way in heck I'm going to get them to spend $1000+ on a new system, just to get better videoconferencing. For the few things they do on their systems, Windows XP is more than good enough. For now, my iSight sits in a drawer, utterly useless.
If Apple ever hopes to sell iSight cameras to more than the limited percentage of their user base who communicate mainly with other Mac users, they must create an iChat AV for Windows, or work to ensure that AIM or some other app is made compatible.
Where is my 2-button mouse?
I don't think that's possible on most windows machines and it would require making Darwin Streaming Server work on windows.
Darwin Streaming Server already works on Windows. Unfortunately Quicktime Broadcaster (the live streaming element) only works under 10.2 and up but it shouldn't be too hard to port to Windows.
Originally posted by joelfox
[B]The #1 problem with iSight/iChat AV is there's no one to iChat AV with! I'm sorry, but most people you're likely to run into are using Windows PCs (unless you work in the graphics/publishing industry). Right now, iSights are basically useless unless the important people in your life are all using Macs.
Sorry, but your reasoning is flawed. If Apple started porting all apps to Windows, people will just stick to Windows, and Apple's big profit-margin items (computers/hardware) will take a hit, all in favour of what? More sales of a thin margin product? (iSight). Don't think so.
Apple just ported iTunes because of the Music Store, not so much because of the device (iPod).
Originally posted by Alexandre
Sorry, but your reasoning is flawed. If Apple started porting all apps to Windows, people will just stick to Windows, and Apple's big profit-margin items (computers/hardware) will take a hit
Wrong, and iPod for Windows has been proof. Apple makes very good money on the iPod for Windows, and it hasn't scratched Apple's computer market share. Most consumers do not make a purchasing decision based on a single peripheral or application. Apple understands that by selling products to Windows users, they are introducing them to the wonders of Apple's outstanding designs. Its about mindshare, not marketshare. The more Windows users become aquainted with Apple and its products, the more likely they are to consider Apple when they are ready to buy their next system.
Another reason that your logic is flawed: we do not live in a homogeneous computing environment (all users are not Mac users), but we do live in a social environment (we all have a need to interact and communicate with others). Word processors aren't of much use unless we can (1) print pages and physically give them to others, or (2) transmit them to others digitally. Either way, someone needs to be able to receive and read our writing. That's why there are standards like PDF (or de-facto standards, like Word). An iSight for Mac without an iSight for Windows is like having a Motorola T720 mobile phone that can only call other Motorola T720's from the same provider. Unless everyone who is important to you uses the same phone and provider, its useless. For that reason, iSight on the Mac can be of little or no benefit to Apple's market share. Sure, it looks cool, but when Joe and Jane head to the computer store to get a new system, its not going to convince them to buy Apple.
Apple just ported iTunes because of the Music Store, not so much because of the device (iPod).
Ha! I don't think so. Apple has sold over 1,000,000 iPods, with an average selling price of $399. That's $399,000,000 in revenue! (+ a very nice profit margin) By contrast, even if Apple manages to sell 100 Million songs (as is their stated goal), thats only $100 Mil in revenue, with only a small profit (if any) to boot.
In addition, iPod for Windows had been bundled with the (IMHO) ugly MusicMatch, which gave the iPod for Windows a very un-Apple-like experience. I'm sure many iPod for Windows customers complained that their elegant iPod experience didn't carry over to its bundled software. Sure, its Windows, and it's not as elegant as Mac OS, but if its bundled with an Apple product, it had better be of consistent quality. The other big reason for iTunes/iTMS for Windows is that MusicMatch was developing a competing store, and would use the WMA format, which does not play on the iPod. In other words, MusicMatch's product does *not* help sell iPods! Again, the focus is on selling iPods, not songs.
In the end, iTMS (Mac and Windows) and iTunes for Windows exist for the sole purpose of selling more iPods. iPods are very profitable for Apple, and they are in the business of making profits, not Macs.
Originally posted by Alexandre
Sorry, but your reasoning is flawed. If Apple started porting all apps to Windows, people will just stick to Windows, and Apple's big profit-margin items (computers/hardware) will take a hit, all in favour of what? More sales of a thin margin product? (iSight). Don't think so.
Apple just ported iTunes because of the Music Store, not so much because of the device (iPod).
It's standards-based what someone really needs to do is have a company (not apple) get some software (Yahoo, AIM, ICQ, etc.) have a chat feature with ichat av support but there'd be a problem for people who aren't close to you; ms will sell then stinky software and ten when you ask them to get winUltraMessengeVideoChat (R) they'll say ms stuff is fine and course ms will never integrate apple's tech (ichat av) into ms win messenger. people will be stuck with stinky software and won't care. that's what i think will happen a lot of times
Originally posted by Alexandre
Apple just ported iTunes because of the Music Store, not so much because of the device (iPod).
sj said that they dont make very much money at all on iTMS. a lot of that money goes to record companies. they make pretty sucky profits on it. he said its great for boosting iPod sales though, which is a lot higher in profit margins. the port was done so that they'd get more iTMS sales, which would lead to increased iPod sales. but, with the msuci store itself, sales suck.
Originally posted by thuh Freak
sj said that they dont make very much money at all on iTMS. a lot of that money goes to record companies. they make pretty sucky profits on it. he said its great for boosting iPod sales though, which is a lot higher in profit margins. the port was done so that they'd get more iTMS sales, which would lead to increased iPod sales. but, with the msuci store itself, sales suck.
No profits are 'sucky'.
Originally posted by Outsider
No profits are 'sucky'.
No profits indeed.
*ahem*
Link
"The iPod makes money. The iTunes Music Store doesn't," Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller toldCNET News.com after the launch of the Windows version today. Schiller said that the store is close to profitability but is still losing money, and that Apple doesn't see the online music business as having much long-term profit potential. "Just trying to have a business around downloadable music would be tough," he said
now the interesting thing is how, Apple went into the iTMS knowing they wouldn't cut a profit, that it would sell more iPods, but still all these other services popped up...to promote what?
seems as though apple led everyone in a pit of quicksand with this.
Originally posted by Wrong Robot
now the interesting thing is how, Apple went into the iTMS knowing they wouldn't cut a profit, that it would sell more iPods, but still all these other services popped up...to promote what?
seems as though apple led everyone in a pit of quicksand with this.
That's a good point. I was thinking the same thing myself. That's the beauty of the iTMS for Apple. They're not trying to make money selling the music. It's the iPods they want. But the others? They can sell blank CDR's.