iTunes/iPod will look like the Mac in a couple years
I can't believe how dumb Apple is being. The same exact thing is going to happen with the iTunes and iPod that happened with the Mac. The Mac was successful at first, Jobs refused to open the platform and look where it is now: less than 5% of the market and shrinking.
iTunes and iPod are on top now but Apple refuses to partner with other music stores and MP3 players. People are going to get very sick of having limited options and having to pay $500 for an iPod that stops working after 18 months.
I think Jobs needs to be replaced with a visionary who can also make good business decisions. Innovation doesn't go anywhere with arrogance and false-pride. I'm starting to question just who is more arrogant: Gates with 95% of the market or Jobs with 5%.
From the CNET article:
Speaking at Apple's annual shareholder meeting here, Jobs said there would be both an initial and ongoing cost to allowing the iPod to work with other music services.
"To be honest, it's just not worth it," Jobs said, noting that RealNetworks has made a number of overtures to Apple and adding that Real's music service has been "less than successful."
Although some at the meeting questioned Apple's declining market share, Apple executives noted that the company has chosen not to compete in the low-end desktop PC market. One executive justified the move, noting that that the company chose instead to focus on the iPod, which has been highly profitable for the company and has a 40 percent to 50 percent unit share of the market.
http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-5198043.html
iTunes and iPod are on top now but Apple refuses to partner with other music stores and MP3 players. People are going to get very sick of having limited options and having to pay $500 for an iPod that stops working after 18 months.
I think Jobs needs to be replaced with a visionary who can also make good business decisions. Innovation doesn't go anywhere with arrogance and false-pride. I'm starting to question just who is more arrogant: Gates with 95% of the market or Jobs with 5%.
From the CNET article:
Speaking at Apple's annual shareholder meeting here, Jobs said there would be both an initial and ongoing cost to allowing the iPod to work with other music services.
"To be honest, it's just not worth it," Jobs said, noting that RealNetworks has made a number of overtures to Apple and adding that Real's music service has been "less than successful."
Although some at the meeting questioned Apple's declining market share, Apple executives noted that the company has chosen not to compete in the low-end desktop PC market. One executive justified the move, noting that that the company chose instead to focus on the iPod, which has been highly profitable for the company and has a 40 percent to 50 percent unit share of the market.
http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-5198043.html
Comments
Originally posted by dferigmu
I can't believe how dumb Apple is being. The same exact thing is going to happen with the iTunes and iPod that happened with the Mac. The Mac was successful at first, Jobs refused to open the platform and look where it is now: less than 5% of the market and shrinking.
That's a common myth. The Mac was NEVER very successful market share wise, it started low and stayed low - it was the Apple II that started out great and gradually dwindled. Also, there have been numerous threads discussing this.
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...threadid=40891
and
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...threadid=40927
Barto
Originally posted by dferigmu
I can't believe how dumb Apple is being. The same exact thing is going to happen with the iTunes and iPod that happened with the Mac. The Mac was successful at first, Jobs refused to open the platform and look where it is now: less than 5% of the market and shrinking.
What Barto said.
iTunes and iPod are on top now but Apple refuses to partner with other music stores and MP3 players. People are going to get very sick of having limited options and having to pay $500 for an iPod that stops working after 18 months.
What "limited options"? What do you get with the other stores you don't get with iTMS? Regarding the other MP3 players...well...Apple is in the business of selling them. Why would they give this business away to a competitor. Finally, the iPod does NOT stop working after 18 months (are you trolling?) The battery...in some cases...after constant use will need to be replaced. It can be.
I think Jobs needs to be replaced with a visionary who can also make good business decisions. Innovation doesn't go anywhere with arrogance and false-pride. I'm starting to question just who is more arrogant: Gates with 95% of the market or Jobs with 5%.
Must be a trick question. They both are.
Look, Apple is competing in a DIFFERENT MARKET with the iPod and iTMS, and currently, in that market they are the dominant player. Will this last? You suggest not. I don't know. But so far Apple seems to be making the right moves. None of us know ANYTHING about the proposed deal with Real. It could be that if we did we would come to the same conclusions. "It's not worth it." Apple may yet open the iPod more to more partners, but the timing may not yet be right. I happen to be one of the believers (perhaps too optimistic) that Apple HAS learned from its past mistakes. But that doesn't mean that all of those lessons are evident right now.
Regarding Real, what would Real have brought to the party for Apple? (BTW, I can think of only ONE thing.) Maybe Apple looked at the proposal and just said, this won't work well for us. We don't really gain much of anything and it will cost us a bunch.
The truth of the matter...the "dirty little secret" (not much of a secret for anyone actually paying attention) is that there IS NO CHOICE among the many music stores. They are all selling the same product at the same price. That is not choice. Music players are a different matter, and Apple seems to be the choice of 50-70% of the buyers anyway at this time.
Originally posted by dferigmu
I think Jobs needs to be replaced with a visionary who can also make good business decisions.
They tried that once and it failed. Apple then paid 450 million to get the Steve and his crew back.
I'm perfectly happy with apple's role of being the industry's close-minded innovator. Let the rest of the beige box manuafacturers be money-grubbing pure capitalists. There's a need for both.
read jobs comments
So in the future apple may not be as big as it is now in this segment but they still will be innovating. Products like this aren't about being everything to all their competitors and esp everyone, the trick is to stay on top with new features, focusing on ease of use and still in the same pricepoint.
however I think you're trolling, does rhapsody have something you want thats not in itunes? rhapsody is a sinking ship mind, and the captain and his crew have no clue, but the passengers do. Nobody wants to get onboard a sinking ship do they?
Originally posted by Barto
That's a common myth. The Mac was NEVER very successful market share wise, ....
What about 1984, apple had 100% market share on gui desktops. those were the days...
Apple doesn't need to open up the iPod to other services as the vast majority of songs on people's iPods are still MP3s. What Apple should do is allow other companies implement FairPlay for non portable music players. I would love to see Apple allow Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Tivo, and a host of other companies that don't compete with the iPod implement FairPlay. It can only help.
The problem with the iTunes/iPod model is that for iTunes to continue to be the most successful downloading service the iPod has to continue to be the best selling MP3 player. Someone will create an iPod killer at some point. It could be Sony or a dozen of other companies, but once the iPod is no longer top dog, there is no reason to use iTMS.
True... but perhaps begging the question.
The purpose of windows iTunes and the iTMS is to sell iPods. IF iPods aren't selling, then apple wouldn't want to maintain the iTMS.
Originally posted by HOM
The problem with the iTunes/iPod model is that for iTunes to continue to be the most successful downloading service the iPod has to continue to be the best selling MP3 player. Someone will create an iPod killer at some point. It could be Sony or a dozen of other companies, but once the iPod is no longer top dog, there is no reason to use iTMS.
Apple doesn't need to open up the iPod to other services as the vast majority of songs on people's iPods are still MP3s. What Apple should do is allow other companies implement FairPlay for non portable music players. I would love to see Apple allow Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Tivo, and a host of other companies that don't compete with the iPod implement FairPlay. It can only help.
I fully agree. The iPod won't stay on top for long unless Apple truly makes it better. Like having replaceable batteries, being shock-resistant and having better battery life.
Originally posted by dferigmu
I fully agree. The iPod won't stay on top for long unless Apple truly makes it better. Like having replaceable batteries, being shock-resistant and having better battery life.
Except that consumers could care less about those features you mentioned.
Hard drive size isn't the only thing that matters to music lovers. When asked which features matter most, 55 percent listed a rechargeable battery, 52 percent said small device size, and 49 percent said the ability to connect the device to their computer. Vendors should be cognizant of these priorities, Jupiter said.
From this CNet article.
My point was more about some feature that will turn out to be as much of a killer app for the MP3 space as the scroll wheel+column view system the iPod has. If a company comes up with that "OMG how did I not think of that" feature Apple will be screwed. Once the iPod is knocked off as the leader is there any reason to use iTMS? Apple should get FairPlay into as many non competing devices as possible.
Originally posted by ast3r3x
Can someone explain why REAL's aac files don't work with the iPod? I thought they made an announcement they were going to be using them, and I don't see (while loaded through iTunes) why they wouldn't work on the iPod.
iTunes doesn't use AAC files (.mp4/.m4a). Real 10 doesn't use AAC files (.rax).
--
Compaq and other clone-makers didn't become successful by licensing technology from IBM. They cloned/reverse-engineered it. Glaser is Real's evangelist and PR guy. He's make a plea out of desperation. Why hook up with a company that is fading fast?
Other companies like HP have already proven that this time they are ready to play Apple's game. Apple doesn't need to compromise.
Originally posted by dferigmu
I can't believe how dumb Apple is being. The same exact thing i The Mac was successful at first, Jobs refused to open the platform and look where it is now: less than 5% of the market and shrinking.
http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-5198043.html
Apples market is not shrinking. If you would look at WWDC 2003, Jobs says its users have tripled in the past year. The mac may have been big news back in 1984, but never sold like windows is doing right now. Here is a link to the WWDC 2003 show. The only thing you have to do is click and watch.
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/whatson/appleevents/
Originally posted by quagmire
Apples market is not shrinking.
No, but the percentage of the overall market aka. market share is shrinking because Apple's sales are growing much slower than the PC market as a whole.
Two years ago, Apple had 2.7% of the global market. (source)
One year ago, Apple had 2.3% of the global market. (source)
This past quarter, Apple had 1.7% of the global market. (source)
If that's not shrinking, I don't know what is!