Apple's Jobs slams Zune, says player poses no concern
Apple Computer chief executive Steve Jobs said he does not see Microsoft's community-centric Zune device as a threat to his company's iPod digital media players.
"I've seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever," Jobs told Newsweek in an interview ahead of the iPods fifth anniversary next month.
"By the time you've gone through all that, the girl's got up and left! You're much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you're connected with about two feet of headphone cable."
Jobs was equally unconcerned that the iPod could lose its cachet because of its growing popularity. "That's like saying you don't want to kiss your lover's lips because everyone has lips," he said. "It doesn't make any sense."
During the development of the iPod, which turns five years old on Oct. 23, Jobs said he knew he had struck a chord due to the device's internal appeal. "The way you can tell that you're onto something interesting is if everybody who knows about the project wants one themselves," he explained, "if they can't wait to go out and open up their own wallets to buy one."
For the iPod, one of the biggest insights Apple had was not to try to manage its music library on the iPod, but to manage it in iTunes, according to Jobs. "Other companies tried to do everything on the device itself and made it so complicated that it was useless," he said.
In the three-page interview with Newsweek, the Apple boss also professes his love for Levis and discuss the lengthy back-and-forth process with record labels that eventually led to the launch of the iTunes Music Store.
"It was a process over 18 months. We got to know these folks and we made a series of predictions that a lot of things they were trying would fail," Jobs said of the labels.
"Then they went and tried them, and they all failed, for the reasons that we had predicted. We kept coming back to visit them every month or two, and they started to believe that we might actually have some insight into this, and our credibility grew with them to the point where they were willing to take a chance with us."
"I've seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever," Jobs told Newsweek in an interview ahead of the iPods fifth anniversary next month.
"By the time you've gone through all that, the girl's got up and left! You're much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you're connected with about two feet of headphone cable."
Jobs was equally unconcerned that the iPod could lose its cachet because of its growing popularity. "That's like saying you don't want to kiss your lover's lips because everyone has lips," he said. "It doesn't make any sense."
During the development of the iPod, which turns five years old on Oct. 23, Jobs said he knew he had struck a chord due to the device's internal appeal. "The way you can tell that you're onto something interesting is if everybody who knows about the project wants one themselves," he explained, "if they can't wait to go out and open up their own wallets to buy one."
For the iPod, one of the biggest insights Apple had was not to try to manage its music library on the iPod, but to manage it in iTunes, according to Jobs. "Other companies tried to do everything on the device itself and made it so complicated that it was useless," he said.
In the three-page interview with Newsweek, the Apple boss also professes his love for Levis and discuss the lengthy back-and-forth process with record labels that eventually led to the launch of the iTunes Music Store.
"It was a process over 18 months. We got to know these folks and we made a series of predictions that a lot of things they were trying would fail," Jobs said of the labels.
"Then they went and tried them, and they all failed, for the reasons that we had predicted. We kept coming back to visit them every month or two, and they started to believe that we might actually have some insight into this, and our credibility grew with them to the point where they were willing to take a chance with us."
Comments
Mr. Job's repeated inferences to girls and seduction make me think he has a strong female interest in his life... someone that affects him to a degree that he really can't stop thinking about her, his analogies albeit understandable, don't really sound like ones from a techie!
Maybe his wife?
Why, whith all that interest from Gizmodo etc.?
Because of the simple fact that it is designed by geeks for geeks - and there are way to few geeks (willing to accept an ugly brown brick) in the world...
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction."
Albert Einstein
The iPod have always been slammed by (geek) critics for not having radio, an equlizer, a microphone and dozens of other non essential things - but Apple held on to KISS.
I bought the Generation 1 iPod for exactly that reason - i.e. it played MP3's. Period.
So did millions of other people.
In order to compete with the iPod one (SanDisk?, iRiver?) must beat the iPod on it's own turf, i.e. make something smaller, even less complex and cheaper - and as good looking...
Very few companies could pull that off - and certainly not Dell or M$.
The only way the iPod could loose it's edge is if iTunes turns into an unstable Bloatware and if the 'pod would stop playing non-DRM music (or when mobile phones turns into serious contenders).
Maybe his wife?
seems likely!
I do agree about the Zune although the lover's lips analogy doesn't quite work for me; I think it should be, do you want a girlfriend/boyfriend when everyone else has one?
I don't know. I bet some girls will like Ballmer's approach: "Hey, babe, let me squirt ya one".
Maybe MS will sell condoms at the Zune marketplace.
To put on your Zune to prevent it transfering viruses to other Zunes?
First off, I personally wouldn't touch a Zune with a 10 foot pole. But other people, with the great price and seemingly new and interesting features might.
As everyone here knows they're willing to become a rather large loss leader and then some, so with that said I seriously doubt Microsoft is looking to overtake the iPod with its first-generation Zune. By 3rd gen they're probably looking to be a strong, worthy competitor, and until then they're looking to polish off all of the kinks in their software/hardware.
The average person isn't willing to transfer from iTMS you say? I would disagree.
1) The average person has only spent 20 dollars in the iTMS. Not a huge investment.
2) The techno-savy teenage demographic is where MIcrosoft is really targeting. By linking its program with the very trendy, very cool MTV, they made a very smart move that could really gain them marketshare. And again, this is 1st gen - they aren't looking to conquer now.
And the large popularity of the iPod is indeed dangerous. How can one keep the cool going when everyone and their mother has one? Everyone who has a fleeting interest in Apple should know how easy and how cool and easy it is to make fun of the popular product (see: Windows, Vista). A popular product has so many users all of its flaws, no matter the size, will eventually be exposed.
But, of course, the response will be that the reason why everyone makes fun of Windows/Vista isn't due to popularity, but due to their problems. The argument will be that the genius of the iPod is in it's simplicity. Well, yes, this is true, but as-a-whole the quality control of the iPod has decreased dramatically.
What happened to the wall jack, now requiring an extra purchase of 30 dollars? Yes, the first few gens. of iPods needed one because they couldn't charge with a USB, however with the 3rd/4th gens they included BOTH computer charging and a wall jack. The iPod itself has come under siege after tons of users have reported scratching (not fixed with the reg. iPod, only the nano). iTunes 7 was anything but quality tested. And while my 3rd Gen iPod lasted a good 2 1/2 years, I've gone through 5 iPods in the last year and a half. Yikes.
ONCE AGAIN: I personally wouldn't buy a Zune. I love my iPod, more than most things in my life, and my next mp3 player purchase will remain in the Apple family. I'm willing to love it in spite of its faults, NOT because it's a nearly-flawless product. If the Zune is polished, and the only problem it has is wi-fi connectivity between itself and other Zunes, then Apple does indeed have a reason to be scared.
Now isn't a time to be cocky, Jobs. Now's the time to demolish the product through the company's actions, not its words.
The iPod might lose its stockpile? It might lose it's auxiliary memory? Did you mean cachet ? Getting that one wrong is a bit much compared to a recent article on AI that correctly used some long word that almost nobody ever used at any point in their life.
Edit: It's a quote from the linked article. Maybe I should go and heckle MSNBC & Newsweek while I am at it too.
The headline is a bit too provocative, the tone that is in the linked article is pretty mellow in my opinion.
First off, I personally wouldn't touch a Zune with a 10 foot pole. But other people, with the great price and seemingly new and interesting features might.
Huh? It's the same price.
By linking its program with the very trendy, very cool MTV, they made a very smart move that could really gain them marketshare.
MTV? You mean through URGE? I think you're confusing Zune Marketplace with Windows Media Player 11.
http://news.com.com/Microsofts+Zune+...3-6097196.html
An MTV Networks representative said the company couldn't say what if any role MTV and Urge would play with Zune.
Huh? It's the same price.
MTV? You mean through URGE? I think you're confusing Zune Marketplace with Windows Media Player 11.
http://news.com.com/Microsofts+Zune+...3-6097196.html
Well damn, my bad. My points aren't half as valid now.
As for the price thing, it was more of a features vs. price issue.
Maybe MS will sell condoms at the Zune marketplace.
Zunedoms
Also I can't see the Zune being a threat to anyone, except the other companies that own like 1/2 a percent of the marketshare. The iPod is just too big, it isn't an "mp3 player" anymore it's an "iPod" or a "cheap iPod copy."
Jobs was equally unconcerned that the iPod could lose its cache because of its growing popularity.
The iPod might lose its stockpile? It might lose it's auxiliary memory? Did you mean cachet ? Getting that one wrong is a bit much compared to a recent article on AI that correctly used some long word that almost nobody ever used at any point in their life.
Edit: It's a quote from the linked article. Maybe I should go and heckle MSNBC & Newsweek while I am at it too.
The headline is a bit too provocative, the tone that is in the linked article is pretty mellow in my opinion.
What I find interesting is does someone take the time to comment about something they are unconcerned about?
Well today Internet Explorer reigns supreme for one simple reason: MS bundled it with Windows (along with ISP and AOL access) so the consumer could just buy a new PC and get right on-line. It was simple and they did not have to worry about CD-ROMs or downloads, etc. And while the iPod rules today, much like Netscape & AOL it is ripe for attack.
If MS puts that same clout behind the Zune it will be a real player in this market (no pun intended). Imagine the non-tech-savvy user getting a new Vista PC. A splashy intro to Windows shows the Zune and tells the consumer how it is "plug-and-play" with everything they have. They don't need to download from some other site! I believe the average consumer will go with what they perceive to be the easiest solution to their needs. They want a music player, they grew up watching MTV, and their new computer tells them this is all they need to buy to get what they want!
Here's where Apple can (and hopefully will) win: Where AOL and Netscape stayed stagnant in their product development, Apple should move leaps and bounds ahead. Perhaps even finding some way to partially re-invent the market (again). I hope the full touch screen iPod and Apple Phone are for real, are done right, and are coming soon. Otherwise I think the mere marketing power of MS could make the Zune a contender, even technologically it is not.
Well damn, my bad. My points aren't half as valid now.
As for the price thing, it was more of a features vs. price issue.
The only real feature is the WiFi. It's only useful when several people you know have bought it. And they have to be people who are interested in exchanging music for three days or less.
While I haven't bothered to see just how their version of WiFi works, it doesn't seem to be able to use a "hot spot" either, so it's not much of a feature.
And if you compose a song for your beloved, and "Squirt" it to her (or him), (s)he will be thrilled to find out that it too will disappear in three days, or three plays.