Briefly: Mac customer satisfaction, Apple-Beatles rumor
In speculation that appears to be based on date only, The Beatles-Apple rumor has returned once again; and Apple wins yet another customer satisfaction survey, despite a slight drop in score.
Apple leads PC customer satisfaction
In a new study from The American Customer Satisfaction Index at the University of Michigan, Apple once again leads its PC counterparts in customer satisfaction. The Mac-maker had an 84 percent score this year, 12 percent ahead of its next-nearest competition, Dell.
However, Apple's score did drop 1 percent this year, while the rest of the PC industry has improved. The overall industry ranking increased 1 percent this year, to 75, following two straight years of decreases. But Apple's decrease didn't affect the Cupertino, Calif., company's stature.
"The decline has done little to hurt the large lead Apple has enjoyed for six straight years over the Windows-based manufacturers," the study states. "Apple maintains a 12 percent lead over Dell, one of the largest gaps between first and second place for any industry."
When compared with other companies in surveys, Apple consistently outperforms its competitors in customer satisfaction and service.
For the quarter, the overall ACSI index is at 76.1 on a 100-point scale, an improvement of 0.1 percent from last quarter and 1.3 percent from a year prior.
"The recession has shifted demand towards lower-priced PCs and Hewlett-Packard is taking advantage by rolling out more of its less expensive Compaq models," said Michigan Prof. Claes Fornell, head of the ACSI. “Recent sales are up and HP’s share value has more than doubled relative to market since the beginning of the year."
The Beatles on iTunes?
With this week's news of a likely Apple event on Sept. 9, speculation has grown that Apple will announce the availability of the artists' catalog for purchase on iTunes. Of course, this rumor has surfaced and resurfaced numerous times over the years.
This time, the assumptions are based on the date: 9-9-09 is when the band will re-release their entire discography, all digitally remastered. It is also the launch date of the upcoming Beatles rhythm game, Rock Band: The Beatles.
Rumors of The Beatles' songs coming to iTunes are nothing new, but it was far less likely to happen years ago, when Apple and the parent company of The Beatles, Apple Corps, were engaged in a trademark dispute. In 2007, those issues were resolved, leaving many to believe an appearance for digital downloads would soon follow, though it never did.
Whether the Sept. 9 date has to do with planning or mere coincidence remains to be seen.
Apple leads PC customer satisfaction
In a new study from The American Customer Satisfaction Index at the University of Michigan, Apple once again leads its PC counterparts in customer satisfaction. The Mac-maker had an 84 percent score this year, 12 percent ahead of its next-nearest competition, Dell.
However, Apple's score did drop 1 percent this year, while the rest of the PC industry has improved. The overall industry ranking increased 1 percent this year, to 75, following two straight years of decreases. But Apple's decrease didn't affect the Cupertino, Calif., company's stature.
"The decline has done little to hurt the large lead Apple has enjoyed for six straight years over the Windows-based manufacturers," the study states. "Apple maintains a 12 percent lead over Dell, one of the largest gaps between first and second place for any industry."
When compared with other companies in surveys, Apple consistently outperforms its competitors in customer satisfaction and service.
For the quarter, the overall ACSI index is at 76.1 on a 100-point scale, an improvement of 0.1 percent from last quarter and 1.3 percent from a year prior.
"The recession has shifted demand towards lower-priced PCs and Hewlett-Packard is taking advantage by rolling out more of its less expensive Compaq models," said Michigan Prof. Claes Fornell, head of the ACSI. “Recent sales are up and HP’s share value has more than doubled relative to market since the beginning of the year."
The Beatles on iTunes?
With this week's news of a likely Apple event on Sept. 9, speculation has grown that Apple will announce the availability of the artists' catalog for purchase on iTunes. Of course, this rumor has surfaced and resurfaced numerous times over the years.
This time, the assumptions are based on the date: 9-9-09 is when the band will re-release their entire discography, all digitally remastered. It is also the launch date of the upcoming Beatles rhythm game, Rock Band: The Beatles.
Rumors of The Beatles' songs coming to iTunes are nothing new, but it was far less likely to happen years ago, when Apple and the parent company of The Beatles, Apple Corps, were engaged in a trademark dispute. In 2007, those issues were resolved, leaving many to believe an appearance for digital downloads would soon follow, though it never did.
Whether the Sept. 9 date has to do with planning or mere coincidence remains to be seen.
Comments
give us: Beatles on iTunes, iPod touch 64GB, The Unicorn Tablet, iTunes 9 with Cocktail (nom nom) and Blu-ray all on 9/9/09. All on the same day with a live Stevenote while angels sing.
giveittomebaby (c) rick james rip.
Anyway... I *have* every Beatles song already... maybe a few here and there that I don't want to buy the whole album for ( I never bothered to buy Rubber Soul for instance )
But really? Will there really be a huge demand?
I guess they also want the one off buys... some kid wants "Revolution" as his ring tone or what have you. Meh.
Releasing Beatles' music on iTunes is risky. It might sell wildly. Or they might find out that it is not 1964 any more.
Surprising, Rubber Soul is considered The Beatles one of the top three albums by many critics. The record is the bands first ventures in to mixing musical styles, "Norwegian Wood" and its use of a sitar, "I'm looking through you" has a mild latin sound", "What goes on" is the first country western Beatles song. Give it another listen.
( I never bothered to buy Rubber Soul for instance )
But really? Will there really be a huge demand?
Whaaaat. Rubber Soul (the UK version) is one of their best albums, alongside Revolver and Let It Be.
(Obviously, I prefer the more natural-sounding Beatles, as opposed to the more heavily produced MMT/Sgt Pepper's stuff.)
Anyway, it's not about there necessarily being a huge demand; it's about having it available for teh kidz to buy a couple of tracks they heard on the radio and a fraction of those to freak out and buy everything. You don't need to sell a million albums to make a lot of money.
( I never bothered to buy Rubber Soul for instance )
Surprising, Rubber Soul is considered The Beatles one of the top three albums by many critics. The record is the bands first ventures in to mixing musical styles, "Norwegian Wood" and its use of a sitar, "I'm looking through you" has a mild latin sound", "What goes on" is the first country western Beatles song. Give it another listen.
That was my thought too; Rubber Soul is the point in their career that their music became interesting to me.
In the UK I wouldn't be surprised to see them take the majority of the top 40, which will be pretty cool considering Radio 1's playlist is basically the top 40 on rotation; a week of the Beatles' music could be better than the current chart!
"The mono version of The Beatles will finally be made available worldwide (including the US) on 9 September 2009, as part of the Beatles in Mono CD box set."
As anyone heard about this?
Found this line from Wikipedia while reading about the double album "The Beatles".
"The mono version of The Beatles will finally be made available worldwide (including the US) on 9 September 2009, as part of the Beatles in Mono CD box set."
As anyone heard about this?
Kerry, would you please ad the link when you reference something.
Thank you.
This Beatles thing has become a joke. Does anyone honestly care anymore. Any Beatles fan already has their stuff in their iTunes LONG LONG LONG ago...
There will be an awful lot of iTunes users out there who don't own any CD/vinyl recordings, and who won't have sought out mp3s either. While many people will be aware of The Beatles, how many new 'converts' will there be on re-release and all that air-time they'll get??
I really honestly don't understand why they've waited so long.
I suspect they waited until there was a digital album technology, and they will only be selling whole albums.
Apple cinema display: $900
iphone 3GS: $300
For everything else there is Pirate Bay.
There will be an awful lot of iTunes users out there who don't own any CD/vinyl recordings, and who won't have sought out mp3s either. While many people will be aware of The Beatles, how many new 'converts' will there be on re-release and all that air-time they'll get??
zero. why anyone think young people today listen to the beatles? i bet, only SJ listen to them at apple. the other old hippies listen to the stones anyway.
I really honestly don't understand why they've waited so long. I am a huge Beatles fan and I'm a younger demographic ( well I'm 34 , but to my point, I'm not an "original" generation Beatles fan )
Anyway... I *have* every Beatles song already... maybe a few here and there that I don't want to buy the whole album for ( I never bothered to buy Rubber Soul for instance )
But really? Will there really be a huge demand?
I guess they also want the one off buys... some kid wants "Revolution" as his ring tone or what have you. Meh.
I think your comments are pretty much on the money in all respects. It is a great shame that The Beatles (what was left of them) and their music copyright owners didn't jump on the iTunes shirt tails from the outset instead of being the largest hold out in the industry. I think the opportunity to have blockbuster sales has largely slipped them by. I could well be wrong but I suspect like Blu-Ray, they missed the magic moment to launch.
This Beatles thing has become a joke. Does anyone honestly care anymore. Any Beatles fan already has their stuff in their iTunes LONG LONG LONG ago. Yet, Steve and his big ego will try to tout it as if we couldn't have lived without this. Movin' on.
While I agree and already mentioned in a previous reply, it may well be too late for a major success for any Beatles entry into iTunes (I would be happy to be proved wrong) I am just curious, why the need to insult Steve here? What ever products he launched have always been presented with enthusiasm since that was his job as Apple's pitch man, where does 'ego' come into it? I am sure if The Beatles did go on iTunes, Steve and Apple Inc. would be both proud and excited and give the event what it deserved, why wouldn't they?
New macbook pro: $2000
Apple cinema display: $900
iphone 3GS: $300
For everything else there is Pirate Bay.
What a piggish thing to say.
Regardless, if you think what's on "Pirate Bay" represents all the media worth listening to or watching in the world you are sadly mistaken. I only search on Pirate Bay for things that I have already tried to buy but are no longer for sale anywhere. Some tiny fraction of those titles are available, but most are not. Pirate Bay is just the repository of everything that someone between 20 and 35 thought was cool in the last year or so.
zero. why anyone think young people today listen to the beatles? i bet, only SJ listen to them at apple. the other old hippies listen to the stones anyway.
I disagree completely. I'm 26 and the Beatles are my favorite band. There are plenty of young people who still listen to and love this band. Having them on iTunes can only be a good thing in my honest opinion
That was my thought too; Rubber Soul is the point in their career that their music became interesting to me.
Oh, yes, I agree. Rubber Soul is definitely the point where the Beatles themselves start to get their own soul and get thematically interesting.
I think I may have not bothered to get the album because the only songs I really am dying to hear on that, there are "good enough" versions on Anthology 2.
But also I guess since I am a 2nd generation fan ( started listening to them in earnest in 1989-90 ), it might be related to how I was exposed to the Beatles in the first place. I heard albums almost completely backwards chronologically... White Album, Abbey Road, Sgt Pepper, Revolver, Magical Mystery tour, ( Rubber soul, but never bought it ) then Anthology 1,2,3. It took awhile for me to get an appreciation for things the earlier they were produced.