XPlay: iPod with Windows

meanie writes "Mediafour, a company which specializes in cross-platform software introduced the XPlay software to link up your iPod with Windows. Looks like a solid product, but since I didn't buy an iPod due to lack of a Mac, I haven't been able to check out the software. Anyone try this yet? I might just buy an iPod now."

Comments

Works pretty well (in beta, anyway)

[Hollinger]

I tried out the beta version with the 5 gig model. It works pretty well. I think they did a good job of extending the iPod's audience.

One thing that the poster failed to note was that it does allow you to seamlessly transport files between the two platforms, and, in some cases, will even aid in file translation, by reading the MacOS file descriptors and translating those into simple extensions (.mpeg, .doc, etc.)

I wonder if Steve's going to patch the iPod to make it incompatible with 3rd party software such as this?

Re:Works pretty well (in beta, anyway)

[dhovis]

I wonder if Steve's going to patch the iPod to make it incompatible with 3rd party software such as this?

Don't be silly. This software saves Apple a lot of trouble. It will shut up everyone who has been clammoring for Apple to provide windows software, but Apple doesn't actually have to support it.

The iPod is just a portable hard drive. The difficulty was getting Windows to be able to read the HFS+ filesystem, and the only thing that had to be reverse engineered was the iTunes File format.

When Mediafour first anounounced this product, they called it xPod. Apple asked them to change the name and they complied, but that was the only request that they made. If it helps Apple sell more iPods without having to pay for support, Apple wins.

Re:Works pretty well (in beta, anyway)

[Dephex Twin]

Apple could have rescued the company by switching from being just a computer company with a stagnant and declining market share to an intelligent device company. But it can't do that if they tie their new products to trying to save their old one.

Yes, they are on the brink of collapse, aren't they? Better abandon ship before it's too late!

Thank you for the insight, Elmer FUD. Apple is doing just fine at the moment.

trying to boost sales of Mac by tying the iPod to it was a real clueless move in the first place.

Was it? It sure sweetens the whole package. But do you really think they make money from it? I'd bet the profit margin on the iPod is very slim, whereas the profit margin on a PowerMac is larger than the retail price of the iPod (in any case, much larger). They would need to sell many many iPods to get the same profit as they would make if they pushed one person over to owning a Mac. And "converting" someone to the Mac is more valuable than just the monetary amount as well. Once the person has a Mac, they are probably going to buy more Apple products.

Apple is looking out for the long term, and placing a few more iPod sales at such high importance is IMO shortsighted.

I don't think anyone is ever going to buy a Mac just to use an iPod.

No. But would they buy a Mac for the great Powerbook plus an iPod? And OS X? And the iApps? Etc etc. Don't you see that the iPod is just one small piece in this total user experience that attracts people to the product?

mark

Deja vu :)

[justin_w_hall]

This sound a little familiar to anyone else?

Guess the editors lack some long term memory. :)

HFS Plus for Linux

[bill_mcgonigle]

There's a sourceforge project for HFS Plus on Linux listed as an alpha kernel patch which seems usable as of 6/6. HFS Plus is the filesystem used on the iPod, and Linux already has good 1394 mass storage support, so somebody just needs to roll a nice song browser, and the linux users can have an iPod too.

OK, Linux users probably don't need a song browser, but it sure would be nice. ;) ;)

Apple is Next!

[feldsteins]

The word on the street is that Apple is going to release their own Windows iPod software as soon as Macworld July. Remember you heard it here first. Unless you heard it somewhere else already :)

I suppose it's a good idea. Tons of folks have speculated that Apple sells more Macs because people want iPods and need Macs to run them. This may be true, but perhaps the iPod can be the "gateway drug" of PC to Macintosh conversion for some.

iPod incomplete without iTunes

[toupsie]

When the iPod was first announced, I ragged on it. Another MP3 player, YAWN! I already have a 6gig Archos Jukebox, why would I want an iPod? When it hit the stores, I still had to see one -- its an Apple product and I am an Apple Zealot. I walked into a store asked to see one, played with the jog wheel for 1 minute, looked at the display, pulled out a credit card and bought the sucker.

Its great that Windows users will get to feed MP3s to this player, however, without iTunes, I think you will be missing the full "iPod Experience". I don't think I have ever seen a hardware product work so well with software. Its just plain seamless. Even my Mom was able to figure it out on the first try when my Dad gave an iPod to her after seeing mine. The VCR flummuxes her -- it has flashed 12:00 for three years.

I am sure that XPlay is some devious plot by Steve Jobs to get all of you guys to switch. I don't see how XPlay can compete with iTunes in dealing with the iPod. iTunes is the best UNIX based MP3 player around, if not the best MP3 player, period.

Re:paperweight

[usr122122121]

[snip!]... my 400 dollar toy is now a farking paperweight!!!

Quick fix:
1) Find a mac.
2) Use the mac to restore it to Factory Condition.

Re:A costly little toy

[2nd Post!]

Hmm, you list $499 for the 10gb iPod, $30 for the firewire card, and $30 for the software.

You do realize that the Gigabeat from Toshiba is only 5gb? If you want 10gb you need to buy a removable 5gb PC disk drive for $321?

So it's now $559 vs $725? The iPod is cheaper.

And if you're comparing to the 5gb version? Yeah, it's $459 vs $402. A $57 advantage to the Toshiba, which is bigger and bulkier, so you can say, you're paying for the size convenience.

Re:DO NOT BUY an iPOD

[Colol]

It helps if you're playing with facts rather than a bunch of crap which isn't accurate.

1. No, the battery isn't replacable by the user. But it holds a 10 hour charge quite admirably, and it's a long-life Lithium-based battery. By the tame you would need to replace the battery, you wouldn't be using the iPod you have now anymore.

2. Of course you have to send it to Apple for a battery replacement. It's a special battery built just for Apple. However, it is trivial to dissassemble the pod and remove/replace parts.

3. 90 day warranty is accurate. However, you can obtain a very cheap 2 year warranty from many brick-and-mortars selling it, Apple has been known to support it past the warranty, and many credit cards will double your warranty time.

4. I've dropped my iPod 5 times. It still functions, and it isn't any worse for wear. The things are built to be solid, which is why...

5. Solid state doesn't matter. First of all, 5 or 10 gigs in solid state would be ungodly expensive. Beyond that, though, the iPod *IS* solid state when it's playing! Unless your song exceeds half an hour, the hard drive comes on only long enough to copy it into the iPod's RAM, then shuts back down. There are no "moving parts" to worry about for most songs. On top of that, the drive used in the iPod is one of the smallest and most rugged drives on the market.