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iTunes Use Surges Past QuickTime, RealPlayer

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the statisicians-and-liars dept.

QuatermassX writes "Forget increased sales of Mac computers, think media players. The iPod 'halo effect' shows its true power in recently compiled statistics from Nielsen/NetRatings and Apple. From the report on WebSiteOptimization.com: 'Podcasting is taking off and iPods are seemingly ubiquitous. Unique users of Apple's iTunes player should pass RealPlayer by mid-2006 with nearly 30 million users in the US alone. People are tuning in over twice as long with iTunes than with RealPlayer or Windows Media Player. As broadband penetration increases we are spending more time on our computers.'"

22 of 281 comments (clear)

  1. iTunes use surges past QuickTime? by dennism · · Score: 4, Informative

    Last I checked, QuickTime was a part of the iTunes installation under Windows. I think they meant to say Windows Media.

    But, this has certainly done wonders for the adoption of QuickTime under Windows. It's the iTunes Trojan Horse -- get them hooked on a great music player and a great portable music player. As more installations of iTunes are done, more QuickTime installations as well. Suddenly, it becomes easier to convince the big websites (and small too) to put up QuickTime versions of the media. And to top it off, because of the increased usage of QuickTime, us Mac users get a better web experience as well.

    Bravo Apple :)

    --
    dennis
    1. Re:iTunes use surges past QuickTime? by mccalli · · Score: 2, Informative
      Last I checked, QuickTime was a part of the iTunes installation under Windows. I think they meant to say Windows Media.

      I think they really meant Quicktime Player, rather than Quicktime per se. Explaining that Quicktime is a framework which comes bundled with one possible player takes some time, and it's a game I gave up playing even here on Slashdot quite a while ago. You know the kind of thing: "Quicktime sucks! It can't play full screen!". Err...yes it can, you mean that particular player doesn't use that capability.

      Cheers,
      Ian

    2. Re:iTunes use surges past QuickTime? by ioErr · · Score: 5, Informative
      Apple will always look bad in my eyes as long as they seek to lock people in via proprietry formats that they strictly enforce to prevent competition.

      QuickTime uses an open format.

      Why do I need a separate media players just for *.mov files?

      Because the maker of your main player has chosen not to support the QuickTime format.

      Why can't I play *.mov files on my mobile

      Ditto.

    3. Re:iTunes use surges past QuickTime? by spooje · · Score: 4, Informative

      I understand you didn't ask for it, but without QuickTime you can't have iTunes. iTunes is just a pretty XML based interface for QT. All the music and videos are played via QT.

      --
      Tea and kung-fu. Life is good. Rising Phoenix
    4. Re:iTunes use surges past QuickTime? by ioErr · · Score: 2, Informative
      That's an awful answer to an awful question.

      It is, but I felt he asked for it.

      Apple has veto power on what devices can use Sorensen codecs.

      That's interesting. I was not aware that Sorensen had allowed Apple to gain such a stranglehold on their own technology.

  2. Re:The Halo Effect by Bazzalisk · · Score: 2, Informative
    If that was a joke then I'm sorry.

    But if it wasn't a joke I think I'll clarify - the Halo Effect is the effect that the popularity of one thing can cause increased popularity in related things - a halo being an area of light surrounding a light-source.

    --
    James P. Barrett
  3. Re:Should surpass realplayer? by infestedsenses · · Score: 3, Informative
    We need a firefox for media....

    You mean something like Songbird? :)

    --
    parasight.de
  4. Re:Should surpass realplayer? by zoeblade · · Score: 2, Informative

    I know plenty of people who use itunes, but none who use realplayer. Still, both are irritating adware & nagware

    Um, which iTunes adverts are you referring to? There's no version that requires payment that they try to nag you to buy. If you're talking about the MiniStore, try going to Edit > Hide MiniStore (this may be different in Windows; I'm using OS X).

  5. ObFreebies by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 5, Informative

    I tend to prefer a big heaping plate of Media Player Classic, with a side order of Real Alternative and Quicktime Alternative.

    --
    Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
  6. Re:So, when should podcasts ditch MP3s for AAC? by Alioth · · Score: 4, Informative

    I _only_ use AAC podcasts. The nice thing about the enhanced ones for iTunes is they can include hypertext links (so when listening to 75minutes, I don't have to work out how that strange band name is actually spelled - the link is right there) and artwork. The AAC podcasts also make it easier to precisely skip the bits I don't want to listen to (for example, I don't like all the genres of music that 75minutes plays, but I can just click on the next track to skip the stuff I don't like, instead of having to carefully fastforward and rewind).

    --
    Oolite: Elite-like game. For Mac, Linux and Windows
  7. Not needed on Linux by CarpetShark · · Score: 2, Informative

    It's not needed on Linux. For audio podcasts, there's amarok, which is better than iTunes. For video (and audio, and other) podcasts, there's PenguinTV (use the latest unstable version).

  8. Re:I have little sympathy for real player by Xyde · · Score: 5, Informative
    Sadly, I see some traits like this in iTunes. Recently, I had wanted to download JUST QUICKTIME. I was rudely surprised that I can't do that anymore. I HAVE TO download iTunes+quicktime-- whether I want iTunes or not. Screw that. It looks like iTunes has failed to learn the hard lessons of Real Player.

    What?

  9. Re:Who "uses" real player? by IANAAC · · Score: 2, Informative
    The reason RealPlayer is a maybe is because they have been doing some pretty shoddy tactics to get their marketshare and profits up. Things like hiding the free cut-down version on the site, so that you have to download other nonsense that you don't want.

    Actually, walk into any Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. Pretty much all new PC's have a trial version of Rhapsody pre-installed. OF course the Realplayer's going to be installed as well.

  10. Re:Who "uses" real player? by hgavin · · Score: 5, Informative

    the standalone Quicktime installer is hidden away on the site. I've never found a link to it on the Apple site.


    http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/standalone .html. Just look for the link named "QuickTime Standalone Installer" on the main quicktime download page.
  11. Re:I have little sympathy for real player by rdieter · · Score: 2, Informative

    Recently, I had wanted to download JUST QUICKTIME. I was rudely surprised that I can't do that anymore. I HAVE TO download iTunes+quicktime


    Guess you missed the "QuickTime Standalone Installer" link on http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html?
  12. Re:Who "uses" real player? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative
    If the former is the case, then it is completely bogus. It is very difficult to get Quicktime without the iTunes bundle, first you need to know that they are bundled, then you need to google the link as the standalone Quicktime installer is hidden away on the site. I've never found a link to it on the Apple site.


    Very difficult? You gotta be kidding. Go to the QuickTime download page http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html and click on the link to your right that says "QuickTime Standalone Installer" http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/standalone .html

    Wow, that was hard.

    And if you look a little bit more (Support > Download) you'll find older version of QuickTime for either Mac OS or Windows, in every language, down to Version 6!
  13. Re:Try installing Quicktime 7 ... without iTunes by Ju55i · · Score: 3, Informative

    Here you go. Standalone Quicktime 7 player:
    http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/standalone .html

  14. Re:Should surpass realplayer? by mmkkbb · · Score: 2, Informative

    At what point does iTunes nag or present ads? You can turn off the ministore with a mouse click.

    --
    -mkb
  15. Re:And the thing is by Alioth · · Score: 2, Informative

    That option IS unchecked. It doesn't stop the screen saver (and screen lock) from coming on.

    --
    Oolite: Elite-like game. For Mac, Linux and Windows
  16. Re:And the thing is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Actually, it does have a toolbar mode. Right-click on your taskbar. Select Toolbars->iTunes. Now when you minimize iTunes, you get a toolbar interface!

  17. Only the Player is crippled, not QT itself. by Kadin2048 · · Score: 2, Informative

    This isn't true -- Quicktime the media framework, quite different from Quicktime Player -- will play back full screen. You just need to get a different player.

    I can't vouch for it personally but this one is less than 600kB with source code:
    http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.de/Freeware/Fullscr eenMoviePlayer.shtml

    BTW, this exact same situation exists for both Windows and Mac, it's not as though Apple is doing something special to gouge PC users. Most Mac users who don't want to pay just use a different player application. The player itself is just a frontend to the Quicktime architecture and libraries, which aren't crippled or require payment in any way. (iTunes is the same thing, it's a frontend to Quicktime also, which it uses to play audio and video.)

    --
    "Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
  18. Re:And the thing is by calstraycat · · Score: 2, Informative

    Here's how to control iTunes from the taskbar:

    -In iTunes, select Edit->Preferences

    -Click on the Advanced tab.

    -Check the box for "Show iTunes icon in system tray"

    Once enabled, right-clicking the icon in system tray gives you access to the iTunes controls.