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How iPods Took Over the World

An anonymous reader writes "The Observer has a piece today about the iPod's ascension to dominance of the mp3 player market. The author argues that it's largely the result of clever business tactics and the iTunes music store." From the article: "The second thing about the iPod: it puts you, not them, in control. Basically, the record labels are devotees of the Henry Ford business model: 'You can have any music you want so long as it's what I want to give you.' But using the cyberspace jukebox, you're no longer at their mercy. You don't have to pay for the four filler tracks on every album. You don't have to buy albums at all. You can put country next to classical, punk next to jazz, Barry Manilow next to Placido Domingo (wait, that's a joke)."

15 of 360 comments (clear)

  1. I was obvious that the last bit was a joke... by Osrin · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... nobody in their right mind would listen to Placido Domingo.

  2. Lame by Jazzer_Techie · · Score: 3, Funny

    No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.

  3. I can not hear you! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    I lost my hearing because I use crappy "iBuds", and listned to my music way too loud!

  4. I have a great idea by ClosedSource · · Score: 4, Funny

    "You don't have to pay for the four filler tracks on every album."

    Wow, I just had a great idea. Record companies could have sold a smaller record with just one song on it and sold it for less money. Wait. Since there are two sides of a record, they could put another song on the other side. They could have called these records something like a SINGLE. They could have had some of the advantages of the iPod years ago.

  5. Re:iPod's marketing is so clever, by sulli · · Score: 1, Funny

    Really, the whole site should be marked Redundant.

    --

    sulli
    RTFJ.
  6. Re:I think he's wrong by Moofie · · Score: 1, Funny

    Keep saying that. You might be able to make it true some day.

    --
    Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
  7. iPod shmyPod by St+Swithins · · Score: 2, Funny

    When I go jogging, I carry around one of these puppies with me. Whenever I need a break, I just stop to change needles, give it a crank and I'm off. A whole block can listen to whatever I'm listening to and it's a great conversational piece as well. And go ahead - mod this flamebait.

    1. Re:iPod shmyPod by mlewan · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'm not going to mod you flamebait, but I'm very tempted to call the police, if you are the guy playing loud music outside my window.

  8. Re:I don't like em either; I disagree about the UI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    admit it. you're just a recently laid off Creative engineer who is pissed that your anime influenced color schemes didn't take over the world.

  9. Take over the world? by Trogre · · Score: 1, Funny

    When did that happen?

    Perhaps it did and I just didn't notice, but they're not an option for me for 4 reasons in order of importance:

    1. No Ogg Vorbis
    2. DRM
    3. No FM Radio
    4. I'm heterosexual :)

    Okay so option 4 may be a little unfair, but there are much better options for playing music than what Jobs is peddling.

    --
    "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
  10. Re:iPod's marketing is so clever, by weg · · Score: 3, Funny

    Of course, that's assuming some other mechanism isn't in the pipeline to circumvent that.

    Yeah.. Sony is negotiating with Roxio to automatically add a RootKit to all audio CDs burned with Toast ;-)

    --
    Georg
  11. Re:iPod's marketing is so clever, by Deekin_Scalesinger · · Score: 2, Funny
    The people who can't be bothered to figure that out are probably so rich that they don't really care where the music comes from anyway...

    or they just have live bands playing at thier house and in their limo all the time.

    --
    "As the intrepid kobold companion continues his journey, he begins to wonder... if priests raises dead, why anybody die?
  12. Re:Only one REAL reason by Deekin_Scalesinger · · Score: 2, Funny
    Its just an MP3 Player, not a tool to overthrow governments.

    WHAT?!? Fucking salesmen...

    --
    "As the intrepid kobold companion continues his journey, he begins to wonder... if priests raises dead, why anybody die?
  13. Re:iPod's marketing is so clever, by Durf · · Score: 3, Funny

    Of course, that's assuming some other mechanism isn't in the pipeline to circumvent that.

    Poster 1: "They're probably plotting something! Maybe! You never know!"

    Posters 2 through 10: "Wow, how insightful!"

  14. No One Has Stated the Real Truth by zo219 · · Score: 2, Funny


    I am a sixty-year old woman, I own a black iPod Video, it is loaded with cartoons for my grandkids and thirty years of rock for me
    ... and ... (hmm, maybe this isn't the best place to post this) ... I have neither seen nor held anything so Lickable in my life.