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Why Microsoft Can't Compete With iTunes

Posted by ryuzaki0 on

A reader submitted "Why Microsoft Can't Compete With iTunes which is an interesting op-ed piece about the differences between the two companies, but also the intersection with a different type of business like that of television. I've read some of the same arguements before, but this piece ties it up nicely together."

2 of 249 comments (clear)

  1. Hypothesizing... by Savage-Rabbit · · Score: 0, Redundant
    The Power of Monopoly

    Interestingly, while Microsoft's monopoly power dominates the PC industry, it didn't achieve that position in the same manner as Apple found success with the iPod. This is very important to understanding why Microsoft can't compete with iTunes.

    It has everything to do with choice.

    More than 80% of Microsoft's revenues for Windows come from corporate volume licensing and OEM copies of Windows bundled with new PCs. That means the company doesn't have to compete to sell a product at retail.

    So you are hypothesizing that Microsoft can only succeed if they can impose a product on people by means of it's monopoly as opposed to Apple who has to persuade people to choose to use their product? The interesting thing is that Apple is now in a virtual monopoly position on the online-music market precisely because it was so successful at persuading people to choose to use their iPod.
    --
    Only to idiots, are orders laws.
    -- Henning von Tresckow
  2. iTunes a company? by Hangin10 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    "Why Microsoft Can't Compete With iTunes" .. "about the differences between the two companies"

    Last time I checked iTunes was a product, not a company. Unless Apple has spun off a company to deal with just iTunes and it's online store, the correct phrase would be "Why Zune Can't Compete With iTunes."

    People bash Microsoft, but if there wasn't so much DRM built into recent products (and there used to be not so much. I for one LOVED Win98. And if it were possible, yes, physically.), Microsoft would merely have the best product. Having the best product is not a monopoly. I'm going to write a song in the style of the Clash called "Waiting for the Mod-down."