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Apple Reportedly Planning Streaming Music Service

Nerval's Lobster writes "Apple plans on taking a big bite of the streaming-music market, according to unnamed sources speaking to The New York Times. Those sources suggested that an Apple streaming-music service would 'probably' center on an app of some kind, and link to iTunes in order to better evaluate the listener's musical interests. In broad strokes, that would make it similar to Spotify, a streaming-music service that also requires an app. Other popular cloud-music hubs, including Pandora and Last.fm, operate primarily as browser-based services. The Wall Street Journal, citing its own unnamed sources, indicated that any Apple streaming service would work on iOS devices such as the iPad, Macs, and 'possibly on PCs running Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system.' In keeping with Apple's intense rivalry with Google, one source added, the service would not appear on Android devices."

95 comments

  1. Innovative by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Great, Apple have invented streaming music services!

    1. Re:Innovative by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Now they just need to sue Spotify so they stop copying them.

    2. Re:Innovative by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Rumours for Nerds stuff that baits flame

      Welcome to Slashdot

    3. Re:Innovative by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just like Nokia...hold on....listen carefully....NOKIA DOES STREAMING MUSIC.... hell, they even did mobile phones before Apple -- shock!!

      FFS

    4. Re:Innovative by mlts · · Score: 2

      I wouldn't bother with Spotify. I don't want my musicial tastes, horrid as they might be, linked to Facebook and its advertisers.

      Instead, I'm very happy with Rdio. It not just streams, but downloads (encrypted) tracks. Rdio also seems to have a better band selection than Spotify.

    5. Re:Innovative by toriver · · Score: 1

      No, they are making their own variety of it. Nobody said "Microsoft have invented word processing!" when they made Word but that did not stop them...

    6. Re:Innovative by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, they are making their own variety of it. Nobody said "Microsoft have invented word processing!" when they made Word but that did not stop them...

      Just like they made their own variety of a touch screen device, yet have managed to submarine patent established prior art and win in court. Well, US court anyway, 3 out of 4 ain't that bad a score for actual logic during these crazy times.

    7. Re:Innovative by toriver · · Score: 1

      So, does that mean no-one should do the same since it's sufficient that Nokia do it? "No, Mr. Ford, you should not make cars, we already have a company here that does that"...

      Or maybe you took the AC's statement seriously?

    8. Re:Innovative by oobayly · · Score: 3, Funny

      That's funny, neither do I. That's why I never linked Spotify to Facebook. Same with my Netflix account, I didn't fancy everyone being told I watched Nude Nuns with Big Guns, it's rubbish by the way. In fact I've linked nothing to my Facebook account.

    9. Re:Innovative by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's why I never linked Spotify to Facebook.

      Marvellous, well done you. However it is now impossible to sign-up for Spotify ( for free or paid tiers ) without a Facebook account.

    10. Re:Innovative by Orphis · · Score: 1

      It is actually possible to sign up on Spotify without a Facebook account if you are in Germany and some other countries: http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2012/120904spotify

    11. Re:Innovative by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No just commenting on the general ****-fest everytime Apple makes an announcement when it is plain that is been done before, eg: did you know that Apple invented the UI, GUI; phone etc etc etc....it seems like the whole universe began with Apple (probably 6000 years ago).

      Nothing about no-one shouldn't do the same....

    12. Re:Innovative by LS · · Score: 1

      Rdio would be awesome if it weren't another shit service with regional restrictions. I can't use Pandora, Spotify, or Rdio where I'm located. Why can anyone come up with a worldwide service for god sake.

      --
      There is a fine line between being a cultivated citizen and being someone else's crop. - A. J. Patrick Liszkie
    13. Re:Innovative by cygnwolf · · Score: 1

      Licensing. the streaming services have to have different licensing agreements for each and every country they want to offer their services too. that's why Spotify wasn't available in the US for something like a year, while it was available in parts of Europe during that time.

      --
      Free Pie! The Pie is Also Evil!
    14. Re:Innovative by toriver · · Score: 1

      Apple never claimed to "invent" that any more than Microsoft claimed they invented word processing by releasing Word. They just made their own versions of it. The myths the Church of Anti-Apple is constructing baffle me. Even more, that you seem to believe your straw-man constructs.

      Should every product only be manufactured by the first person/company to think of a category?

  2. News flash! by Dexter+Herbivore · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Apple launches a service that further degrades your rights to 'own' something that you've bought.

    1. Re:News flash! by ackthpt · · Score: 2

      Apple launches a service that further degrades your rights to 'own' something that you've bought.

      You mean I won't be able to leave my music streaming enjoyment to my heirs? Curses!

      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    2. Re:News flash! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple launches a service that further degrades your rights to 'own' something that you've bought.

      You really don't "own" the musicjust the right to listen.

    3. Re:News flash! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple gave instructions how to circumvent their own DRM for iTunes music purchases.

      Then Apple stopped including DRM as a part of music purchases.

      Feel free to ignore reality.

    4. Re:News flash! by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      Apple launches a service that further degrades your rights to 'own' something that you've bought.

      You mean I won't be able to leave my music streaming enjoyment to my heirs? Curses!

      Bruce Willis is working on that.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    5. Re:News flash! by Applekid · · Score: 1

      Link? I have a few iTunes purchases that I'd like to unchain, especially since they not only disappeared from iTunes but also every other music service out there.

      --
      More Twoson than Cupertino
    6. Re:News flash! by toriver · · Score: 1

      Did you read the article?

      The "Die Hard" actor's wife, Emma Heming-Willis, cast doubt on the report when she said Monday on Twitter, "It's not a true story."

      The record industry don't consider music you buy to be your property, Apple sells music, so therefore Apple don't consider music you buy to be your property. I see how that works.

    7. Re:News flash! by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      Did you read the article?

      Nope; was aiming for a laugh, not trying to have a serious discussion about a dead horse that's already been beaten to a bloody pulp.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    8. Re:News flash! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      old school - burn to CD, re-rip
      new school
      http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1711
      or
      http://www.apple.com/itunes/itunes-match/

    9. Re:News flash! by Eponymous+Hero · · Score: 1

      news flash! you're an idiot!
      you haven't bought the music from a streaming service. you've bought access privileges to listen to what they serve, like sirius or xm radio. you don't own anything you listen to on satellite radio, which is essentially just a streaming music service locked to some proprietary hardware. you don't own what pandora decides to play for you, even if you pay for a subscription. and you know i hate apple as much as the next guy but the itunes store does allow you to redownload music and movies that you've purchased from them. it might have some shitty drm in it, but at least if you delete it from your computer or get a new one, you can get your purchases back. i believe zune offers the same.

      --
      insensitive clod overlords obligatory xkcd car analogy russian reversals whoosh pedant fanbois ftfy in 3...2...1..PROFIT
    10. Re:News flash! by samoanbiscuit · · Score: 2

      So Apple's "instructions on how to circumvent their DRM" is to either repurchase it in new DRM-free dorm or to pay them a fee to mirror your library in the cloud? Riiiight. Also, this DRM-Free Music thing they trumpet around hasn't reached all their music stores in every country, just some of them.

    11. Re:News flash! by Dexter+Herbivore · · Score: 1

      Congratulations on 'buying' the crap that the MAFIAA are selling.

    12. Re:News flash! by Eponymous+Hero · · Score: 1

      again, you're an idiot! you don't own streaming music, even if it's just am radio. if you want to argue about music you purchase from cloud platforms, then yes i agree the mafiaa is fucking everyone in the ass. but streaming? streaming has never meant that you owned it. ever.

      --
      insensitive clod overlords obligatory xkcd car analogy russian reversals whoosh pedant fanbois ftfy in 3...2...1..PROFIT
  3. Sounds about right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Streaming services have been around for YEARS. And Apple since the release of the iPod has been making a mint releasing technology and services that have been around for years.

    1. Re:Sounds about right by ackthpt · · Score: 0

      Streaming services have been around for YEARS. And Apple since the release of the iPod has been making a mint releasing technology and services that have been around for years.

      It's the fanboi tax.

      and they are more than happy to pay it and defend their right to pay it!

      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    2. Re:Sounds about right by toriver · · Score: 1

      What? Are customers "fanbois" if they are customers of a competitor to your particular choice? Why can't you enjoy the services you like and let others choose without such childish digs?

  4. another mediocre ecosystem by alen · · Score: 2, Interesting

    i hated the complete ecosystem crap since MS tried to do it years ago. what happens is that you have a few good products and lots of mediocre ones that are easily beat by smaller competitors.

    same here. iphone and ipad and lots of so so when compared to everyone else.
    amazon is usually better to buy music
    spotify is awesome
    apple is still doing the buy music thing when everyone has moved on to the subscription model

    blu rays are still better than buying locked down digital versions linked to specific products and ecosystems
    amazon and netflix do subscriptions while apple is still a la carte

    same here, i bet apple will come out with some mediocre licensing/rule scheme to make it useless

    1. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by aristotle-dude · · Score: 2

      Subscription models suck. Why? Because they are locked down and only good for "consuming" music. Some of us like to "buy" non-DRM'd music from iTunes so that we can do whatever we want with it for personal use. I can use samples of it in my personal videos within the terms of fair use. I can sample it for use in songs. What can you do with the music in a pure streaming service other than listen to it? What do you do when the network is down? What do you do about the bandwidth use? Not everyone has unlimited data.

      --
      Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
    2. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by alen · · Score: 1, Insightful

      there is too much music for me to buy. $10 a month for an all you can listen to spotify is much lighter on the wallet.

      spotify premium and others like slacker have caching and offline listening modes. have had them for years. stupid geek fears have been overcome long ago for normal people

    3. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by TrancePhreak · · Score: 1

      You show why the old Zune Music Pass was the best. $15/mo, but you get to keep 10 DRM free tracks. (It was cheaper if you went for longer subs).

      --

      -]Phreak Out[-
    4. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by Karlt1 · · Score: 2

      "apple is still doing the buy music thing when everyone has moved on to the subscription mode"

      Everyone has "been moving to the subscription music model" since the late '90's.....

      from Wikipedia....

              AOL MusicNow (closed)
              Yahoo! Music Unlimited (closed)
              Spiralfrog (closed)
              MTV URGE (closed)
              MSN Music (closed)
              Musicmatch Jukebox (closed)
              Wal-Mart Music Downloads (switched to MP3)
              Ruckus Network (closed)
              PassAlong Networks (closed)
              iMesh (switched to MP3)
              BearShare (switched to MP3)

      This list doesn't include
        Zune
        MusicNet
      Sony

    5. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

      For the Zune pass the break even point was 12 albums a year. If people buy that much or more, the Zune pass was a better deal. Also if people listen to lots of different music it was worth it too.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    6. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by alen · · Score: 0

      spotify - hundreds of millions of $$$ every year in PROFIT
      pandora is profitable as well

    7. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by Karlt1 · · Score: 1

      "Pandora still far away from turning a profit"

      http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/07/us-pandoramedia-idUSTRE8261C520120307

      http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/05/spotify-is-said-to-profit-from-its-subscribers-but-lose-more-luring-them/

      "Media Decoder recently looked at the books of Spotify and Pandora, two of the most popular digital music services, and noted that both companies â" despite having very different business models â" wind up paying most of their revenue in music royalties."

    8. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by alen · · Score: 0

      so? almost every company pays out 50% or more as cost of goods sold or some other cost of doing business. apple is in the 45% range.

      if you want to talk about net profit which is the final profit after every expense has been paid then apple is pretty high at 15% with a few other companies. food companies and fox con are in the low single digit range. that's right, a lot of companies spend 95 cents of every dollar they bring in revenue as a cost of doing business

    9. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      stupid geek fears have been overcome long ago for normal people

      Normal people are sheep who are content with consuming. Almost all 'stupid geek fears' come from limiting individual's ability to create and expand on existing creations. None of that's addressed with streaming.

    10. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

      there is too much music for me to buy. $10 a month for an all you can listen to spotify is much lighter on the wallet.

      It's really all about personal preference. I am in the mood to listen to streaming music at times, but other times I want to listen to specific singers or bands I know. So I buy stuff and have a library of a few hundred albums.

      Streaming music is really going back to the future - it's listening to the radio, except you have a larger selection of stations to choose from.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    11. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by Karlt1 · · Score: 2

      You claimed that these companies were making a net profit -- they are not.

    12. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by toriver · · Score: 1

      They make profits for their record company owners because they pay out a pittance to the artists. It's easy to turn a profit if you keep more than your fair share.

    13. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by larry+bagina · · Score: 1

      BearShare?! Sounds like a key party for hairy gay men. Thanks but no thanks!

      --
      Do you even lift?

      These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

    14. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      amazon is usually better to buy music

      Amazon is a better place to find CDs (which I prefer when I'm buying most or all of an album). For electronic downloads, Amazon and iTunes usually price albums at the same level, which is sometimes more than what it costs for the CD.

    15. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You've never used Spotify, have you?

    16. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by mattack2 · · Score: 1

      amazon is usually better to buy music

      So, buy your music there, or wherever you want, and use it on your iPod or iOS device, if you happen to have one. Who is stopping you?

      apple is still doing the buy music thing when everyone has moved on to the subscription model

      blu rays are still better than buying locked down digital versions linked to specific products and ecosystems

      So at first you're *complaining* about the "buy music thing" in comparison to subscription (which presumably inherently includes DRM), then you're PRAISING the "buy videos" thing, compared to a subscription.

      Be consistent!

    17. Re:another mediocre ecosystem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Come back to me when one of these amazing alternatives bother to get the rights to sell their super special service to me in Australia.

  5. Seems like a bad move... by Kenja · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Streaming services at a time when bandwidth is being restricted rather then expanded seems like a dubious business decision. That is unless Apple rewrites their service agreements with AT&T & Verizon to stipulate that their streaming services do not count against their customers monthly bandwidth caps.

    --

    "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
    1. Re:Seems like a bad move... by Picass0 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Google does media distribution now through the Play store and they offer cloud based music storage. It wouldn't be surprising to see Google launch a streaming music service.

      What google is doing that Apple is not is test marketing it's own broadband service. If Google Fiber goes nationwide over the next several years Apple and MS both will be scrambling to play catchup.

      Apple wants to take over your music and movie library.

      Google wants to be your new Cell phone, Cable TV, Netflix, and high speed internet.

      Google's battle plan looks more formidable.

    2. Re:Seems like a bad move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Streaming services at a time when bandwidth is being restricted rather then expanded seems like a dubious business decision. That is unless Apple rewrites their service agreements with AT&T & Verizon to stipulate that their streaming services do not count against their customers monthly bandwidth caps.

      Yeah somebody better tell Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Rhapsody, etc. that there is not enough bandwidth to utilize their services.

    3. Re:Seems like a bad move... by alen · · Score: 1

      spotify supports offline caching. even for the radio.

      sync your device via wifi and no need to worry about bandwidth caps from att or vzw

    4. Re:Seems like a bad move... by jedidiah · · Score: 1

      As awesome as Pandora is, it is still vulnerable to the suckage of wireless networks. This is a problem even if you don't have draconian usage caps to worry about.

      --
      A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
    5. Re:Seems like a bad move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bandwidth will continue to be restricted rather than expanded as long as customers don't demand expanded bandwidth. If people want to use this service, then demand for bandwidth will increase, and providers will eventually have to start going the other way and expanding bandwidth.

    6. Re:Seems like a bad move... by mattack2 · · Score: 1

      If Verizon couldn't bring FIOS nationwide, and stopped expanding it, is it really reasonable for Google to bring Google Fiber to even a significant portion of the U.S.?

    7. Re:Seems like a bad move... by just+another+AC · · Score: 1

      COULDN'T bring it? or just realised it was easier and more profitable to just keep what they had and squash any potential competition?

  6. Highly unlikely. by jcr · · Score: 1

    I remember plenty of stories about Apple planning to run a subscription service, too. The thing is, Apple studied all of the existing online music services before they launched the iTunes store, and figured out that people don't want to rent, they want to buy.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    1. Re:Highly unlikely. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Around the time that iTunes came out, I was of the same opinion. Napster and Rhapsody all had subscription services to listen to whatever you want, whenever you want and it seemed ridiculous at the time... I wanted to keep my music on my machine/devices.

      Things have changed. Now I almost exclusively use Spotify. The only time I don't is when I'm on the subway because NYC doesn't have cell service down there.

      With the massively popularity of streaming services, I don't see this as a bad move at all.

    2. Re:Highly unlikely. by schlesinm · · Score: 1

      Exactly. Streaming has lower pricing and higher costs for providers. Why would Apple be interested? I'm sure someone at Apple is looking at it to see if it makes sense, but that doesn't mean they are actually interested in doing it.

    3. Re:Highly unlikely. by dwywit · · Score: 1

      Something curious - I searched this thread for "live365" before I decided to comment - nothing. Curious indeed - I pay ~USD$75/year to listen to ad-free streams. You don't have to pay, but then you'll get the ads.
       
      Dozens if not hundreds of genres, thousands of stations ranging from awesome to pathetic. The least attractive thing seems to be a limited playlist, that repeats too soon - so I switch to a different station, and life goes on. No requirement to link to facebook or other accounts, just an email address when you sign up. You can listen direct from the website, or use the standalone player (doesn't work for linux, so playing on my ubuntu laptop needs to stay at the website). I wonder why live365 hasn't come up yet, or am I missing something?

      --
      They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
  7. Paul McCartney should sue them for billions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Check out Apple Corps

    1. Re:Paul McCartney should sue them for billions by toriver · · Score: 1

      Hey, was it warm under the rock where you slept for ten years? They settled that dispute on February 5, 2007.

    2. Re:Paul McCartney should sue them for billions by mattack2 · · Score: 1

      Wow, 2012 - 2007 = 10?

  8. Well, franky Apple can stick it up their ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm a long time Mac user and have bought Apple products (incluing MacBooks, iPads, iPhones) for their quality and excellent engineering whilst turning a blind eye to the agressive, predetory nature of their business practices.

    Enough is enough though. Apple are more evil than MS ever was and they just keep getting more evil.

    I will never buy another Apple product and I will never miss an opportunity to advise friends and family not to do so either.

    Apple can now just fuck off and die as far as I am concerned.

  9. Technically they already have a streaming service by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Interesting

    With iTunes Match on, you can stream any music you have to any iOS device.

    So it would be a really small leap to have an app that would let you stream anything in the iTunes catalog.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  10. why not buy spotify? by schlachter · · Score: 1

    Spotify totally rocks and is growing fast. Why not buy them?

    --
    My God can beat up your God. Just kidding...don't take offense. I know there's no God.
    1. Re:why not buy spotify? by msailors · · Score: 1

      Spotify is indeed very awesome, and because of that I don't think I want Apple's grubby fingers all over it.

    2. Re:why not buy spotify? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why, when they can just easily roll their own service and kick Spotify, Pandora, et al, out of the App Store (TM) for "duplicating functionality".

    3. Re:why not buy spotify? by msailors · · Score: 1

      It's called sharing an opinion, Mr. Troll. Plus, you seem to care enough to comment on it...

    4. Re:why not buy spotify? by toriver · · Score: 1

      Yeah, because it has the grubby fingers of the Big Four record labels all over it instead. That is so much better...

    5. Re:why not buy spotify? by toriver · · Score: 1

      Do you have examples of such cases? I can get email clients, video and music players etc. from the app store for instance...

    6. Re:why not buy spotify? by ThatsMyNick · · Score: 1

      Spotify is too integrated with Facebook (it might make sense for Facebook to buy them and make them their bitch, but for Apple there is too much baggage attached (Apple usually buys small companies for their talent (and very rarely for their product), and pretty much never buys a well established player))

    7. Re:why not buy spotify? by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 1

      Well, Kindle is a pretty good example. No, Apple didn't kick them off the App Store. They just made sure you couldn't buy books via your Kindle nor could you launch Safari and have it go to the site where you could buy books. That makes it more difficult for people to buy books on their iPhone/iPad compared to Apple's iBookstore.

  11. Of course... by Syphonius · · Score: 1, Funny

    They can't launch until they figure out who they will sue for patent infringement once they create the product.

  12. I hope it uses the Genius Mix algorithms. by xerxesVII · · Score: 3, Funny

    That way even when I'm not at home I can have The Pixies thrown in with every kind of music that exists.

    I swear it feels like that damned thing says, "Oh, you like having a sound in your ear? Have some Pixies!"

    --
    "We shall grapple with the ineffable, and see if we may not eff it after all." - Douglas Adams
  13. Oh NO! Profits will go down now! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I wonder if they will do the same type of things for the music service as they did for the book companies.

  14. Pandora primarily browser? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Umm...Pandora runs on *EVERYTHING*. What will it do that Pandora doesn't? Allow me to stream any song I want on demand? Grooveshark already works on iOS. What am I missing?

  15. Your listening to it wrong! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And remember when you use Apple Stream for your music when it cuts out your just listening to it wrong!

  16. Streams of music... by ElitistWhiner · · Score: 1

    Been there - done that!

    Paradigm Shift needed. Breakout tech for bridging, integrating and flying free of the net just on the Verizon (typo_)

  17. Re:Technically they already have a streaming servi by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

    I have iTunes Match, and it doesn't currently stream to my iPhone - I have to download the tracks to listen (although I can do that anywhere). iOS 6 is supposed to change that, so portable devices will be able to truly stream as well..

    I can, however, currently stream to a laptop or desktop - or Apple TV.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  18. Downloads but also streams by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

    I have iTunes Match, and it doesn't currently stream to my iPhone - I have to download the tracks to listen

    On my iPhone, on WiFi I can press on a cloud track and it starts playing before it's downloaded, so it is streaming... - but you're right, it does currently trigger a download also so it would be on the device after.

    Basically the only change would be with a streaming service it would probably lower the quality and throw away the cached file when it was done.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Downloads but also streams by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

      Basically the only change would be with a streaming service it would probably lower the quality and throw away the cached file when it was done.

      Agreed - although for convenience sake I'd be willing to make that tradeoff on my portable devices. Doubly so because I wouldn't really need to think too much about my music when I'm trying to decide what size iPhone/iPad/iWhatever to buy the next time.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
  19. Truth in Marketing... finally by srussia · · Score: 1

    The iTunes store has always been a streaming service, except that you had to pay to actually store the music yourself.

    --
    Set your phasers on "funky"!
  20. Lala by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I assumed that this is why they purchased LaLa? And by the way, that was a great service. I was pissed when Apple shut it down.

  21. Those who forget.... by TrancePhreak · · Score: 1

    Does nobody remember Ping?

    --

    -]Phreak Out[-
    1. Re:Those who forget.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mod this up!
      Ping is dead. Long live Ping?!

  22. Great Apple exemple. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    More ways for your sheeps to pay without actually owning something.

  23. Having worn themselves out... by TimHunter · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...hating on Apple things that actually exist, the Slashdot crowd decides to start hating on speculative Apple things that may not ever exist. And second-guessing decisions that may not have actually been made.

    After all, arguing about NYT link-bait is so much easier than making reasoned comments based on facts.

  24. The Difference? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What exactly is the difference between a 'streaming' service and a 'cloud' service?

  25. Re:dead horse already beaten to a bloody pulp by TaoPhoenix · · Score: 1

    Oh come on now, you have no sense of innovation!

    You have a quality Dead Horse, pre-processed! And you're what, going to throw it away? I hereby patent methods and procedures for purchasing bloody, pulpy, dead horses and selling the component parts to tennis racquet manufacturers, biological testing factories, and McDonald's.

    --
    My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
  26. Not with a 20ft barge pole by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    OK, let's get this part out of th eway up front. I'm not an Apple fanboi, but nor do I have any particular personal reason to dislike them. However.

    Apple's business model is, and always has been, one of 100% proprietary lock-in. That runs counter to absolutely everything that has made the computer era such a wonderful time to be alive, and is therefore 100% objectionable to me. I don't care how good their products and (potential) services may be - I won't go there unless I have absolutely no other option.

    (And that's ignoring their recent despicable, predatory, monopolistic and baseless** actions against Samsung, which have done nothing to endear them to me. I judge people by their action, not by what they say.)

    **Anyone who thinks Apple won their recent US patent case needs to go do some more reading (Groklaw is a good place to start). Given all the evidence that Samsung weren't allowed to introduce, and the unbelievable comments of the jury foreman after the event on the degree to which the jury ignored the judge's instructions, the appeal against that one is likely to be... ...entertaining and educational, to say the least.

  27. Re:dead horse already beaten to a bloody pulp by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

    Oh come on now, you have no sense of innovation!

    You have a quality Dead Horse, pre-processed! And you're what, going to throw it away? I hereby patent methods and procedures for purchasing bloody, pulpy, dead horses and selling the component parts to tennis racquet manufacturers, biological testing factories, and McDonald's.

    Don't forget the glue makers!

    --
    An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese