Aren't the sales for ipods also divided between all the various models and colors?
Yes - every SKU that is different is a different product. So, for example, the red nano is one product. The black nano is another product. The black and white 30GB video iPod are two products. And so on.
So they deserve to have a product that has so much potental but will end being the next Microsoft Bob.
I think there is a much higher chance that at some point Apple will do WiFi on an iPod and "get it right" than that Microsoft will "get it right" on the Zune. Just putting WiFi on the box is completely obvious. The real amazing thing is that Microsoft managed to find such a lame use for WiFi on the Zune.
Ecosystem, maybe. Market, no.
Untrue on both points. In the Microsoft anti-trust case the government referred to a "market" for web browsers even though both IE and Netscape were no cost.
Second, people invested actual real money in P2P companies. I suppose these companies have revenue and a payroll too.
At least when Apple makes a flop, its an interesting flop (like Newton). Like it or not, the Newton was at least interesting. Could the Zune be any more of a straight copy?
The nature of this is that if you sell a 299 dollar IPodThere is no $299 iPod. It is either $249 or $349.
Someone comes in for a 30 gig iPod and may be talked up to a 60.They no longer sell a 60. It is either 30 or 80 (for the prices mentioned above.)
But remember the Netscape vs. IE. Al last IE got the market. Not a good product but has more than 85% share.
Could MS do the same with Zune?
Of course they could. All they have to do is include Zune in every copy of Windows they ship including OEM machines. Who will buy an iPod if they already have a Zune?
If Microsoft had a brain they would open up the Zune to outside developers.No they wouldn't. It would take a very short before someone figured out how to remove all the DRM restrictions and allow easy "squirting" without the 3 day/3 play restriction. Then the record companies would shut them down.
...until Microsoft decides to "suck all the air out of the room" (i.e., buy up all of the shelf space in stores), just as they have done with their software products in the past.
People buy from the front shelves, not the bottom shelf in the back.Somehow I don't think even Microsoft has the money to remove iPods from store shelves.
This product doesn't exist to make a profit for Microsoft. They're not expecting to beat Apple just yet.
What they're going to have, is a proof that Microsoft is a contender in the mp3 player market. This is just a very expensive piece of marketting for their next generation player.This sounds exactly like the strategy they used for Microsoft Money to take over the market that Intuit had with Quicken. It always works.
Point me to a version of iTunes without DRM from Apple please.If you use your own CDs and/or plain MP3s with iTunes, there is no DRM. If you use your own CDs with Zune, DRM is added to your files. If you are using non-DRMed MP3s from Creative Commons, this violates the terms of the copyright. If you are using MP3s from your own band, it is a pain in the ass.
With Apple, you can at least choose not to have DRM by not using the iTMS. And actually you can still use iTMS for Podcasts without any DRM which you can't on Zune.
People are saying this based on the computers from long ago that have survived. They are forgetting that computers from the 80s also failed - and at higher rates than today's computers and consumer electronics. The differences are:
1. Computers and Consumer Electronics today are cheap enough that repair is often no longer practical. So people throw them away and get another when the break insteading of paying a repair bill. This makes it seem like todays items are less durable. 2. Todays electronics ship in much higher volume than in the 1980s. The people who were users in the 80s are considered elite power users by today's standards. The people buying computers today are less tech savvy. People report "problems" that are often user error. This makes it seem like todays computers/electronics are more problematic - because there are more problems even though the percentage of users with problems is lower. 3. Todays software is easier to use on a feature by feature basis, but is harder to use overall because it is more complex and has more features. Also, see the previous point (more people using computers means more stupid people using computers). So, you hear more volume of "problems".
Cars today are much safer than in the 1950s, yet we have about the same number of traffic fatalities. The reason is we have much more traffic than in the 1950s.
Todays computers are much more reliable than those of the 1980s, yet we have more "problems" with computers today. That is because there are many more computers and computer users today and todays software is more complex in terms of the amount of functionality present.
Then again, the iPod is a bad example of this. They're built like tanks. I have an original 2001 iPod (5 gigabytes!), and it's still as good as the day I bought it. It may outlive me, and I'm still pretty young.I have to second this. I have a 2nd Gen iPod (the first 20 GB model) and it is BETTER than the day I bought it because I replaced the battery with a replacement from Newer Technology that was much higher capacity. I kind of would like an iPod video, but it is hard to justify since my current iPod works just fine. So I bought my daughter an iPod video for XMas.
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Aren't the sales for ipods also divided between all the various models and colors?
Yes - every SKU that is different is a different product. So, for example, the red nano is one product. The black nano is another product. The black and white 30GB video iPod are two products. And so on.
"late eighties and early nineties"By this, you do mean the 1780s-1790s, right?
Just because the PS2 was successful does not guarentee success for PS3.
That is SO mammalist of you. Expect a call from the PC police.Why does the personal computer police care what you say about spiders?
They are worried that you'll be confused and think they mean the 2080s.
So they deserve to have a product that has so much potental but will end being the next Microsoft Bob.
I think there is a much higher chance that at some point Apple will do WiFi on an iPod and "get it right" than that Microsoft will "get it right" on the Zune. Just putting WiFi on the box is completely obvious. The real amazing thing is that Microsoft managed to find such a lame use for WiFi on the Zune.
'Tain't a market if there ain't no money.
Ecosystem, maybe. Market, no.
Untrue on both points. In the Microsoft anti-trust case the government referred to a "market" for web browsers even though both IE and Netscape were no cost.
Second, people invested actual real money in P2P companies. I suppose these companies have revenue and a payroll too.
At least when Apple makes a flop, its an interesting flop (like Newton). Like it or not, the Newton was at least interesting. Could the Zune be any more of a straight copy?
I had a Rio - it was OK but I like my iPod much better. I had the Rio for maybe 3 years before I bought an iPod.
Didn't Rio quit selling MP3 players, though?
who else is bigger than Apple in the online music market? P2P.
The nature of this is that if you sell a 299 dollar IPodThere is no $299 iPod. It is either $249 or $349. Someone comes in for a 30 gig iPod and may be talked up to a 60.They no longer sell a 60. It is either 30 or 80 (for the prices mentioned above.)
I wandered in to Radio ShackThat's where you went wrong.
But remember the Netscape vs. IE. Al last IE got the market. Not a good product but has more than 85% share.
Could MS do the same with Zune?
Of course they could. All they have to do is include Zune in every copy of Windows they ship including OEM machines. Who will buy an iPod if they already have a Zune?If Microsoft had a brain they would open up the Zune to outside developers.No they wouldn't. It would take a very short before someone figured out how to remove all the DRM restrictions and allow easy "squirting" without the 3 day/3 play restriction. Then the record companies would shut them down.
...until Microsoft decides to "suck all the air out of the room" (i.e., buy up all of the shelf space in stores), just as they have done with their software products in the past.
People buy from the front shelves, not the bottom shelf in the back.Somehow I don't think even Microsoft has the money to remove iPods from store shelves.
This product doesn't exist to make a profit for Microsoft. They're not expecting to beat Apple just yet.
What they're going to have, is a proof that Microsoft is a contender in the mp3 player market. This is just a very expensive piece of marketting for their next generation player.This sounds exactly like the strategy they used for Microsoft Money to take over the market that Intuit had with Quicken. It always works.
Point me to a version of iTunes without DRM from Apple please.If you use your own CDs and/or plain MP3s with iTunes, there is no DRM. If you use your own CDs with Zune, DRM is added to your files. If you are using non-DRMed MP3s from Creative Commons, this violates the terms of the copyright. If you are using MP3s from your own band, it is a pain in the ass.
With Apple, you can at least choose not to have DRM by not using the iTMS. And actually you can still use iTMS for Podcasts without any DRM which you can't on Zune.
The XBox still hasn't gotten it right in terms of market acceptance.
Maybe that's because there will always be a group of people that simply won't buy an Xbox because it's made by Microsoft ?
Either that, or maybe the XBox is a piece of crap. One or the other.Someone should post a photo of Bob listening to a Zune.
M$ never gets anything right the first time...and what about the X-Box?The XBox still hasn't gotten it right in terms of market acceptance.
Pretty misanthropic attitude considering that over 3 billion people have a brown shade of skin.Are you sure they aren't simply not bathing?
People are saying this based on the computers from long ago that have survived. They are forgetting that computers from the 80s also failed - and at higher rates than today's computers and consumer electronics. The differences are:
1. Computers and Consumer Electronics today are cheap enough that repair is often no longer practical. So people throw them away and get another when the break insteading of paying a repair bill. This makes it seem like todays items are less durable.
2. Todays electronics ship in much higher volume than in the 1980s. The people who were users in the 80s are considered elite power users by today's standards. The people buying computers today are less tech savvy. People report "problems" that are often user error. This makes it seem like todays computers/electronics are more problematic - because there are more problems even though the percentage of users with problems is lower.
3. Todays software is easier to use on a feature by feature basis, but is harder to use overall because it is more complex and has more features. Also, see the previous point (more people using computers means more stupid people using computers). So, you hear more volume of "problems".
Cars today are much safer than in the 1950s, yet we have about the same number of traffic fatalities. The reason is we have much more traffic than in the 1950s.
Todays computers are much more reliable than those of the 1980s, yet we have more "problems" with computers today. That is because there are many more computers and computer users today and todays software is more complex in terms of the amount of functionality present.
Then again, the iPod is a bad example of this. They're built like tanks. I have an original 2001 iPod (5 gigabytes!), and it's still as good as the day I bought it. It may outlive me, and I'm still pretty young.I have to second this. I have a 2nd Gen iPod (the first 20 GB model) and it is BETTER than the day I bought it because I replaced the battery with a replacement from Newer Technology that was much higher capacity. I kind of would like an iPod video, but it is hard to justify since my current iPod works just fine. So I bought my daughter an iPod video for XMas.
Replaceable batters on MP3 players would be a good start....You can replace the batteries on an iPod easily and cheaply.
As the GPP said - you HAVE OTHER CHOICES. If you don't like the iPod, don't fucking buy one.