- It's a consumer (as opposed to computer) product, with hype, hoopla, sexy ads, slick packaging etc. In fact, isn't it a fashion accessory that plays music?
- The iTunes connection. We shouldn't underestimate how important this is for the average consumer. If there was no iTunes, would Apple really have ~75% of the portable music player market?
I think Woz's point about the iPod going away, just like the discman, cassette, etc. is basically true. but certainly not in the next decade. Obviously the iPod will be the iPhone; all our portable gadgets will converge into one.
I bought one iPod - a 4th Gen 20GB - and really haven't used it much. Why? It's not really how I listen to music.
Recently, I bought a 2GB Sansa Clip for $39. I just upgraded the firmware so it can play both FLAC and OGG formats. But most importantly, when I get sick of whatever I have on it, it takes about ten seconds to format it and start all over. That's portable.
I've got four more years left of warranty on my 2005 Prius. With a 12 mile commute each day, I'd go from filling the tank once a month to maybe once every six months with a plug-in kit. But at $9999 (the crash tested Hymotion kit), forget about it being cost effective, it's simply not within my means.
It's sad that Toyota is waffling about a plug-in Prius; seems to me that they are underestimating the rethink of the two car family: the "urban" electric car for short commutes, and the "guzzler" for distance driving.
Let's not forget Peru's involvement. They were led to believe that a child would/could/should only learn one operating system, and since Windows is most pervasive in the world, it's the "right" choice. Convinced, Peru insisted on XP.
well, they charge $25 for a system color of white... but I seriously doubt the linux version costs anymore. Ubuntu has as much vested in the Mini as Microsoft does. At any rate, no one has mentioned the obvious: both Windows options have a discount, $45 and $55 - Dell is paying you to buy Windows.
c
Records sell in the hundreds, maybe thousands at very best. When was the last time an LP was certified Gold or Platinum? The sales that have continued are minuscule in relation to the over all music sales. It's a cult thing, much like the sales of blank cassettes. Yeah, these are RIAA figures, but the point is still valid:
Unless the American people stop this, it's going to get worse. WE allowed this to happen. WE allow companies like Neilsen and Citigroup to take advantage of us like this. Accordingly, WE get reamed.
It's endemic - capitalism and democracy mix like chlorine and ammonia. The government is supposed to protect us from greedy anti-social practices but in reality they just hand tax $$$ to those that help them get elected. In all my years in the corporate world, I stood just outside that elite ruling class of board directors and ceo's. scary what you see...
It should also be noted that Nielsen is a Dutch company.
Is this really a serious reply?
What will drilling for oil off the coast provide? I know, oil that costs more to produce so it can be sold at a higher price. It provides for nothing today, other than a sound byte. Bush wants this for one reason - to handout the drilling rights to his buddies so they can be ones collecting all the cash.
Workers in these countries do tend to have a better work ethic than Western programmers. Questions remain as to why -- my opinion is that there's a higher focus on education and a greater motivation to make money.
This is polemic. If the work ethic was so bad here, what would there be to out-source in the first place? No matter where you go you'll find those that work, and those that don't want to. I personally work extremely fast, knock out everything I need to do in a few hours and fuck around the rest of the day. Everyone knows it, but the work speaks for itself.
Higher focus on education? Greater motivation to make money? Do you actually work with people from "these" countries? I had a good friend from India that could do complex math in his head. All that translated to - was that he could do complex math in his head. So what.
Companies go off-shore for one reason - to earn more money. Don't kid yourself. It's always about $$$. Fat cats wants bigger bonus for making "strategic" decisions. My guess is that this 25yo will end up being one of them when he hits 50.
The sad thing about all this is that no one is acknowledging that classroom time is the professor's time.
Don't like it? Then don't go to class - it's college after all. If the faculty made a decision that internet access or laptops in class was a bad thing, it's their decision to make.
I have had a couple Australians buy this - and 100% made payment by Paypal. Don't get me wrong, eBay requiring a particular payment option is nothing I agree with. But there are a lot worse things than Paypal.
Okay, on the one hand, yes, the fact that you cannot even mention the word "cash" in an auction without it getting yanked by eBay is... wrong. But you know, going to the post office, waiting on a check or money order really puts a strain on the whole eBay experience. Much like prior to Paypal having the USPS integrated into it. Package everything up, down to the post office, wait in line, etc. Early on I figured out that linking my Paypal account to anything but a secondary checking account with a small balance was unwise.
More recently I've been selling a book I wrote (plug: http://www.progressiverock.com/) and you know what, I start an auction on Saturday, a week later it ends, I sell the book, receive $$$ through Paypal, and ship via USPS which is debited from that same Paypal account. The day after payment is received (usually Sunday), the book is in the mail to the buyer. What an effortless transaction.
Here's the kicker: In my auction text, I have a link http://www.lulu.com/content/604953 which allows the interested party to buy the book a) immediately, b) for less $$$ and c) for less shipping. But every book I put up on eBay sells, and has multiple bidders.
Whatever one may think of eBay and Paypal, it works for me...
But good luck arguing any of that in a court of law.
When you install and use the software, you agree to the terms of the software license, whether you agree with it or not. That's how the license is written and that's how they're enforced. When you buy "the box" you buy a copy of the software and license to use it.
Why do you think people make such a big deal about open-source software? Just because???
if you really wanted a green pc, just turn it off an unplug it. Limit yourself to one (1) hour at max of web surfing. But at the very least, don't waste energy wading through worthless/. comments like this.
"Apple offers a MacBook Air version with the same solid-state drive for a similar high price." So what was the final outcome? And since when is 64GB paltry for a laptop? At any rate, three (3) USB ports will always win out over one (1) USB ports. X300 wins!
c
After using Fedora for, well, since RedHat 9, I recently made the switch to Ubuntu. I agree with you, it's been a positive switch. But the biggest reason? Ubuntu provides (what appear to be) fairly successful distribution upgrades. With Fedora, I had to do clean installs each time. That's the other issue - most users don't want to perform a clean install on my computer every 6 mos to a year, and to keep "up to date" with Linux distros like Fedora, you really have to.
"paltry 64 gigabytes" ?
Maybe for a desktop, but a cutting edge (sic) notebook with relatively new technology (SSHD)? I think Walt's reaching for a negative here...
What about the Warranty? IBM usually includes three (3) years on these things, while Apple charges for "Applecare" beyond one year.
Hello MR CHRISTOPHER REUEL TOLKIEN, MS JOAN ANNE REUEL TOLKIEN, MISS PRISCILLA MARY ANNE REUEL TOLKIEN, and MRS BAILLIE TOLKIEN. It's 2008. The first LotR film came out in 2001. What's have you been doing for the last seven (7) years?
Actually, that really isn't my point. Given that I work for a large university and manage hundreds of Apple computers where we expect a three year service-free life to new hardware, I've learned one thing over the years: Applecare should always be purchased for Apple computers because service will be required. And that's not an "if service is required", but a "when service is required". Come visit me, I have all the paper work to support this. Conversely, the majority of PCs I purchase all come with 3 year standard warranties.
Thus, Applecare is indeed an oxymoron: it's the hidden cost of Apple products - repair. So add it to the price of every Apple computer, and don't ever kid yourself that Apple gives ANYTHING away for free.
charles
(my apologies for having such a high/. number - could someone please change that?)
Leave it to the Apple fanboys to leave out the details....
The Dell has comparable Wireless, a faster Intel Core 2 Duo processor and similar ATI graphics.
Now notice that they're almost identical.
there's a different economics at work that comes into play: scarcity. back in the day when I was a teen, music was available on LP or 45; almost exclusively. the format didn't lend itself to portability, and - memory serve me - although the cassette was around, it wasn't until the early eighties that the walkman made it portable. a couple of decades later, music is completely portable. in fact, due to digital revolution, it's everywhere. yet we are to believe that as consumers, we are to pay the same if not more for it.
somewhere in here lies the irony of the matter. regardless of law, it's simply not scarce anymore and since it's ubiquitous, it's now worth nothing. or at least a lot less than it was back in the day when it arrived in a 12" chunk of plastic.
itunes has to be the ultimate proof of the ridiculousness of this digital revolution. we are led to believe that digital music is worth $1.00 per song? it's not even the real thing (compressed) and what do you get with a purchase - the right to listen to a facsimile of music. it's no wonder people download music with regard to the rights of the copyright owner.
in the future, the price of digital music will be corrected. in fact, when I talk to my friends that run record stores, there seems to be a revolution at foot. CDs are being dumped en masse. Why? the guess is that people are realizing that they can make facsimiles of the music on their CDs to play on their sub-audio devices (computers/ipods) AND sell the CDs for cash. this makes even more music available at a lower price than new purchases - in an exchange offers only the sellers - prior cd owner and record store - profit.
the irony in all of this - the cachet of vinyl is increasing because it is a physical item. and scarce. seems to me that making money from music is a losing game.
Slashdot Mirror
- It's a consumer (as opposed to computer) product, with hype, hoopla, sexy ads, slick packaging etc. In fact, isn't it a fashion accessory that plays music?
- The iTunes connection. We shouldn't underestimate how important this is for the average consumer. If there was no iTunes, would Apple really have ~75% of the portable music player market? I think Woz's point about the iPod going away, just like the discman, cassette, etc. is basically true. but certainly not in the next decade. Obviously the iPod will be the iPhone; all our portable gadgets will converge into one.
I bought one iPod - a 4th Gen 20GB - and really haven't used it much. Why? It's not really how I listen to music. Recently, I bought a 2GB Sansa Clip for $39. I just upgraded the firmware so it can play both FLAC and OGG formats. But most importantly, when I get sick of whatever I have on it, it takes about ten seconds to format it and start all over. That's portable.
I've got four more years left of warranty on my 2005 Prius. With a 12 mile commute each day, I'd go from filling the tank once a month to maybe once every six months with a plug-in kit. But at $9999 (the crash tested Hymotion kit), forget about it being cost effective, it's simply not within my means. It's sad that Toyota is waffling about a plug-in Prius; seems to me that they are underestimating the rethink of the two car family: the "urban" electric car for short commutes, and the "guzzler" for distance driving.
Let's not forget Peru's involvement. They were led to believe that a child would/could/should only learn one operating system, and since Windows is most pervasive in the world, it's the "right" choice. Convinced, Peru insisted on XP.
well, they charge $25 for a system color of white... but I seriously doubt the linux version costs anymore. Ubuntu has as much vested in the Mini as Microsoft does. At any rate, no one has mentioned the obvious: both Windows options have a discount, $45 and $55 - Dell is paying you to buy Windows. c
Per title my friend, the numbers in your article are aggregate. And what did it say, 511 million CDs to 1.3 million records?
Vinyl went away.
Records sell in the hundreds, maybe thousands at very best. When was the last time an LP was certified Gold or Platinum? The sales that have continued are minuscule in relation to the over all music sales. It's a cult thing, much like the sales of blank cassettes. Yeah, these are RIAA figures, but the point is still valid:
http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/04/riaa-admits-vin.html
As for hearing the difference, that's already been debunked here.
Unless the American people stop this, it's going to get worse. WE allowed this to happen. WE allow companies like Neilsen and Citigroup to take advantage of us like this. Accordingly, WE get reamed.
It's endemic - capitalism and democracy mix like chlorine and ammonia. The government is supposed to protect us from greedy anti-social practices but in reality they just hand tax $$$ to those that help them get elected. In all my years in the corporate world, I stood just outside that elite ruling class of board directors and ceo's. scary what you see...
It should also be noted that Nielsen is a Dutch company.
Is this really a serious reply? What will drilling for oil off the coast provide? I know, oil that costs more to produce so it can be sold at a higher price. It provides for nothing today, other than a sound byte. Bush wants this for one reason - to handout the drilling rights to his buddies so they can be ones collecting all the cash.
Capitalism has insured this.
This is polemic. If the work ethic was so bad here, what would there be to out-source in the first place? No matter where you go you'll find those that work, and those that don't want to. I personally work extremely fast, knock out everything I need to do in a few hours and fuck around the rest of the day. Everyone knows it, but the work speaks for itself.
Higher focus on education? Greater motivation to make money? Do you actually work with people from "these" countries? I had a good friend from India that could do complex math in his head. All that translated to - was that he could do complex math in his head. So what.
Companies go off-shore for one reason - to earn more money. Don't kid yourself. It's always about $$$. Fat cats wants bigger bonus for making "strategic" decisions. My guess is that this 25yo will end up being one of them when he hits 50.
The sad thing about all this is that no one is acknowledging that classroom time is the professor's time. Don't like it? Then don't go to class - it's college after all. If the faculty made a decision that internet access or laptops in class was a bad thing, it's their decision to make.
I have had a couple Australians buy this - and 100% made payment by Paypal. Don't get me wrong, eBay requiring a particular payment option is nothing I agree with. But there are a lot worse things than Paypal.
More recently I've been selling a book I wrote (plug: http://www.progressiverock.com/) and you know what, I start an auction on Saturday, a week later it ends, I sell the book, receive $$$ through Paypal, and ship via USPS which is debited from that same Paypal account. The day after payment is received (usually Sunday), the book is in the mail to the buyer. What an effortless transaction.
Here's the kicker: In my auction text, I have a link http://www.lulu.com/content/604953 which allows the interested party to buy the book a) immediately, b) for less $$$ and c) for less shipping. But every book I put up on eBay sells, and has multiple bidders. Whatever one may think of eBay and Paypal, it works for me...
Agreed, however, I would add "to avoid draconian EULA terms" to your list.
When you install and use the software, you agree to the terms of the software license, whether you agree with it or not. That's how the license is written and that's how they're enforced. When you buy "the box" you buy a copy of the software and license to use it.
Why do you think people make such a big deal about open-source software? Just because???
if you really wanted a green pc, just turn it off an unplug it. Limit yourself to one (1) hour at max of web surfing. But at the very least, don't waste energy wading through worthless /. comments like this.
"Apple offers a MacBook Air version with the same solid-state drive for a similar high price." So what was the final outcome? And since when is 64GB paltry for a laptop? At any rate, three (3) USB ports will always win out over one (1) USB ports. X300 wins! c
After using Fedora for, well, since RedHat 9, I recently made the switch to Ubuntu. I agree with you, it's been a positive switch. But the biggest reason? Ubuntu provides (what appear to be) fairly successful distribution upgrades. With Fedora, I had to do clean installs each time. That's the other issue - most users don't want to perform a clean install on my computer every 6 mos to a year, and to keep "up to date" with Linux distros like Fedora, you really have to.
"paltry 64 gigabytes" ? Maybe for a desktop, but a cutting edge (sic) notebook with relatively new technology (SSHD)? I think Walt's reaching for a negative here... What about the Warranty? IBM usually includes three (3) years on these things, while Apple charges for "Applecare" beyond one year.
And we all thought that New Line was so so smart for filming all three movies at once. Little did we know...
Hello MR CHRISTOPHER REUEL TOLKIEN, MS JOAN ANNE REUEL TOLKIEN, MISS PRISCILLA MARY ANNE REUEL TOLKIEN, and MRS BAILLIE TOLKIEN. It's 2008. The first LotR film came out in 2001. What's have you been doing for the last seven (7) years?
Actually, that really isn't my point. Given that I work for a large university and manage hundreds of Apple computers where we expect a three year service-free life to new hardware, I've learned one thing over the years: Applecare should always be purchased for Apple computers because service will be required. And that's not an "if service is required", but a "when service is required". Come visit me, I have all the paper work to support this. Conversely, the majority of PCs I purchase all come with 3 year standard warranties. Thus, Applecare is indeed an oxymoron: it's the hidden cost of Apple products - repair. So add it to the price of every Apple computer, and don't ever kid yourself that Apple gives ANYTHING away for free. charles (my apologies for having such a high /. number - could someone please change that?)
"it's free as part of your AppleCare." This is an oxymoron - AppleCare isn't free.
Leave it to the Apple fanboys to leave out the details.... The Dell has comparable Wireless, a faster Intel Core 2 Duo processor and similar ATI graphics. Now notice that they're almost identical.
somewhere in here lies the irony of the matter. regardless of law, it's simply not scarce anymore and since it's ubiquitous, it's now worth nothing. or at least a lot less than it was back in the day when it arrived in a 12" chunk of plastic.
itunes has to be the ultimate proof of the ridiculousness of this digital revolution. we are led to believe that digital music is worth $1.00 per song? it's not even the real thing (compressed) and what do you get with a purchase - the right to listen to a facsimile of music. it's no wonder people download music with regard to the rights of the copyright owner.
in the future, the price of digital music will be corrected. in fact, when I talk to my friends that run record stores, there seems to be a revolution at foot. CDs are being dumped en masse. Why? the guess is that people are realizing that they can make facsimiles of the music on their CDs to play on their sub-audio devices (computers/ipods) AND sell the CDs for cash. this makes even more music available at a lower price than new purchases - in an exchange offers only the sellers - prior cd owner and record store - profit.
the irony in all of this - the cachet of vinyl is increasing because it is a physical item. and scarce. seems to me that making money from music is a losing game.