iTunes Gets Real Competition?

[Derek Currie]

An interesting note over at Macintouch today:
<http://www.macintouch.com/>

Tony Briggs looks at Microsoft's beta-release Media Player 11, which does
  If you have an MP3 player, you've probably looked at iTunes, Apple's popular
music service and media management software. Even Windows users had to admit
it was a lot better than Windows' clunky Media Player.
  That all changed recently with the release of Microsoft's Media Player 11,
a tool so good, some have dubbed it the iTunes killer. That's probably an
overstatement, especially given that millions of iPod users would never
switch to anything with the Microsoft name on it.
  But for everyone else, Media Player 11 almost certainly will be viewed as a
vast improvement over earlier incarnations and maybe even better than iTunes.
  Media Player 11 is a digital media Swiss Army knife, smoothly combining a
raft of digital music, video and photography related functions into one
elegant package. Now there's a word you rarely see associated with a
Microsoft product -- elegant.

The article upon which this note is based, over at Daytona Beach
News-Journal Online:

May 30, 2006
Will Windows' Media Player 11 kill Apple's iPod?
By TONY BRIGGS
<http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Business/Headlines/b
izBIZ02TECH053006.htm>

Don't let the stupid FUD title of the article deter you. It is worth a
read.


YES! Microsoft blatantly RIP-OFF Apple, yet again. This is clearly Aqua
and iTunes with an MS baloney mask on top. It was inevitable. We are not
talking about a particularly imaginative company here. Copying has
always been 'good enough' for MS.

YES! As per usual Microsoft throw in the kitchen sink with a focus on
BLOAT over functionality, as demonstrated by the digital photo sort and
view capability. You're supposed to be impressed. Honestly!

YES! The MS/MTV URGE music service is yet-another repackaged Napster
abomination. You pay a monthly fee for the privilege to NOT own your
music. Skip a payment and your music is dead.

YES! URGE also RIPS OFF the Apple invention of 99¢ tune purchases.

YES! Every one of the MP3 player connection features in WiMP 11 was
RIPPED OFF from iTunes.

YES! WiMP 11 is so far considerably crash and freeze prone; no big
surprise here.

YES! WiMP 11 can't overcome the fact that all the iPod competitive
products are still relative crap.

And NO! WiMP 11 does not offer iTunes innovations like Podcasting (AKA
'blogcasting' by the MS marketing department. Hahahaha!).

And NO! WiMP 11 is NOT cross platform. It is yet-another ploy by MS to
lock customers into Windows. All other platforms, notably Macs, be
damned. As usual, MS has no interest in playing nice. Ooo! Maybe Mac
users will actually have something to ENVY about Windows! Yeah, right.


BUT! WiMP 11 has that most DANGEROUS of Microsoft features: It's GOOD
ENOUGH. Be scared. Be VERY scared. That means Windows victims will use
it. That means it will get market share.

And that means competition for Apple.

And as I always say: Competition is the father of innovation.

Result: A swipe at Apple, waking them out of any creeping complacency,
leading to new and better Apple products. Apple customers benefit.


:-D

[John C. Randolph]

. You pay a monthly fee for the privilege to NOT own your music.

It's funny, but all the pundits who say that Apple is going to have to
offer this plan eventually ignore the fact that the subscription model
had already been tried, and had already failed before Apple launched
the iTMS, and continues to do so today.

-jcr

[Tim Smith]

Post by John C. Randolph
It's funny, but all the pundits who say that Apple is going to have to
offer this plan eventually ignore the fact that the subscription model
had already been tried, and had already failed before Apple launched
the iTMS, and continues to do so today.

It's also been tried and is doing OK, such as with satellite radio.

[John C. Randolph]

Post by Tim Smith

Post by John C. Randolph
It's funny, but all the pundits who say that Apple is going to have to
offer this plan eventually ignore the fact that the subscription model
had already been tried, and had already failed before Apple launched
the iTMS, and continues to do so today.

It's also been tried and is doing OK, such as with satellite radio.

Satellite radio is a rather different service. It's new programming,
with shows you can't get anywhere else. What I'm talking about are the
Naptsters and Rhapsodies of the world, which are a long way from
breaking even.

-jcr

[NRen2k5]

Post by John C. Randolph
It's funny, but all the pundits who say that Apple is going to have to
offer this plan eventually ignore the fact that the subscription model
had already been tried, and had already failed before Apple launched the
iTMS, and continues to do so today.

Because that fact doesn't count for much. Like you said, it was before
even iTMS hit the scene. That's a whole other era. Things have changed.

The most notable example of such change is that now there are hundreds
of MP3 players that support the subscription content.

- NRen2k5

[John C. Randolph]

Post by NRen2k5

Post by John C. Randolph
It's funny, but all the pundits who say that Apple is going to have to
offer this plan eventually ignore the fact that the subscription model
had already been tried, and had already failed before Apple launched
the iTMS, and continues to do so today.

Because that fact doesn't count for much. Like you said, it was before
even iTMS hit the scene. That's a whole other era. Things have changed.

Yeah, those services have bled many more tens of millions of dollars in
the last few years.

Post by NRen2k5
The most notable example of such change is that now there are hundreds
of MP3 players that support the subscription content.

Which all add up to about 1/4 of a hill of beans.

-jcr

[NRen2k5]

Post by John C. Randolph

Post by NRen2k5

Post by John C. Randolph
It's funny, but all the pundits who say that Apple is going to have
to offer this plan eventually ignore the fact that the subscription
model had already been tried, and had already failed before Apple
launched the iTMS, and continues to do so today.

Because that fact doesn't count for much. Like you said, it was before
even iTMS hit the scene. That's a whole other era. Things have changed.

Yeah, those services have bled many more tens of millions of dollars in
the last few years.

Post by NRen2k5
The most notable example of such change is that now there are hundreds
of MP3 players that support the subscription content.

Which all add up to about 1/4 of a hill of beans.

I'm not in any mood to argue over this, really.

For now, many of you are saying that you're not interested in music
subscription services.

But when Apple rolls theirs out, many of you will be saying how it's
such a dandy thing.

- NRen2k5

[Mitch]

Post by NRen2k5
For now, many of you are saying that you're not interested in music
subscription services.
But when Apple rolls theirs out, many of you will be saying how it's
such a dandy thing.

And unfair and unreasonable claim.
It implies that Mac advocacy is blind and confused by Apple marketing,
rather than informed or caused by reason and real enthusiasm.

[Iconoclast]

Post by Mitch

Post by NRen2k5
For now, many of you are saying that you're not interested in music
subscription services.
But when Apple rolls theirs out, many of you will be saying how it's
such a dandy thing.

And unfair and unreasonable claim.
It implies that Mac advocacy is blind and confused by Apple marketing,
rather than informed or caused by reason and real enthusiasm.

Heh, I'm not on anyone's side here, I'm not sure what you guys are arguing
about and I don't care. But to claim that there's not Mac zealots out there
convinced that Apple can do no wrong is just silly. Every company/product
has its blind sheeplike disciples, and Apple has a shitload. Maybe even as
many as Linux.

[John C. Randolph]

Post by NRen2k5
For now, many of you are saying that you're not interested in music
subscription services.
But when Apple rolls theirs out, many of you will be saying how it's
such a dandy thing.

Dude..

Apple already evaluated and rejected the idea of a subscription
service. The numbers show that they made the right call.

-jcr

[NRen2k5]

Derek Currie wrote:

<It was all going well until this bullshit>

Post by Derek Currie
YES! The MS/MTV URGE music service is yet-another repackaged Napster
abomination. You pay a monthly fee for the privilege to NOT own your
music. Skip a payment and your music is dead.

Make another payment and your music is back.

And to recycle the arguments you retards have been been using to support
iTunes - remember that you can always just bypass the copy protection
and make your own copies of the music!

Methinks you is a bit jealous of subscription services because iTunes
STILL does not have one.

Post by Derek Currie
YES! URGE also RIPS OFF the Apple invention of 99¢ tune purchases.

Don't make me laugh. 99¢ song purchaes aren't an Apple invention.

Post by Derek Currie
YES! Every one of the MP3 player connection features in WiMP 11 was
RIPPED OFF from iTunes.

Nope. Standard stuff.

Post by Derek Currie
YES! WiMP 11 is so far considerably crash and freeze prone; no big
surprise here.

Same story with iTunes. And on top of that, iTunes infiltrates the
Windows system. Fuck off, iTunes.

Post by Derek Currie
YES! WiMP 11 can't overcome the fact that all the iPod competitive
products are still relative crap.

iPod fansheep still can't overcome the fact that, like with any other
product, it's a matter of preference.

Post by Derek Currie
And NO! WiMP 11 does not offer iTunes innovations like Podcasting (AKA
'blogcasting' by the MS marketing department. Hahahaha!).

A slight misstep, but keep in mind that every fucking web browser out
there is a functional podcatcher. And actually, "blogcasting" is a more
acceptable name for podcasting, because podcasting has nothing to do
with the iPod.

Post by Derek Currie
And NO! WiMP 11 is NOT cross platform. It is yet-another ploy by MS to
lock customers into Windows. All other platforms, notably Macs, be
damned. As usual, MS has no interest in playing nice. Ooo! Maybe Mac
users will actually have something to ENVY about Windows! Yeah, right.

This coming from the supporter of a company that wants everybody to use
their music format, but wants everybody to buy it straight from them and
only straight from them. GTFO toadie.

Post by Derek Currie
BUT! WiMP 11 has that most DANGEROUS of Microsoft features: It's GOOD
ENOUGH. Be scared. Be VERY scared. That means Windows victims will use
it. That means it will get market share.
And that means competition for Apple.
And as I always say: Competition is the father of innovation.
Result: A swipe at Apple, waking them out of any creeping complacency,
leading to new and better Apple products. Apple customers benefit.

I love your point of view that competition is only good if it benefits
Apple.

Thank you sir, now kindly please shoot yourself.

- NRen2k5

[Lars Träger]

Post by NRen2k5
<It was all going well until this bullshit>

Post by Derek Currie
YES! The MS/MTV URGE music service is yet-another repackaged Napster
abomination. You pay a monthly fee for the privilege to NOT own your
music. Skip a payment and your music is dead.

Make another payment and your music is back.

Unless your music store goes belly up.

[Iconoclast]

Post by NRen2k5
Same story with iTunes. And on top of that, iTunes infiltrates the
Windows system. Fuck off, iTunes.

Agreed. And why exactly do you have to install iTunes just to install
Quicktime these days? Apple has taken a page out of Microsoft's book,
'Bundling Applications that are Unrelated to Each Other for No Good Reason'

Post by NRen2k5
This coming from the supporter of a company that wants everybody to use
their music format, but wants everybody to buy it straight from them and
only straight from them. GTFO toadie.

Taken from the book of Sony

Post by NRen2k5
I love your point of view that competition is only good if it benefits
Apple.

What competition? Microsoft owns like 10 or 20 percent of Apple, how can you
compete with a sister company?

[Mitch]

Post by NRen2k5
And to recycle the arguments you retards have been been using to support
iTunes - remember that you can always just bypass the copy protection
and make your own copies of the music!

It was mny understanding that the license and DRM of those services
didn't permit that -- the whole point of having a low-price
subscription service, right/

Post by NRen2k5
Methinks you is a bit jealous of subscription services because iTunes
STILL does not have one.

Hardly -- I wouldn't want it at all, and none of my friends say they
want to do it that way.

Post by NRen2k5

Post by Derek Currie
YES! URGE also RIPS OFF the Apple invention of 99¢ tune purchases.

Don't make me laugh. 99¢ song purchaes aren't an Apple invention.

That's for sure -- that was a really unreasonable claim.

Post by NRen2k5
iPod fansheep still can't overcome the fact that, like with any other
product, it's a matter of preference.

Sure -- I know of many MP3 players I would be happy to own. It's just
the ones that use WMA that I don't want to use.

Post by NRen2k5

Post by Derek Currie
And NO! WiMP 11 does not offer iTunes innovations like Podcasting (AKA
'blogcasting' by the MS marketing department. Hahahaha!).

A slight misstep, but keep in mind that every fucking web browser out
there is a functional podcatcher. And actually, "blogcasting" is a more
acceptable name for podcasting, because podcasting has nothing to do
with the iPod.

But 'blog' is such a stupid and pointless word -- and 'blogcasting'
just takes that one stupid step further.

Post by NRen2k5
This coming from the supporter of a company that wants everybody to use
their music format, but wants everybody to buy it straight from them and
only straight from them.

You've got that wrong. Apple wants to sell to as many users as they can
-- they are not promoting the format, only marketing the store. It is
improper to criticize them for wanting to sell the products -- every
other store and producer is doing the same thing and for the same
reasons.