Comments on: Finding harmony among iPod rivals

Push to develop a universal dock that a range of music players can plug into could help loosen Apple's grip.

[mudphud]

Love that Play For Sure...

So much for the vaunted Play For Sure... well, not all devices
marketted under the Play For Sure program would play for sure,
they're learning as they go. Clearly they just don't get it. I would
like a universal plug for all the digital cameras please.

[Philips]

Just better quality

Main problem for me with the "Play for Sure" & friends is its platform support: Wind0ze only. I use at home Linux & Mac OS - so most player are plainly no go for me.

And what I remember from earlier days, WMA is quite poorly optimized (better to say not optimized at all) for classics, jazz and alternative. That has completely dismayed me from the format from its very beginning. (Non of my friends musicians is using it - so I haven't tried it lately.)

It is quite sad fact that few players do support superior formats like Ogg/Vorbis or MPEG4/AAC. Ogg is open by design. MPEG4 licensing is not much of problem too (e.g. most of the DVD players have MPEG4/DivX already).

Apple truly shines at quality level and non-annoying vertical integration: music, sound, software, hardware. And if you happen to be on Mac you can enjoy it w/o hussles. If you happen to be on Linux or even (God Save you from) M$ Wind0ze (Upgrade now! Linux is FREE as in "FREE BEER"!) - iPod still just works. And on Wind0ze you can use Apple's iTunes.

Isn't it amazing how much consumer trust have Apple gained by simply supporting standards? Keep asking why M$ can't do the same and tries constantly to reinvent square wheel.

[catchall]

What are you talking about?

PlaysForSure is a system where you know your player can hook up and sync with Windows based software, and play MS DRM'd songs. It works just fine, as advertised.
So clearly they do get it, and you should have at least read the article.
This is about the physical cabling and ports. It would be nice if every player shared a common port interface. That would give manufactures a single target to aim for.

[wrwjpn]

Interesting Comment

<" Jai Jaisimha, the lead program manager in Microsoft's Windows digital media division, said in a statement.>

Now only if they thought the same about formats for documents. They only want standards when they are on the losing end.

Sure feels good to see Microsoft scratching their head over this one.

[just_some_guy]

So who is different?

No company wants a standard when their proprietary format is successful - Sun is doing the same thing with the OpenDocument format.

Of course, when Microsoft has a near monopoly, they are the bad guy. When Apple has a near monopoly, Microsoft is again the bad guy. May we assume that Google's dominance of online search and advertising makes Microsoft the bad guy?

[philpacker]

Exactly

They love standards so that everyone else can slit their wrists
competing to make their monopoly software successful. The
problem is that it works (for them). This one is easy, just don't by
Windows media crap.

[Philips]

Bottom line.

"By unifying iPod rivals and music sellers around a common technology, the push could loosen Apple's grip on the music player market."

Once you have matched level of support of iPod, you would find that most players have very very poor quality.

iPod can break. But it has a resourse of good 2-3 years of active use. (Experience of my friends - haven't owned iPod)

My experience with alternatives to iPod is quite sad. Quality of sound is at best average. They work for 9-12 month and then something breaks: or USB cable socket, or buttons, or screen.

P.S. I had early flash player and still works - one of the first 128MB ones. And nothing is broken. Secret? Simple. It has so badly positioned buttons and so inconvient music browsing facilities rendering it - once you would want to select song/album - quite very useless. Did its makers ever tried to use it by themselves??? Keeps me wondering. The market deserves the Steve Job's label of "Zoo".

[pdost]

More FUD

This article perpetuates the myth that the iPod and iTunes music stored are tied to each other and can't exist without each other. This is just not true. I know many people who buy music from the iTunes music store that do not own iPods, and iPod owners who have never bought a song from iTunes. Each stand well on its own and in combination with more different services than the WMA offerings.

[mortis9]

you're a friggin retard, man

i love my iPod and i prefer iTunes to other media players, but don't tell me the two aren't tied to each other. iTunes is the only simple solution for accessing the iPod. Not that i would want to use WMP but shouldn't i have the choice??? and since the chip in the iPod is capable of playing back wma, not that i like the format, but shouldn't i be able to? don't get me wrong, i'll upgrade my 4g to another iPod when the time comes, cause imo it is the best option out there.

people like you need to stop chanting FUD and realize that just cause apple makes a good product doesn't mean that they are perfect by any stretch of the imagination.

[Chris Barnes]

Agreed

I buy music from allofmp3.com and it works great on my ipod. they
offer mp3 and aac, both work great.

[UntoldDreams]

Quit bashing Apple you dweebs

I could trust my mother to hold a knife and have zero fears I would be cut.

** I wouldn't trust Microsoft to hold a crayon.

Particularly around babies: M$ shouldn't be around Knives and Babies... (Wonderful wonderful little M$ reference from their antitrust trials where they threatened Apple "directly" saying they would knife the baby. )

=============
I have no delusions that Apple is interested in maintaining their profits. I'm okay with this as long as they provide good value. Let's be serious, all the M$ crap and other MP3 players just SUCK by comparison. Further, unlike M$... Apple is maintaining its stranglehold by simply doing it RIGHT... Apple is not doing a crappy job and locking people into it like M$... They are out innovating, out marketing, and simply outclassing everyone else.

Peace.

[The user with no name]

you're a friggin retard man

read the post by the same name as mine and save me the trouble of typing a similiar response

lol

[burbalurba]

A unified WIRED standard?????

Hey folks, wake up. It's the end of 2005, shouldn't our audio devices be able to connect via wirelessly, like via Bluetooth or WiFi?

Here's what the goal should be: your music/multimedia collection should wirelessly sync with the media center in your car when you enter the garage, effectively "docking" with your house. Almost as good would be an iPod-like device on your keychain that automatically initiates a connection when you enter the car, controllable voice command, utilyzing a standardized communications standard so a friend's device would just "pair" with my audio system when in range.

Why unify wired connections if the above scenario is possible?

[sunergeos]

A few reasons...

Adding the wireless capability would push the price up per unit
just enough to make it lose its competiveness. Would you be
willing to pay an extra $100 for your iPod for wireless
connections? You may want to pay that, but I bet there a few
thousand other people who would opt for a cheaper MP3 player
to save a buck - and brag that they saved a bundle. In other
words, the added convenience offered doesn't hit the price point
where people would be interested.

Do you think there may be problems with the wireless
connections with other cars being so close to you? Think about
being at a stop light with six other cars using wireless. I'm not a
wireless expert, but it seems to me that could be an issue.
Would security be an issue? Think Paris Hilton and her wireless
phone hacker. Even if the root of the issue was because a
T=Mobile employee didn't follow protocol the perception is that
it is possible.

Why would the units need to sync up when you get in the car?
That means that you have storage for the files in your iPod and
duplicate storage in your car. Memory, be it primary or
secondary, may be cheap, but it still costs. Putting the iPod into
a dock does the same at much less cost.

There still needs to be a connection for the devices to power up.
That's why everyone isn't asking for wireless connections in
everything. You still need to connect for power so why not sync
at the same time and keep the unit costs lower.

No one else can do it!

No other company in this world can make that perfect solution as Apple offers us today. Elegant yet powerful iPods with simple but feature-packed iTunes and its music store. Don't try to fight against it, just get into Apple world!

[The user with no name]

yada yada yada

**yawn** your so BORING

[jbelkin]

PLUGS4SURE as "good" as PLAYS4SURE

There's another $500 million down the drain. By the time MS gets CE manufacturers, car manufacturers and their own patent lawyers and engineers to finalize something - maybe 3 years from now? There will be 100 MILLON+ ipods out there. what dock connector will car manufacturers choose? The 90% solution or the 10% (almost) PLUGS4SURE solution?

Besides, there is already a second choice - the 1/8"/3.5mm UNIVERSAL output plug (even the ipod has that) so the MS dock will be the THIRD choice - how many car manufacturers will pick that choice?

Only companies that MS are willing to pay to install it - hope MS shareholders don't mind another $500 million wasted on something only 7 people at MS want.

As for obsolesence? How many 10 year cars are there on the road with original audio equipment? NO ONE cars three years from now. It's only what's happening now. Once again, MS proved they know nothing about the consumer market - well other than being able to throw a lot of money at it.

[The user with no name]

ummmm....

can you not read or just like to bash MS??

Quote:

So far over 60 people from more than 40 companies have signed up to be part of the working group, according to the CEA. They include representatives from Creative Technology, iRiver, Sirius, Belkin, Best Buy, Bose and Nokia. Apple is not a member of the group.

This sounds like a WHOLE LOT MORE than just MS to me! And why not Apple? Because THEY MAKE $$$ for each 'proprietary adapter' someone makes to work with iPod.... sounds like Apple KNOWS what people want interoperability. Also sounds like Apple knows what that means... no more $$ for the right to make apple's plugs!

[cooldogjones]

My truck has it...

Yep, my Nissan Titan has the 3.5mm aux. audio plug and works
just fine with the iPod. There's your standard.

Peace out!

[james wallace]

Ipod downloads

How2Share has just launched www.flixpo.com where you can get free content ready for your ipod or psp.

just thought it would interest the readers

jim

[open-mind]

There is already a "standard".

It's called the iPod dock connector.

40 Companies?!?

By the time they agree on ANYTHING, iPod/iTunes will have 95% market share.

Apple saw this new platform opportuntity while everyone else was napping. Much like Microsoft saw the Windows/DOS platform 20 years ago. Microsoft saw the opportunity and jumped on it, and even vastly superior alternatives couldn't compete. That's what's happening here, but it's happening even faster because there are ZERO superior alternatives.

I just hope Apple continues to create excellent products and doesn't use their future monopoly to stifle innovation/competition. I hope they use it for good ... like releasing the current RIAA stranglehold on the music industry.

[open-mind]

Not FUD.

Individually, iTunes, ITMS, and iPod are great products. But together, the three form an internet-based music distribution platform where none existed before.

You see ... we're not normal. We're all computer geeks. Everybody posting here. Most PC users are not geeks. Most can barely use the damn things, much less do the technical things that we take for granted.

Apple has created a new music distribution and sales platform for the average non-technical PC user. That's why it's far more successful than anything else.

There is no other platform. There are just individual pieces that need to be glued together with geek techniques. Apple's competition is just now starting to get it.

[Dead Soulman]

I love the iPod

I can't complain about my iPods. Apple designed and marketed a great product.

www.626north.com

[Chris Barnes]

allofmp3.com works w/ ipod ...

enough said, move on ... nothing to see here.

[philpacker]

Will they never stop?

This company continues to live up to its rap of evil empire. Is
there not a single dollar in the techno-entertainment business
that they will not use their monopoly to grab. When will
consumers learn that every segment that MS comes to dominate
suffers the same fate. Innovation dies (as competitors do), costs
explode and quality goes out the window. Every single one,
Operating systems, office producity, database, email, web tools.
Now we are all salivating about them entering our living rooms,
what is wrong with us. When will we get it. $2B to kill Netscape
and what to we have IE, with viruses, security holes and pop ads,
$5B and counting to kill Nintendo and Sony. And its working.
How much to kill Ipod's?