Comments on: Apple whistles a happy iTunes

This week's earnings report is expected to shed light on the impact of iTunes for Windows, which launched one year ago.
U2 tunes up for iTunes

Crying Choice, Choice, Choice...

Good comeback by Apple...
----------
"In a bid to dethrone Apple Computer as the king of the online
music market, Microsoft formally launched its own service
Tuesday," Rex Crum reports for CBS.MarketWatch. "'iTunes has
done a great job of helping to elevate the [digital music] market,'
said Christine Andrews, lead product manager of MSN. 'We're
different because Apple is a closed system. If you want Apple,
you have to use the iPod. A lot of people want choice and we
offer that.'
-----
"In its response, Apple said its products remain the favorite
among consumers. 'Ninety-two percent of customers buying
hard-drive based music players are choosing iPods, and over 65
percent of customers buying any type of portable digital music
player including flash-based players are choosing iPods,' Apple
said in a written statement. 'This means that the iTunes music
store, with its catalog of over 1 million songs, works with 65
percent of all MP3 players and 92 percent of all hard-drive
based music players being sold today. There is a lot of customer
choice happening today, it's just that Microsoft doesn't like the
choices customers are making,'"
----------
There isn't a better store or a better player. The competition isn't
offering a "credible" choice, so no choice. How can so many
companies be so mediocre, they can't even copy Apple
competently. Apple has shown them "exactly" what consumers
want and they still can't get it right...whine, whine, whine.
:-)

[Thomas, David]

Right On

You hit it right on the head, how can these other companies,
compete?
1. Music companies do not want consumers to easily copy their
purchased music to an unlimited number of devices? It hurts
the bottom-line.
2. A music library of 1 million plus songs, and growing, plus the
support of the major labels is not choice? What pipe are they
smoking from?
3. Style, fashion, ease of use ... gee ... i don't want that ... NOT
4. Translate into sales of other Apple products? OF COURSE!
Consumers get exposed to the superiority of the Apple product
line, and "analysts" think that won't affect Apples sales? They
must be smoking from another pipe.
5. Apple did it right, and now the incompetent competitors think
they can do it better? SOS (same old story , or same old s--t)

[Thomas, David]

That's not a peace pipe someone is smoking

You hit it right on the head, how can these other companies,
compete?
1. Music companies do not want consumers to easily copy their
purchased music to an unlimited number of devices? It hurts
the bottom-line.
2. A music library of 1 million plus songs, and growing, plus the
support of the major labels is not choice? What pipe are they
smoking from?
3. Style, fashion, ease of use ... gee ... i don't want that ... NOT
4. Translate into sales of other Apple products? OF COURSE!
Consumers get exposed to the superiority of the Apple product
line, and "analysts" think that won't affect Apples sales? They
must be smoking from another pipe.
5. Apple did it right, and now the incompetent competitors think
they can do it better? SOS (same old story , or same old s--t)

[Edicius]

"Alternative to iTunes-iPod"???

Why all of these companies so down on Apple for finally doing something right? They finally invented something that is a great product, everyone wants it, and it did not get stolen from them before they got to brand it correctly(yeah I'm looking at you "dollar" Bill). Why don't these companies try to create something better instead of trying(and failing to) to copy what they're doing. Why don't these other companies get pissed at Micro$oft for all of their software being buggy and unsecure. Why should everyone look for an alternative to the best?

[marlow714]

corrections

Apple didn't invent Mp3 players! That's part of Apple's and their users problem.

Give It Up or They'll Give You Up!

Apple needs to give up their FairPlay protection license or be prepared for their customers to give them up.

I can hardly believe that Apple has gotten away with this for as long as they have.

They need to wake up and realize that major competition is coming their way whether they like it or not.

Right now Apple is capitalizing on first movers into the digital music market, but soon will find that they can no longer give their customers what they want unless they give it up.

People want choices. They want the best. They want the maximum they can get and they're not getting that from Apple.

Give it up iTunes/iPod or they'll give you up!

http://allwaysmusic.modblog.com/

[marlow714]

Agreed

You have vaild points. Apple users will hate to hear that and hammer you as much as they can to defend their cult..umm..sorry..i mean company.

Without choice we get railroaded into paying higher prices for the same hardware and software.

With Media Player 10 at least you have a choice of over 20 different MP3 players and many harddrive players. Plus you can get yor tunes AND VIDEO from MSN Music, Napster, Cinemanow, MusicNow, MusicMatch, f.y.e, puretracks, audible, and many others.

Competition drives the price down and makes everyone try harder no matter how you slice it.

When Apple catches up with all the other Mp3 players that play video and photo slideshows they and their users will say Apple invented it. Just like everything else. Apple started a good thing and competition is even better. It does however, look like Apple is going to mess it up again.

[marlow714]

Choice

Without choice we get railroaded into paying higher prices for the same hardware and software.

With Media Player 10 at least you have a choice of over 20 different MP3 players and many harddrive players. Plus you can get yor tunes AND VIDEO from MSN Music, Napster, Cinemanow, MusicNow, MusicMatch, f.y.e, puretracks, audible, and many others.

Competition drives the price down and makes everyone try harder no matter how you slice it.

[Edicius]

Well...here's to Micro$oft

It's kinda hard to screw up being the best...but then Micro$oft did it so I guess anything is possible....Besides, you want to talk about compitition when you are clearly a Micro$oft fanboy? What about all of the bullying and non-ethical practices that they have done over the years?