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Strategies & Market Trends : Gorilla and King Portfolio candidates - Moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Eric L who wrote (1473)	6/8/2005 2:42:52 AM
From: pyslent	Respond to of 2955

<< I realize that the iPod can't be used without the iTunes and vice versa, which renders it a closed architecture to that extent. >> That's not entirely true. The iPod mounts in Real Player and Yahoo Music Engine, and there is now available a pluggin that allows WinAmp to mount the iPod as well. These programs support the transfer of mp3's to the iPod with no problems, as well as the creation of playlists. What iTunes offers uniquely is the ability to play DRM-protect songs purchased from the iTunes Music Store and transfer them to the iPod. That said, iTunes is by far the best full-featured jukebox software for the PC, IMO, excluding the various subscription services. As long as you keep your digital music in mp3 form, there is no "lock-in" and you are free to do as you please with your music, whether that be move it to your ipod, you N91, or stream it over the internet to your Treo (using a service like gloonet). OTOH, those who elect to purchase DRM'ed music from the iTunes music store will find themselves restricted to using apple products like itunes, the iPod or the forthcoming itunes-phone for as long as they want those songs to play. The iPod in and of itself is as "open" as any other mp3 player. It's limitation, of course, is that it won't play WMA files or protected WMA files, but until one of the microsoft based music services show some traction, this won't be a significant disadvantage. In the meantime, the value chain surrounding the iPod makes switching costs increasingly high. If you want to control and play your MP3 player through your car stereo, your only option for said MP3 player is the iPod.

To: Eric L who wrote (1473)	6/8/2005 4:02:51 PM
From: Apollo	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2955

Trio, Mike and Eric.... It's plain you guys don't own an iPod. <g> Ipods are open, in that they can be hooked up to either Macs, or to PCs. They initially only worked thru firewire to MaCS, 1st generation. Therefore, PC guys like me couldn't take advantage. Not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the late 80s, and early 90s, Apple fined tuned their software, Itunes, to load onto Windows, and at the same time, PCs became available with firewire ports. Also, Apple made cross-connectors between their iPods and USB porst, so that PC owners without firewire ports could still hook up. Gentlemen (loose definition), that is why the iPod has exploded in sales, its useability by the 90-95% of the market that is Windows-based and not MAC-based. This makes the device shaded towards open architecture. OTOH, Eric points out nicely that the iTunes files that one downloads will only work on the iPod (AAC format, I think), and cleverly not on other MP3 players. That raises the switching costs, Mike. However, the truly dedicated audiophile can find programs that may 'convert' an AAC file to MP3, thereby converting this digital file to useability on other players besides iPod. I agree with Eric that cell phones with MP3 capability will evolve .............but I disagree that they will sizably dent Apple's marketshare. Here's why, speaking only from my point of view: 1. For us runners and workout guys who have an MP3 player strapped to the arm or waist, a Nokia phone just doesn't seem like a good fit in that athletic situation, running a 10K. At least, not in the shortterm. 2. There are no adaptors for Nokia MP3 players with Bose sounddocks, or with BMWs, to play music or audiobooks, etc. These may come, but will be late, I suspect. 3. I actually think the cell phone/MP3 conversion device will expand the world's capacity for MP3 music, and will hopefully make cell phones still more attractive......but I don't feel these converged devices will knock out the iPods being bought by those who already can afford to buy a devoted iPod music device. JMHO. Good thread on the topic, thank you for all the contributions. As I tried to say before, (Kumar: Apple may be a chimp in PCs), but this iPod phenomenon is of another dimension. I think this is an ill-fated comparison between apples and oranges....or rather chimps with gorillas, or between PCs and MP3 players. Ie, 2 different industries. Apollo

To: Eric L who wrote (1473)	6/10/2005 9:24:29 AM
From: NAG1	Respond to of 2955

<<What's missing in this mobile wireless age on the iPOD connectivity frontier? >> Apple has a product called airport express for this purpose. << << I realize that the iPod can't be used without the iTunes and vice versa, which renders it a closed architecture to that extent. >> Yes. To me that's closed. Quite closed ... quite inflexible ... quite limiting ...>> From my understanding, there are relatively easy workarounds. The architecture is not as closed as some would like you to believe. Being an iPod and Apple user and from talking to windows users that use the iPod, the thing that has made the iPod is the ease of use. Plug it in and it works. That is because of the software and hardware integration, something that I think Apple is very good at. Neal