“The iPod and its related software and online music store iTunes have clearly been the star of Apple’s universe of late. Much of that success has come from opening the party up to Windows users, first with the iPod, and then iTunes. When CEO Steve Jobs first announced a Windows version of iTunes, he said the company was doing so after ‘hell froze over,'” Arik Hesseldahl writes for Forbes.
“That has led to some speculation that hell might freeze over again, and that Apple may have plans to develop still more software for the Windows platform, the most likely candidate being iPhoto, the digital photography component of iLife, a consumer creativity suite of applicatons. But Apple executives, who routinely refuse to comment on future product plans, have dismissed the suggestion,” Hesseldahl writes.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Hell froze over long before iTunes for Windows, Mr. Hesseldahl, with Apple software for Windows like QuickTime, FileMaker, and AppleWorks. iPhoto will be released for Windows – when Apple markets a camera (either standalone or as an add-on to/wrap-around for iPod mini) that works only with iPhoto. Unfortunately, nothing like music is as seductive a product for something like an Apple iPhoto Store – unless Apple plans to market porn – which is another way to state that the chances of iPhoto for Windows are pretty much nil.
Don’t believe it. Friends of mine using Windows just use the software that they load from the camera software disc & their happy with it. Have shown a few friends iPhoto & they think its cool but not enough to change as they say “my program can do most of that”. What they use is always good for them.
Steve Jobs has mentioned there is no plan to bring the other iLife Applications to the Windows platform.
iTunes and the iPod was a different story from the typical Apple, it had the opportunity to take the whole market. So it’s good it did.
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“Looks like that little idea Apple Computer executives once dismissed as preposterous– selling iPods to Windows users–has worked.” – Forbes article
For the life of me, I can’t even remember Apple saying that selling iPods to Windows users was preposterous. IIRC, Apple targeted iPod right away to Mac users with a promise that PC users can buy a PC version soon. That was before they went with a single Mac/PC version.
“Unfortunately, nothing like music is as seductive a product for something like an Apple iPhoto Store – unless Apple plans to market porn – which is another way to state that the chances of iPhoto for Windows are pretty much nil.” – MDN
Aha! MDN just has an epiphany: Apple iPr0n Store, accessible from iPhoto and iMovie with porn grooves downloaded via iTunes. On second thought, with the amount of pr0n available for free, why pay?
iChat and iSight would make sense. iPhoto would not.
I think iPhoto only really shines because it integrates so well with the other iLife programs. On its own, there are many other programs coming free with digital cameras that stand up to it, but none of these programs can export stills into your home movies or use your built in music library to create exportable slideshows. There is no way Apple would be able to do a Windows version of the program justice without porting the rest of iLife too, and that just isn’t going to happen.
I don’t think iPhoto for Windows would be a good idea. There is no need for it from a user’s perspective and no money in it for Apple.
iChat on the other hand would be a great application to have on Windows. Apple would make money out of iSight sales and iChat users would have more than two people to video-chat with.
iChat on the other hand would be a great application to have on Windows. Apple would make money out of iSight sales and iChat users would have more than two people to video-chat with. – Sol
I agree iChat would be much better for Windows as I could convince anybody that its much better & cooler than MSN messenger or Yahoo especially with what I have seen with the iSight. (they would totally flip out sooooo awesome) I would buy an iSight then & have people I know to use it with which is the only thing stopping me from buying one. Thinking a lot of people are in my situation so come on Apple & make it for Windows.
Apple will not port any iApps that they do not have a corresponding hardware device to sell to go with it. Like others have said, other than iTunes/iPod, the only other port that would make any sense would be iChat. However, if AOL would just add full iSight compatibility on the Windows side to both 9.0 and Instant Messenger, it wouldn’t be necessary. I think there is a much better chance of that happening than ever seeing iChat for Windows since AOL & Apple seem to be partners on a few things these days.
Apple released the iPod for Windows long before iTunes for Windows. The reason Apple made iTunes for Windows was not to sell iPods, but to let those Windows users with iPods into the iTunes Music Store.
What is Apple going to sell to iPhoto/iChat/iMovie/iDVD users? And I don’t think sending your photos to Kodak to print them counts.
“Unfortunately, nothing like music is as seductive a product for something like an Apple iPhoto Store – unless Apple plans to market porn – which is another way to state that the chances of iPhoto for Windows are pretty much nil.” – MDN
In that case, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to port iMovie to Windulls?
Isn’t there a chance that we’ll see that Apple multimedia device coming – talking to our home Macs AND PCs via Rendezvous? And didn’t we just see iPhoto jump on Rendezvous as well? There’s only a little Movie library app with Rendezvouz support missing which makes this the kick ass environment for such a device the livingroom. THIS may be the (bundeld) device which eventually maks people buy the iApps on Windows and kicks MS even harder, as it is another potential killer in the format battle …
I think a service for you is right around the corner…
http://www.bbspot.com/News/2003/10/iporn.html
I think the only software going to Win$in eventually is Safari. Look at how advanced the beta of Safari was to what?…version 6 for IE?? And they did it in only about a years time. The growth of Safari in the Mac world is tremendous and has happened so quickly.
Although some of it was Netscapes fault, Micro$in chopped them off at the knees by offering IE for free. I think Safari for Win$in would have as dramatic an impact on the whole world and much more impact than iPhoto. Now that Micro$in has thrown up their hands and dropped future development of IE for Mac because Safari kicked their butts with a beta, the door is wide open. It’s not the same as if Apple develops a Office killer and loses major sales of Mac Office. Safari is wide open and the world is waiting for an advanced standard. If not, the western world will kick our Eastern butts in ten years with their own protocol. They are disgusted with our low standards, which reflects mostly upon Micro$in, but affect us all.
Been tinkering with iPhoto 4 last night. Opens in 6 seconds with several thousand photos. The slide show caused the program to “unexpectedly quit” the first time, but after that has so far worked perfectly. Like the star rating, and can rate, etc. during the slide show.
The best thing is the speed when dragging the picture size slide bar to the left and right. No sluggishness at all and switching between folders on the left hand side is immediate. They did everything I asked for except lower file sizes when sending via mail and still no export at 800×600. I am very happy with it and also the nice transitions. Want more now.
iMovie seems to fly now and now will import iPhoto Quicktime slideshow exports for adding titles and effects. Who says you have to have a digital video camera to use iMovie. I am tickled with this.
Meanwhile, I’m waiting for iTunes 5 which I’d love if it incorporated the excellent crossfade feature when you rip a playlist to CD.
My compilation CDs always sound great – on my Mac, but when I rip them to CD for friends, I lose the crossfades…. the mix is still great, but it’d be greater for those crossfades. Maybe ‘GarageBand will allow me to do that?
Dave wrote:
“Apple released the iPod for Windows long before iTunes for Windows. The reason Apple made iTunes for Windows was not to sell iPods, but to let those Windows users with iPods into the iTunes Music Store.”
No, Apple planned on a Windows version all along, it took longer because Windows is such a fscked up, mickey moused OS.
Steve Jobs even said so. Just not in that language of course.
Plus they had to see if the iPod would sell to the Windroid crowd and also send the message that “if you had a Mac, you would have it by now”
I can just see the disgusted look on the programers faces when they have to boot up their Winblows machines.
“Now what’s wrong with it?”
“Fscking Microsoft crap”
was rumored to be heard by this insider.
Well, if apple comes out with their own digital camera… Other than that, it wont happen. Again, I can also see iSight and ichat windows but neither is too likely.
Sailfish,
You forgot the part when an Apple programmer was taken to a hospital with a broken hand after punching the monitor in frustration.
‘Well, if apple comes out with their own digital camera… Other than that, it wont happen. Again, I can also see iSight and ichat windows but neither is too likely.” – AX
Apple used to produce a digital camera, even way before all the digital camera craze: Apple QuickTake. I’d rather see their partnering with a camera company than starting from scratch. We don’t need boated Apple of old. Apple should create new things only if others can’t do well. That is what Apple does best.
It’s amazing to me how someone who writes for a leading business publication, and who is supposed to have superior insight into why huge companies do, or don’t do something, can be so TERRIBLY wrong.
It is as clear as vodka the series of steps that lead to Apple opening up it’s iTunes software, and the events that precipitated these moves. Or is it because all of us are so steeped in Apple Corporations every move that the whole iTunes/ITMS/iPod thing is clear and logical?
Or maybe it’s because the Forbes writer is so eager to make a point that if only Apple would open up it’s stable of softaware progrms to Windows users, that Apple would always benefit.
And he doesn’t see the difference from the iTunes series of events, as to why making iPhoto available to Windows users, would probably not help Apple at all. Or if it did make some money from software sales, that it would dilute Apple’s chance at making hardware sales to people who want the ‘OSX Experience’.
So I suppose that when a journalist takes a quick glance at the situation and sees that iTunes porting to Windows helped Apple, well why not then iPhoto?
Some people understand how the Moon causes the tides. But others might come to the conclusion that the tides cause the Moon.
david vesey
We Need iChat and iSight to be ported not iPhoto!
Actually, iPhoto for Windows might be plausible if Apple were to release a new iPod model designed for music AND photo storage. This device would need a multi-format card reader and a small, color video screen for viewing downloaded images.
George Wedding wrote:
“Actually, iPhoto for Windows might be plausible if Apple were to release a new iPod model designed for music AND photo storage. This device would need a multi-format card reader and a small, color video screen for viewing downloaded images”
Good point, and good idea. YOU should be writing for Forbes, not these people who can’t understand what Apple has ALREADY STATED ITS DOING.
And I would buy a gizmo like that tomorrow. I’m a photographer, and carry around a digi camera at all times. Being able to dump pics in my iPod would be handy, and save me from having to buy HUGE memory cards where my money is tied up in something that only does one thing. The reason I bought my first laptop was to store pictures while on vacation. The cost of the used laptop was cheaper than buying the compactflash cards. A feature, like the one you suggested seems more plausable than watching movies on an iPod. To me anyway.
And I’m sure there are lots of other people who would rather not spend $200-$300 on memory cards if they could avoid it.
dv
“Being able to dump pics in my iPod would be handy…”
Um, you can already do that: Belkin iPod Media Reader
Atomic Bomb wrote:
“”Being able to dump pics in my iPod would be handy…”
Um, you can already do that: Belkin iPod Media Reader”
You sir, are correct! I ‘knew’ about this product, but it was not top of mind when I wrote my post.
But.
It’s a seperate box. Something else to carry around in my computer/camera bag. And it’s getting crazy now with cameras, phones, my iPod, etc.
MORE BATTERIES!! I always carry AA’s, and camera batteries. Now AAA’s.
It’s ANOTHER 100 bucks gone (but then I don’t have to blow it on memory cards, something I was considering doing)
If Apple offered an iPod that had a reader inside (and I DO think that pictures and memory storage management is a big deal with regular consumers, not just advanced amateurs or pro’s) that it would sell more iPods to people whom JUST having convenient music is not enough of a reason. Because, like music, the files are not all that large, and easily stored and copied with gadgets like the iPod.
Besides the actual SLOT is there need for a lot of room for the circuitry? I have a compactflash reader that seems no bigger than the room to hold the card.
Anyway digital photographs, like music, is something that most consumers are grappling with for convenience in storing, retrieval, and fast viewing for reference purposes.
And seems far easier to tackle than movie storage, downloading, and viewing, as a direction for the iPod to go in.
Even more so than voice recording. The average consumer, outside of business situations does not often need voice recording in their day to day lives.
david vesey
Apple has no choice but to bring iLife to Windows but only if they sell it for what its worth. Apple gave away iTunes to hopefully sell music and iPods and they are.
Think of iPhoto as something a Windows user buys so they can add value to their iPods and purchased music. On a Mac you can use iTMS music in your slideshows and movies. This adds value.
Adobe has abandoned Photoshop Album on the Mac but sells it for $49 to Windows users. What’s wrong with Apple selling iPhoto to these same users for $49? It will help pay for the future development of iLife.
Remember iLife should be thought of as one program more than 5. They all work together. If Apple can’t make a healthy profit from switchers then should by selling iLife. You can’t just make iTunes for Windows and run.
Chow