“Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs publicly dismissed on Thursday an overture from RealNetworks to open up the iPod, saying such a move does not make business sense,” CNET reports. “Speaking at Apple’s annual shareholder meeting here, Jobs said there would be both an initial and ongoing cost to allowing the iPod to work with other music services. ‘To be honest, it’s just not worth it,’ Jobs said, noting that RealNetworks has made a number of overtures to Apple and adding that Real’s music service has been ‘less than successful.'”
CNET reports, “Although some at the meeting questioned Apple’s declining market share, Apple executives noted that the company has chosen not to compete in the low-end desktop PC market. One executive justified the move, noting that that the company chose instead to focus on the iPod, which has been highly profitable for the company and has a 40 percent to 50 percent unit share of the market.”
Full article here.
Wow another article that similar to 20 other articles that have already been posted about. Isn’t there anyway to keep this forum fresh? I mean I am sure there are plenty of people that want to praise apple and talk about acc etc, etc, forever and ever. But I myself am just a casual mac user and would like to see more variance in the articles posted. I find other great articles on the web about macs that never see the light of day here…
First?
Actually, I like the low-end PC vs. the iPod concept. Namely, rather than making pennies on a $599 Macintosh, they’re making pennies on iPods.
…Also, 40-50% unit share is nothing to sneeze at (ie, almost half of the music players out there are iPods).
Swingline – it is mac daily news. interest does not really occur on a daily basis.
It’s as simple as this: Putting all your eggs in one basket. Jobs is doing this with the iPod. Watch out Apple. You don’t have a track record of making good decisions.
I love both of my Macs. It’s just that Steve Jobs is doing something wrong here: he is not offering a well-grounded assessment in his decision to not support other online sellers of music with his DRM standard. His words are just words, quite frankly. They are, in fact, bullshit. But, it’s the kind of bullshit that Steve Jobs likes because it makes him sound smarter than others.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Apple tremendously and I hope everything works out, but I am sensing the beginning of the REAL END for Apple with today’s news. This is a sad day.
Jobs is heading down a path where he will take Apple with him to his grave.
Stapler-Boy,
This is the first time Jobs has commented on this matter. That he says involving other services would be costly and “just not worth it” is news regardless of what you think. If you’re not interesed, why not just pass on clicking the links that bore you?
Each site has it own “style”, just like a newspaper. It reflect’s the opinion and ideas of the publisher.
There is a contact link at top, you find a story that may interest this site then go ahead and post a link. I’ve done so quite a few times.
Else there is MacWorld, MacAddict, MacRumors, AppleInSider, MacNN, MacMinute, Macslash, ThinkSecret, MacCentral, Accelerate your Mac, even Slashdot. There’s a lot to pick from.
Back on topic,
It’s scarry right now. Sun has developed a desktop Linux with Java and applications for $50 and has bundled it on cheap Intel boxes at Walmart for $300-$700 or so. 21 OEM’s have signed up for it. We may see a SUN/Microsoft war looming on the horizon.
SUN is desperate after getting kicked out of the server market, they were just too high and never adjusted.
Also SUN has made a 3D OS that has more eye candy than Mac OS X.
Problem is Linux is more insecure than Windows.
BSD/FreeBSD UNIX is still the most secure OS on the planet (FreeBSD is what Mac OS X runs on top of.)
changes are in the air…
Glaser: “please please please or else!”
Jobs: “Piss off squirt.”
I am sorry but I still think that Apple should licence out AAC/Fairplay and make it the defacto standard forever and make sure Apple is involved and gets paid no matter whenever or whoever buys whatever relating to online Music. I don’t get the math behind Steve’s statement and would like to see it explained in detail rather than just having a sound byte on it.
*Sigh*
Why do people keep repeating old history and pay no attention to recent history and current events? Yes, Apple blew it with Sculley, Apple almost died, Apple made bad decisions. But consider recent history:
– Apple chose BSD anc Mac as a foundation of OS X
– Apple chose to use industry standard parts: IDE, PCI, USB, FireWirre, etc.
– Apple chose to work with IBM for PPC G5
– etc.
Just because Apple made bad decision in the past, it does not mean that Apple has to make any opposite decisions now without considering all consequences. Whatever you think of Steve, he is smarter than us. At least smarter than the rest of the industry when it came to getting it right with the download business.
This one REALLY knows how to live…eh matey?
CT
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Apple can hardly go on about “Open Standards” anymore when it patently runs a closed standard on the iPod.
Yes, but the only “closed” standard is Fairplay – iPod plays MP3, etc.
have you ever thought that iPod could go out of fassion as soon as i did come ino it?
I’m seak by now hearing the succes of apple’s iPod since at least every day there is an artice saying how successful it is, WE DONT CARE ANY MORE! GIVE US SOME NEW NEWS THAT ACTUALLY INTERESTINg NOT COUPLE OF MONTHS OLD!
B – I – N – G – ZERO
balls to the wall <whoosh>
CT
(REAL pretty pictures folks)
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So, how about all of those starving artists? Nevermind.
CT
what is the food of the gods???
BEATS ME FORVER and ever and ever and all over again…
not a bad loop.
THX for your time.
CT
There’s no point Apple licensing FairPlay to other online music stores. After all, none of them are going to be in business in 12 months time. Hardware companies are another matter. What’s wrong with licensing to B&O, Philips etc. providing they agree not to make a handheld music player?
That’s good Apple. Hang your hopes on one device. Good goin’!
I agree with Dave H. The only music stores that will be around in the long run will be the ones that can afford to run them as loss leaders. Perhaps Wal-mart to bring in traffic; MS because they have more money than they know what to do with. All you have to do is look at the lock that the RIAA has on the business to know that there is no money in distributing songs. If they get their way and raise prices, even more of these iTMS wannabes will be out of business.
The money is in the players. Unless Apple wants to come out with a real cheap player themselves, I think they would be wise to license to some other company that wants to play in that space. If somebody buys a cheap player from (name your company) and gets hooked on the iTMS experience, their next player will probably be an iPod. They could let the other company(s) do the low margin work, make some cash off the licensing, and maintain their higher end brand image.
what does Real have to offer that iTMS doesn’t have? I mean, other than the P-O-S RealPlayer which isn’t worth a damn.