“Apple Computer has the cool and hip thing going for it with the iPod and, to a lesser degree, with the Apple iTunes Music Store. But if you dig a little deeper than the exterior sheen, Microsoft is clearly dominant when it comes to thinking through the end-to-end experiences people want to enjoy with digital media. This week, the company added several important releases to its XP Reloaded campaign, including Windows XP Media Center (XP MCE) 2005, Media Center Extenders, Windows Media Player (WMP) 10 Mobile, and Windows Media Connect, which lets third-party Digital Audio Receivers (DARs) and Digital Media Receivers (DMRs) seamlessly and consistently interact with PC-based media libraries. Combined with previously released products such as Portable Media Centers, WMP 10, and the recently updated MSN Music and scores of other compatible online entertainment, music, and video services, Microsoft’s approach to digital media–Digital Entertainment Anywhere–is clearly the right one. But the company isn’t done yet. Between now and late November, Microsoft will issue other cool XP Reloaded releases, including Media Center for Microsoft Xbox. The company is spending more than $20 billion over the next 6 years to grab a share of the film and entertainment market, helping ensure that consumers use Microsoft’s digital media formats to distribute media electronically in the future,” Paul Thurrott writes for WinInfo.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If you dig a little deeper than the exterior sheen of Thurrott’s delusions, you’ll see that Apple’s iTunes Music Store just passed the 150 million songs downloaded milestone, holds 70 percent of the digital downloads market, and Apple’s iPod holds 92.1 percent of the hard drive-based music player market. In addition, there’s nothing “cool” about Microsoft’s offerings and even Microsoft admits they copy Apple every chance they get. The unending wait for a stripped-down Windows ‘Longhorn’ combined with Apple’s sale of over two million iPods (along with their attendant “Halo Effect”) in the last 90 days has obviously driven some lemmings straight off the cliff of reality.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple’s iTunes Music Store passes 150 million songs milestone – October 14, 2004
Report: Apple’s iTunes Music Store holds 70 percent of digital downloads market – October 13, 2004
Apple smashes earnings estimates: posts net profit of $106 million on $2.35 billion revenue, iPod shipments top 2 million – October 13, 2004
Report: Apple iPod holds 92.1 percent of hard drive-based music player market – October 12, 2004
Apple iPod grabs massive market share, leaves also-rans in the dust – October 12, 2004
NY Times: Microsoft tried to copy Apple’s iTunes Music Store – September 16, 2004
Is Microsoft’s stripped-down ‘Longhorn’ worth waiting for? – September 10, 2004
If these XP Media Center PCs are so hip and cool and all the rage, then why are their sales in the toilet? I’d like to hear Turdrott comment on that little fact that he omitted…
true enough MDN, but apple really needs a media center type solution as well
Good job Thurrott, your usual check is in the mail.
Once again ThoroughlyRotten proves that the term “cool” is nothing if not subjective. What he deems as “cool”, I see as a messy hodge-podge of poorly designed “solutions” that lack focus. He must be trying really hard to get his monthly MS-FUD bonus.
Too…many…acronyms….!!
I just about gave myself a headache trying to read the third sentence above. How typically confusing of Microsoft.
how many of you would snatch up a apple branded version media center
“helping ensure that consumers use Microsoft’s digital media formats to distribute media electronically in the future,” Paul Thurrott writes for WinInfo.”
Thereby subscribing to numerous services and paying month after month, year after year to be able to use this media.
It’s all about M$ locking people into paying over and over for media. As Apple has shown distributing and using media is not hard. What is hard is “protecting” it and making sure “artist” are paid. What is hard is limiting what you can do with this media.
The Apple media center is called the iMac
why, erk?
what planet is this guy living on?
Planet Microsoft…
This guy needs to get off some drugs ASAP and on some others quickly. “Tenuous hold on reality” does not do justice to his condition.
Someone should send Thurrot the URL to MDN, and suggest he bookmark this site… so he can read what intellegent people think of his mindless ramblings…
btw… can anyone confirm the fact that he can actually read ?
Right Melanie!
The English mirrors the product – badly constructed and confused.
Microsoft don’t even get it right when it comes to buying journalists. Surely they can get someone better than this for their money.
Moo
Thurrott must’ve gotten a pay raise…he is reaching the level of Baghdad Bob.
WTF is this guy SMOKING??!!
I don’t want to use my computer to stream movies to the TV. That’s what satellite TV or digital TV is for.
The only benefit I see would be for dorm rooms. Whoo,hoo! Go MS! You’ve got a market winner here! Until a virus wipes out your hard drive and you have to go watch Smallville on your neighbors TiVo.
Just like they transformed Plug and Play to Plug and Pray, MS will transform the Digital Hub to the Digital Dud.
And a different take on the same subject: Microsoft’s Strategy: Be Apple.
http://www.fool.com/News/mft/2004/mft04101506.htm
Microsoft tries to manufacture consumer need, which is why their media center products sell poorly. We’ll all know when there is a viable media center market when Apple releases one.
CitizenX you’re right.
This is really about MS grabbing every last cent out of people they can. I hope the majors wake up, otherwise we’ll all be singing around pianos, instead of watching tv.
I bet Bill and the majors will get their cut before the artist get theirs.
what is this digital lifestyle everyone is talking about? i go to work and school. i dont have time to center my life around an operating system. i like osx because its there when i need it. if i want music, its there. if i want video, its there. there is no lifestyle for regualr people. anyone revolving their non professional life around mp3’s and avi’s has issues not even apple can solve.
PS. thurrott sucks.
Egarc,
Actually I would love to stream movies to my TV from my Mac. My dream is to one day have an Xserve RAID in my home loaded up with video and movies that I can select from at my TV.
Just think of the viruses and malware that will randomly change the channel and popup pr0no ads in front of the family. What a pleasant experience.
I must have missed something. Is this Microsoft-stuff really (i mean REALLY) called “reloaded”???
Someone is to be fired, i suppose.