“Six months must have gone by, because Microsoft is once again promising that its hardware partners are on the cusp of offering competition for Apple’s seemingly ubiquitous MP3 player. Microsoft, of course, doesn’t make MP3 player hardware (not yet anyway) but they’re now working with companies such as Creative, iRiver, and others to ensure that the next generation of PC-based MP3 players work as well, look as well, and integrate as well as Apple’s iPods,” Paul Thurrott writes for WinInfo.
“Guys, let me save you a lot of time and money: It ain’t going to happen. If Apple would simply open up the iPod to WMA (Windows Media Audio) files and PC-based online music services, the iPod would accomplish two things: It would literally be perfect, and it would blow away any reason at all to consider any other kinds of music players. Don’t think Apple will take those bold steps? My guess–and it’s only a guess–is that they will if the competition starts to finally show up,” Thurrott writes.
Full article, including Paul’s examination of “poor” Creative Technology’s situation here.
God help us, we agree with Thurrott’s assessment. Apple will allow WMA on iPod or license FairPlay to other services if or when they need to do so. Right now, of course, there is no reason to do either of these things. Unless or until something like that happens, Microsoft and the portable digital music player makers will be firing blanks.
Thurrott’s come a long way since September 2004 when he wrote, “Apple’s fans would love to believe that one company can go it alone against a consortium of consumer electronics and PC industry titans, both history and current events tell us otherwise. In other words, I’ve got bad news for Apple: Unless you make some changes, and quickly, you’ve already lost the game… If Apple doesn’t change its ways, the company simply won’t survive… If you care about Apple, like I do, it’s time to take a stand and ask the company — no, beg the company — to reevaluate its posture and open its products. Otherwise, we’ll simply look back on the iPod and smile sadly, as we do when we think about other once-hot fads — like Pet Rocks, Rubik’s Cubes, and Ouija Boards.”
Related articles:
Microsoft still working with Philips, Samsung, Creative on Apple iPod killers – August 10, 2005
Study: 32 million U.S. adults plan to buy iPod in next 12 months – July 20, 2005
Needham & Co: Apple ‘iPod Halo Effect’ fueling Mac purchases; predict 43 million iPod sales in 2006 – July 18, 2005
Apple smashes street with record revenue, earnings; shipped 6.155 million iPods – July 13, 2005
Tech writer Thurrott: ‘If Apple doesn’t change its ways, the company simply won’t survive’ – September 16, 2004
WinInfo’s Thurrott: Apple acting ‘petty’ by not allowing Microsoft to sell music for iPod – September 03, 2004
Microsoft’s plan to steal Apple’s rock ‘n’ roll mojo faces rocky road – September 01, 2004
Tech writer Thurrott: Apple must ‘open up the iPod for the good of all music lovers’ – August 03, 2004
even if there is a better player out there it will take a lot more then its exsistence to just make it become #1, look at OSX and apple as a computer company, it is better, windows just plain sucks. but its going to be a long battle before we see windows die.
There’s no good reason for Apple to license FairPlay. iTMS works for both Macs and Windows. That’s what it’s designed to do — work with your computer. That’s it.
iTMS and portable players is a seperate issue. If you want a portable player that works with the iTMS tracks that you’ve downloaded to your iTunes (Mac or Windows), you’re just gonna have to get an iPod.
Why should Apple — after its hard work to innovate in a sector of the market that had no real solutions — have to bail out all the other companies that want a piece of that market? Where’s their “killer apps?” Where’s their innovations?
I don’t think that he would switch to WMA, rather he would allow their stuff to work. Further, I would bet that he would handicap it so that it didn’t work as well.
Open up or accept WMA files? Not going to happen. Why? If it were to happen it won’t until after the portable mucisc player market reaches saturation. That isn’t expected to happen for another 3 – 5 years. In that interim there will have to be clear evidence that the iPod is losing its 80+% share grip. NONE of the current MP3 player manufacturers have the financial clout, to enter a market that has a resident 800lb gorilla, and take it over. The lone exception is Sony, but they are rudderless and the welder hasn’t arrived yet.
Accepting WMA files would be a life line, not to Apple, but to marketers of that technology. There is no advantage to Apple to save their competitors.
Microsoft, the world’s largest pueveyors of vaporware.
Let me guess, Microsoft’s “iPod killer” is packaged with “Longhorn”, too.
On the cusp, I suppose.
I’ve got to hand it to this guy: He gets paid to write shit!
If in time his musings are proven to be, well crap, he simply contradicts his previous self. No harm, no foul. If he were a doctor, architect or attorney he would be sued for malpractice. Genius!
How do I get a job like that?
Here is the new Micro$oft “iPod Killer”:
Apologies if this has already been posted like, a million times already.
Office Space–
ummmm yeaaaahhhhh….i’m gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you there MDN/Thurott. Apple won’t open up anything. They could…I may be wrong, but I gotta say no on this one.
Yeah, no kidding. They also would never switch to Intel, or design a multiple-button mouse…
Oh, wait…
MW: Passed–I think we are passed the point of predictability.
“I am using my Weather Dashboard widget to see if Hell froze over…. what is the zip code for the underworld?”
“It’s 98052-5391.”
LOL. Good one.
As for music formats. 192k AAC sounds so much better than 128k. Isn’t it time Apple upped the bitrate on iTMS?
Hey man what’s wrong with Ouija Boards ?