“Microsoft has teamed up with mobile operator Orange to try to gain control of the digital music business, which the software giant believes could be worth hundreds of billions of pounds a year,” Tony Glover reports for The Business.
“The Business has learned that Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has persuaded Orange to develop a mobile phone, the SPV C550, which will double as a Microsoft music player. Consumers will keep their music on a computer and transfer it to their mobiles. The music phone will go on sale in HMV’s flagship stores next month. HMV is using Microsoft software to run its digital music internet download service, HMV Digital Jukebox, which can be accessed by the phones,” Glover reports. “Microsoft spokesman Jason Langridge said: ‘The mobile digital music market is about to take off. Porting digital music on to mobile phones represents a massive opportunity for Microsoft. While Apple has sold about 10m iPods worldwide to date, a quarter of the world’s population own mobile phones, which Microsoft software can turn into digital music players.'”
Glover reports, “Gates has timed the launch to coincide with his arch-rival Apple founder and chief executive Steve Jobs’ long-awaited unveiling of an iTunes phone, expected this week… Microsoft plans to topple Apple’s iTunes from its position as the world’s best-selling digital music service and make Windows Media Audio the industry standard. The Microsoft-powered phone will do everything that an iPod can but will be incompatible with Apple’s products.”
Full article here.
Comparing Apples to Oranges, which one do you think most consumers will choose?
Orange’s Microsoft Windows Media phone will only work with Windows and not the world’s market-dominating iTunes Music Store (iTMS). It would seem there’s a rather limited audience for such a closed and limited solution – see iTMS competitors’ lack of succes. There are also too many cooks in the kitchen: Microsoft, Orange, and HMV for things to be expected to work very well. Why does Microsoft exclude tens of millions of Mac users who have proven to be strong buyers of digital music and digital music players? Open up, Microsoft!
Motorola’s Apple iTunes phone will work openly with both Mac and Windows and seamlessly with the iTunes Music Store.
Oh, by the way, Microsoft spokesman Jason Langridge is either wrong or lying. Apple has sold well over twice as many iPods as he wants to admit publicly: 21 million iPods (rough estimate of 25 million as of today) worldwide to date. Do you think it was just an innocent mistake that the Microsoft spokesman happened to get the number of iPods sold so completely wrong?
Finally, the de facto standard for legal digital online music files is Apple’s protected MPEG-4 Audio AAC with FairPlay DRM (.m4p) which holds 80-percent market share, is cross-platform, and has passed well over half a billion tracks sold.
Related articles:
RUMOR: Motorola Apple iTunes phones to offer 256, 512MB storage, ability to buy music via networks – September 02, 2005
Germany’s T-Mobile to offer Motorola Apple iTunes mobile phone – September 02, 2005
BofA: ‘Apple-branded’ Motorola iTunes cell phones due next week – September 02, 2005
Report: Motorola teams with O2 carrier for Apple iTunes phone in UK – September 01, 2005
Madonna, Green Day, Little Richard and others to star in Motorola Apple iTunes phone ads – September 01, 2005
Apple in deal with Cingular to offer Motorola iTunes phone – August 30, 2005
Analysts speculate on what Apple CEO Steve Jobs will unveil during ‘special event’ next Wednesday – August 29, 2005
Apple announces ‘special event’ to be held September 7th – August 29, 2005
Report: Motorola to debut ROKR Apple iTunes phone on September 7 – August 25, 2005
Motorola: ROKR Apple iTunes phone debut ‘big enough to have its own event’ – August 19, 2005
The de facto standard for legal digital online music files: Apple’s protected MPEG-4 Audio (.m4p) – December 15, 2004
MS has been in the cell phone OS business for about 6 years with only heavily subsizied sales to tiny companies. They know how to get it into the phone but they have no clues about the interface, good luck getting a playlist in there – plus the market is moving back towards clamshell and tiny configurations like the RAZR – the giant flat phones with giant screens looked good in principle but in reality, not that popular so of course, MS chooses agiant flat phone with an easy to scratch screen – but then it’s not like MS has any clues about consumers (WebTV, MSN, Tablet PC, Watch OS, etc etc …) so why start now?
Wibble, if hanginground was trying to inject a little humor in a very important topic, I sincerely apologize for getting in his face. And thanks for being the voice of reason.
If on the other hand, hanginground’s comment was simply sarcastic shit and he came here to graze like our other trolls, then the reply stands.
Another thing that Jason Langridge got wrong is that not a quarter of the world has cellphones, but there’s simply over a billion cell phones. I know some people who own two or three cell phones, so I don’t think it’s 1/4 of the world that owns those cell phones.
MacMania, didn’t you see hangingaround’s other post?
[“…and make Windows Media Audio the industry standard”
They actually have something they think is worthwhile to present as a standard? I thought the only thing that was MS standard were worms and viruses]
I agree with Wibble, sounds to me like he’s not a windows troll, just a humorist.
TMFx2
“Too many fires, too many fronts.”
Never a truer word has been said. I say M$ should keep Steve Balmer for as long as possible, he will kill Micro$oft.
Case Closed.
Why is Microsoft 2 or 3 years behind the eight ball ? What do they just sit around waiting for someone else to come up with the ideas just so they can copy the idea. After everyone’s already sold on the original idea.
Is music really that important that we need it everywhere. Can i still buy a phone that simply makes phone calls anymore. Or do i need some special software add on attachment device.
Here’s a crazy thought. If a phone can recieve radio (as in the ones with built in FM) would it be possible i wonder to somehow be able to dial to or connect to your home computer and listen to your music from there, on your phone. Saves having to lug the mp3 files around with you in your phone.
Anyone know a word that rhymes with Orange?
The Orange phone pictured looks better than the MoPod phone I’ve seen to date.
“Why does Microsoft exclude tens of millions of Mac users who have proven to be strong buyers of digital music and digital music players? Open up, Microsoft!”
You’re kidding… right? Last I heard, Apple had a strangle-hold on their format, and won’t allow any other application or device to consume iTMS content.
I have 3 different players which may DRM’d WMA files, and use third party software on my PC. The Microsoft ecosystem is waaaaay more open than the Apple ecosystem. Of course, just because there are lots of choices doesn’t mean the best is among them, yet.
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GET THE FACTS!
HMV spokesman interviewed on BBC said that HMV approached Apple to ask whether they could support the iTunes format as well and Apple told them to get stuffed.
iTunes open? Que? Just as proprietary as any of technology taking a hit in the tirade of ignorance above.
Talk to the business trying to provide the service – and get the facts. Sniff harder – is that aroma from Starbucks?
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