So if Apple had not given us the iPod/iTunes combo what would we be looking at? Programs like MusicMatch Jukebox, Real’s Jukebox, Winamp, and Microsoft Mediaplayer would be some of the dominate players and we’d have more RIO and Nomad players. Apple wouldn’t have made one without the other. What? We were talking about iTunes, you say. Take the iTunes haters for example, let’s look at an alternate history where Apple doesn’t create an iPod. I’ve found that those who are so quick to share their view on something rarely have taken the time to look at things from a broad enough point of view.
It just feeds into people’s sense of self-importance, that people care what software they use to manage their digital music.
Spend five minutes on and you’ll see a pack of people who seem to just circle waiting to post “OLD NEWS” or “ SUCKS!!”. And if customer perception isn’t indicative of a trend, what is? The perception of the companies? Obviously this is far from the truth in a lot of segments, but when it comes to media such as movies and music, a lot of customers perceive that they’re being given less. Are you willing to bet money that you’ll be able to do that on BluRay and HD-DVD? That’ll effectively be giving me ‘less’ and charging me more. I can make a copy of a DVD and play it on a DVD player today, and I can insert what Sony might consider a bootleg (even if it’s just my fair use copy) and my DVD player stays intact. And BluRay and HD-DVD will have safeguards built in, stopping me from playing certain discs.
For all I as a customer care, I’m being given ‘the same’ (since I don’t care about the extras), but charged more. What I think “niblettes” meant by “give you less and charge you more” is basically the whole charge of DRM and needless subscriptions.Ī DVD costs more than a VHS, and oftentimes it’s hard to buy it without the extra behind-the-scenes clips.