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http://www.macnn.com/articles/04/10/22/apple.in.audio.war/

Guardian: Apple will lose audio war, hurt consumers

updated 10:20 am EDT, Fri October 22, 2004

Apple in \'audio war\'

Yet another columnist says that Apple's (i.e., open up the iPod/iTunes system) is detrimental for both the company and users and that Apple has a very large number of competitors in the burgeoning market: "Apple is making corporate enemies by refusing to license FairPlay, its bought-in digital rights management system. FairPlay is intended to stop rival music services from offering protected downloads that can be moved straight to an iPod, and makes it impossible for hardware manufacturers to make digital players that work with iTMS....But in the long run, it could be bad news for consumers, even if most of them have not yet realised it."

by MacNN Staff

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tuscmat
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Mar 2004

0

10/22, 10:31am | report spam | close Reply |
Arrogant loser.

You'll notice how the author frames the argument in how not licensing Fairplay is bad for COMPANIES, not consumers. The consumer here is like a Borg drone and "Choice is irrelevant". Jackass.

rkadowns
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Joined: Aug 2001

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10/22, 10:36am | report spam | close Reply |
These columnists

would do well in a communist country.

Let Apple seal it's own fate. They shouldn't have to 'fairplay' if they don''t want to just like I shouldn't have to pay social security if I don't want to.

To say that Apple hasn't been licensing fairplay is to spread a lie anyway.

MacnTX
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2004

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10/22, 10:51am | report spam | close Reply |
Not Again...

Looks like someone else forgot to do their research. This article blows the Fairplay licensing myths right out of the water...

http://daringfireball.net/2004/08/2004_wont_be_like_1984

Salieri
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2004

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10/22, 11:15am | report spam | close Reply |
Jack Schofield

Jack Schofield is one of the biggest apologists for Microsoft and one of the biggest Apple-haters in the UK. This is about the third or fourth time this year he's written about why Apple is repeating past-mistakes, why WMA is more open, etc and his argument hasn't changed in the slightest. He also regularly writes about why open source and Linux are bad and Microsoft's way is best. I actually think he believes it, too.

Surely the lesson everyone should have learnt from Microsoft in the 80s isn't that "open" systems that allow a lowest common denominator are the best way forward. It's that if you have 90% of the market, everyone will come to you and ignore the incompatible smaller fry, even if they use "open" systems. Licensing FairPlay would be the number one way for Apple to lose its market dominance.

Mediaman_12
Professional Poster

Joined: Jan 2001

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10/22, 11:25am | report spam | close Reply |
Apple & Jack 'again'

Jack Schofield almost always uses his weekly colum to bash Apple in one way or another.

eldarkus
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Joined: Feb 2004

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10/22, 11:30am | report spam | close Reply |
i love this...

"Expect a backlash when they find Apple has locked them into a proprietary system."

So burning the music files to CD is considered a proprietary system? WOW!! News to me!

MPMoriarty
Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Oct 2003

0

10/22, 11:54am | report spam | close Reply |
Workaround to iPod

If the online music stores really wanted to be able to work with Apple's iPod, couldn't they just use a special export feature to move their protected music to the iPod in an unprotected format that it does accept such as MP3, AIFF, WAV, AAC.

shadowself
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Joined: Apr 2000

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10/22, 12:00pm | report spam | close Reply |
All ready licensed

They should REALLY do their homework.

Apple has licensed the underlying software to both HP and Motorola. There have been public announcements to this effect. HP is already shipping HP branded iPods.

Who knows who Apple will license to next?

If Apple's market share for the iTMS (currently estimated at 70+%) or the iPod (with an even larger market share than iTMS) starts to drop drastically then you can expect Apple to license more broadly. Until then very selective licensing should be expected.

Person Man
Professional Poster

Joined: Jun 2001

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10/22, 12:02pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Workaround

Two problems with that approach.

WMA files are also "lossy" (i.e. you lose some of the audio information in the compression). Converting from WMA to anything other than AIFF or Apple Lossless will result in a worse sounding file than converting straight from the original to the target format.

The record labels would probably not allow easy conversion to a non-DRM format. (As it stands now, to convert an iTMS purchase you have to first burn it, and then re-rip to get a non-DRM file, and even then you run into issue one, above). In fact, the record labels would probably LOVE to get rid of CD burning entirely (at least until they come up with a way to protect the songs on the disk that people burn, which is something protection companies are working on).

Digsa
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Joined: Oct 2004

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10/22, 12:09pm | report spam | close Reply |
Jack Schofield and Apple

Hi,

Just to back up earlier comments - this guy is totally in Microsoft's pocket. He recently covered a visit by Steve Ballmer to London, and managed to write an article that was little more than a MIcrosoft press release. NOTE - he was one of the few British journalists allowed access to Ballmer by Microsoft's London PR company. Get the idea?

He is editor of a Tech section in the newspaper every Thursday in the UK, where he usually takes the opportunity to bash Apple stuff for no good reason. File his name away with Paul Thurrott. At least in print he's a bit restrained...wait till you see the newspaper blog site! He really goes into crazy-mode against Mac users there - check this out -

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/online/archives/digital_music/2004/10/msn_music_reviewed.html#comments

MPMoriarty
Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Oct 2003

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10/22, 12:14pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Workaround

Yes, you are right it would be lossy.

But with what others have mentioned earlier is that the customer isn't really the one who is being forced to use iTMS. Not everyone who is going to get an iPod is going to use iTMS. They might still prefer buying CDs at regular stores and then transferring them to their iPod.

iTMS was created for convenience. It's for those who want music but don't want to go out to a store and buy it. iTMS is for those who like to purchase a few tracks from a CD rather than entire album.

You know, it would be neat idea if Apple partnered with a few retailers such as Sam Goody. They could offer the ability to purchase songs from iTMS right from the store and transfer them to a customer's iPod. Sam Goody would just get a little cut from the purchase.

evansls
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Joined: Oct 2004

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10/22, 01:15pm | report spam | close Reply |
Get with the program!

Apple makes 8 cents per iTunes Music Store download. They are barely making a profit with their millions of downloads a week. The only way Apple can make any profit is to keep the locks on their proprietry format. You have to understand that these corporate enemies you speak of want to ride on their coat tails, because they aren't making any money!

Napster, Real, Microsoft need Apple's iPod in order to survive, because everyone and their child owns one! This is the equivlent to Pepsi (or every other mom/pop coke knock off) needing Coca Cola's secret formula, because their soft drink is not bringing in the same
revenue Coca Cola brings in year after year. Why does Coke have to liscense their forumla? I don't think they have to and neither does Coke, so Pepsi and everyone else invents their own forumla just like Microsoft, Sony and Real did with their music store.

Real, Sony & Microsoft wanting to put their music in an iPod now that they have their own store is the equivlent to Pepsi wanting to put their soft drink in a Coke can... I bet you're thinking..."Dude, it's
just music - what's the different?" Well you know what? Coke is just flavored sugar water, too.

Evan

ArizonaJoe
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Joined: Aug 2004

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10/22, 01:55pm | report spam | close Reply |
Another perspective

Apple has to do something, or it/they will lose. I laughed the other day when I read Dvorak's comment, paraphrased: "Buying an iPod is like paying $50 for a bowl of soup." I tend to agree. Most of us don't have a lifestyle where we are going to be sitting around with headphones in our ears for a significant part of the day, so I can't imagine how I would ever use an iPod more than twice a month.

I'm not biting until the price is cut in half and the battery life is doubled. Archos and Creative seem to be pushing in this direction, so good for them. I'm also not biting until I can play the online-purchased songs on virtually any portable player, AND the audio quality of the purchased files goes up. I suspect I represent the majority of American consumers in terms of my price/usability threshold for buying a hard-drive player and songs online. Everyone needs to stop carping about how "open" iTunes is because you can burn songs to a CD. No one wants to buy a lossy compressed file and burn it to a CD. I want CDs to go away, and want to be able to slap an iPod or similar device into my dashboard, home stereo, anywhere (with pure audio, not 128kbps stuff).

Just my two cents...

Horsepoo!!!
Banned

Joined: Jun 2003

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10/22, 01:58pm | report spam | close Reply |
MS Doesn't License...

MS Doesn't license everything they make and look where they are now? A monopolizing, money hungry monster. Why can't Apple get it's turn?

testudo
Forum Regular

Joined: Aug 2001

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10/22, 02:26pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: another perspecitve

Apple has to do something, or it/they will lose. I laughed the other day when I read Dvorak's comment, paraphrased: "Buying an iPod is like paying $50 for a bowl of soup." I tend to agree. Most of us don't have a lifestyle where we are going to be sitting around with headphones in our ears for a significant part of the day, so I can't imagine how I would ever use an iPod more than twice a month.

"Most" people is a subjective term, but "a lot" of people have such jobs. h***, I'm at a desk at least four hours a day, and the silence in my office is sometimes maddeningly (actually, the sounds of my boss eating are more maddening - doesn't anyone chew with their mouths closed anymore!). So I'm thrilled with my iPod, being able to listen to anything I might be in the mood for (not just what I happened to bring with me on CD that day or whatever).

I'm also not biting until I can play the online-purchased songs on virtually any portable player, AND the audio quality of the purchased files goes up. I suspect I represent the majority of American consumers in terms of my price/usability threshold for buying a hard-drive player and songs online.

Wow! You represent the majority of people? Who knew? How'd you get that role. Was there a vote?

And, sorry to say, but "most" people (again that word) don't give a c*** about quality once you get to a point (and to prove this point, look at all the c*** you can find on Kazaa, the old Napster, et.al - most of it was 128 or less, and people traded like there was no tomorrow). Not everyone has an ear that can tell that the bass sounds a little off (and, unless you KNOW what its supposed to sound like, you wouldn't even know there was something off). Again, for "most" people, music is a diversion, not a lifestyle. They don't spend their time on $6000 stereo systems, or concern themselves with minor details.

And its for this reason that "most" people won't buy an iPod or on-line music. Being a diversion, why spend the money, when you can get the diversion from other sources (like radio, internet radio, CDs, etc).

JohnnyFive
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2003

0

10/22, 02:27pm | report spam | close Reply |
Let's face it...

Even if Apple licensed FairPlay, Jack Schofield will have something else negative to say about Apple, Jobs and mac users.

klinux
Senior User

Joined: Jul 2002

0

10/22, 04:12pm | report spam | close Reply |
OK

[i]this guy is totally in Microsoft's pocket. [/i]

Like how most people here lives (or craves to live) in Steve's a**?

He does say that it is bad to companies but also for consumers. Afterall, what do you have against consumer listening to their purchased music on a non-iPod player?

Monstermind
Junior Member

Joined: May 2000

0

10/22, 04:17pm | report spam | close Reply |
The Guardian...

... also is trying to influence OUR elections. To h*** with the lot of them and their pointless opinions.

bigpoppa206
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jun 2003

0

10/22, 07:18pm | report spam | close Reply |
People who are waiting

for cheaper systems are probably not the target Apple has in mind anyway. You want cheaper? You want choice? Fine, there are options for you. I love the fact that Apple is keeping control of their products in order to guarantee quality control. Start messing around with a good thing and you only mess it up. Watch how iPods go flying off the store shelves this Christmas. The one thing that could swing even the audiophiles over would be to up the bitrate to 320 from the iTunes Music Store. As a DJ I use one site now that offers this and its a godsend as far as the quality of sound.

ender
Junior Member

Joined: Mar 1999

0

10/22, 08:41pm | report spam | close Reply |
Why it's not 1984...

The thing everyone seems to forget when trying to draw a comparison between the iPod and the Apple's refusal to license the Mac in the 80's is that the Mac was funadametally incompatible with all of the hardware and software in existence at the time. Even if they had licensed the Mac, it would not have been a forgone conclusion that Macs would now be the dominate computing system. The installed base of x86 hardware and software would still have had a huge influence on the market.

But now we are talking of neither software nor hardware compatibility. We are talking file formats. IF iPod/iTunes marketshare should slip, there are two options Apple could pursue without seriously theatening their position. 1) license Fairplay to other online music vendors or 2) license WPA from Microsoft. While either of these options might put a dent in the iTMS sales, it preserves sales of the iPod which is the cash cow. Let's face it, people don't get an iPod because of the iTMS.

hayesk
Professional Poster

Joined: Sep 1999

0

10/22, 09:17pm | report spam | close Reply |
It's the player, not fmt

Consumers don't care if their music comes in WMA or Fairplay. They pick the player they like and buy the music that works with it. It's not bad or good for consumers, it doesn't matter as long as the iTMS and other stores has a healthy supply of music.

klinux
Senior User

Joined: Jul 2002

0

10/22, 09:40pm | report spam | close Reply |
No need to exaggerate

"Mac was funadametally incompatible with all of the hardware and software in existence at the time"

Some hyperbole there! What was so fundametanlly incompatible? Its 3.5" disc was different? Its hardrive was different? The CPU was not made out of silicone?

Nevertheless, I would agree with you that people got iPod becasue of the superiority of iPod and not ITMS.

cc_foo
Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Oct 1999

0

10/23, 11:24am | report spam | close Reply |
Licensing

Apple "refusing to license FairPlay" is like Microsoft refusing to open up the Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access file formats. Why no complaints about Microsoft locking customers into their office suite?

tomodachi
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2002

0

10/23, 02:21pm | report spam | close Reply |
so

If Apple's model is detrimental to both Apple and its customers, why don't Jef and others complaining here go use any one of the other, obviously superior services that are getting it right, using the open WMA file format? I'd recommend Real.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Roehlstation
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

10/24, 11:34pm | report spam | close Reply |
Detremental to consumers?

Apple is doing the right thing by ensuring a consistent experience. If Apple were to liscense this technology, there would be a number of players that simply doesn't work right, this is not a benefit to customers at all. I don't care if they do liscence the technology, I have an iPod ans use iTMS, so if other players or services are able to do it later I don't care, I'll be using the one that makes the most sence. Apple's solution.

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Guardian: Apple will lose audio war, hurt consumers

updated 10:20 am EDT, Fri October 22, 2004

Apple in \'audio war\'

Arrogant loser.

These columnists

Not Again...

Jack Schofield

Apple & Jack 'again'

i love this...

Workaround to iPod

All ready licensed

Re: Workaround

Jack Schofield and Apple

Re: Workaround

Get with the program!

Another perspective

MS Doesn't License...

Re: another perspecitve

Let's face it...

OK

The Guardian...

People who are waiting

Why it's not 1984...

It's the player, not fmt

No need to exaggerate

Licensing

so

Detremental to consumers?

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Guardian: Apple will lose audio war, hurt consumers

updated 10:20 am EDT, Fri October 22, 2004

Apple in \'audio war\'

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Arrogant loser.

These columnists

Not Again...

Jack Schofield

Apple & Jack 'again'

i love this...

Workaround to iPod

All ready licensed

Re: Workaround

Jack Schofield and Apple

Re: Workaround

Get with the program!

Another perspective

MS Doesn't License...

Re: another perspecitve

Let's face it...

OK

The Guardian...

People who are waiting

Why it's not 1984...

It's the player, not fmt

No need to exaggerate

Licensing

so

Detremental to consumers?

Login Here

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