The Anti-iPod Backlash
Reuters reports that some people are refusing to be assimilated into the iBorg army of iPod users. And they report on a lot of competitors who have their sights set on knocking the ubiquitous music player from Apple (New motto: You will be assimilated. And you'll enjoy it. Or else.)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - When Marybeth Miller decided she wanted a digital player to carry around music from her massive collection, she had one important rule: no iPod.
"Everyone has an iPod. For some reason, I would rather find and purchase the 'hidden gem' MP3 player that is less popular," said Miller, a Wilmington, Delaware-based musician. "I don't like the idea that nearly everyone has an iPod. I feel this way about other things, too. I appreciate obscurity."
The good news is that for those wanting to steer clear of the legion of white headphones, there are several solid alternatives, from names such as SanDisk Corp (SNDK.O), Sony Corp (6758.T), Creative Technology Ltd (CREA.SI) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O).
Like "Livestrong" bracelets or Beanie Babies before them, iPods are everywhere — Apple Inc (AAPL.O) has sold more than 100 million. But it's just that ubiquity that makes some people want to avoid its digital bandwagon.
What is more, three out of four households still do not own a portable media player, studies show. That is why Apple rivals plan to take a bite out of the company's 70 percent market share.
Whether it is the shark jumping of the "iCar" talk or the overbearingly intrusive offers to download and install the latest Apple software (which invariably happens at the worst time and sometimes causes problems with other programs) or the just plain user-unfriendliness of their product, I really don't care for iPods. My daughter refused to get another one and now has another brand of music player entirely. When I went to get something for personal use, I ended up with a player from Phillips. Cheap and simple to use.
(Note; I'll see if I can find it online, but I read that the European Union was looking - hard - at Apple's dominance in the field with an eye toward anti-trust action.)
Geek Stuff | Gaius Friday, 5 October , 2007
By BubbaB, Friday, 5 October , 2007 @ 1:30 pm
Yeah, but the EU looking at an American company for anti-trust action shouldn’t be that surprising. The EU’s anti-trust rules are a bit different. Here, if a company has unfairly run a competitor out of business, or used monopoly tactics, then it is an anti-trust matter. There, business is judged by giving the customer choices, regardless of the fairness. For example, if a company is one of a few that make a particular item, and the company decides to stop making that item, it is my understanding that the EU can force that company to continue making that product, even at a loss.
By D-Hoggs, Friday, 5 October , 2007 @ 2:09 pm
Apple haters crack me up. They operate under the guise of being “unique” or “individual”. The haters that hate on Apple computers do so while at the same time patronizing Microsoft instead, a company FAR LESS “unique” than Apple. And as for iPod’s, if you want a cheaper, crappier product, by all means, hate on the iPod. Ridiculous.
By Gaius, Friday, 5 October , 2007 @ 2:14 pm
I didn’t say I was unique or special. Only that I dislike them. If you were a regular reader, you’d know I also rag on Microsoft and have been working with Linux. But your drive-by depends on me conforming to your assumptions.
(My Phillips player works perfectly well with Linux. Apple does not.)
By D-Hoggs, Friday, 5 October , 2007 @ 2:27 pm
I am indeed a regular reader, and I wasn’t referring to you in particular, which is why I started by saying “Apple haters crack me up”. When I said “if you want…” I wasn’t meaning to say YOU you, just you in general, you know what I mean?! Anyway, my intent was just to say that I find it funny when people hate on Apple in the name of being unique, referring to the article that YOU posted. It’s hypocritical. Also if you truly beleive that Apple is user-unfriendly, you are crazy!!
By Gaius, Friday, 5 October , 2007 @ 2:38 pm
Sorry, it sounded like it was directed at me.
Yes, unfriendly. Restrictions on how many computers you can store music on. iPod music restricted to only iPods. Only allowed to synch to one device. Lots of things like that that hamper users. More about the music company’s rights than the user.
Oh and the “security” update that disabled “hacked” iPhones. More monopoly behavior - requiring you to only use one service provider. No choice in the matter.
By D-Hoggs, Friday, 5 October , 2007 @ 2:39 pm
Gaius, I was just reading your post from the link above, “You Can’t Get There From Here”, saying that your daughter had to wipe her iPod to get the music off of it, what?? Even in the comments, tabitharuth pointed out that there are plenty of ways to get the music off of there. It is damned easy too. I have been using iPods for years, they operate as a hard drive, pretty simple. THAT is what you base the “just plain user-unfriendliness of their product,” on?!
By Gaius, Friday, 5 October , 2007 @ 2:45 pm
Obviously our comments are crossing.
I know people who hate any and all Ford products. I happen to like them. That’s personal choice as is preference in a lot of products. Including this one.
So you like them, I don’t. We agree to disagree.
By D-Hoggs, Friday, 5 October , 2007 @ 2:46 pm
“Restrictions on how many computers you can store music on.”
I am able to use my iPod on any machine I want, ANYWHERE. I regularly hook to friends computers, PC or Mac, and grab their music files, pretty simple.
“iPod music restricted to only iPods.”
Not sure why you say that, not even close to the truth.
“Only allowed to synch to one device.”
Once again, I can hook my iPod up to any computer I want, no problem. The fact that you say the word “synch” makes me think that when your daughter originally set up her iPod, she clicked the “synch” button, meaning everytime she hooks the iPod to the machine, it will update with any new music she added to the computer, as well as take off the iPod anything she removed from her machine. It is a stupid function as it basically rewrites every time you “synch” instead of unchecking the “synch” box and just manually adding new stuff you want on your ipod. Not to be rude, but this is user error and seems to be the cause of all the problems you had. With the “synch” box left unchecked, you can hook your iPod to any computer anywhere and it functions like a hard drive, grab any music you want, transfer any music you want, its really, really simple.
These are all absolutely FALSE claims.
“Oh and the “security†update that disabled “hacked†iPhones. More monopoly behavior - requiring you to only use one service provider. No choice in the matter.”
Apple and Cingular have a 5 year contract, this is HARDLY an uncommon practice, it happens with every cell phone that hits the market.
By D-Hoggs, Friday, 5 October , 2007 @ 2:51 pm
“So you like them, I don’t. We agree to disagree.” Absolutely, but simply liking them or not is very different from preaching about problems that aren’t real problems. From everything you mentioned, the “synch” box being unchecked would solve that, and it tells you that when you plug your iPod in for the very first time. The only problem I see with any music having to do with Apple is that iTunes downloaded files can only be played on 5 machines, but you said your daughter didn’t have any of those, so that shouldn’t matter. I have no problem with your personal preference, I do have a problem with you claiming the “just plain user-unfriendliness of their product” when clearly it was user error.
By Gaius, Friday, 5 October , 2007 @ 2:51 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FairPlay
By D-Hoggs, Friday, 5 October , 2007 @ 2:53 pm
Please look what your link says:
” Any protected song purchased from the iTunes Store with iTunes is encoded with FairPlay.”
Now look what you yourself said:
“every, single song on my daughter’s iPod was ripped from a purchased, legal CD. No downloads, no stolen music, no Apple iStore purchases.”
So this should have nothing to do with your “problem”
By D-Hoggs, Friday, 5 October , 2007 @ 3:06 pm
It sounds to me like you think the iPod encrypts whatever files you put on it. The iPod is nothing more than a hard drive, with a great interface. The files from iTunes are encrypted as I said before, and can only be used in 5 different machines. Other than that, as I said, it’s a hard drive. You can do anything with it, I use it, along with music, to transfer huge graphic files from home to work for my job. Something tells me that if the “problems” you speak of were actually “problems”, Apple wouldn’t be selling the millions of them that they are! They sell so many because they are easy as hell to use, have an awesome interface, and look nice. Hell my dad is almost 70, uses PC, and uses an iPod with zero problems, even took his music from his PC at home to his PC at the beach, on his iPod, and transferred it, no problem.
By D-Hoggs, Friday, 5 October , 2007 @ 3:19 pm
“The files from iTunes are encrypted as I said before…”
I meant from the Apple Store, not from iTunes.