Playing To Their Strengths, Microsoft To Create iPod Competitor (suckPod anyone?)
For the last four years, in the domain of digital music, Microsoft has played the role of pinata to Apple’s drunken frat boys with baseball bats. It has not been pretty. And so, after taking a rather severe beating in this emerging business of digital music, rumors have finally started to abound that Microsoft is now ready to enter the arena. Apparently they wanted to steal the title of “worst designed MP3 player of the year” award away from Sony and their “bean of music”. Or maybe they just have a few million lying around and they don’t know what to do with it. Anything could be possible.
But I think that what most likely occurred was that Gates finally realized that Apple is using the iPod + ITMS combo as a trojan horse to gain access to your living room. The future of computing will be to move your computer into your living room and merge it with your TV. The Xbox 360 is a move in this direction. However, it won’t be enough by itself. And it will ultimately be overshadowed by Apple’s entry into this area. So, this could be why MS wants to create a competitor to the iPod. Either way, here are some observations of mine.
The price (losing money all the way)
I am seeing another Xbox vs PS2 fight where MS loses money on every unit sold in a desperate attempt to win market share. Since they won’t be able to get a deal like Apple’s on memory they won’t be able to match the iPod’s price. This means that they will either have to sell their product at a higher price or risk loosing money to stay competitive with Apple. Also, due to the demand of the iPod, flash memory in large quantities is going to be scarce for a while, so even if MS can release something on time they will have to deal with supply issues.
The impact to the industry
Good bye Creative. Hello Chapter 11. Apple has already put several companies out of the MP3 player business and this trend will get dramatically worse if MS enters the market. When the dust settles there will only be 3 companies standing, Apple, Microsoft and Sony (probably in that order too). No one else has the cash reserves to stick with this market in the face of such competition.
Apple’s response
If MS does indeed come out with its own player this will have some interesting repercussions. For instance, all of the smaller companies will no longer have a reason to support Microsoft’s DRM system. Since they are now all going to be competing in the same space using Microsoft’s standard is no longer an advantage for them. So, one thing Apple could do would be to license FairPlay. This would give the competition access to the ITMS (and potentially hurt iPod sales) but Apple would be in a position to make its brand of DRM the standard. This would become more important as more and more digital media is sold online.
The MSN Music Store, making Wal-Mart look good by comparision
If Microsoft really does release an MP3 player they would be foolish indeed not to release their version of the ITMS. Because without the online aspect their players would have no advantage over Sony’s or Creative’s. So, if one comes out then the other is a given. However, since ease of use hasn’t always been Microsoft’s mantra I expect this venture to be just one giant vortex of suck.
Media Player, because some people like pain
Media Player isn’t the worst MP3 playing software out there, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t continually shooting for that bottom spot. I hate MP with a passion. And as bad as it is on a PC, it is actually worse on the Mac. And so if Microsoft wants its hardware to sell they are going to need some software that will get the job done at least as well as iTunes. Can they do this? Not with Media Player. But maybe with a new piece of software it could be accomplished. I would suggest buying a company that makes what they need and just adapting it. That seems to be a much better solution than forcing Media Player to work well.
Either way, the more I look at Microsoft entering this market the more I think “well, it had to happen eventually, right?”
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Also, I know the BSOD is a joke, but it only worked back when Windows had it.
You have to remember where these guys are mentally. They have to invent and exaggerate all these little differences and pretend that they’re major to justify devotion to platform that’s not quite as different from Windows as they’d like to believe.
FWIW, I’ve gotten a GSOD on my Mac much more recently that I’ve gotten the BSOD on Windows. Both crashes were caused by faulty HDDs, and had nothing to do with the OS.
I wasn’t aware this was a discussion about operating systems?
I wasn’t aware this was a discussion about operating systems?
It’s about the BSOD in the picture, but you could’ve found that out by scrolling up
Thank you kind sir.
The point was that Beeb was using this post as an excuse for bashing Mac users…
I’ll be interested to see what they come up with. As I said above, I see no reason it couldn’t be just as good as iPod. How likely I really think that is is another matter….
I wasn’t aware this was a discussion about operating systems?
James’s rantings about this mp3 player that doesn’t yet exist are based on his dillusional views about Microsoft’s OS. Because their OS sucks, then everything they do must suck. Why do you suppose he put the BSOD on the iPod? What do you think the BSOD is associated with? The X-box? Office? No, it’s Windows. For all the hatred of Microsoft, it really comes down to that one product.
Well you could argue that however much windows might suck in comparison to X, the hatred of Microsoft _really_ comes down to its monopolisation of the IT market.
Beeblebrox says “Boy, would I love to have Jobs’s mind-control power over a multitude of minions the way he does.”
That is a real rabble-rousing statement, but unfortunately not true. You see, Mac and Linux users are the only people chosing their operating systems these days.
I could turn this silly statement into a more truthful one:
“Boy, would I love to have Gate’s mind-control power over the multitude of incompetent corporate decision makers”
If I had it I’d hand it over to Jobs who might bring innovation back into the work place.
You see, Mac and Linux users are the only people chosing their operating systems these days.
Elitism at its best (worst?). Why do you have to denegrate people who choose Windows? I’m especially baffled that you’ve branded Windows-using “corporate decision makers” incompetent, as if they didn’t take anything into consideration but the allure of Bill Gates (is he that much of a hottie?).
Please refrain from playing armchair CEO or calling 95% of computer-users drones.
/doesn’t expect this post to accomplish much
Well you could argue that however much windows might suck in comparison to X, the hatred of Microsoft _really_ comes down to its monopolisation of the IT market.
Whatever the reason, it’s still the hatred of Windows more than any other MS product.
That is a real rabble-rousing statement, but unfortunately not true. You see, Mac and Linux users are the only people chosing their operating systems these days.
A perfect example of labotomized Mac-drone hypocrisy. Calling my statement “untrue” and then following it up with such an absurdly ridiculous comment is the kind of Jobs-induced dillusion that I wish I had the power to induce in my loyal minions.
I’m especially baffled that you’ve branded Windows-using “corporate decision makers” incompetent, as if they didn’t take anything into consideration but the allure of Bill Gates (is he that much of a hottie?).
If you’re baffled by that, then you haven’t been around the Mac-drones very much.
I think one could generalise Jose’s point and say that the quoted statements are equivalently idiotic.
My experience is that people who own macs tend to love them. A friend of mine who owns a mac but doesn’t obsessively follow Apple developments in the way you’re talking about recently said this to me: “My iBook is the only machine I’ve ever owned for which I feel real love.”
I find it quite hypocritical of you to so rudely criticise Jose as a “lobotomised Mac drone”. While the statement “You see, Mac and Linux users are the only people choosing their operating systems these days” is not strictly true, it is likely the case that:
1. The majority of windows users either are unaware and/or misinformed about the alternatives, or have never explored them.
2. In order to be a devoted mac or linux user you need to have actively explored alternatives and found them superior to your tastes.
Jose’s point is therefore true in a broad sense.
I personally am intrigued by the world of apple and follow its developments avidly. This is because apple is innovative beyond the industry norm and the whole spectacle is entertaining. I favour apple’s products because in the current world they provide ease-of-use, high quality, security, and are to my eyes beautiful. They are in accordance with my vision of how computers should be designed.
Your view of people like me and the many other people I know who favour macs is insulting and crassly simplistic. I’m sure everyone on this board would also appreciate it if we could aim to keep the discussions both respectful and constructive, though either would be a start.
I find it quite hypocritical of you to so rudely criticise Jose as a “lobotomised Mac drone”.
Rude, yes. Hypocritical, no.
Jose’s point is therefore true in a broad sense.
Jose’s point is asinine. You happen to share his opinion and therefore agree with him, no surprise there. But that doesn’t make it “true” in the broad sense or any other sense.
Your view of people like me and the many other people I know who favour macs is insulting and crassly simplistic.
The fact that you do NOT find this statement by Jose, “You see, Mac and Linux users are the only people chosing their operating systems these days” makes your call for “respectful and constructive” discussions laughable and meaningless.
What you really mean is that the Mac drones can say whatever they want about anyone, but the ones who don’t agree with you have to shut up. And you’ll pardon me if I casually dismiss that view.
Just to clarify, I don’t agree with Beeblebrox that Apple is alive only because of their fanatics. But I do think they exist, and anyone who regards Windows users as unenlightened probably falls into that category.
I love macs too, but there are many reasons not to buy one: they cost a lot, and they don’t have software some peoples’ careers depend on (AutoCAD, anyone?). It isn’t necessarily because they are misinformed.
Anyway, back to suckPod!
Ooh! No I have to come in and say that I don’t agree with Beeblebrox who is in danger of lookiing like a raving, ranting lunatic, or at least sounding like one. If you’re going to accuse others of being overly fanatical, it’s best not to be too much of an extremist yourself. Oops, I just used the words fan*cal and extr*ist. I have to go now. The cops are surely on their way already.