[bangraman]

The iPod/iTunes keynote was an incredibly slick thing indeed. Keynotes by anyone else in the IT industry, you're in zzz-land about 5 minutes in. I was still awake at the end. Almost made me proud to own one!
It's clear though unless you're a bit weird like me and prefer the NJB3 as it is right now (which is a direct MD recorder replacement, something I've always wanted) the iPod is the player best integrated into your lifestyle. With iTunes for Windows, they look pretty unstoppable, and with the new accessories, they've demonstrated it's possible to add new features to it. Great stuff.

 

[hempcamp]

1 million iTunes for Windows downloaded already, 1 million songs bought just since Thursday. Yep, he's a darned good salesman!

Let's just hope that one day hard drives are large enough and bandwidth is large enough that we can purchase entire pure DDD/DSD streams from iTMS. Then we'll be smokin'!

--Chris

 

[antwone]

Jobs is one of the few businessmen I would venture to call a genius at what he does.

 

[RickG]

Quote:

Originally posted by antwone Jobs is one of the few businessmen I would venture to call a genius at what he does.

Yes, and that's why he dominates almost 2% of the computer market wordlwide!

 

[hempcamp]

Quote:

Originally posted by RickG Yes, and that's why he dominates almost 2% of the computer market wordlwide!

Statistics can be deceiving. The desktop user share of Apple in the US has grown to 3% this year, and Apple notebook share is on the rise. Don't miss the trees for the forest, to turn an old saying around.

He has also taken a company with $100m yearly losses to almost $100m yearly profits (with a steep dip from 1999-2002 to match the technology bubble burst). Apple also has more cash-on-hand (almost $1bn) than any other major technology company out there, including Microsoft.

What is frightening, though, is that he is becoming as good as Bose in the marketing department

--Chris

 

[D-EJ915]

Apple actually has a larger market share than you'd think. You have to factor in the 50% or so home-built/Mom-n-Pop computers, and the 25% or so no-name mail order/store brands.

I think Jobs took advantage of the "dun't lit 'em hove sum'fun dey want un' gi' 'em it l'er"

I think that accurately portrayed the "being a parent" thingy

you also have to remember that apple was on the brink of bankruptcy in the mid-to-late 90s, and considering how they're doing now, it's amazing, besides IBM, they're one of the only real big-business comp. that's stayed through (other ex. = HP, etc.)

err..1600

 

[Dusty Chalk]

I also wouldn't be surprised if Windows users had to buy several computers over the course of several years to keep up with one Mac. (And this is coming from a Windows user -- that's how I know.) Do Mac users replace their computers every several years?

 

[D-EJ915]

My friend's family has bought 4 new macs in the last 2 years, while my family has bought none, I built mine in 2002 or something

, the latest one they got was a G5, so I think it'll serve them for a while, its just that macs seem to crap out more easily than "pcs" do, or so I've seen, I can run stuff on old pcs, whereas old macs can't seem to muster anything, it's unfortunate.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally posted by hempcamp Let's just hope that one day hard drives are large enough and bandwidth is large enough that we can purchase entire pure DDD/DSD streams from iTMS. Then we'll be smokin'!

[drool mode] Now that would make me want to pay $0.99 to download songs![/drool mode]

 

[TimSchirmer]

Heh... who cares if macs crap out? THey are so damn easy to fix. I used to fix the old apples when i was about 13.

 

[DanG]

Don't forget that Steve Jobs is also the head of Pixar, the world's premier computer animation studio.

Is the only advantage of iTunes that it's the only application that can be used to purchase songs from Apple? Or is it better-integrated with the iPod's software as well?

I'm considering getting an iPod after seeing Lextek's at the CT meet yesterday, but I use a Mac at work and hate the iTunes application for music listening.

 

[aeberbach]

Quote:

Do Mac users replace their computers every several years?

Historically they have been slow from day one, so anyone who bought one was content to stay slow for several years. And even a 486 is sufficient when all you really want is a typewriter

Will the G5 turn Mac users into chronic upgraders like everyone else? Time will tell.

 

[archosman]

If Macs were as popular as PCs then we would have the same problems as everyone else i.e. viruses, ect. That's one nice thing about Macintosh. My favorite quote from Jobs' speech..."iTunes is the best PC application ever written!"

 

[mbriant]

Quote:

Yes, and that's why he dominates almost 2% of the computer market wordlwide!

I'd be happy with that.

 

[hempcamp]

I think it is true that Mac users buy fewer Macs over the course of several years.

My PowerMac 7500 lasted 8 years before I finally threw in the hat and got a new one -- by the time I parted it out it ran at G4 800Mhz speeds with Radeon 128bit graphics and 512MB RAM. OS X ran beautifully on it, almost as well as my brand new iMac.

I owned 5 different Intel boxen in the time I owned that one 7500. None of them turned out to be worth upgrading like the 7500, and only the last of the two ran XP by the time I gave them away.

Of course, one of the first things Jobs did to ensure more sales was to limit the future upgradeability of new-world Macs. So I'm mildly irritated with that, but pleased if it means more profits and success -- and by extension more great products -- for Apple.

--Chris