microsoft confirms ipod rival

[yoMAMA]

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=2222973

personally, I think ipods are overrated (bought one and returned it), but still, it's pretty amusing all those potential "ipod killers" keeps popping up and goes nowhere.

[Yeahman]

If they force you to use WMA, it's DOA, at least for me.

[Martino]

Competition is good, but Microsoft still looks somehow less cool compared to the whole Apple brand. There are a number of technically better players out there, but it's the brand name Microsoft has to beat.

I don't think Microsoft can do it. I don't know if its urban myth, but even Microsoft supposedly prefers to use Macs in its offices.

[Irezumi Kiss]

Competition is good, but Microsoft still looks somehow less cool compared to the whole Apple brand. There are a number of technically better players out there, but it's the brand name Microsoft has to beat.

I don't think Microsoft can do it. I don't know if its urban myth, but even Microsoft supposedly prefers to use Macs in its offices.
Oh, I can believe that. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the employees have a secret Mac lifestyle when they get outside the office. People can be some vain animals when it comes to tech and iPods had a lock on sexy from jump. Everybody's been aping the interface and product design in their own joints for how long, now?

Microsoft's wannabe yearnings are a waste of the good Earth's resources, IMO and a perfect example of how corporation suits out of touch with user reality think. If you're not going to make a sea change or paradigm shift in the nature of the MP3 player as a whole at this point in time, then why bother? Haven't they learned any lessons from the countless "new" technologies that keep popping up every three or four months, soon to be obsolete within another two and are probably gumming up trash landfills across the country if they can't scrap-sell the tech to third world nations? They've already got a lock on what makes them strong, so why not focus on making that better?

Shit, the only way you can get better than the Nano is to increase storage space and further streamlining the actual music files without losing data quality. Or make a 100gb player as compact as the Nano that plays full movies with a 10-hour nuclear micro-battery and costs $99. Otherwise, I'm not even gonna bother stifling my yawns when this Zune crap finally comes out.

[shane]

Now, I know they won't do it, but I was hoping for someone to roll out a player that would play all the major formats.

Apple's DRM locks you into their hardware/software forever, and it's a huge pain in the ass for Linux/etc. users. I lost the 2 albums I downloaded but neglected to burn a couple years ago when I used up the authorized computer limit after 3 computer failures. I still have the files, but can't listen to them. No worries, though, I was able to download the same albums illegally. I tried to do the right thing by paying for my music and discovered it wasn't worth the effort. What this means for other Apple users is that when someone actually does make a product worth switching to (whether this MS product is good enough remains to be seen; I have my doubts) is that they will have to abandon their previously tracks or break the law.

There was a speech given in 2004 to Microsoft employees a while back about DRM (digital rights management) by Cory Doctorow, a proponent of changing current copyright law, encouraging them to design products that break other companies' DRM and then just fight the case in court, like Sony in its Betamax case. Obviously MS didn't bite, but I still think it's one of the best argued presentations on the issue of DRM I've ever seen.
http://craphound.com/?p=1663

And so, if Microsoft's offering is just more of the same, they will be doomed to failure. If it is technically superior and they get a large number of exclusive distribution deals through with content producers (labels, studios), they might be able to live with second place for a while (like the XBOX) until they roll out another generation of improvements. Or they could put out hardware that makes it easy to switch from the iPod and brace themselves for the legal battle, which if won, would put them clearly on top of a business market which has a prosperous future. But that is a pipe dream and probably won't be happening. Unless Yahoo! music gets what they want and is allowed to sell mp3s that play on every player.

[ares]

I lost the 2 albums I downloaded but neglected to burn a couple years ago when I used up the authorized computer limit after 3 computer failures. I still have the files, but can't listen to them.

You can reset the 5 computer limit thru the iTunes Store.

[Faithless]

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=2222973

personally, I think ipods are overrated (bought one and returned it), but still, it's pretty amusing all those potential "ipod killers" keeps popping up and goes nowhere.
You ended up returning the one you talked about here (http://forums.yellowworld.org/showthread.php?t=30381)?

.
A zuneinsider blog (http://zuneinsider.typepad.com/blog/2006/07/allow_me_to_rei.html)?

[yoMAMA]

You ended up returning the one you talked about here (http://forums.yellowworld.org/showthread.php?t=30381)?


yep, i sure did.

[Faithless]

yep, i sure did.
Oh well, that's too bad.

iPod (and the rest) is the answer to, "How can you stand shopping with your girlfriend (etc.)?"

Just flip that sucker on and nod your head to all those, "What do you think of this?", questions.

In the men's section of the San Francisco Macy's, there's an actual "dispensing machine" for the various music devices.

[TB4000]

The iPod is a godsend, man. Though any imitators won't come off as hip or trendy as it. One of my co-workers had his earbuds in when he was supposed to be on a conference call I dialed him into earlier. I just let him sit there doing the bobblehead thing while I stared at his goofy ass.

[yoMAMA]

The iPod is a godsend, man. Though any imitators won't come off as hip or trendy as it. One of my co-workers had his earbuds in when he was supposed to be on a conference call I dialed him into earlier. I just let him sit there doing the bobblehead thing while I stared at his goofy ass.

LOL

you have an ipod?