So many little things matter...

[herme3]

I've been thinking about how much each little thing we do can change how things happen for someone else. As you may know, Alex Ostrovsky has just purchased the 1,000,000,000th song from Apple's iTunes service. The guy has just won a new computer, 10 iPods, and a $10,000 music card. Also, his name has been mentioned on CNN, and will probably be written in many magazines and web sites. He must feel very famous at the moment.

 

There have been so many times when I couldn't decide if I really wanted to buy a certain song from iTunes. I will listen to the preview of a song several times, and then I decide whether to purchase it or not. It is often a difficult decision because I sometimes can't tell if I like the song or not. I've just realized that if I had not decided to purchase one of the songs that I did, the guy that is now being talked about on the news would have purchased the 999,999,999th song. He would not be on CNN, he would not be mentioned on all the web sites, and he would not have won the prize. Somebody else would have! I just think this is an amazing thing to think about...

[AzurePhoenix]

A butterfly buys a song on ITunes, a man loses out on the highlight of his life. Chaos at it's finest

[Klaynos]

Yeay for nonlinear dynamical systems.....

 

What if he bought 2 songs, then it wounldn't matter.....

[herme3]

Yeay for nonlinear dynamical systems.....

 

What if he bought 2 songs' date=' then it wounldn't matter.....[/quote']

 

Even if he bought 2 songs, I'm sure that somebody else would have purchased the 1,000,000,000th song. Even on the fastest Internet connections, it would take at least 10 seconds to purchase a song, download it, and then purchase another song. There are so many iTunes users that I'm sure somebody else would have purchased another song within that time.

[Klaynos]

Even if he bought 2 songs, I'm sure that somebody else would have purchased the 1,000,000,000th song. Even on the fastest Internet connections, it would take at least 10 seconds to purchase a song, download it, and then purchase another song. There are so many iTunes users that I'm sure somebody else would have purchased another song within that time.

 

isn't their any way to purchase say a whole albam at once?

[AzurePhoenix]

There is this thing called a "cd" that does quite well for such things

[herme3]

isn't their any way to purchase say a whole albam at once?

 

Yes. Just search for the music band or singer you are looking for. It should display all of their albums. If you already have your iTunes account setup, just click on the album and it will start downloading. I rarely buy a whole album because I can just listen to previews of each songs and just buy the songs that I like.

 

There is this thing called a "cd" that does quite well for such things:-p

 

CDs are going completely out of style. I can't imagine carrying around my big and heavy Walkman now that I have my iPod Nano. A CD can usually hold around 20 songs. My iPod Nano can hold about 2,000! You can also put pictures on it, and it even comes with a few games. It also has a graphic equalizer to improve the sound quality. You can even shuffle all of the songs on your iPod, and it will play all of them in a random order. There are also tons of other features that I can't think of at the moment.

 

Trust me, I'm sure you will never want another CD after you get an iPod Nano.

[AzurePhoenix]

I don't buy most of my music anyway, in any form, cds especially because you end up paying for 20 songs, about 3 of which you actually want. Yup, it's radio for me.

[bascule]

It's all about the vinyl

[the tree]

Tottally, I still buy vinyl occasionally, and I love playing them. Plus vinyl is one of the funnest things to shop for.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

CDs are going completely out of style. I can't imagine carrying around my big and heavy Walkman now that I have my iPod Nano. A CD can usually hold around 20 songs. My iPod Nano can hold about 2' date='000! You can also put pictures on it, and it even comes with a few games. It also has a graphic equalizer to improve the sound quality. You can even shuffle all of the songs on your iPod, and it will play all of them in a random order. There are also tons of other features that I can't think of at the moment.

 

Trust me, I'm sure you will never want another CD after you get an iPod Nano.[/quote']

Or, you could get a far cheaper equivalent. iPods are very highly priced, simply because they're so popular. Alternatives are cheap.

 

(Lossy compression formats suck anyways. mp3 is out of style. Go FLAC!)

[herme3]

I don't buy most of my music anyway, in any form, cds especially because you end up paying for 20 songs, about 3 of which you actually want. Yup, it's radio for me.

 

I also enjoy listening to the radio. That is usually how I first hear songs that I want to buy for my iPod. I agree that with CDs you pay for a lot of songs that you don't want. That's another reason why I like buying my music from iTunes. You can listen to each song and choose the ones you want.

 

Or, you could get a far cheaper equivalent. iPods are very highly priced, simply because they're so popular. Alternatives are cheap.

 

Very bad idea! Think about the future. Apple has already made deals with most of the main automobile companies. In a few years, almost all vehicles are going to have a place where you can connect your iPod to the stereo. The same thing will happen with most home stereo systems. They will connect to the iPod's main port, not the place where you connect the headphones. The iPod's port is patented by Apple, so the equivalents will not be able to legally connect to all the devices designed for the iPod. You will have to buy a FM radio transmitter, which can be very expensive. I've also heard in reviews that the FM radio transmitters have poor quality.

 

If you have an iPod, you will be able to connect it to all types of entertainment and sound systems. If you get an equivalent, you will probably be stuck with headphones.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Very bad idea! Think about the future. Apple has already made deals with most of the main automobile companies. In a few years, almost all vehicles are going to have a place where you can connect your iPod to the stereo. The same thing will happen with most home stereo systems. They will connect to the iPod's main port, not the place where you connect the headphones. The iPod's port is patented by Apple, so the equivalents will not be able to legally connect to all the devices designed for the iPod. You will have to buy a FM radio transmitter, which can be very expensive. I've also heard in reviews that the FM radio transmitters have poor quality.

Then these nice little things called "anti-trust laws" would help out.

And where did you make the assumption that it would happen to stereos? How did you assume that the stereos would have no other ports besides the iPod dock? They also need connectivity with TVs and CD players (because people still use them) and, as you said, the iPod dock is patented!

 

And I might point out that the iPod dock is not meant for simply transferring sound. It's a 30-pin connector that allows remote control through the dock, information transfer, and so on. Not suited for a stereo system.

 

If you have an iPod, you will be able to connect it to all types of entertainment and sound systems. If you get an equivalent, you will probably be stuck with headphones.

Considering that most computer speakers nowadays use the same standard jack, and that standard jack is used by nearly every mp3 and CD player (even the iPod!), I doubt it. Things don't change that fast.

[Klaynos]

I also enjoy listening to the radio. That is usually how I first hear songs that I want to buy for my iPod. I agree that with CDs you pay for a lot of songs that you don't want. That's another reason why I like buying my music from iTunes. You can listen to each song and choose the ones you want.

 

 

 

Very bad idea! Think about the future. Apple has already made deals with most of the main automobile companies. In a few years' date=' almost all vehicles are going to have a place where you can connect your iPod to the stereo. The same thing will happen with most home stereo systems. They will connect to the iPod's main port, not the place where you connect the headphones. The iPod's port is patented by Apple, so the equivalents will not be able to legally connect to all the devices designed for the iPod. You will have to buy a FM radio transmitter, which can be very expensive. I've also heard in reviews that the FM radio transmitters have poor quality.

 

If you have an iPod, you will be able to connect it to all types of entertainment and sound systems. If you get an equivalent, you will probably be stuck with headphones.[/quote']

 

Or you could go for sony as they still have far more market share in the home entertainment market than ipod compatible products....

 

Personally I don't really like the ipod (why I have an alternative device).

 

The chance of the 3.5mm jack disapearing is tiny, it's been around for a long time mainly because for sterio sound it is a very effective connection...

 

As Cap'n Refsmmat most computer speakers now use 3.5mm jacks this was not the way for a while but convention, convinence and sence brought everyone round....

 

Everyone comming together under an open standard is teh future imo...

 

yeay for ogg vorbis!

[bascule]

iPods are very highly priced, simply because they're so popular.

 

They're priced highly because they're a stylish Apple product.

 

You do get quite a bit of value out of it though:

- Arguably the best interface for a digital music player

- The best video codec available to date (H.264) in your pocket, woot!

- All sorts of advanced features like metadata querying via Smart Playlists unavailable on other players

- The ease of iTunes integration for populating the thing with content

 

Lossy compression formats suck anyways. mp3 is out of style. Go FLAC!

 

Apple has their own (proprietary) lossless codec which plays on the iPod

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

They're priced highly because they're a stylish Apple product.

 

You do get quite a bit of value out of it though:

- Arguably the best interface for a digital music player

- The best video codec available to date (H.264) in your pocket' date=' woot!

- All sorts of advanced features like metadata querying via Smart Playlists unavailable on other players

- The ease of iTunes integration for populating the thing with content[/quote']

Indeed. But they're still highly priced. And they make a ridiculous profit.

 

Apple has their own (proprietary) lossless codec which plays on the iPod

Proprietary. And you know that open-source nuts won't let that happen.

[herme3]

Then these nice little things called "anti-trust laws" would help out.

 

Perhaps it could be breaking anti-trust laws. In fact, Apple will be making money from almost every automobile sold in the world! Every time a company sales a product that connects directly to iPod's main port, they have to pay a royalty to Apple. They said how much the royalty will be on CNN. It was a very small number, but I can imagine that it will add up. Of course, I don't have a problem with this because I have an iPod and I look forward to the day that I can listen to all of my music in my car.

 

And where did you make the assumption that it would happen to stereos?

 

There are already stereo systems for iPods. They work with the iPod, but not the other portable music players.

 

And I might point out that the iPod dock is not meant for simply transferring sound. It's a 30-pin connector that allows remote control through the dock, information transfer, and so on. Not suited for a stereo system.

 

You are correct, and the iPod will be sending a lot more than just sound to stereo systems and automobiles. For example, you will be able to control your iPod from buttons on the steering wheel in most future cars. These types of features will require the iPod dock, not just the standard jack.

 

Personally I don't really like the ipod (why I have an alternative device).

 

What type of alternative device do you use? I've looked at many of them, and they seem to be poor quality. Many of them only hold around 100 songs. My uncle bought an alternative device, and it broke after a few months. When an independent company was testing the iPod Nano, they actually drove a car over it with no case protecting it. It didn't look so good, but it still worked!

 

The only type of alternative device I would consider using would be a Sony. I always bought Sony CD players, and they worked great. However, the reviews for the Sony digital music players were much lower than the reviews for the iPod Nano.

 

As Cap'n Refsmmat most computer speakers now use 3.5mm jacks this was not the way for a while but convention, convinence and sence brought everyone round....

 

As I was explaining to Cap'n Refsmmat, the 3.5mm jack will not allow you to take advantage of the iPod's various features. For example, some future stereos will allow you to change songs using the remote that came with the stereo. The stereo system would need to connect to the iPod's dock to do this.

 

Apple has their own (proprietary) lossless codec which plays on the iPod

 

Actually, the iPod can play different file formats. If you put a MP3 file on your iPod, it will remain a MP3 file. When you rip a song from a CD, or buy a song from iTunes, the sound will be in the MPEG4 format. However, it will use Apple's proprietary code to protect the file so you can't make illegal copies.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Perhaps it could be breaking anti-trust laws. In fact, Apple will be making money from almost every automobile sold in the world! Every time a company sales a product that connects directly to iPod's main port, they have to pay a royalty to Apple. They said how much the royalty will be on CNN. It was a very small number, but I can imagine that it will add up. Of course, I don't have a problem with this because I have an iPod and I look forward to the day that I can listen to all of my music in my car.

I doubt it would be on most cars--only fancy ones. The fast majority of people who drive do not have iPods, so the car manufacturers would have nothing to gain.

 

 

They already make stereo systems for iPods:

 

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/6014004/wo/nXCbUP7hMApr2wck6ayFaQqxGXn/0.SLID?mco=FB6F5008&nclm=iPodSpeakers

 

These are all examples of stereos or speakers that work with the iPod' date=' but not the other portable music players.[/quote']

a) the link doesn't work

b) that gives me no indication that all stereo systems will be like that in the future, only that there are some like that

c) there are a heck of a lot more stereo systems that don't work with iPods.

 

 

You are correct, and the iPod will be sending a lot more than just sound to stereo systems and automobiles. For example, you will be able to control your iPod from buttons on the steering wheel in most future cars. These types of features will require the iPod dock, not just the standard jack.

Ah. So now senior citizens trying to make a left turn will find they suddenly turned up the volume.

 

What type of alternative device do you use? I've looked at many of them, and they seem to be poor quality. Many of them only hold around 100 songs. My uncle bought an alternative device, and it broke after a few months. When an independent company was testing the iPod Nano, they actually drove a car over it with no case protecting it. It didn't look so good, but it still worked!

a) there are plenty of alternative large-capacity mp3 players, so do your research

b) anecdote != general statement covering all alternative mp3 players

c) ever notice the controversy around the Nano being so easily scratchable? it was caused by Apple's cheap manufacturing--they didn't bother spending four cents or so to add a layer of resin over the screen.

 

The only type of alternative device I would consider using would be a Sony. I always bought Sony CD players, and they worked great. However, the reviews for the Sony digital music players were much lower than the reviews for the iPod Nano.

Sony is near the bottom of PC World's rankings.

 

 

As I was explaining to Cap'n Refsmmat, the 3.5mm jack will not allow you to take advantage of the iPod's various features. For example, some future stereos will allow you to change songs using the remote that came with the stereo. The stereo system would need to connect to the iPod's dock to do this.

You're still assuming iPod market dominance. Oh yes, and I have seen CD players that allow you to use the headphone jack to control them. It's just a small extra plug added in. You don't have to use an iPod dock to get the advantages of one.

 

Actually, the iPod can play different file formats. If you put a MP3 file on your iPod, it will remain a MP3 file. When you rip a song from a CD, or buy a song from iTunes, the sound will be in the MPEG4 format. However, it will use Apple's proprietary code to protect the file so you can't make illegal copies.

Like that ever stopped anybody.

 

And yes, Apple does have a proprietary file format for the iPod. It's called Apple Lossless. You can use other formats as well, but whatever. iPods still can't play Ogg or FLAC, which are some of the best, and not proprietary.

[bascule]

The problem with FLAC is that the algorithm is too complex for the (<=4G) iPod to play on the iPod's CPU architecture. Apple's algorithm was designed to be decodeable in realtime on the iPod's CPU.

 

The Nano and iPod video feature a newer, faster CPU based on a brand new architecture.

[herme3]

I doubt it would be on most cars--only fancy ones. The fast majority of people who drive do not have iPods, so the car manufacturers would have nothing to gain.

 

Actually quite a few companies have already been announced: http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/ipodyourcar/

 

This list is expected to grow by the end of the year. I think CNN said that about 90% of new cars will connect to iPods within the next two years.

 

Why are you acting like so few people own iPods? 42 million people own iPods, and they have purchased over 1 billion songs from iTunes. These are not small numbers.

 

Ah. So now senior citizens trying to make a left turn will find they suddenly turned up the volume.

 

Wow... You really are out of touch with technology! I know several people in my family who can control their car stereo from their steering wheel, and the cars aren't really expensive. This feature will be even more important if you are trying to control your iPod. Can you imagine how dangerous it would be if you are looking at your iPod screen and trying to scroll through your songs while driving?

 

 

ever notice the controversy around the Nano being so easily scratchable? it was caused by Apple's cheap manufacturing--they didn't bother spending four cents or so to add a layer of resin over the screen.

 

Yeah, I don't know what these idiots are complaining about. I use my iPod Nano all the time, and it doesn't even have one scratch.

 

Did you ever notice the controversy about Sony TV's being so breakable? It will break if you throw it off a tall building. It was caused by Sony's cheap manufacturing...

 

You're still assuming iPod market dominance.

 

Uh, what planet are you from? The iPod does have market dominance! I think the next largest company in that market is Creative. I can't name anyone who has a portable music player from Creative, but I see tons of people with their iPods.

 

You seem to be against every large company in the world! You are against Microsoft for leading the operating system and web browsing industries. I can almost understand because of some of the security flaws that could let hackers into your computer. However, I can't imagine a hacker using a security flaw in an iPod to hack your computer. So, what's your reason this time? We live in a capitalist economy, so there is almost always going to be a company with market dominance.

[starbug1]

Sure, the CPU is newer and pretty awesome I must admit. I bought a 30G video iPod and it works great. However, the video feature is almost useless, as the battery will virtually drain itself completely using the screen light for 20 min. I've even got a dvd on my ipod, and there's no way to watch it anywhere without it dying on me. I'm a fan of apple products, but the fast battery drain on the ipods is somewhat disappointing. Does anyone else have this problem?

 

It's not much of a problem because I know the quality is much better than anything else on the market. Those other mp3 players are a piece of plastic. The ipods are relatively light, but the other ones are just ridiculous!

[herme3]

Sure, the CPU is newer and pretty awesome I must admit. I bought a 30G video iPod and it works great. However, the video feature is almost useless, as the battery will virtually drain itself completely using the screen light for 20 min. I've even got a dvd on my ipod, and there's no way to watch it anywhere without it dying on me. I'm a fan of apple products, but the fast battery drain on the ipods is somewhat disappointing. Does anyone else have this problem?

 

Try contacting Apple. Sometimes the batteries are defective. I'm not sure how long it is supposed to last, but I'm sure it should last several hours. If it is defective, Apple will fix it for free when it is still under warranty.

 

It's not much of a problem because I know the quality is much better than anything else on the market. Those other mp3 players are a piece of plastic. The ipods are relatively light, but the other ones are just ridiculous!

 

I agree. I looked at several mp3 players, and none of them looked very impressive. They were either larger than the iPod Nano, or they had a much smaller capacity.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Actually quite a few companies have already been announced: http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/ipodyourcar/

 

This list is expected to grow by the end of the year. I think CNN said that about 90% of new cars will connect to iPods within the next two years.

 

Why are you acting like so few people own iPods? 42 million people own iPods' date=' and they have purchased over 1 billion songs from iTunes. These are not small numbers.[/quote']

a) those are mostly top-end cars,

b) "I think" doesn't mean anything to me,

c) did they specifically say "iPod" and rule out other mp3 players?

d) I'm not. I know how prevalant they are.

e) quite a few != most

 

Wow... You really are out of touch with technology! I know several people in my family who can control their car stereo from their steering wheel, and the cars aren't really expensive. This feature will be even more important if you are trying to control your iPod. Can you imagine how dangerous it would be if you are looking at your iPod screen and trying to scroll through your songs while driving?

I know. I happen to have a car like that. It gets irritating. And yes, that would be like using a cell phone while driving, which everyone seems to do, unfortunately.

 

Yeah, I don't know what these idiots are complaining about. I use my iPod Nano all the time, and it doesn't even have one scratch.

1 usage case != many hundres of complaints, plus a class-action lawsuit

Calling them idiots won't fix the problem.

 

Did you ever notice the controversy about Sony TV's being so breakable? It will break if you throw it off a tall building. It was caused by Sony's cheap manufacturing...

Titanium TVs would be marketable.

 

Uh, what planet are you from? The iPod does have market dominance! I think the next largest company in that market is Creative. I can't name anyone who has a portable music player from Creative, but I see tons of people with their iPods.

You're assuming that this dominance will continue and will grow. And you took my quote out of context. Read the rest of the statement.

 

You seem to be against every large company in the world! You are against Microsoft for leading the operating system and web browsing industries. I can almost understand because of some of the security flaws that could let hackers into your computer. However, I can't imagine a hacker using a security flaw in an iPod to hack your computer. So, what's your reason this time? We live in a capitalist economy, so there is almost always going to be a company with market dominance.

a) that's an ad hominem attack,

b) this is completely different,

c) I am not against Microsoft because of their "market dominance,"

d) Apple makes a ridiculous profit off of their products,

e) there are alternatives that your anecdotes will not destroy.

 

I agree. I looked at several mp3 players, and none of them looked very impressive. They were either larger than the iPod Nano, or they had a much smaller capacity.

You didn't look very hard. The first one is $90 cheaper, has the same capacity as a $250 Nano, and has a 5-star review average.

 

Just because you didn't find one doesn't mean there is no viable alternative.

 

Sure, the CPU is newer and pretty awesome I must admit. I bought a 30G video iPod and it works great. However, the video feature is almost useless, as the battery will virtually drain itself completely using the screen light for 20 min. I've even got a dvd on my ipod, and there's no way to watch it anywhere without it dying on me. I'm a fan of apple products, but the fast battery drain on the ipods is somewhat disappointing. Does anyone else have this problem?

According to PC World, battery life should be 2.5 hrs. iPods have many known battery problems, especially as their batteries wear out rather quickly.

 

It's not much of a problem because I know the quality is much better than anything else on the market. Those other mp3 players are a piece of plastic. The ipods are relatively light, but the other ones are just ridiculous!

a) iPods are also pieces of plastic,

b) you obviously didn't look very hard.