Dylan Greene dot com

Your Apple story paints a very one-sided view and neglects a lot of information.

1) *ALL* companies patent everything, particularly companies that are ripped off as often as Apple is. If you don't want people copying your design that generates a lot of retail traffic, such as the staircase, you patent it. Microsoft just recently patented a feature of e-mail that was in use long before the company existed, but you don't seem to be criticizing them.

2) What is untrue about Apple having the world's first 64-bit processor for personal computers? Do you really consider a Sun or SGI workstation a personal computer? To me, "personal computer" means a consumer machine. The claim "world's fastest, most powerful," is certainly not untrue either, depending on whose benchmarks you look at. The G5's benchmark results (as rated by a third party) far exceeded the most powerful Wintel machine. That's not enough to make the claim the it's the world's most powerful PC -- the same claim that other companies have made about their own hardware?

3) The iPod battery has won awards for numerous things, including its battery longevity. To claim that the repair process and bill for the first generation iPod (which cost $400) mimic today's process demonstrates simple stupidity. The battery replacement is free when the iPod is under its 1-year warranty or extended warranty, and $100 otherwise. Your $255 claim is silly, and poorly researched.

4) Your claim that you do not get a repaired iPod isn't true either. Even so, the sync between iTunes and the iPod is seamless. If you did get an empty iPod back from Apple, the touch of a button would restore all of your content. And on a Mac, the OS won't even crash.

5) The press has never loved Apple. Neither has Wall Street. You should do more reading before you make such a blanket claim.

The iPod has been recognized time and time again as being the premier MP3 player, both through awards, revenue, and market share. Apple is obviously doing more right that you would claim.

> 5) The press has never loved Apple.

Huh? That's a crock of shit. Apple can do no wrong. They could take a crap in a clear plastic bowl and everyone would rave about it's "design vision."

Case in point: the ipod/itunes.

Apple introduces a device/service with a proprietary music format with DRM built in and everyone overlooks it. "It's so cool!" "It plays music!" It's device of the year.

If MS did the same thing (introduced a proprietary format with DRM built in) everyone and their sister's boyfriend would be jumping their shit about "standard MS tactics of taking over the world by creating their own format."

Fuck Apple and it's users who can't see it for what it is: conspicuous consumption of lifestyle accessories. Steve Jobs has you all duped into paying 1.5x - 2.5x as much for comparable stuff because it's covered in translucent plastic.

1) What's that feature?

2) AMD's 64-bit processor was available in PC's before the G5 shipped, but Apple's VP of Hardware Engineering Jon Rubinstein decided that those machines "weren't desktops." Plus, you can get a 64-bit version of Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server today. A 64-bit version of Mac OS hasn't even been announced, so new Macs aren't even able to take advantage of the extra wide memory space.

3) The battery isn't going to die within the 1-year warranty. As most cell-phone owners have found out, rechargeable batteries simply loose the ability to hold a charge over time, usually after a full year or two of use. It's not a iPod flaw that the battery looses a charge, it's a flaw of Apple's marketing team of making sure potential buyers are not aware of this. There is a class action lawsuit against Apple right now because of this. If you plan on using your iPod for more than one year you basically *have* to get the extended warrenty. Would you buy a cell phone with a battery soddered inside of hte unit and it required a $100 extended warrenty if you wanted to use it after one year?

4) I learned that from an iPod user, and confirmed on Apple's from Repair Terms and Conditions. "Apple may use new or reconditioned parts." You REALLY need do some research before you claim that I don't. It makes you look like an idiot.

5) I never mentioned Wall Street, you should read what I wrote before claiming I don't read enough. (See #4.)

"The premier MP3 player" - sure it's popular and it wins lots of awards, but it's not the most popular player as you seem to believe. Creative's models outsell the iPods outside of the Apple stores and your little community of pro-Apple trolls. According to Amazon, their top selling player is from Creative.

The problem with the iPod isn't technical - it's got a great UI, it's easy to use, and most people ignore the features that it lacks compared to the non-iPod players, such as voice recording, FM radio, and WMA support.

The problem is that they realize that for a lot less money they can get something that might not look as cool as an iPod, but it will do what they need it to do, which is play music. Many people who use the mp3 player for working out want something smaller than the iPod (and smaller and lighter than the mini), which is probably why small flash-based players with no moving parts are still outselling the iPods. Of course you can't hold as much music that way, but when going from a CD or tape player to a $250-$500 (!) mp3 player, several gigs of space and something that expensive can be overwhelming to a lot of users. The second-most-popular mp3 player on Amazon is a portable low-frills CD player from iRiver that can play CD's with MP3's on it and includes headphones, a car adapter, etc. It cost just $29.99! Now *that's* in the range of what most of us can afford...

I used to be a PC (50% Linux, 50% Windows) person also, but after seeing a lot of my friends switching to Macs I gave it a try and it is amazing. Some of the things that never worked on any PC I had were bluetooth plug and play, suspend with out issues, moving my computer between several networks. What I've ended up with is a Unix core with a usable integrated GUI (when I add people to my address book they end up in email, IM and everything else and when my mobile phone rings the caller id shows up on screen and pauses my music!) and all support I expect from Windows (ie if I buy a printer I don't have deal with recompiling the kernel like I did with Linux) You beat up on the iPod a lot which is not with out its deficiencies but it does integrate well with the rest of the Apple desktop, how many MP3 players hold your address book and calendar as well. If only my PowerBook had three mouse buttons it would be perfect.

Here's more...

"Police in Britain are warning iPod owners there that wearing the white headphones included with the iPod makes them a target for muggings."

" Apples response to all of this, with a spokesman claming that some iPod fans would rather be robbed than use headphones that were less cool."

http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/9971750?source=Metro

http://www.engadget.com/entry/7673568580278881/

Follow up:

"Apple's iPod Patent Not Thinking Differently Enough"

Seems that Apple's "original" iPod user interface may have been copied from designer Noel Rubin's Shockwave/Flash-based home page which was online Summer 2000 (iPods came out November 2001). Even if it wasn't copied on purpose, this shows prior art which may make Apple's patent null and void.

Here's Noel's UI:

http://www.teknoel.com/show/?file=/design/portfolio/index.htm

Read this on Gizmodo:

http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/apples_ipod_patent_not_thinking_differently_enough.php

On post number 2 above, where the person said Apple could do no wrong, obviously you've never read the Mercury News (and numerous other media outlets that routinely predict Apple's demise).

> Apple introduces a device/service with a

> proprietary music format with DRM built

The iPod plays both MP3 and AAC format. AAC is not proprietary. And the DRM built into iTunes is not even close to restrictive.

> If MS did the same thing (introduced a

> proprietary format with DRM built in)

They did. And theirs *is* proprietary.

On Dylan's post:

> 1) What's that feature?

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,704,772.WKU.&OS=PN/6,704,772&RS=PN/6,704,772

"Systems and methods for providing electronic messaging services to multiple users by storing a single copy of an electronic message at a central location and notifying recipients of the stored single copy."

Many MTAs have done this for ages. Even cc:Mail did this.

2) Wow. I didn't think people who thought Windows was a superior operating system actually existed. I'm not even going to get into that holy war.

3) You're comparing apples to oranges. The iPod batteries do not lose their ability to hold charge as cellphone batteries do -- the two devices have entirely different power management schemes and usage profiles. Vast improvements have been made to the iPod power management since the first Gen (the only generation to ever have any battery problems). Numerous users who bought a first generation model, as well, claim they have never had a problem with loss of charge. A simple firmware upgrade has resolves the drain problem with the first generation models. Future models don't have the problem. If you want to argue that all batteries lose their charge over time, fine. But everything is relative. 99 years is a long time.

4) So, you're quoting an iPod *user* and a service contract, that is designed to give indemnity to the company doing the service. My information comes directly from the source. And you're criticizing *my* research? Engraved iPods (and engraving is free on all iPods) are always repaired -- never replaced. Those that aren't personalized will be repaired at the owner's request, or replaced with new or refurbished units otherwise. Problems with refurbished units are as rare as problems with new units. Apple isn't Dell.

> 5) I never mentioned Wall Street, you should

> read what I wrote before claiming I don't read

> enough. (See #4.)

My Wall Street comment was not in direct response to your statement. It was a side comment that I made in *addition* to the statement I made countering what you said. Conclusions as to why you have a need to be nitpicky are left as an exercise to the reader.

> "Creative's models outsell the iPods outside of the Apple stores"

That is the silliest argument I have ever heard. Outside of Apple stores? That's like saying "Toyota vehicles don't sell well outside of Toyota dealerships."

> According to Amazon, their top selling player

> is from Creative.

Yes, let's consult a single store and not the entire market. That makes perfect sense.

The top selling MP3 player from *all* sources in 2003 was the iPod. Half of all hard drive MP3 players sold were iPods. That would seem to meet the "most popular" criteria pretty well.

I hate anonymous comments, especially ones that are anti/pro-Apple. Come on people; stand up for what you believe in! It makes it so difficult to have any kind of productive discourse when you have to refer back to "Anonymous Poster That Probably Penned Post X, Y & Z"...

iPod pros and cons can be argued till the cows come home. If you had the money would you buy a Mercedes or a BMW? Maybe neither, maybe youd buy a Honda or a Ford. Different people have different needs and also rationalize their decisions based on different metrics. I love my iPod... and my PowerBook, my eMac, my iMac and my Quadra 650 and once long ago, I even loved my Apple II+. I wasnt too keen on the (Firewire) iBook, it just never seemed to work right and OS X is a pig on it even with the memory maxed out, but thats another story and Im passing it off to my sister anyway. Ill be the first to say (and not anonymously, mind you) that Ive spent a lot of money on Apple products over the years - maybe too much, but thats my choice based on my needs and preferences.

-- Comment Removed --

Sorry, had to remove Anonymous #9's comments. Maybe it's time to stop allowing anonymous comments?

To #9 - this is my personal web site. I am entitled to my opinion.

I'm guessing you disagree with something I wrote. That's fine, lots of people disagree with what I write. Post a response here if you'd like. You can also find my email and IM address on my contact page if you want to respond privately.

Heck, sometimes I even write stuff just to get people to respond. *Especially* the people hiding behind the Anonymous tag.

-- Comment Removed --

Steve - I had to remove your text again. The fact that it was annonymous was not why I had to remove it.

Here is most of Steve's text, with two edits:

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How is using the word "Anonymous" as a name any different than using one's actual first name? You can't exactly identify people by a single name. Using "Anonymous" is hardly hiding. It's simply another label. Those who post names don't post pictures, e-mail addresses, social security numbers, or other identifying information any more so than people who use the word "Anonymous." (Your "Name" field reads "optional." If it's not optional, perhaps you shouldn't label it as such.)

In any case, my comment was: ===removed===

(Oh, you should be more careful when responding to comments. You can never be sure whom you're calling an idiot.)"

Perhaps now that I have signed my name you will leave it. You are certainly entitled to your opinion. And I am certainly entitled to mine, ==removed text==.

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Steve: Sorry I had to edit your text. To be fair I tried to keep as much as possible. I think you will notice what is missing and not post that anymore.

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