How big is the iPod?

[Tyler]

A recent poll showed that the only things higher on this holiday's wish list than the iPod were clothes, money, and a car.  If you ask me, the iPod is the only way to fly.  However, there are rumors of a $100 Microsoft player that will have the capacity of an iPod, and we know Microsoft will undercut to gain market share.  Many universities are giving iPods away to incoming freshmen.  The white earbuds have become a status symbol.  

Is the iPod unstoppable?  Don't forget that in 1994 Netscape was unstoppable, and it's not doing so hot right now.

[Bryan]

right now nothing can touch it.

-Bryan

[Tyler]

True.  But I would never want to be in a situation where M$ is nipping at my toes.

[Tyler]

sorry double post.

[Bryan]

although honestly I don't think MS can touch the sleek and awesome design of the ipod, just look at the xbox as an example.

[Tyler]

True.  I find it suprising, however, that with M$'s deep pockets, they can't get a team together to design something as slick, or dare I say slicker, than the iPod.  

If they can't do that, however, I'm sure they'll just undercut the iPod in price until they are dominant in that market too.  Then they'll probably tighten some DRM on WMA's and make the players only play that, so that if they ever wanted to get a different player, they would have to get all new music.

[Guest]

the ipod is great but to be honest, i hate apple. i would love to get ahold of MS's competitor so im not confined by apple's damn restrictions and aac files.

[Tyler]

The iPod does play normal mp3s.  I have well over 1500 that all were downloaded "illegally".

[Guest]

yeah man, i know. i have 1600 (most mp3 except for what was bought from itunes). i was just talking a/b apple in general. if you DL any song from iTunes, you have to get them as AAC files and they are "protected" from conversion. also, ppl cant listen to them on their computer's without your password an so on. theres no reason to buy songs online except for convenience. also, my friend has a new iBook and she cant watch any .wmv files. its stuff like this that i dont like. i can get around on an apple but it seems to me that you have more freedom on any other OS. am i wrong?

[bill corcoran]

yeah, i'd say you were wrong, at least for the reasons mentioned.

you can get windows media player for mac (as well as qt plugins for divx and ogg, etc.).  it would be just as fair to say that the problem isn't apple, but microsoft, anyway - after all, they're using their own format there - WMV, without consideration for users who would prefer to choose a player other than WMP.

so, is there a legal, pay-per-download music service out there that DOESN'T protect it's media?  i haven't heard of it.  besides, there is ALWAYS a way around it.

the only real beef i have with apple is the lack airport extreme drivers for linux - but that's really a matter of broadcom's resistance to disclose the necessary details for some FOSS developer to write one.  oh well.  os x is still pretty killer.  you run into the same exact problem with hardware working under windows.