Comments on: Apple iTunes in Oz http://www.p2pnet.net/story/6788 p2pnet.net - reader powered Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:11:09 -0300 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Reader's Write http://www.p2pnet.net/story/6788/comment-page-1#comment-23185 Reader's Write Mon, 31 Oct 2005 17:19:36 +0000 #comment-23185 Yeah, i'll substitute a friggin wheel for features and quality anyday.. NOT. Yeah, i’ll substitute a friggin wheel for features and quality anyday.. NOT.

]]> By: Reader's Write http://www.p2pnet.net/story/6788/comment-page-1#comment-23179 Reader's Write Mon, 31 Oct 2005 14:21:19 +0000 #comment-23179 Well i'll be voting with my wallet, and the vote is: No. The vast majority of music i listen to is nonenglish metal, you really think i could get that on itunes? Or the others? Or even in my local oz music store? LOL yeah right! I'd probly buy it if they gave me the chance to, there was no drm, it wasn't crappy mp3, but that just ain't gonna happen. Not until certain orga...obstacles, are removed at least. The scariest thing about itunes is i havent heard of anyone actually trying to bring down the servers, or even deface the website? Are the l33t h4x0r crowd actually buying ipods and paying for tracks on itunes???? Omg! Please, say it isn't so! Well i’ll be voting with my wallet, and the vote is: No.

The vast majority of music i listen to is nonenglish metal, you really think i could get that on itunes? Or the others? Or even in my local oz music store? LOL yeah right! I’d probly buy it if they gave me the chance to, there was no drm, it wasn’t crappy mp3, but that just ain’t gonna happen.

Not until certain orga…obstacles, are removed at least.

The scariest thing about itunes is i havent heard of anyone actually trying to bring down the servers, or even deface the website? Are the l33t h4×0r crowd actually buying ipods and paying for tracks on itunes???? Omg! Please, say it isn’t so!

]]> By: Reader's Write http://www.p2pnet.net/story/6788/comment-page-1#comment-23170 Reader's Write Mon, 31 Oct 2005 10:16:34 +0000 #comment-23170 Very well written and informative, and I cannot argue with the facts. In antitrust law parlance, Apple has garned a "tying agreement" of the sort that was outlawed when IBM required computing departments to buy IBM-brand punch-cards for inputting programs. Tying agreements leverage a market advantage in one field into a separate advantage in another field where competition should be equalized rather than biased toward existing businesses. That's the hazard of mass marketing, which aggreggates without discrimination especially at the front end of a technological innovation. But why don't Australians buy non-Apple MP3 players? Something magical about the Apple name? Are Australians very sheeplike about the music technology? Very well written and informative, and I cannot argue with the facts. In antitrust law parlance, Apple has garned a “tying agreement” of the sort that was outlawed when IBM required computing departments to buy IBM-brand punch-cards for inputting programs. Tying agreements leverage a market advantage in one field into a separate advantage in another field where competition should be equalized rather than biased toward existing businesses. That’s the hazard of mass marketing, which aggreggates without discrimination especially at the front end of a technological innovation. But why don’t Australians buy non-Apple MP3 players? Something magical about the Apple name? Are Australians very sheeplike about the music technology?

]]> By: Reader's Write http://www.p2pnet.net/story/6788/comment-page-1#comment-23168 Reader's Write Mon, 31 Oct 2005 08:02:42 +0000 #comment-23168 > “You say consumers don't have a vote? Bull. You elect your lawmakers there, don't you? > Let them know what you want.” Definitely a great concept in theory, but difficult in practice. All year the Australian Government has been running an enquiry which may or may not lead to consumers being legally able to make copies of CDs they bought. I and many others put in submissions which suggested that the Government should introduce these fair use exemptions under our Copyright law. So far the response has been silence. The Fed Govt didn’t even publish submissions. I mean how many times does the recording industry want us to buy the same sound recording? 1 for the home, 1 for the car, 1 for the digital music player? > “Well, even before it was opened, ipods were teh (sic) most popular digital player in australia. So obviously users had found some way to enjoy them. Now they have another option, in the iTMS. And yes, options = choices.” The point is there are always choices. Anyone can rip a CD, or hit a P2P site to download a track if that's what they want to do. What I am talking about is legal choices for Australian consumers who are willing and able to pay for their music. The last thing anyone would want to see is the copyright police inspecting kids’ iPods to see if the music on the iPods was legitimately obtained. And before you dismiss this idea as absurd, this is the same industry that sued a 12 year old girl not so long ago. in the US! Apple’s iPod may or may not be a good product. Don’t know. Don’t care. Don’t plan to buy one! The problem arises when there is only 1 way to obtain music legally to service the demand for iPod content in Australia. While laws may be different in the US and Canada, that is the situation in Australia, and that fits the definition of a monopoly position. That places a great deal of power in the hands of Apple’s execs. And where there is great power … well you know the rest. Alex > “You say consumers don’t have a vote? Bull. You elect your lawmakers there, don’t you?
> Let them know what you want.”

Definitely a great concept in theory, but difficult in practice. All year the Australian Government has been running an enquiry which may or may not lead to consumers being legally able to make copies of CDs they bought. I and many others put in submissions which suggested that the Government should introduce these fair use exemptions under our Copyright law. So far the response has been silence. The Fed Govt didn’t even publish submissions. I mean how many times does the recording industry want us to buy the same sound recording? 1 for the home, 1 for the car, 1 for the digital music player?

> “Well, even before it was opened, ipods were teh (sic) most popular digital player in australia. So obviously users had found some way to enjoy them. Now they have another option, in the iTMS. And yes, options = choices.”

The point is there are always choices. Anyone can rip a CD, or hit a P2P site to download a track if that’s what they want to do. What I am talking about is legal choices for Australian consumers who are willing and able to pay for their music. The last thing anyone would want to see is the copyright police inspecting kids’ iPods to see if the music on the iPods was legitimately obtained. And before you dismiss this idea as absurd, this is the same industry that sued a 12 year old girl not so long ago. in the US!

Apple’s iPod may or may not be a good product. Don’t know. Don’t care. Don’t plan to buy one! The problem arises when there is only 1 way to obtain music legally to service the demand for iPod content in Australia. While laws may be different in the US and Canada, that is the situation in Australia, and that fits the definition of a monopoly position. That places a great deal of power in the hands of Apple’s execs. And where there is great power … well you know the rest.

Alex

]]> By: Reader's Write http://www.p2pnet.net/story/6788/comment-page-1#comment-23162 Reader's Write Mon, 31 Oct 2005 02:30:46 +0000 #comment-23162 Consumers dont have a vote??? Who buys the music from the iTMS?? Consumers... It is their purchases that makes the iTMS a monopoly. If consumers decide they dont want apple to have that power, they will stop buying from their store. It is only the consumers who have the power, not Apple. Are you accusing apple of limiting choices by opening the iTMS in australia? Well, even before it was opened, ipods were teh most popular digital player in australia. So obviously users had found some way to enjoy them. Now they have another option, in the iTMS. And yes, options = choices. Consumers dont have a vote??? Who buys the music from the iTMS?? Consumers… It is their purchases that makes the iTMS a monopoly. If consumers decide they dont want apple to have that power, they will stop buying from their store. It is only the consumers who have the power, not Apple.

Are you accusing apple of limiting choices by opening the iTMS in australia? Well, even before it was opened, ipods were teh most popular digital player in australia. So obviously users had found some way to enjoy them. Now they have another option, in the iTMS. And yes, options = choices.

]]> By: Reader's Write http://www.p2pnet.net/story/6788/comment-page-1#comment-23158 Reader's Write Mon, 31 Oct 2005 01:13:14 +0000 #comment-23158 I presume that you have some deep technical understanding to justify your "inept" comment, but the fact is, iPods have won in the marketplace - so get over it. And the reason they have won is nothing to do with bits or ICs or anything technical at all. They have won because of what Apple has ALWAYS been best at - the user interface, in this case, the click wheel. Being able to control the selection and playback of thousands of songs intuitively with one thumb on one control is what started the people flocking to the iPod, and it's what keeps them coming back. The other player manufacturers just don't get it - and you don't either. I presume that you have some deep technical understanding to justify your “inept” comment, but the fact is, iPods have won in the marketplace – so get over it.

And the reason they have won is nothing to do with bits or ICs or anything technical at all. They have won because of what Apple has ALWAYS been best at – the user interface, in this case, the click wheel. Being able to control the selection and playback of thousands of songs intuitively with one thumb on one control is what started the people flocking to the iPod, and it’s what keeps them coming back. The other player manufacturers just don’t get it – and you don’t either.

]]> By: Reader's Write http://www.p2pnet.net/story/6788/comment-page-1#comment-23144 Reader's Write Sun, 30 Oct 2005 16:51:14 +0000 #comment-23144 What really makes things sad is the fact that Ipods are technically some of the most inept and overpriced portable MP3 devices on the market. Just like most Apple products, it's not what you think. Do yourselves a favour and read the technical details for your MP3 player before purchasing as there are better alternatives. Don't get sucked into Apple's marketing jive. If you want to join the crowd sporting an Ipod as a fashion accessory, well good for you... *cough cough* sucker. What really makes things sad is the fact that Ipods are technically some of the most inept and overpriced portable MP3 devices on the market.

Just like most Apple products, it’s not what you think.

Do yourselves a favour and read the technical details for your MP3 player before purchasing as there are better alternatives. Don’t get sucked into Apple’s marketing jive. If you want to join the crowd sporting an Ipod as a fashion accessory, well good for you… *cough cough* sucker.

]]> By: Reader's Write http://www.p2pnet.net/story/6788/comment-page-1#comment-23143 Reader's Write Sun, 30 Oct 2005 16:43:13 +0000 #comment-23143 which makes you sound fairly intelligent too... you fool. which makes you sound fairly intelligent too… you fool.

]]> By: Reader's Write http://www.p2pnet.net/story/6788/comment-page-1#comment-23135 Reader's Write Sun, 30 Oct 2005 13:22:41 +0000 #comment-23135 Based on what you say... "Under current Australian law consumers can’t still can’t legally rip the CDs they've purchased"... then it's not Apple's fault that the only way you can get music for an iPod is through iTunes Store... The fault is in the local laws in Australia. And even if the "labels" are preventing it there, it's still not Apple's fault. As for all this "monopoly" drivel, where "instead of major record companies from a few multinational companies deciding what music consumers CAN purchase, now the decision is being made by a single multinational company – Apple."... That's nonsense... Just because they sell music, it doesn't mean they have some commitment to sell "all the music ever recorded in the world". It's not Apple's fault that you're not allowed to rip a CD into your iPod. You say consumers don't have a vote? Bull. You elect your lawmakers there, don't you? Let them know what you want. Jeez. Based on what you say… “Under current Australian law consumers can’t still can’t legally rip the CDs they’ve purchased”… then it’s not Apple’s fault that the only way you can get music for an iPod is through iTunes Store… The fault is in the local laws in Australia.

And even if the “labels” are preventing it there, it’s still not Apple’s fault.

As for all this “monopoly” drivel, where “instead of major record companies from a few multinational companies deciding what music consumers CAN purchase, now the decision is being made by a single multinational company – Apple.”… That’s nonsense… Just because they sell music, it doesn’t mean they have some commitment to sell “all the music ever recorded in the world”. It’s not Apple’s fault that you’re not allowed to rip a CD into your iPod.

You say consumers don’t have a vote? Bull. You elect your lawmakers there, don’t you? Let them know what you want.

Jeez.

]]> By: Reader's Write http://www.p2pnet.net/story/6788/comment-page-1#comment-23129 Reader's Write Sun, 30 Oct 2005 06:43:48 +0000 #comment-23129 Downloads on iTunes should be free paid for by advertising Downloads on iTunes should be free paid for by advertising

]]> By: Reader's Write http://www.p2pnet.net/story/6788/comment-page-1#comment-23127 Reader's Write Sun, 30 Oct 2005 06:07:04 +0000 #comment-23127 You're an idiot mate! You’re an idiot mate!

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