[nib]

A company called Mediafour is releasing software that will allow the use of the iPod with WinXP box....
http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0111/16.xpod.php

[TazmanDman]

I'd hate to be a cynic, but any windoze software compatability with the iPod will never be on par with apple's instant-sync capabilities with iTunes...hands down.

BUT, I would like to see Apple gain some market ground if the iPod takes off with windoze users

-Taz

Even if they can get mp3s on the ipod and playing, they are going to be SOL when there are firmware updates to it. Like cross-fading and equalizer. A clock, etc. Those will all be only available using a mac and I doubt that there will be an easy way to get them installed. So if they want to drop $400 for a 1.0 version of the ipod and have to live with it, let them. More money in apple's (and my) pocket (when the stock goes up )

[dowNNshift]

heh.. Totally agree -- Windows users using the XPod software are gonna be left behind when further rev's of the iPod come along... Guess they'll just have to buy a mac

[Porkstone]

<-lazy torifile->
ho ho those windows users (95% of all computer users) won't be able to buy an iPod and use it properly, isn't that great! More money for me and Apple !

This type of logic astounds me! Please explain how making a product only available to only 5% of the potential market is going to make Apple more profitable ?



Link to stats on computer usage

[dowNNshift]

Apple's goal with the iPod was to make it easy to carry around your entire music collection in your pocket. The only way of doing that with simplicity and ease is with of couse the Mac OS and one of the best Mac Apps iTunes2. The reason wintel users seemly are all bitter is because they either A. dont have firewire or B. they dont have any program that comes close to being as easy and seemless to use as iTunes. Truthfully, I think the XPod is a joke. If Apple wanted to make the iPod cross platform they would have. The XPod software is only going to create a pool of frustrated PC users that will go one of two ways -- either excited about the interface of their iPod and step up into an entry level Mac or they will become further disgruntled and believe that Apple is only interested in creating propriatary peripherials. That's just my .02

[Porkstone]

Originally posted by dowNNshift:
<STRONG>Apple's goal with the iPod was to make it easy to carry around your entire music collection in your pocket. The only way of doing that with simplicity and ease is with of couse the Mac OS and one of the best Mac Apps iTunes2. The reason wintel users seemly are all bitter is because they either A. dont have firewire or B. they dont have any program that comes close to being as easy and seemless to use as iTunes. Truthfully, I think the XPod is a joke. If Apple wanted to make the iPod cross platform they would have. The XPod software is only going to create a pool of frustrated PC users that will go one of two ways -- either excited about the interface of their iPod and step up into an entry level Mac or they will become further disgruntled and believe that Apple is only interested in creating propriatary peripherials. That's just my .02 </STRONG>

First of all give Apple their due the iPod is a nice piece of kit, and ideal for people who want to carry a massive selection of music around with them. But why make it that you first have to buy a Mac to be able to use one?
Let's face it if four years ago Sony made a Walkman that required the purchase of computer to use it they would have been laughed out of town.

I understand that Apple has a strategy for supporting it's own family of products, but an Mp3 player is an Mp3 player whatever way you look at it. The potential market for such a product is huge and Apple have turned their back on it. I think they have made a poor decision as far as economics are concerned.

[Rob van dam]

Porkstone apple Havent turned there backs of the wintel market.Jobs said that they would eventually make it compatible with pc's.

[AJ]

Originally posted by Rob van dam:
<STRONG>Porkstone apple Havent turned there backs of the wintel market.Jobs said that they would eventually make it compatible with pc's.</STRONG>

No he didn't. He said they might consider it, IIRC.

AJ

[DavidsneaD]

I don't think M$ compatability has to be on the level of iTunes in order to make a third party client worthwhile. What's needed is for the iPod to work, and integration with Windows Explorer is exactly what I'd like to see.

Point taken about the lack of firmware upgradability, but I'm not quite sure what could be added to the iPod to make it better. Many users claim that an EQ is not neccesary for the iPod. Who here uses WMA anyway? A clock? I'm not going to buy a new computer to give my iPod a clock. Although I think iTunes is a good program, when I'm in the windows world I definantly don't miss it. Mac OS X, sure it's refreshing compared to Windows, but iTunes I feel is overrated.

Anyone whose going to buy a $400 MP3 player in the first place is probably a fairly savvy computer user. As a result I'm sure they'll be able to figure out how to use XPod easily.

I'm just unclear about the difference between this and the company's MacDrive software. If one can use MacDrive to upload and download MP3s and use the firewire hard drive mode, then why buy a product that justs lets you upload music to it? Question #6 of the Xpod FAQ says it will follow Apple/s lead on "stealing music". I'd be pissed if I couldn't use the iPod on both my PC AND Mac.

[Euphrates]

originally posted by DavidsneaD:
Anyone whose going to buy a $400 MP3 player in the first place is probably a fairly savvy computer user. As a result I'm sure they'll be able to figure out how to use XPod easily.

I don't think having $400 qualifies you as being a savvy computer user. On the contrary, some people who are loaded might buy more expensive stuff just for the heck of it, even if they don't know jack about computers.

[ 11-27-2001: Message edited by: Euphrates ]

[DavidsneaD]

Originally posted by Euphrates:
<STRONG>

I don't think having $400 qualifies you as being a savvy computer user. On the contrary, some people who are loaded might buy more expensive stuff just for the heck of it, even if they don't know jack about computers.

[ 11-27-2001: Message edited by: Euphrates ]</STRONG>

How many non-savvy computer users have mp3 players to begin with? You'd either have to convert your CDs to mp3 or download them from the web, which means you know how to use P2P services to download music. From that alone I would assume you're not talking about your "Where's the Any key" type of user.

Then you have to know about the iPod, made by a company which doesn't sell x86 based computers. Once you get to the store, you're confronted with a choice.

1) Buy the $400 mp3 player, buy the Xpod software and perhaps buy and install the firewire PCI card. If you have WIndows 98 or older, you might have to upgrade your OS to ME, 2000, or XP for better firewire support.

2) Buy the cheaper mp3 player with built in Windows compatability using USB connections. If space is a issue, there are WIndows compatable players that hold more space than the iPod.

Option 2 sounds a lot easier to me. Even if you don't have the computer expertise, you at least know a fair amount to even know the iPod exists, and what makes it special from other MP3 players. To even be in the market for the iPod means you know something. I might not trust that person with a Linux kernel recompile, but you have to know a fair amount. But there are always expections, just that I don't consider the iPod a glamour piece of hardware that people buy just for the hell of it.

i think some of you iPod zealots need to look over the fence...

Synching with iTunes2? my Nomad synchs with PlayCenter... and i bet with a 3rd party app i could synch with WinAmp (which is superior to anything else out there for MP3 playage... i just grab my playlist and drag it over, the playlist grabs all of its files.

Firewire connectivity: sure its fast and all, but how many people have it, Windows and Mac combined? at least with all other MP3 players you can connect to just about any computer out there now. additonally the faster spped of firewire is nice for the initial load up, but how often do you shuffle 5gigs woth of mp3's on and off of it? you fill it up and go then add a few songs as you get them.

Finally the iPod is in the realm of consumer elctronics... no company loyalty or platform loyalty is to be scene anywhere. these products HAVE to be complaint with everything to survive. Apple is going to get hurt in the long run on this for their ours only attitude.

do you really think people will go by a 1200$ computer to work with a 400$ mp3 player or just look next to it and buy a 300$ mp3 with more or less room that WORKS with what they have now?

[qnc]

****i think some of you iPod zealots need to look over the fence***

nullWhy? the grass aint greener over there


***Synching with iTunes2? my Nomad synchs with PlayCenter....my playlist and drag it over, the playlist grabs all of its files...****

B]can drag and drop sync etc.. and got iTunes free with macs or just for you free of the web[/B]

****Firewire connectivity: sure its fast and all, but how many people have it, Windows and Mac combined?***

Most sony users and all Mac users for a least a year now works with digital camcorders as well market is expanding, more rapidly with iPod now so about 8 million or so

***at least with all other MP3 players you can connect to just about any computer out there now. ***

So go and buy one of those. I love what I have bought I wanted an MP3 player for years but was never convinced of paying what ever they all cost because they weren't any good memory cards or big and bulky mostly PC format etc..

then there was iPod
i was first in Line

no hesitation

even buying new CD because I can play them now jog with them sleep to them drive to them....

***additonally the faster spped of firewire is nice for the initial load up, but how often do you shuffle 5gigs woth of mp3's on and off of it? you fill it up and go then add a few songs as you get them***

no true I wont change all 100 CD but i might shuffle 10 or 20 CD at a time and this is brilliant for that. As well as charge up convience carying one wire. Just one. That is it find any mac at work plug and charge how simple only if in hotel or at home I use the plug adaptor

****Finally the iPod is in the realm of consumer elctronics... no company loyalty or platform loyalty is to be scene anywhere. these products HAVE to be complaint with everything to survive. Apple is going to get hurt in the long run on this for their ours only attitude. ***

They messed up with the cube the newton but no company ever has had a flawless product range. Computer are no exception and get upgraded every few years etc.. Apple have always had superior technology and design and this iPod reinforceses this. I have one and hope to get many years great play from it. If you don't borough my hankcerchief because this shoulder ain't available for crying on.

****do you really think people will go by a 1200$ computer to work with a 400$ mp3 player or just look next to it and buy a 300$ mp3 with more or less room that WORKS with what they have now?****

Well not everybody on the planet. But if your just buying your first computer you might be pursuaded to go apple. If you need an upgrade then you might do too. If your fustraded by the PC then you might as well. That may not sound like a lot maybe only a few million to the 7.5 million who only need to buy the pod but every convert is a convert worth having

buy less if you want to. Its your dollar, pound etc..

I got mine and I can only sit here enjoying it . No other player gets this much attension when you bring it out of your pocket: minidisc MP3 CD player or anything.

People want to hold it. Want to play with it

Desire is a hell of a thing. People know what it is and ask you on trains "is that an iPod?"

Then they know about it

if they know about it they many want it

if they want it they may buy it

if they buy it the might just buy mac

brilliant stratergy "desire fuels action"


think different!!!!

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Firewire connectivity: sure its fast and all, but how many people have it, Windows and Mac combined?

By mid to late 2002 most of the higher quality PC mobos will have Firewire built in and full bootable chipset support.

No matter what, Apple's smart to stick with Firewire. Firewire itself is their own licenced technology that makes them money everytime someone uses it on a device or mobo. They've already won the core of the battle against Intel's USB 2.0...it'd be stupid to drop the ball now. Apple would have been silly to have gone with any other interface on the iPod other than promoting Firewire. Right now, while it's not yet as widespread an interface on PCs, it's smart of Apple to concentrate more on Mac users as far as iPod compatibility. Down the line when Firewire is as common on PCs as USB is (which it will be) then Apple can focus on cross platform compatibility, or rely on third parties to do so. To have done so out of the starting gate (IE Gone with USB, which is Intel's technology over their own) would have been short-sighted and downright stupid.

On a side note: a company recently came out with an external HD/MP3 player, internet device that's a slight bit bigger than the iPod, costs more, but features perhaps the best connectivity interface currently available that's been completely overlooked by everyone for this type of device-- a (duh!) 10/100 ethernet connection.