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AppleOptionFour · Mar 22, 2005, 05:44 PM

Microsoft is now advising people on what flash based mp3 players to buy; how kind:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...ces/flash.aspx

Highlights:

3. You'll want a display.

6. Don't get locked into one online store.

Yeah. This is just retarded. They might as well write an article titled: "Why you shouldn't use Apple products.

See my other thread regarding "..Should IE Stay or Should IE Go?" and it become apparent that M$ is getting a little paranoid about market share.

w00t

Dimethyltrypt · Mar 22, 2005, 05:46 PM

stop being a fanboy here... apple didn't open their ****ing format so others have the right to complain.

typoon · Mar 22, 2005, 05:49 PM

Originally posted by Dimethyltrypt:
stop being a fanboy here... apple didn't open their ****ing format so others have the right to complain.

Like the other guys are willing to open there format to Apple. It goes both ways. M$ is just jealous because there is FINALLY something they don't corner the market on and it has them scared.

AppleOptionFour · Mar 22, 2005, 05:50 PM

Originally posted by Dimethyltrypt:
stop being a fanboy here...

Fanboy I am. When M$ makes a product as well built and solid as the iTMS/Shuffle, I'll stop bitching.

But until then, Microsoft please, get off deez nuts.

deomacius · Mar 22, 2005, 05:53 PM

Have a look at the diagram of the anatomy of a flash player. Do you really need a stopwatch on your flash player? (heh, heh) Out of control. I wonder when they'll throw in the kitchen sink.

Superchicken · Mar 22, 2005, 06:03 PM

Kitchen sinks are big... I imagine we'll see a small flask though...

Now carry your music and three drops of your favourite beverage! I saw this I while ago, it had my roomie laughing even though he knows jack about technology.

deomacius · Mar 22, 2005, 07:44 PM

Originally posted by Superchicken:
Kitchen sinks are big... I imagine we'll see a small flask though... Now carry your music and three drops of your favourite beverage! I saw this I while ago, it had my roomie laughing even though he knows jack about technology.

Nice! Beverages and electronics! What a great combination.

FulcrumPilot · Mar 22, 2005, 08:44 PM

It "paysforsure"!

spacefreak · Mar 22, 2005, 09:34 PM

I love how so many refer to Microsoft as "M$".

I use both platforms (Windows for much longer), yet Apple gets the absolute majority of my money - at least 15 times what I've ever paid to Microsoft.

JohnSmithXTREME · Mar 22, 2005, 09:47 PM

I dunno if you realised this, but Apple have their own version of this list:

1. Make sure it is white. White headphones stand out and are very stylish. If it isn't white, it probably isn't worth buying.

2. Make sure you don't get any extra goodies. Some flash players come with cumbersome things like displays, FM tuners, high quality headphones, etc. It is worth paying more for a player that does not include all of these confusing, and potentially dangerous extras.

3. You'll not be wanting a display.
When you have hundreds of songs on your player, it is too confusing to try and navigate through them. Buying a player without without a display will simplify the user experience, as you won't need to know which song you are listening to.

4. You should get locked into one online store.
Have you ever been on the hunt for a particular song? Some obscure indie rock tune or rare jazz performance you heard on the radio? If you can't find it, then it probably isn't worth listening to anyways. You will enjoy having fewer choices when it comes to buying music, because choice = confusion.

Link · Mar 22, 2005, 10:28 PM

The locked into one store argument is BS -- whether it be Walmart, Napster, or whatever other friggin "PlaysForSure" store -- it's a Windows Media Player store.. meaning you're locked into one provider - Microsoft - One format, WMP/Janus, and one Player: Windows Media Player..

Not to mention the syncing system stinks -- if you don't sync your PlaysForSure player within 30 days, the purchased songs stop working.

Superchicken · Mar 22, 2005, 11:31 PM

Originally posted by JohnSmithXTREME:
I dunno if you realised this, but Apple have their own version of this list:

If you have so much against Apple why post here? Seriously Apple has nothing on their site telling people not to buy other players... they say buy iPods. Plain and simple.

AppleOptionFour · Mar 22, 2005, 11:45 PM

Originally posted by JohnSmithXTREME:
I dunno if you realised this, but Apple have their own version of this list:

I love the counter arguments.

demograph68 · Mar 22, 2005, 11:47 PM

Originally posted by Link:
The locked into one store argument is BS -- whether it be Walmart, Napster, or whatever other friggin "PlaysForSure" store -- it's a Windows Media Player store.. meaning you're locked into one provider - Microsoft - One format, WMP/Janus, and one Player: Windows Media Player..

Not to mention the syncing system stinks -- if you don't sync your PlaysForSure player within 30 days, the purchased songs stop working.

Bingo

AppleOptionFour · Mar 23, 2005, 12:27 AM

Originally posted by Link:
Not to mention the syncing system stinks -- if you don't sync your PlaysForSure player within 30 days, the purchased songs stop working.

I would like to be in the room when the project manager says, "Ah hah! We'll make the songs stop working after 30 days of inactivity."

The Machine at Redmond is so unpredictable yet at the same time predictable.

You know the end product will be half-ass you just never know which half you'll get.

JohnSmithXTREME · Mar 23, 2005, 08:06 AM

Originally posted by Superchicken:
If you have so much against Apple why post here? Seriously Apple has nothing on their site telling people not to buy other players... they say buy iPods. Plain and simple.

Face it, the iPod shuffle is a piece of crap. There is no denying it.

Oisín · Mar 23, 2005, 08:32 AM

Originally posted by Link:
One format, WMP/Janus

What?!?

I was following you quite nicely there, but then you start calling me a format! How dare you!

(Seriously - I share my name with an audio format???)

(Second parenthesis - WMP isn't the format, it's the player. The format would be WMA, right?)

Hawkeye_a · Mar 23, 2005, 08:46 AM

Microsoft makes crappy products and sells them far below the cost to produce them inorder to force smaller competitors, such as Apple, Netscape, Nintendo, etc...out of business. IF they actually designed, and engineered GOOD products (quality, functionality, ease of use,etc)... i wouldnt be so hard on them. But even with such a huge cash reserve and financial backing, and market share, since 199x, there isnt a single product in any category that can match their competitors'.... Apple, Netscape/Mozilla, Nintendo, etc...

Microsoft as an organization seems to be set up with the sole purpose of generating profits for itself. There's a genuine lack of craftmanship, elegance, user friendleness and 'love' that goes into making it's products and it's so clearly apparent.

Then you have organizations like Apple, Nintendo, etc... which, although are concerned about profits, dont let it get in the way of innovation, creativity, quality, craftmanship, etc...that go into making awesome products worth paying for.

When Microsoft's primary focus shifts from making profits and monopolizing markets it's engineers could possible then focus on solving problems rather than creating them, and actually innovating and creating elegant products. That day hasnt come.... and i doubt we will see that shift in philosophy in an organization like Microsoft.

ReggieX · Mar 23, 2005, 11:35 AM

Originally posted by Ois�n:
(Seriously - I share my name with an audio format???)

And the bad buy in GoldenEye

Zimphire · Mar 23, 2005, 12:15 PM

Originally posted by JohnSmithXTREME:
Face it, the iPod shuffle is a piece of crap. There is no denying it.

Piece of crap? That must be why it's getting rave reviews.

If you want a screen, don't get one.

Do us a favor, go event a similar piece of crap, make tons of money off it, and then come back to us.

Until then, you are basically just hissing and honking.

Oisín · Mar 23, 2005, 12:52 PM

Originally posted by ReggieX:
And the bad buy in GoldenEye

Huh? I don't see the name Janus mentioned anywhere there?

Originally posted by Zimphire:
If you want a screen, don't get one.

Hmm, is it possible that you typed that sentence just a little too fast and forgot a word somewhere?

Sarc · Mar 23, 2005, 01:25 PM

Originally posted by Ois�n:
Huh? I don't see the name Janus mentioned anywhere there?

Janus is Sean Bean's International Bad Guy Name�

It's also the cloning proyect that created Stalone's Character in "Judge Dredd".

Oisín · Mar 23, 2005, 02:09 PM

I'm liking my name less and less...

JohnSmithXTREME · Mar 23, 2005, 02:18 PM

Originally posted by Zimphire:
Piece of crap? That must be why it's getting rave reviews.

If you want a screen, don't get one.

Do us a favor, go event a similar piece of crap, make tons of money off it, and then come back to us.

Until then, you are basically just hissing and honking.

I'm not hissing and honking. The regular iPod is a rather good music player, but the iPod shuffle is ridiculous. It's a piece of plastic with no features at all apart from the basic play/rewind buttons. It is not worth the ammount they are charging for. I would rather buy a Chinese player than an iPod shuffle- at least the Chinese ones have OLED screens and extra features.