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RGray02 · Oct 23, 2003, 01:53 PM

Is there any advantage to using an iPod with a Mac anymore? Now that windows has iTunes, there is no compelling reason to go to Mac if you own an iPod.

As a mac owner, I'm halfway disappointed by this. The platform needs as many compelling reasons to migrate as possible. Now windows users enjoy all the luxuries that macintosh users do with their iPods.

I just went through the trouble a while ago to reformat my ipod as mac compatible to work with my new powerbook, now it seems that I could have bought a pc notebook and had the same experience..

Anyone have any thoughts on this? (lets leave aside that I have OSX and not windows).

djjava · Oct 23, 2003, 01:55 PM

i believe you can only use the ipod as a data storage drive with a Mac... an ipod user/afficionado can elaborate... since i don't own one, i can't

Eug · Oct 23, 2003, 02:05 PM

Data iPod works fine on the PC.

One benefit to the Mac though is iSync with the iPod. There are Windows substitutes, but they're nowhere near as polished as iSync (with iCal, etc.).

icruise · Oct 23, 2003, 02:08 PM

I guess Apple is hoping that people will be impressed enough with iTunes for windows that they'll want to see what the rest of the mac experience is like. Leaving windows people with the very inferior MusicMatch certainly wouldn't impress them.

GORDYmac · Oct 23, 2003, 02:31 PM

I thought the advantage was obvious. Hmm.

torifile · Oct 23, 2003, 11:56 PM

The advantage is getting to use a Mac. Sheesh. If that much isn't obvious, I don't know what is.

RGray02 · Oct 24, 2003, 12:10 PM

lets put aside the entire mac. So there is no compelling reason for a windows iPod user to switch to a Mac now?

I have friends who bought the iPod, and have graduated to Macs since iTunes works better with it.

Now it seems Apple has lost one competitive advantage in making iTunes available for Windows.

People used to say that the iPod works better with the Mac as an advantage for the platform, now that is irrelevant or unimportant?

In my opinion, Apple should use the iPod, arguably its most successful product, as a means of luring customers to switch. Agreed that the previous windows solution wasnt as good, but they effectively brought the Mac experience to the PC.

Angus_D · Oct 24, 2003, 01:59 PM

Originally posted by RGray02:
lets put aside the entire mac. So there is no compelling reason for a windows iPod user to switch to a Mac now?

You'd buy a Mac purely just so that you can use your digital music player better? That sounds a bit stupid to me. The whole point of the current setup is that it does lure users to switch - they use the iTMS, that encourages them to buy an iPod - they get to use Apple hardware and software and see that Apple has advantages in both departments. This raises Apple's brand awareness in users' minds and, when the user comes to think about purchasing a new computer, they're far more likely to consider buying a Mac.

I don't know how many Windows users bought an iPod and used MusicMatch or whatever it is, then thought "oh, I know that iTunes is better, so I'll buy a Mac!" -- firstly, how would they know that iTunes is any better if they can't use it, and secondly, would they really buy a whole new computer (not cheap by any stretch of the imagination) just so that they have a nicer interface to their digital music player? I highly doubt it.

I'm sorry, but I don't follow your logic.

RGray02 · Oct 24, 2003, 02:49 PM

Im not talking about you or me, for whom a mac is as natural as a pc.

But imagine you are joe schmoe, the average new yorker who sees the iPods out and about everywhere. You want one too. You buy one, fire it up, it works pretty well with your PC.

This compels you to go back and looks at other mac hardware, your iPod works better with it. You might have to compromise on some other things, but who cares, you only word process and surf on your machine anyway. However, your nifty little iPod, which you tote around in the subways to your heart's content, gets better. You didnt much like MusicMatch Jukebox anyway.

You tussle with the idea, and then decide to drop for the mac experience.

Now what happens if the mac experience is the same with what you already have. Would you go through the trouble of buying a Mac unit? Isnt this Apple's wish that iPod drive Mac sales? A gateway product?

As shallow as it seems, the features most users care about are a highly regular and extremely small subset of the whole, and working with an extremely likeable device like the iPod is exactly one of those. I liken this to the fact that the company reps and CEOs like to tote around powerbooks, or display iMacs prominently at the front desk just because they look good and project a grandiose image.

I still think they should have left the iPod Mac-only. Or at the very least, crippled it when it works with windows.

daimoni · 11:50 AM

.

SupahCoolX · Oct 26, 2003, 10:44 PM

I love Apple's current direction. iTunes, iCal, iPhoto, Address Book, Finder, etc. all work the exact same way (space on the left for drives/albums/etc). Now if someone uses iTunes for Windows and says, "wow, that's a simple, easy, and effective means of interface design. I want more," chances are they'll seriously look at getting a Mac as their next computer. iTunes is like a gateway drug. Once you get a taste of the interface, ease, etc you've gotta have more. And the only way to get more is to head to www.apple.com/store