What are you talking about??? Show me where they are losing money on itunes. That would be huge news to me. Regardless, the artists (both TV/movie and song) want a higher royalty now. Apple is currently dealing with this problem. They will either have to raise prices or take money out of the ipod profit (if they are rolling in it as you say) to subsidize.

Creatives players (which are also rebadged as Dell's and other) were just as good and pioneered some of the ipods most beloved features.

 

Winamp is okay as far as software interface for a PC music player. I happen to like iTunes better, but that's arguable, especially if you like to skin your player. In terms of music stores, iTunes is pretty untouchable for ease of use. People who prefer the subscription model need to look elsewhere, but I think that the subscription model is pretty impractical in the long term.

But I was asking about the iPod itself. The combined hardware/software interface (i.e. the click wheel AND the onscreen display) is far superior to anything offered by any other manufacturer. Dell's player would be okay if it didn't have that silly thumb wheel for scrolling...

 

Quote: "We would like to break even/make a little bit of money but it's not a money maker"

 

If they sell many more songs then ipods and are losing money on the songs, it would seem like a problem to me. Especially when factoring in R&D.

 

The date on that article is 2003.

But, I too have heard that they don't make barely anything on the songs. Probably at least breaking even now. 2003 was a LONG time ago in the world of computing.

 

As a matter of fact, many features incorporated by Creative players were in imitation of iPod, and not the other way around. Everybody usually builds on previous innovation, but apple managed to bring powerful features with an industry first hard drive MP3 player with an incredibly easy interface. Others followed shortly, but could not gain the success of Apple.

And as for caching on the name? Apple was just known to be a niche computer company. Yet their iPod managed to lure many PC users over, and it was their product that established their name so well afterwards.

 

I think it was a real conversation (not directly bewteen the two) that ended up a joke.

 

<<<<prefers dell jukebox over ipod

 

Apple stock price in Oct. 2002 - Around $8
Apple stock price in Oct. 2005 - Around $54

Hmm...

 

You think that's something?

The stock was over 80 and then did a split a few months back. So, it was back down around 37 after the split. Now its back up that high again?

Mild success. LOL.

 

Really? Interesting, then, that Mac is the industry standard in every major digital graphic arts profession including publishing, illustration, audio and video editing, and of course, CGI effects. Mac has little game software support because that's how it's market has evolved, unfortunately. I'll take a G5 over any PC for serious graphics applications.

Kind of like how Microsoft ripped off Apple for their Windows operating system, right?

I'll give PC one thing- they're cheap, which is why we bought a Dell for home use. And relating to the thread topic, I bet if they could develop concept cars to production with no design changes, they would cost a whole lot more too. My .2c

 

Mild success? I sure hope you don't trade stock...or at least have a broker who knows what he's doing. A stock having a gain of 500% (From Oct '02 to now) is not mild in any brokers books.

Yes I know it spilt, I own the stock. Perhaps you dont understand how a stock splits affects the price/# of shares a stock holder has. Anyhow having bought the stock in the late 1990's when it was around $8-10, I'm pretty happy with $54.

If in the NEXT 3 years GM stock performs as well as Apple has in the LAST 3 years (as in going up 500%) GM stock holders will be spontaneously orgasming.

 

I was being sarcastic.

 

Hah. Alright then...

 

LOL...likely excuse Z.

Good point about the GM stock...hell if it even goes up 200% in the next few years that would be great.

Also it is true that Apple makes little to no money on the iTunes store. All the profit is coming from the iPod sales. That very topic was just on CNBC the other day.