cadillac1234
Mar 29, 10:32 AM
Oh well
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I'm sure Amazon is doing a toe-in-the-water approach. World wide roll out has to be in the master plan but they want to see what s-storm develops from this first.
I think this is the first major salvo in what is going to be a very long and protracted new distribution war.
You've got Apple, Netflix and Amazon fighting for the new model market share while the old guard of Viacom, Comcast, TW, etc are still trying to protect their 1990s era dinosaurs.
Google seemed to give up rather quickly but probably shouldn't be counted out. Apple's media people seem to know they have a tiger by the tail but Apple corporate doesn't always heavily advertise the fact to the non-Apple consumer as much as they market the hardware. Amazon definitely sees an opening and they usually are spot-on.
The dinosaurs have the government lobbied to the extreme and are going to do what they do best. Block any innovation and progress that doesn't result in an immediate increase the next quarter
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For U.S. Customers Only
It appears that you are attempting to use Amazon Cloud Player from outside the U.S. This service is intended for U.S. customers only.
---
I'm sure Amazon is doing a toe-in-the-water approach. World wide roll out has to be in the master plan but they want to see what s-storm develops from this first.
I think this is the first major salvo in what is going to be a very long and protracted new distribution war.
You've got Apple, Netflix and Amazon fighting for the new model market share while the old guard of Viacom, Comcast, TW, etc are still trying to protect their 1990s era dinosaurs.
Google seemed to give up rather quickly but probably shouldn't be counted out. Apple's media people seem to know they have a tiger by the tail but Apple corporate doesn't always heavily advertise the fact to the non-Apple consumer as much as they market the hardware. Amazon definitely sees an opening and they usually are spot-on.
The dinosaurs have the government lobbied to the extreme and are going to do what they do best. Block any innovation and progress that doesn't result in an immediate increase the next quarter
Prom1
Aug 4, 03:55 PM
I got a question ... is the MacBook & MBP batteries Li-Ion or Li-Polymer? If the former then what i want MOST in the MBP is Li-Polymer and really fold the polymers and compress them to get a higher density of energy for longer battery life.
> The next generation of the MBP I'd really like to see the Intel technology for sub display (not unlike that on flip cellphones) to display AudioCD or running app information on the display or AirPort Ex hotspots within range (SSID, Signal Strength, VoIP signals etc). I'd also like to see a higher resolution - that maintains the same or much higher focus and zoom+Auto Focus - iSight thats built in and somewhat rotable (maybe somehow in the sell without external finger control).
> Magnesium or some kind of Metal Polymer combination that is very resistance or displaces heat efficiently but absorbing enough heat for hours of DVD, Video editing on our laps without burning them. Something thats much like ceramic tiles and how they displace heat efficiently.
> Me ... I'll settle for minimum 256MB video memory for ALL MBP and the built to order 512; and built to order 128MB on the Mac Books.
Question why do the old G4 powermacs of 933mhz or lower STILL selling highly used for such a high price - their almost obsolute in their abilities compared to new hardware. as an example on another forum sight someone is trying to sell a Dual 1Ghz QuickSilver for $1000 1.5GB total memory capacity (not that its filled with that much). Isnt this ridiculous?
> The next generation of the MBP I'd really like to see the Intel technology for sub display (not unlike that on flip cellphones) to display AudioCD or running app information on the display or AirPort Ex hotspots within range (SSID, Signal Strength, VoIP signals etc). I'd also like to see a higher resolution - that maintains the same or much higher focus and zoom+Auto Focus - iSight thats built in and somewhat rotable (maybe somehow in the sell without external finger control).
> Magnesium or some kind of Metal Polymer combination that is very resistance or displaces heat efficiently but absorbing enough heat for hours of DVD, Video editing on our laps without burning them. Something thats much like ceramic tiles and how they displace heat efficiently.
> Me ... I'll settle for minimum 256MB video memory for ALL MBP and the built to order 512; and built to order 128MB on the Mac Books.
Question why do the old G4 powermacs of 933mhz or lower STILL selling highly used for such a high price - their almost obsolute in their abilities compared to new hardware. as an example on another forum sight someone is trying to sell a Dual 1Ghz QuickSilver for $1000 1.5GB total memory capacity (not that its filled with that much). Isnt this ridiculous?
ptaylor874
Nov 3, 09:31 AM
I just wish the way it was mounted was better, not just glue.
Ummm... It's not just glue. It uses the same suction mount as their other units. I think there is an adhesive disk you can use as well. (Not sure if you stick that to where you want to me able to mount it with suction or exactly how that works.)
I've used a similar type of suction mount with Griffin's Window Seat. It's not just a simple suction cup. You place it where you want to put it, then turn another part to increase the suction. It sticks great to glass, be it the windshield, a side window, or the sunroof (for kids to watch in the back seat), for days at a time. The Window Seat isn't the best implementation of it - I understand that TomTom's is better (easier to attach and detach).
Ummm... It's not just glue. It uses the same suction mount as their other units. I think there is an adhesive disk you can use as well. (Not sure if you stick that to where you want to me able to mount it with suction or exactly how that works.)
I've used a similar type of suction mount with Griffin's Window Seat. It's not just a simple suction cup. You place it where you want to put it, then turn another part to increase the suction. It sticks great to glass, be it the windshield, a side window, or the sunroof (for kids to watch in the back seat), for days at a time. The Window Seat isn't the best implementation of it - I understand that TomTom's is better (easier to attach and detach).
YS2003
Nov 26, 06:09 PM
I would worry too much about the swivel joint and the connections and cables within breaking, however I do use a touch-screen display ToughBook at work
and I can certainly see where that option might be popular
IF the protective shield to the touch screen could be easily replaced.
They get scratched bad after using them for a while.
I think the swivel mechanism is build to last. I have Fujitsu T4020 and it has the solid swivel mechanism. Passive and Active Screen have their pros and cons. Passive one is like the ones you find on Palm and Pocket PC. Active one requires the special digitizer which is made for active screen. For better sensitivity, the active digitizer unit is better. It's like Wacom's Intuos (pro grade) and Graphire (consumer grade which has less "sensitivity" on your input).
With tablet PC, you need put on screen protector; no question about it. I use Vikuiti screen protector to protect the active digitizer screen. It is un-wise to use Tablet PC without screen protector. If you scratch the screen without using the screen protector, the blame is only on the user of that tablet PC.
and I can certainly see where that option might be popular
IF the protective shield to the touch screen could be easily replaced.
They get scratched bad after using them for a while.
I think the swivel mechanism is build to last. I have Fujitsu T4020 and it has the solid swivel mechanism. Passive and Active Screen have their pros and cons. Passive one is like the ones you find on Palm and Pocket PC. Active one requires the special digitizer which is made for active screen. For better sensitivity, the active digitizer unit is better. It's like Wacom's Intuos (pro grade) and Graphire (consumer grade which has less "sensitivity" on your input).
With tablet PC, you need put on screen protector; no question about it. I use Vikuiti screen protector to protect the active digitizer screen. It is un-wise to use Tablet PC without screen protector. If you scratch the screen without using the screen protector, the blame is only on the user of that tablet PC.
Don't panic
May 3, 12:09 PM
so, counting plutonius, mscriv and aggie we are 8!
WestonHarvey1
Mar 31, 09:33 AM
Sabertooth.
That sounds more like a retconned name for Macintosh System Software 1.0.
That sounds more like a retconned name for Macintosh System Software 1.0.
rovex
Mar 29, 01:44 PM
In 5-10 years the iPod will become extinct. By then the touch will be hanging on a thin wire.
TallManNY
Apr 7, 03:05 PM
That is over dramatic, cut it out.
Very funny.
Very funny.
blow45
Mar 29, 02:58 PM
It is unclear why only Apple's iPod line is cited in the report, as virtually identical lithium-polymer batteries are used in the iPhone and iPad. Similar technology is also used in Apple's notebook batteries, although those units may not utilize the pliable polymer manufactured by Kureha in their construction.
Well pick up the phone and ask them, or investigate this somehow. It's unclear in as much as you haven't done your job of researching this...
Well pick up the phone and ask them, or investigate this somehow. It's unclear in as much as you haven't done your job of researching this...
Apple OC
Apr 20, 12:22 AM
this seems very likely .... looking forward
MikeTheC
Nov 25, 08:14 PM
I wouldn't mind having Apple sell them (and I'm guessing they will to some degree), but we also have to think in terms of the market as is. If I can get a free phone through my provider every x years, I'm going to do that instead of buying outside the company (even if it is crap). If I can get an upgrade for between $50 and $300, I might consider it when I'm in the store renewing my plan. Apple can gain presence only by going through established channels; it's not to say that you won't be able to buy one in an Apple store, just that consumers who like to do comparison shopping when they get their phones might like to see an iPhone in a TMobile/Verizon/3rd party carrier store.
I'm of two minds on this. First, I think Apple would have a problem with cell phone providers who wouldn't want to extend service to hardware not purchased through them. Why should they? They're not getting a kickback on the phone. And besides, these people buying their phones from outside sources are just a minority of users, anyhow. A minority they may feel fully capable and even justified in ignoring.
The second thought is: how many people here remember when car dealerships were exclusive dealerships? That is, a Pontiac dealer only sold Pontiacs, a Mercury dealer only sold Mercurys, a Ford dealership only sold Fords, etc. All of that began to fade away in the mid-1980s. Now you have dealerships that sell multiple brands. My point here being that this whole "exclusive" and "main squeeze" rationale used in the cell phone industry is just as carved in stone as the car dealership thing "was".
I'm of two minds on this. First, I think Apple would have a problem with cell phone providers who wouldn't want to extend service to hardware not purchased through them. Why should they? They're not getting a kickback on the phone. And besides, these people buying their phones from outside sources are just a minority of users, anyhow. A minority they may feel fully capable and even justified in ignoring.
The second thought is: how many people here remember when car dealerships were exclusive dealerships? That is, a Pontiac dealer only sold Pontiacs, a Mercury dealer only sold Mercurys, a Ford dealership only sold Fords, etc. All of that began to fade away in the mid-1980s. Now you have dealerships that sell multiple brands. My point here being that this whole "exclusive" and "main squeeze" rationale used in the cell phone industry is just as carved in stone as the car dealership thing "was".
sonicboom
Sep 10, 11:57 PM
I seriously doubt laptop revisions will be announced. This event will focus on a specific message: we're in the movie download business now. They will also tie-in new products to take advantage of the movie service: new iPods and a Video Airport express.
The folks on the Tivo forum are speculating that Apple might invite Tivo to the party:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=315123
It is rumored that Tivo is releasing the new Series 3 machine on the same day (their HD Digital Media Recorder for cable and OTA). As the tie-in rumor goes, Apple would supply the content, and Tivo the platform to play it on.
Personally, I'd be surprised if Apple's venture into the movie distribution business isn't an immediate flop. The $10/$15 price-points are way too high when compared to what you can buy the physical disk for. Plus, services like Netflix offer a much better value.
The folks on the Tivo forum are speculating that Apple might invite Tivo to the party:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=315123
It is rumored that Tivo is releasing the new Series 3 machine on the same day (their HD Digital Media Recorder for cable and OTA). As the tie-in rumor goes, Apple would supply the content, and Tivo the platform to play it on.
Personally, I'd be surprised if Apple's venture into the movie distribution business isn't an immediate flop. The $10/$15 price-points are way too high when compared to what you can buy the physical disk for. Plus, services like Netflix offer a much better value.
WildPalms
Sep 10, 11:10 PM
10 hours? Luxury. I dream of being able to download 2GB in 10 hours.
It'll take me over 4 days.
Wow! What kind of slow-ass lines do you people in Australia have to suffer with?
Thats ridiculously slow. :(
It'll take me over 4 days.
Wow! What kind of slow-ass lines do you people in Australia have to suffer with?
Thats ridiculously slow. :(
DJMastaWes
Aug 11, 09:53 AM
I think Merom MBP would be smart on a tuesday. Because Paris is more of a consumer expo, and I think the Nano promo is to get rid of old ones, so they can bring out 2nd Gen Nanos at paris, so if they annouce a MBP before paris, they will see a large increase in sales (because thatt
's what everyone is waiting for) and thus an increase of free iPods...
Also, unless the macbook pros are getting a new case design, there is no need for a keynote...
's what everyone is waiting for) and thus an increase of free iPods...
Also, unless the macbook pros are getting a new case design, there is no need for a keynote...
adztaylor
Apr 25, 11:49 AM
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I don't get the big deal about it. If you want to be anonymous, get off fb, twitter, macrumors, etc. Then cancel all Internet plans you have and your cellular plan. Then no one will ever know where you are unless you tell them.
Absolutely 100% in agreement.
I don't get the big deal about it. If you want to be anonymous, get off fb, twitter, macrumors, etc. Then cancel all Internet plans you have and your cellular plan. Then no one will ever know where you are unless you tell them.
Absolutely 100% in agreement.
Erasmus
Aug 4, 10:05 PM
I agree but think likely by Thanksgiving. I think mini will get the 1.6 GHz Core 2 Duo Combo and 1.87 GHz Core 2 Duo Superdrive upgrades thus ending the last Mac to have only one core as well as the end of all 32-bit Macs. :)
OK, being an Australian, and blissfully ignorant to the ways of the American, when is Thanksgiving? Before or after Paris?
I say new iPods at Paris, and maybe some software. It would be great if all Macs were Core 2 Generation before the Paris Expo.
OK, being an Australian, and blissfully ignorant to the ways of the American, when is Thanksgiving? Before or after Paris?
I say new iPods at Paris, and maybe some software. It would be great if all Macs were Core 2 Generation before the Paris Expo.
slu
Aug 11, 09:50 AM
its always next tuesday isnt it?
here is to getting up early on tuesday morning, dragging my ass to the computer, and going to store.apple.com to be disappointed by the lack of the promise to be back within the hour.
Unless you are waiting to buy, what do you care? Why get up early? If there are updates, they will be there at the regular time you get up. And if there are not, you won't have gotten up early for nothing. Now that I think about it, why get up early even if you are buying? They will still take your order when you get up.
That being said, if true, this is great news. Apple computers will now be updated much faster than they used to be. People should feel better about buying now, because they should know that the next update is AWLAYS only a couple of months away. You know it is coming and there is nothing you can do about it, so you might as well buy when you need it. If you keep waiting for the next best thing, you'll always be waiting.
And please, for the love of all things holy, retire the Powerbook G5 "joke". It never was funny and it certainly isn't funny now.
here is to getting up early on tuesday morning, dragging my ass to the computer, and going to store.apple.com to be disappointed by the lack of the promise to be back within the hour.
Unless you are waiting to buy, what do you care? Why get up early? If there are updates, they will be there at the regular time you get up. And if there are not, you won't have gotten up early for nothing. Now that I think about it, why get up early even if you are buying? They will still take your order when you get up.
That being said, if true, this is great news. Apple computers will now be updated much faster than they used to be. People should feel better about buying now, because they should know that the next update is AWLAYS only a couple of months away. You know it is coming and there is nothing you can do about it, so you might as well buy when you need it. If you keep waiting for the next best thing, you'll always be waiting.
And please, for the love of all things holy, retire the Powerbook G5 "joke". It never was funny and it certainly isn't funny now.
Bez
Sep 11, 11:43 AM
A wi-fi enabled NAS-box that sits next to your TV. It will be able to play files firectly to the telly, without your computer being on.
It will be controlled by a thing that looks just like an iPod. This wi-fi device gives you access to your media, using an iPod-like menu structure. This remote tells the NAS-box what to play. Video is not streamed wirelessly, since that requires too much bandwidth. Instead, the NAS-box is connected directly to the TV.
But the NAS box can also stream audio, via Airport Express, to hi-fis. Multiple strreams can be supported, and additional remotes can be added to the system to enable users in different parts of the house to listen to different things.
You computer need not be on for all this to operate. Although it is needed for management and perhaps downloading.
I know this because I emailled Apple a year or two back to suggest it. And its such an ace idea, I am sure they listened.
:)
(Edited for typos)
It will be controlled by a thing that looks just like an iPod. This wi-fi device gives you access to your media, using an iPod-like menu structure. This remote tells the NAS-box what to play. Video is not streamed wirelessly, since that requires too much bandwidth. Instead, the NAS-box is connected directly to the TV.
But the NAS box can also stream audio, via Airport Express, to hi-fis. Multiple strreams can be supported, and additional remotes can be added to the system to enable users in different parts of the house to listen to different things.
You computer need not be on for all this to operate. Although it is needed for management and perhaps downloading.
I know this because I emailled Apple a year or two back to suggest it. And its such an ace idea, I am sure they listened.
:)
(Edited for typos)
Popeye206
Apr 6, 06:20 PM
It seems to me that things have gone wildly off topic. The story was "Motorola Xoom Tablet Sales: Approximately 100,000 Units So Far?" not "Android vs. Apple: Which One Sucks More?"
We should be discussing the validity of the numbers and why this is the case, and not strictly "mine is longer than yours and here's why." Save those rants for a comparison of the devices story.
LOL! Unfortunately, this seems to go with the territory. Mention Android and it's bound to start a battle. Just like mention AT&T or Verizon and the flames start flying. It's silly, but fun to watch the banter.
100,000 or even 200,000 units is not good news for Moto. If sales don't increase quickly, retailers will loose interest and focus on what sells - the iPad.
We should be discussing the validity of the numbers and why this is the case, and not strictly "mine is longer than yours and here's why." Save those rants for a comparison of the devices story.
LOL! Unfortunately, this seems to go with the territory. Mention Android and it's bound to start a battle. Just like mention AT&T or Verizon and the flames start flying. It's silly, but fun to watch the banter.
100,000 or even 200,000 units is not good news for Moto. If sales don't increase quickly, retailers will loose interest and focus on what sells - the iPad.
snberk103
May 5, 10:34 AM
About as meaningful as the need to figure out one third of 13/16.
How about a quarter of 3" 13/16? Which I regularly need to do when cutting photo matts? Yes - I would round the 13/16 down to 12/16, no wait that's really 3/4. Except that for my equipment it's better to round up. And rounding it to 14/16 is not really better. And 16/16 introduces too big an error. Now I suggest to photographers they buy European made matt cutters - for the measurement scale.
Keystroke for keystroke, just the way you did it, except substitute the fraction symbol for the apostrophe and quote symbols you used for feet and inches. I own several calculators, and they'll all do this.
So you'd enter " 3/ 7 13/16// " Seriously, I'm not trying to be funny here.
We own a couple of basic calculators, and of course there's Google's search bar calculator. Google is actually pretty good, but I think I would need to decimalize the fraction first....
Now I am trying to be funny. When I typed "(3ft 7in)/3" into Google to see what happens, I got "(3 ft 7 in) / 3 = 36.4066667 centimeters". Even Google is metric! I tried it with the fractional inch too, but Google wouldn't calculate that. Apparently Google also doesn't like fractions of an inch.
How about a quarter of 3" 13/16? Which I regularly need to do when cutting photo matts? Yes - I would round the 13/16 down to 12/16, no wait that's really 3/4. Except that for my equipment it's better to round up. And rounding it to 14/16 is not really better. And 16/16 introduces too big an error. Now I suggest to photographers they buy European made matt cutters - for the measurement scale.
Keystroke for keystroke, just the way you did it, except substitute the fraction symbol for the apostrophe and quote symbols you used for feet and inches. I own several calculators, and they'll all do this.
So you'd enter " 3/ 7 13/16// " Seriously, I'm not trying to be funny here.
We own a couple of basic calculators, and of course there's Google's search bar calculator. Google is actually pretty good, but I think I would need to decimalize the fraction first....
Now I am trying to be funny. When I typed "(3ft 7in)/3" into Google to see what happens, I got "(3 ft 7 in) / 3 = 36.4066667 centimeters". Even Google is metric! I tried it with the fractional inch too, but Google wouldn't calculate that. Apparently Google also doesn't like fractions of an inch.
beebler
Apr 20, 01:18 AM
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8H7)
How many people think this is some elaborate scheme to get people to think it will come out in the fall, when they might be setting people up for a surprise with the release of iphone 4 -white as the new ip5?
It's not. Apple doesn't do that and they have been set on a September release for some months now.
How many people think this is some elaborate scheme to get people to think it will come out in the fall, when they might be setting people up for a surprise with the release of iphone 4 -white as the new ip5?
It's not. Apple doesn't do that and they have been set on a September release for some months now.
VicMacs
Apr 25, 09:21 AM
Genius, I say.
MorphingDragon
May 6, 06:13 AM
What uncanny timing-- a couple of days after Intel comes out with their 3D chip thing, sending ARM's share price tumbling to artificially affordable prices, this rumour comes out which, if widely accepted, would boost ARM's share price greatly. Someone could potentially make a lot of money out of this. Especially as Semiaccurate's sources are anonymous, I reckon this rumour should be treated with great scepticism.
I didn't think ARM's stocks would be so volatile.
I didn't think ARM's stocks would be so volatile.
SirHaakon
Mar 30, 12:25 AM
I really do like the concept of having an enormous amount of online storage, immediately accessible from anywhere.. but ultimately I see this as an issue of me having to pay someone else for granting access to things I already own.
So that storage unit you have filled with couches and tennis rackets and old baseball cards... that should be free as well?
Let's be reasonable here. They have to buy drives (multiple drives, because clearly they need redundancy and backup) to put your music on and they have to pay for the bandwidth to pipe it out to you. I hardly think $1 for 20 gigabytes of available anywhere storage is very unreasonable.
Do you like paying a fee to your bank when you take out YOUR OWN MONEY from the bank?
No, of course not... but that's different. They aren't storing physical cash somewhere anymore, it's all just a line of electronic code that states what your balance is. Why should anyone have to pay for that? And before you tell me that digital music is just 1s and 0s too, you're right - and that's why Amazon gives you 5 gigs free. If you want more, obviously there's a cost involved. They can't support millions of customers each wanting a terabyte of storage for nothing.
Remember when television was free? We just had to put up with advertisements, and for that, we got free TV. Now many people pay 79 bucks a month or more to get cable or satellite TV.
Nothing has changed. Over-the-air broadcasts are still available for free. It's called an antenna. They may seem quaint, but Best Buy still sells them. If you want premium content, you pay for it.
Of course companies like Amazon and Apple are not in it for your convenience, they're in it because if everyone eventually has all their files stored online in the cloud, there's TONS and TONS of money to be made- for ever. If I have a computer, phone or music listening device with ample amounts of storage space, these companies don't make any money off of me after I purchase that music from itunes or wherever. (And if I have cds or blu ray movies, they don't make any money on me at all). This cloud concept provides some convenience, but more importantly guarantees a steady flow of income for these companies for many years to come.
Well first of all, if you buy a Blu-ray disc from Amazon, they're still taking their cut. So saying they make "no money at all" from that is inaccurate. But again, they are offering you physical storage space that is available 24/7 from wherever you are. Why would you expect that to be free? That's just a ridiculous mentality. The prices they're asking aren't very expensive, either. How much do you spend on your cable bill every month? Your phone bill? People just think it's ridiculous to spend money on music because avenues have popped up where you can get it for free. (Why buy the CD when I can just watch it on YouTube?). Just because something is available somewhere for free doesn't mean it's worthless. Amazon is providing a service. That service comes with a fee. If you don't think it's worth it, don't buy it... but I think your expectations are pretty misplaced.
Flash memory storage capacities are growing yearly.. and prices are continuing to drop. Now companies are starting to ship secure digital cards with capacities of a staggering 128 GB on a tiny compact flash card! Ultimately I think most people will be able to have enormous amounts of files locally on their own phone or portable computer.
Sure they can. That isn't the point of this, though. I have 2 computers at home, a laptop, a phone that has storage, a DVR, even my Xbox can store music files. But what a pain in the ass it is to share between them all. Do I want to use up 80 gigs of my laptop's internal drive just to take all of my music with me when I travel? Do I want duplicate copies of everything I own on all of these different devices just to make sure the one thing I'm looking for at any particular moment is there no matter what? Good grief, no. Yes of course I will keep A backup of all of my files on a local system - I'm not trusting anything ONLY to the cloud - but now there's a way to access my music (or any other kind of file, for that matter) wherever I go, quickly and easily. Sure, it's not much different than dropbox except that it's cheaper and less complicated. How nice to be able to visit my parents, or go on vacation, or be at a friend's house, log on to their computer, and have my entire music library instantly available at my fingertips. It makes a lot of sense to me.
So that storage unit you have filled with couches and tennis rackets and old baseball cards... that should be free as well?
Let's be reasonable here. They have to buy drives (multiple drives, because clearly they need redundancy and backup) to put your music on and they have to pay for the bandwidth to pipe it out to you. I hardly think $1 for 20 gigabytes of available anywhere storage is very unreasonable.
Do you like paying a fee to your bank when you take out YOUR OWN MONEY from the bank?
No, of course not... but that's different. They aren't storing physical cash somewhere anymore, it's all just a line of electronic code that states what your balance is. Why should anyone have to pay for that? And before you tell me that digital music is just 1s and 0s too, you're right - and that's why Amazon gives you 5 gigs free. If you want more, obviously there's a cost involved. They can't support millions of customers each wanting a terabyte of storage for nothing.
Remember when television was free? We just had to put up with advertisements, and for that, we got free TV. Now many people pay 79 bucks a month or more to get cable or satellite TV.
Nothing has changed. Over-the-air broadcasts are still available for free. It's called an antenna. They may seem quaint, but Best Buy still sells them. If you want premium content, you pay for it.
Of course companies like Amazon and Apple are not in it for your convenience, they're in it because if everyone eventually has all their files stored online in the cloud, there's TONS and TONS of money to be made- for ever. If I have a computer, phone or music listening device with ample amounts of storage space, these companies don't make any money off of me after I purchase that music from itunes or wherever. (And if I have cds or blu ray movies, they don't make any money on me at all). This cloud concept provides some convenience, but more importantly guarantees a steady flow of income for these companies for many years to come.
Well first of all, if you buy a Blu-ray disc from Amazon, they're still taking their cut. So saying they make "no money at all" from that is inaccurate. But again, they are offering you physical storage space that is available 24/7 from wherever you are. Why would you expect that to be free? That's just a ridiculous mentality. The prices they're asking aren't very expensive, either. How much do you spend on your cable bill every month? Your phone bill? People just think it's ridiculous to spend money on music because avenues have popped up where you can get it for free. (Why buy the CD when I can just watch it on YouTube?). Just because something is available somewhere for free doesn't mean it's worthless. Amazon is providing a service. That service comes with a fee. If you don't think it's worth it, don't buy it... but I think your expectations are pretty misplaced.
Flash memory storage capacities are growing yearly.. and prices are continuing to drop. Now companies are starting to ship secure digital cards with capacities of a staggering 128 GB on a tiny compact flash card! Ultimately I think most people will be able to have enormous amounts of files locally on their own phone or portable computer.
Sure they can. That isn't the point of this, though. I have 2 computers at home, a laptop, a phone that has storage, a DVR, even my Xbox can store music files. But what a pain in the ass it is to share between them all. Do I want to use up 80 gigs of my laptop's internal drive just to take all of my music with me when I travel? Do I want duplicate copies of everything I own on all of these different devices just to make sure the one thing I'm looking for at any particular moment is there no matter what? Good grief, no. Yes of course I will keep A backup of all of my files on a local system - I'm not trusting anything ONLY to the cloud - but now there's a way to access my music (or any other kind of file, for that matter) wherever I go, quickly and easily. Sure, it's not much different than dropbox except that it's cheaper and less complicated. How nice to be able to visit my parents, or go on vacation, or be at a friend's house, log on to their computer, and have my entire music library instantly available at my fingertips. It makes a lot of sense to me.
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