iPhone 3G Question..

[treis]

@TimeWinder

Huh? What does music playing in the background have to do with iTunes? It doesn’t matter what program you used to load it, or whether the music came from the iTunes music store – it still plays in the background.

Yes, but you’re still using iTunes. It might not matter for you, but a lot of people take the path of least resistance using their computer. That’s why Internet Explorer remains the most popular internet browser despite sucking ass.

I’m not really sure how you don’t see this. iTunes is the only music player that can play in the background, therefore people are more likely to use iTunes after buying an iPhone (or iPod for that matter). People with iTunes are more likely to buy music from the iTunes store. Those that have large collections in Apple’s format are more likely to continue buying Apple products.

Think of your non-tech savvy friends/parents. They discover this online music thing, buy an iPod and a bunch of music from Apple. A few years on, they see a new whiz bang player from another company and want to buy it only to find out that they can’t use their iTunes bought music on it. Are they really going to burn a couple hundred dollars worth of music to buy a different player? Doubt it. What about the person on the fence? Having to junk a bunch of music is going to sway you pretty quick.

Do you think it’s a coincidence that the iPod is basically the only MP3 player on the market that you need iTunes to use? Why do you think Apple and Microsoft sell their music in their own proprietary formats and require you to use their software? The whole point is to get you to use their products for all aspect of your entertainment, and lock you to their product line.

@Mathocist

Originally Posted by TimeWinder
Huh? What does music playing in the background have to do with iTunes? It doesn’t matter what program you used to load it, or whether the music came from the iTunes music store – it still plays in the background.

Oh go shove it up your ass.

[Superfreaknduper]

@BrknButterfly

What about MMS messages? I knew going into it that they dont go to the phone and you have to go to a web site to see them. Though I can’t go to that website from my phone. I have to use an actual computer.

Any plans that in the next upgrade MMS will be enabled?

You can have MMS messages sent to the email address on your iphone, most cell phones can do this simply by typing in the email address where the phone number normally goes for no extra charge. That way you dont need to go to any websites from your iphone or anything.

[TimeWinder]

@treis

iTunes is the only music player that can play in the background.

You keep using those words. I don’t think they mean what you think they mean.

[wasson]

@treis

I’m not really sure how you don’t see this. iTunes is the only music player that can play in the background, therefore people are more likely to use iTunes after buying an iPhone (or iPod for that matter). People with iTunes are more likely to buy music from the iTunes store. Those that have large collections in Apple’s format are more likely to continue buying Apple products.

This doesn’t make much sense to me. iTunes is only used to load content onto the iPhone (or iPod). That may lead to using iTunes as your primary media player and music store purchases on your computer, but so what? That has nothing to do with playing music on your iPhone, which is what we are discussing here.

Why do you think Apple and Microsoft sell their music in their own proprietary formats and require you to use their software?

Apple is actually fighting pretty hard to get DRM eliminated from iTunes purchases so you can take your music to any player you want. Even now with DRM loaded onto most tracks, Apple’s is far less restrictive than others.

[Mathochist]

@wasson

This doesn’t make much sense to me. iTunes is only used to load content onto the iPhone (or iPod). That may lead to using iTunes as your primary media player and music store purchases on your computer, but so what? That has nothing to do with playing music on your iPhone, which is what we are discussing here.

treis isn’t distinguishing between the iPod functionality of iPhone and the iTunes Music Store, and is calling them both by the name of the iTunes program (which doesn’t actually run on iPhone, but on desktop computers). This is because his point isn’t how iPhone functions, but taking any opportunity to wave his Apple-slamming flag.

Apple is actually fighting pretty hard to get DRM eliminated from iTunes purchases so you can take your music to any player you want. Even now with DRM loaded onto most tracks, Apple’s is far less restrictive than others.

Compare to Yahoo collapsing and taking users’ purchased music with them. Apple has always included DRM because the RIAA insisted on it for the licensing. When they’ve been able to work out a deal that doesn’t involve DRM, they have sold DRM-free music.

[Red_Barchetta]

@wasson

Apple is actually fighting pretty hard to get DRM eliminated from iTunes purchases so you can take your music to any player you want. Even now with DRM loaded onto most tracks, Apple’s is far less restrictive than others.

Just an FYI to others; Amazon’s music store (last I heard) features no DRM at all, and the music is in the more widley supported MP3 format (and they’re cheaper to boot)!

Carry on.

[Mathochist]

@Red Barchetta

Just an FYI to others; Amazon’s music store (last I heard) features no DRM at all, and the music is in the more widley supported MP3 format (and they’re cheaper to boot)!

And you can put those MP3 files on iPhone and play them in the iPod program. Which is exactly why treis hasn’t a leg to stand on.

[treis]

@TimeWinder

You keep using those words. I don’t think they mean what you think they mean.

Maybe I don’t. My understanding is that music from non-apple sources, i.e. Pandora, isn’t able to run in the background, and likely will remain so in the future. In order to get music onto your iPhone, you have to use iTunes. In other words, it’s impossible to use WinAmp to transfer your music to the iPhone, and then play it with a WinAmp program on your iPhone. Am I mistaken in these assumptions?

@wasson

This doesn’t make much sense to me. iTunes is only used to load content onto the iPhone (or iPod). That may lead to using iTunes as your primary media player and music store purchases on your computer, but so what?

The main problem is that it could lead to a dominant position for Apple in the electronic music market. I don’t think it will simply because Mp3 is an established standard, and pirating music is too easy. I don’t want to see a situation like Microsoft Office again, where competition is stifled because users are essentially locked into a proprietary data format.

@Mathochist

treis isn’t distinguishing between the iPod functionality of iPhone and the iTunes Music Store, and is calling them both by the name of the iTunes program (which doesn’t actually run on iPhone, but on desktop computers). This is because his point isn’t how iPhone functions, but taking any opportunity to wave his Apple-slamming flag.

What the fuck is your problem? What the hell have I done to deserve these little snide shots?

[Mathochist]

@treis

What the hell have I done to deserve these little snide shots?

You hijacked a thread. You took it from a question about the mechanics and limitations of the technology into making a really hackneyed statement based on your personal opinions of what’s right and wrong.