Newspapers warn Apple over sales
- Thread starter cymatty
- Start date
Soldato
Sure but most people outside of the tech arena who want a "smartphone" want a phone that looks cool, has all the apps, and syncs easily with their music.
To your Average Joe this is an iPhone.
Apple's control over the App store has plenty of benefits for your average user but because this is a tech forum you are bound to get those rattling against the walls of the garden. Android is a good choice for tinkerers!
OK so after your first paragraph of pure vitriol you say Apple are damaging "the industry" - care to explain why?
Apple have said you can offer out of app purchases as long as you also offer in-app (via iTunes) purchases. Simples.
Sure Apple my go through a whole load of pain but this market is new to them so they may well make a few mistakes.
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Soldato
That's my recent build - the last build was a Core2Duo E6750 with 6GB of RAM but it still chugged. Things like connecting and disconnecting devices to iTunes, start up time, music taking ages to sync. Not to mention stupid things like it not keeping an active record of what you've purchased in regards to apps for my iPod Touch... or for that matter any tunes that I've bought on it.
My media experience is so much more pleasant now that I don't have to wrestle with it's non intuitive interface and music sorting system. I now use my HTC Desire for music and getting it on there is as easy as copying a folder over. On top of that the sound quality is vastly superior to that of either an iPhone or an iPod when using PowerAmp. The only good thing it had going for it was Genius but it's not enough to make me want to go back.
I don't have to jump through hoops to get media onto my devices either - they will play back pretty much any format including OGG and FLAC and I don't have to deal with any ridiculous DRM put in place despite having paid for the music. I can plug it into any PC with music on it and not need a proprietary application that is specifically associated with my device to sync it. All my contacts and application information is held online so if I lose my device then all I need to do is log into a new one and it will all sync up again.
I can carry spare batteries with me, I can tether any machine to my phone, I can install 3rd party applications and I don't need to do it by the say so of Apple. It may not be as pretty as an iPod/iPhone hardware wise but it is significantly more functional and significantly less restricted.
/Rant
...each to their own tho.
I work inside the "tech arena", almost everybody i know has an iphone, abeit usually a jailbroken one which provides total freedom. So i would say that this statement applies to everybody, not just average joes
It is very clear and totally obvious why it dominates. The only reason not to have one is to save money or be "different".
Soldato
I work inside the "tech arena", almost everybody i know has an iphone, abeit usually a jailbroken one which provides total freedom. So i would say that this statement applies to everybody, not just average joes
It is very clear and totally obvious why it dominates. The only reason not to have one is to save money or be "different".
Yeah everybody here where I work in the "tech arena" has an iPhone. Only one is jailbroken though. The point I was trying to make is why the iPhone has become so widely adopted by the man (woman) in the street.
My experience agrees with your line on people having a non-Apple smart-phone are either cheapskates (
) or just trying to "be different"Without wanting to bother having an argument about it (as i dont care), there is no being told to do anything if you dont want there to be. The iPhone can be as versatile as you like. There is a huge user community behind development of "aftermarket" applications and plug-ins for it.
Almost everybody i know in the "tech arena" (as LordSplodge put it) has an iPhone, you just need to be creative with them to use them to their full potential.
My experience agrees with your line on people having a non-Apple smart-phone are either cheapskates (
Totally, its the same story every time. Either money comes into it, or they have some form of ill-founded stereotype in their heads which has affected their purchase and made them want to buck the trend.
Soldato
I'm sure your average iPhone user is really upset that they can't sync OGG or FLAC and I'm really sure they get upset at having to simply connect their iPhone to there computer and let iTunes sync their music. Nice DRM free music seeing as the iTunes store no longer sells DRM enabled music...
It's all about perspective. Apple care more about the overall user experience than what one or two users may want to do.
However like you say there is choice in the market.
Soldato
Sidestepping the fanboy debate and going back to the OP. Why would they need to charge for the app?
Free app, your subscription level externally to the app (attached to the app by you logging in) decides what you can access within the app.
Or have apple said that they can't do this?
Free app, your subscription level externally to the app (attached to the app by you logging in) decides what you can access within the app.
Or have apple said that they can't do this?
Soldato
Actually I think you will find that the majority of people buy an iPhone because it just works, it's simple has an intuitive interface and fit's in as a fashion accessory. I know a large number of people with iPhones also - the number of them that have jailbroken them is very small. Those that have are now waiting for their contracts to expire and thoroughly regret having paid the money for it. The rest are content to use them as Apple dictates because it just... works...
Soldato
It's a money grab plain and simple. Granted Apple is providing the service of hosting the app but whichever way you look at it they see it as an opportunity to get more money out of the greater community.
Soldato
I'm wondering what I am being told I can't do with my (non-jailbroken) iPhone?
I can make phone calls, get emails, sync my calendars, run lots of apps and generally do what I need to do on a daily basis to get things done with minimal maintenance of the phone.
It is a cliche but it really does just work.
Caporegime
In related news, Microsoft won't allow the BBC to provide the iPlayer for the XBox 360, because it conflicts with their policy of charging for EVERYTHING.
Indeed. I was specifically referring to my experience of techies with them though. They appeal to both markets.
Soldato
I think you can. The Economist gives you limited access unless you are a subscriber then you log on to get more.
Where situation in the OP comes into play is with downloaded offline content. That needs to be done with the option for in-app purchasing.
The whole industry is moving into a new area. Apple are bound to try and get their stake into the ground. Unless they are careful it may bite them in the behind. However Apple have been very aggressive in more recent times so this kind of play is to be expected.
Soldato
Didn't you get the memo? It's not cool to hate Microsoft anymore...
Soldato
Ah small mercies on the DRM front. If I'm being completely honest I've never tried to use a FLAC or OGG file, not since I downloaded a free/pay what you want album (I think it was Radiohead or similar) and then had to find a FLAC to MP3 converter to get it on my iPod. They're pretty pointless formats that will eventually die out. Having said that getting video onto an iPod/iPhone has been made deliberately difficult so that you're more likely to buy it off iTunes. It's a very Apple way of doing things.
Apple caring about user experience is one perspective, the other is making it easy to use their devices as long as you're throwing money at them for the privilege. It's very clever and most people don't care because if it works no harm done. It's when you want to do something that Apple doesn't make money from (i.e. Flash gaming - it would heavily reduce the need for people to purchase entertainment off iTunes) that it all of a sudden becomes difficult.
Soldato
Quite the opposite, well it's the BBC's insistance that stops them reaching an agreement.
The BBC will only let it go on xbox live if it's open to everyone, MS want it within Gold XBL only same as all their other online stuff.
Caporegime
Sounds like 6 of one, half a dozen of the other, and given the BBCs charter, I'd say they are just sticking to their guns on principle.