So Apple can design the coolest digital device to hit the market. Who gives a rat’s backside?
I understand that, as a computer manufacturer, the goal is to get people to buy your hardware. But when you have an opportunity to sell the highest-end product in its niche, why cut out 90 percent of the market because it isn’t compatible with their operating system? And if it is compatible with other platforms Apple should let everyone know up front.
So Apple can design the coolest digital device to hit the market. Who gives a rat’s backside?
I understand that, as a computer manufacturer, the goal is to get people to buy your hardware. But when you have an opportunity to sell the highest-end product in its niche, why cut out 90 percent of the market because it isn’t compatible with their operating system? And if it is compatible with other platforms Apple should let everyone know up front.
After all, if they know something is going to work they can put it on their Christmas wish list. The timing is certainly right for that. Apple should have made a product that anyone with a Firewire port can use. A product that can import playlists from the most popular MP3 desktop players. By not doing so they leave the door open for any nippo-riche “I live to reverse engineer the coolest stuff and slap my own brand on it” imitator to come along and capture the bulk of the market piggybacking on Apple’s talent and vision.
Why not take the extra time, produce iTunes 2 for Wintel boxes, and give the entire marketplace the opportunity to hold a cool Apple product that they’ll love-and use every day-in their hot little hands. Maybe a few of them would decide to take a serious look at an Apple laptop or desktop system after a good iPod experience.
iPod looks really cool. So cool that we can expect every entertainment company (that’s not missing the same half of their brains that Apple is) to jump for joy at the opportunity to drill where the oil is. In six months there will be a dozen competing products that all work on Wintel boxes, two will have better feature sets, and neither of those will be Mac compatible.
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