1. Rematch? Possibly? Apple to come out in front? Depends on 2 things: First, does MS even want to play. they are big enough to choose their markets. Apples iPod profits barely pay for Gates's philanthropy’s!
Second, did Jobs learn his lesson the first time. Apple has a closed DRM and it seems as if Jobs is set to make the same mistakes. He is a bigger danger to the company now because his ego has grown. MS, on the other hand, is a better managed company, has more money and an OS that is on 95% of the worlds computers. I'll put my paycheck on MS.

Posted at 4:42PM on Jan 28th 2006 by Jim Kirkhoff

2. ematch? Possibly? Apple to come out in front? Depends on 2 things: First, does MS even want to play. they are big enough to choose their markets. Apples iPod profits barely pay for Gates's philanthropy’s!
Second, did Jobs learn his lesson the first time. Apple has a closed DRM and it seems as if Jobs is set to make the same mistakes. He is a bigger danger to the company now because his ego has grown. MS, on the other hand, is a better managed company, has more money and an OS that is on 95% of the worlds computers. I'll put my paycheck on MS.


The fact that MS makes more money than Apples does now says what? Microsoft is realizing that just having money means nothing because what is here today can be gone tomorrow. They've always had money, but like Dell, they've never innovated. They've either purchased companies with technology they wanted or they've created a competing technology ("copied") and intergrated it into their operating system to force the other companies out of business. But they've never been on the defensive like they are now with the likes of Apple, Linux, Google, Firefox and the Internet itself. MS a better managed company? In what world are you talking about?

Microsoft understands the potential of owning the digital music and video market and they're trying their hardest to crack it which is THE ONLY reason their licensing their DRM. Let's no be fooled. There are really only two major DRMs, Apple's Fairplay and Window's Media. Just because MS is giving it out to everyone and their mothers doesn't make it "OPEN". It's still MICROSOFT'S DRM! And if somehow Microsoft winds the dominating video/music format, they'll do what they always do once they're on top, NOTHING. Internet Explorer anyone?

The very reason that Apple doesn't license it's DRM is the key to it's success. But should they start losing market, it would take nothing to open their DRM to others. Yes they are on 95% of the computers because of past mistakes, but more numbers doesn't mean better. To use paraphrase something I read somewhere, "they are more roaches on this planet than there are people. Doesn't make them a higher lifeform does it?".

You put your paycheck on MS, and I'll be sure to drop by the shelter and hand you a few dollars once and awhile.

Posted at 7:09PM on Jan 28th 2006 by Musica360.com

3. There are some important differences this time around however: iPod is firmly entrenched in youth culture and only becoming more so. Underestimating the value of peer pressure has doomed many companies entering the youth market. Microsoft sort of has a toe hold on youth culture with the X-box, and they are right to build any mp3 player platform on that brand, as that is the only card they have to play, but it's a long way from selling half a million x-boxes over a quarter to selling 14 million iPods in the same time period. MP3 players are not computers, and Apple's "closed" strategy seems better suited for iPods then it did for the Mac's. Right now they are completely dominating the market, and not only that, they are making the same stuff other companies are, but successfully convincing consumers to pay a lot more for theirs. That's leaving them a lot of wiggle room, and it's going to take a lot to knock them off the block.

Posted at 3:02PM on Jan 29th 2006 by Sharky Laguana