[DevaRextusidis]

Good old Jobs, he looks like some poor old homeless guy that walked in by mistake whilst looking for the shitter.

[Michmant]

The article praises Apple's clever locking in of consumers to its ecosystem more so than it does Apple's innovation or relatively sad new features. That's a very unfortunate sort of thing for which to lavish praise upon a corporation.

[GrolmangHat27]

The article praises Apple's clever locking in of consumers to its ecosystem more so than it does Apple's innovation or relatively sad new features. That's a very unfortunate sort of thing for which to lavish praise upon a corporation.

That's what I got from it as well.

It's not a software feature analysis piece, it just reviews the company's business direction.

Is Wired a consumer magazine or not ?

And it's vertical integration when you build everything yourself and sell it not when you just control the sources of parts (ala Walmart).

[EjPWyPm4]

A heads up for those of you thinking about trying the iOS5 beta. Popular streaming video apps are not working. This includes Netflix, Hulu, and the HBO streaming app. I can only verify the Netflix app though as that's the only one I have. The app will load, but will not stream any movies.

[robstamps]

I tried iPlayer and TV Catchup, and they both worked. They aren't apps though, so I don't know if they would make any difference. I also tried the Tate Joan Miro exhibition app, which has videos in it that aren't stored in the app (unless you download them first), and that worked fine. This was on an iPhone 4.

[EjPWyPm4]

I tried iPlayer and TV Catchup, and they both worked. They aren't apps though, so I don't know if they would make any difference. I also tried the Tate Joan Miro exhibition app, which has videos in it that aren't stored in the app (unless you download them first), and that worked fine. This was on an iPhone 4.

I'm on an iPhone 4 as well. I think the Netflix and Hulu apps check the iOS version when you try to stream a movie. Because 5 is a beta it isn't on the list and won't allow the stream to go.

Youtube still works fine so it's not a problem with streaming media itself, it's an issue with the apps.

[vosteglog]

The article praises Apple's clever locking in of consumers to its ecosystem more so than it does Apple's innovation or relatively sad new features. That's a very unfortunate sort of thing for which to lavish praise upon a corporation.

That's what I got from it as well.

It's not a software feature analysis piece, it just reviews the company's business direction.

Is Wired a consumer magazine or not ?

And it's vertical integration when you build everything yourself and sell it not when you just control the sources of parts (ala Walmart).

By streamlining sharing media they are locking people in? Are they getting rid of MOG, Napster, Audio Galaxy, Rhapsody, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, Imageshack, Dropbox, Picasa, Photobucket, etc?

Integrating cloud saving and sharing is no different than what Google does and can only be seen as a good thing.

It is funny you mention that especially after this update where you never once have to connect your iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad to the computer with iTunes, even right out of the box.

[Michmant]

By streamlining sharing media they are locking people in? Are they getting rid of MOG, Napster, Audio Galaxy, Rhapsody, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, Imageshack, Dropbox, Picasa, Photobucket, etc?

Integrating cloud saving and sharing is no different than what Google does and can only be seen as a good thing.

It is funny you mention that especially after this update where you never once have to connect your iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad to the computer with iTunes, even right out of the box.

1. I did not write the article so don't pout at me. I'm just pointing out what it's really talking about, and it's not about the wonders of these new features. It's talking about how awesome Apple is at tying people down with features.
2. You do in fact have to connect your iProduct with iTunes, you just don't have to do it with a cable is all. The cloud services are all tied to iTunes. Purchase things through iTunes, have cloud access to them. Index music purchased elsewhere in iTunes and have cloud access to it, assuming you are willing to pay a subscription fee.

Locking in customers, which is what the article talks about, in and locking competition out are two very different sides of the same monopoly coin. Microsoft used to do one, for example, but has at least partially reformed. Apple does the other and continues to increase the ferocity with which it does so.

[EjPWyPm4]

1. I did not write the article so don't pout at me. I'm just pointing out what it's really talking about, and it's not about the wonders of these new features. It's talking about how awesome Apple is at tying people down with features.
2. You do in fact have to connect your iProduct with iTunes, you just don't have to do it with a cable is all. The cloud services are all tied to iTunes. Purchase things through iTunes, have cloud access to them. Index music purchased elsewhere in iTunes and have cloud access to it, assuming you are willing to pay a subscription fee.

Locking in customers, which is what the article talks about, in and locking competition out are two very different sides of the same monopoly coin. Microsoft used to do one, for example, but has at least partially reformed. Apple does the other and continues to increase the ferocity with which it does so.

Actually, you can use an iPad/iPhone now completely without iTunes on the PC. Activation even can be done directly on the device without the need for a computer. You would of course have to use iTunes on your device if you wanted to purchase a song.

Edit: I should probably add a big AFAIK.

[vosteglog]

1. I did not write the article so don't pout at me. I'm just pointing out what it's really talking about, and it's not about the wonders of these new features. It's talking about how awesome Apple is at tying people down with features.
2. You do in fact have to connect your iProduct with iTunes, you just don't have to do it with a cable is all. The cloud services are all tied to iTunes. Purchase things through iTunes, have cloud access to them. Index music purchased elsewhere in iTunes and have cloud access to it, assuming you are willing to pay a subscription fee.

Locking in customers, which is what the article talks about, in and locking competition out are two very different sides of the same monopoly coin. Microsoft used to do one, for example, but has at least partially reformed. Apple does the other and continues to increase the ferocity with which it does so.

[rofl] Pout at you? That is awesome!

So you buy a new iPhone, you open the box, unlock it, make an iTunes account with no credit card, download all the apps you want, to your heart's content.

Once you download some free apps like the ones I mentioned in my previous post, you can get hundreds of thousands of hours worth of music and video without ever touching Apple's marketplace again. Yes, you have to use the app store to get apps but that is it.

My point is that, it is absolutely in no way worse and in fact it is better. You have yet to say how they are "locking people in" exactly. So to use Apple's cloud service... you have to be connected to their service? No way!

[GrolmangHat27]

By streamlining sharing media they are locking people in? Are they getting rid of MOG, Napster, Audio Galaxy, Rhapsody, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, Imageshack, Dropbox, Picasa, Photobucket, etc?

Integrating cloud saving and sharing is no different than what Google does and can only be seen as a good thing.

It is funny you mention that especially after this update where you never once have to connect your iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad to the computer with iTunes, even right out of the box.

I wasn't talking about locking in, apple or anything. I was just commenting on the article that was posted.

[vosteglog]

I wasn't talking about locking in, apple or anything. I was just commenting on the article that was posted.

Ah alright, yes the article is very gushy but you quoted Inept and it looked like you agreed with his "locking in" stance which is where my confusion came from.

[robstamps]

iCloud enables you to bring apps back from the dead!

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/09/a...from-the-dead/

[fedelwet]

Ah alright, yes the article is very gushy but you quoted Inept and it looked like you agreed with his "locking in" stance which is where my confusion came from.

They are locking people in, but in a very crafty way.

Imagine the scenario where you have an iMac, iPad and iPhone and you need a new phone. Are you going to look at one that means no effort at all to have all your content on or another device to learn?

Even if you just own an iPad, why would you want another tablet when you would have to start putting content on from scratch?

And if you use iCloud for music then you'll need an apple device.

It might not be Apple saying "you must use our devices" but it's very clever, near subconscious brand retention engineering.

[vosteglog]

They are locking people in, but in a very crafty way.

Imagine the scenario where you have an iMac, iPad and iPhone and you need a new phone. Are you going to look at one that means no effort at all to have all your content on or another device to learn?

Even if you just own an iPad, why would you want another tablet when you would have to start putting content on from scratch?

And if you use iCloud for music then you'll need an apple device.

It might not be Apple saying "you must use our devices" but it's very clever, near subconscious brand retention engineering.

As mentioned, they aren't "locking people in" to anything. Are they giving people reasons to use their devices? Sure they are but is that different from what any other good company would do? Have a Windows PC? Pair it with a Xbox as a media extender in your living room. Check out your Xbox Live accout on your Windows phone, etc.

Give users an incentive to stick with your products through integration.

[fedelwet]

As mentioned, they aren't "locking people in" to anything. Are they giving people reasons to use their devices? Sure they are but is that different from what any other good company would do? Have a Windows PC? Pair it with a Xbox as a media extender in your living room. Check out your Xbox Live accout on your Windows phone, etc.

I'm not even sure which posts we are arguing about anymore but my point is that they are dangling a very large carrot with no intention of ever letting anyone get out of the deal they enter into without losing all of their data. You can guarantee that their roadmap is 40% providing enhancements that customers want and 60% making sure that people can't leave the brand easily.

Sony and XBox try the same trick. Their games could work on each others systems but they want to lock people into their brand so they make the codebase slightly different.

It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it would be naive to think that all they have at heart is the customers best interests.

[vosteglog]

I'm not even sure which posts we are arguing about anymore but my point is that they are dangling a very large carrot with no intention of ever letting anyone get out of the deal they enter into without losing all of their data. You can guarantee that their roadmap is 40% providing enhancements that customers want and 60% making sure that people can't leave the brand easily.

Sony and XBox try the same trick. Their games could work on each others systems but they want to lock people into their brand so they make the codebase slightly different.

It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it would be naive to think that all they have at heart is the customers best interests.

You can take your photos, videos, music etc anywhere outside of Apple's service and it is stored on your local machine as well.

Playstation and Xbox games run on very different hardware, so no that is just misinformation.

[fedelwet]

You can take your photos, videos, music etc anywhere outside of Apple's service and it is stored on your local machine as well.

Playstation and Xbox games run on very different hardware, so no that is just misinformation.

Yes, you can. However, Apple's customer base is probably 80% technophobes who won't know you can move from the iCloud services.

The playstation / xbox argument wasn't meant to be scientific. But technically a PC, xbox and PS3 are just a HDD, CPU and GPU with different interconnects and other fancy stuff I don't want to know about.

[vosteglog]

Yes, you can. However, Apple's customer base is probably 80% technophobes who won't know you can move from the iCloud services.

The playstation / xbox argument wasn't meant to be scientific. But technically a PC, xbox and PS3 are just a HDD, CPU and GPU with different interconnects and other fancy stuff I don't want to know about.

So those people wouldn't know how to migrate it anyway. That is not them making it harder to leave, just more widely accessible.

[fedelwet]

So those people wouldn't know how to migrate it anyway. That is not them making it harder to leave, just more widely accessible.

Yeh, but once you have four or five iOS devices synced to the cloud then you're on the hook and Apple have a much easier job of keeping you locked in to their brand.