Google Voice? Who really cares?

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:26:46 +1200

I really enjoy listening to Jason Calacanis when he’s on TWiT, and I think he generally makes a lot of sense (and considering his success, he clearly knows more than me). However, his anti-Apple rant (like so many others) is really off-base (I’m not the only one that thinks so).

There is no technical reason why the iTunes ecosystem shouldn’t allow the ability to sync with any MP3 player

The iTunes ecosystem does allow the ability to sync with any MP3 player (even more so now that music is DRM-free). You can build an application that uses the XML library description that iTunes creates to figure out where all the music/video is, and do what you like with it. The way I see it, there’s no reason that iTunes/Apple should be forced to support any MP3 player with their software. Apple clearly makes some money from the iTunes music/video sales, but it’s clearly not the main profit generator is the ecosystem - the high-margin iPods/iPhones are. Apple has spent a great deal of time and money building a store and an application to make the players more appealing. Why should any other player get to piggyback on the top of that? If (e.g.) Palm wants to create an online music store and develop an application that works with it and the Pre, then they should be able to (and I see no reason they can’t). I like iTunes more than other media applications I’ve used, but it’s certainly not perfect, and it shows that it started out as a music player and is now a great deal more. I love the iTunes Store, but Amazon completes with it (I can’t tell how well, since they won’t see to me in NZ) as does the Zune Store - which even offers a subscription model (no idea if this is available in NZ - it’s too Windows-centric for me). There’s absolutely room for someone (e.g. Palm) to build a better store (or interface with an existing one like Amazon) and built a better application. Do that, and build a better device, and you’ll get customers. Don’t expect that Apple should have to help you compete against them.

iTunes applications restricted to US store

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:27:57 +1200

What possible reason can developers (Apple?) have for restricting an application like Grocery IQ to the US store? I would have purchased this, but it’s not available in the NZ store. I can’t see any reason that it wouldn’t work just as well here. (I can understand that annoying legalities prevent applications like Puzzlotto being sold, but that’s a whole different story). This isn’t the only application like this I’ve come across, just the most recent one. It makes no sense at all.

Itunes on Tony Andrew Meyer

Google Voice? Who really cares?

iTunes applications restricted to US store