Soup-Up The Engine in Your iPod

There just seems to be no end to what geeks can do when they hack hardware. In fact, Jeffery Nelson has managed to port Linux to the iPod.

I love what the iPod has offered, but I was hoping that the iPod would have some better software. I know it was initially designed to be a digital music player. But us techno-geeks want more. I was hoping the iPod would have technologies that would have it more resemble the Newton or a PDA. Maybe Apple is currently developing those technologies, but they won't tell us.

I enjoyed the address book, calendar and games features that come stock with the iPod. Unfortunately, the games get stale rather quickly, and you cannot edit the address book or calendar entries on the fly. When I am about, I would love to put an appointment straight into my iPod calendar, or entering a buddies' new cell phone number. Having Linux on your iPod opens up a whole world of new possibilities. I have not tried the software, so I cannot endorse the product, yet.

Regardless, it's very cool, in a geeky sort of way.

The Next [Small] Things From Apple

[Ed Note: apparently, I cannot upload images at this time, so I will have to write this entry sans graphics. If you want to see images of the products I am talking about, visit Apple's homepage.]

Today was a big day for Apple. During the keynote speech, CEO Steve Jobs unveiled new software and new products. Noteworthy of mention was the release of the most affordable iPod ever, the iPod Shuffle.

Using flash memory, weighing less than an ounce and about the size of a pack of gum (think Juicy Fruit), the two new versions of the iPod can hold 120 or 240 songs, for the price of $99 US or $149 respectively. Also worthy of mention is the iPod's 12-hour battery life. If I didn't own an iPod already, I would not hesitate to buy one myself. I can't believe the price. I predict these little pieces of 21st century fashion are going to fly off the shelves. Once again, Apple is securing is domination of the digital music market.

On second thought, I could probably have use for an iPod Shuffle. I'd use the little one for music, and my 15-gigger as an external hard drive and backup utility.

Apple's second major release today blew me away. Apple released the most affordable Mac computer ever today, in an attempt to lure PC users (and iPod owners) away from the Windoze platform. The Mac Mini is about the size of 5 CD cases (about 6 inches by 6 inches by 2 inches in height), weighs in at about 3 pounds, contains a CD-RW and a DVD-ROM drive, and a 32-megabyte ATI graphics card. If you are a wireless type person, the Mac Mini is capable of 802.11g wireless technology, and able to use Bluetooth peripherals. It only comes stock with 256 megabytes of RAM (expandable to 1 Gigabyte) and a 40-gig hard drive, but what floored me was the price point: $499 US!

When I first saw images of the Mac Mini, my first thought was "The Cube has returned"! It has been widely speculated the main reason why the Cube miserably failed was that the price point was far too high. Now, Apple has introduced a machine that is reminiscent of the Cube, but at the lowest price point in Apple's history (not to mention, many times more powerful than the original Cube).

The initial response from the on-line community has been staggering. The servers at The Apple Store has been overloaded, as on-line discussion forums. From what I have read, the majority of readers are blown away by this new machine. This could very well become the most successful Mac ever -- even if it is (comparatively) not as powerful as other Mac models.

The Next [Big] Things From Apple

I imagine the small size of the Mac Mini (and low price point) may be attractive to cluster-computing enthusiasts. For the uninitiated, a cluster is a supercomputer that is made up of a number of computers networked together in such a way to "act" as one brain. You could stack seven Mac Minis on top of one another, and it would be approximately the same size as a PC tower -- but its computing performance would be considerably greater than a PC of the same physical dimensions. Better yet, Apple has created Xgrid, a program that manages supercomputing clusters, making the job easier for the programmer. Surely, the Mac Mini is not powerful enough for massive supercomputing institutions, but might prove to be an affordable alternative for supercomputing enthusiasts and smaller outfits.

When I first became interested in the possibility of cluster supercomputing, Apple had not reseased OSX, nor Xgrid. Supercomputing (I had found through a few small experiments) was not for the faint of heart. Today, it is easier to be a programmer, or researcher and use Apple technology for the world's supercomputing needs. In fact in recent years, some of the world's most powerful supercomputers have been using Apple computers and OSX for their supercomputing needs. When Apple released the G5 computer last year, it was found that by using Apple computers (and technology) researchers could build supercomputers for a fraction of the cost using Intel architecture and Linux operating systems. Virginia Tech was the first institution to build a supercomputer using the G5 architecture. 1100 nodes later, they had created the 3rd fastest computer in the world. The price tag was only about $5 million (similar machines cost in the ballpark of $100-250 million). Since then, many institutions have followed suit and opted to use Apple technology.

I really wish people wouldn't patronize Apple. People may like their Wintel boxes better, but Apple always comes up with an innovate idea that keeps them from disappearing into obscurity. These could be famous last words, but as long as Steve Jobs remains in the Apple picture, I expect them to remain in business -- even if they hold 5 percent of the market.

iTMS Doomed? Napster the Next Big Thing (Again)?

A recent statement from Micro$oft, Napster, and Yahoo! claim that Apples' Music Store is doomed, and that subscription-based music services are the future. Representatives of the above companies attacked Apple, stating that charging 99-cents for a song was ridiculous with respect to Apple's newest 40-gigabyte iPod. To paraphrase: "Why would anyone want to spend $10,000 filling their iPod with music?"

Apple rivals claim that they have developed a better solution: Offer subscription services that will allow you access to the entire music database. In addition, Micro$oft has developed a copy-protection format that allows the user to transfer a set number of songs from Napster or Yahoos' database to a portable unit, such as an MP3 audio player, for an additional fee over and on top of the subscription fees. Furthermore, it has been determined that only a handful of portable audio devices are compatible with the Napster subscription service.

In contrast, Napster is claiming that a one-year subscription to their music database would cost $180, and consumers could essentially fill their digital music player with 10,000 songs at a fraction of the price the Apple Music Store is currently offering. There is a hitch though, in order to transfer a song to a portable music, it costs an extra dollar a song. All of a sudden, this doesn't sound like such a good deal after all.

Enter Micro$ofts' new copy-protection software. They are suggesting for $5 per month, that consumers could transfer Napster's entire catalog to their portable music player and listen as often as they like -- as long as they continue to subscribe.

So does this sound like a winning model to knock Apple off the top of the digital music heap? To me, this sounds like a lousy deal for many reasons. There are many facets to this model that don't sit well with me.

1. Nobody in their right mind would spend $10,000 filling their iPod (or other digital music player) with music. Apple's adversaries are using faulty ammunition to attack their rival. They are using the assumption that us consumers are stupid enough to believe the only way we can put music on our iPods is by downloading them from the iTunes Music Store. This is simply not true. People can encode their entire CD collection, or even download files from peer-to-peer networks. Sure, millions of people download from the iTunes Music Store. Millions more resort to less legal methods. Audiophiles like me continue to purchase CD's (pawn shops have great bargains), and listen to music on our iPod that we legitimately own.
   
   
2. The 40-gigabyte iPod is a high-capacity model, which is aimed at a target audience: Audiophiles and computer geeks. Audiophiles often can't stand listening to compressed music, which means that they will be listening to uncompressed audio. A 40-gigabyte iPod will only hold about 1000 songs on uncompressed audio. Can you buy uncompressed audio from the iTunes Music Store, Napster, or MusicMatch (Yahoos' music database)? Not last I checked.
   Furthermore, computer geeks find uses for iPods other than storing their music collections. It makes a great portable hard drive. More often than not, I am reading about computer technicians installing operating systems and other diagnostic tools on their iPods. In essence, they've created portable, bootable hard drives so they can repair downed computers on the fly. Others are using their iPods as backup drives, to store valuable information.
   The smaller 4-gigabyte iPod Minis are the models that are aimed at the consumer market. Most people don't have large music collections, and a model that has a 1000 song capacity is ideal for them. [ed. note: I must apologize for this rant, it obviously has nothing to do with debunking Napsters' allegations.]
   
   
3. I would expect that most people would purchase between a dozen and a hundred songs per year from a music download service. Conversely, I cannot fathom how I could possibly listen to 10,000 songs in a year. That's almost 40,000 minutes of non-stop music. In other words, that's nearly an entire month of music, 24 hours a day, seven days a week! I have a hard enough time managing an iTunes library of 2500 songs.
   
   
4. Most importantly, consumers like to own their music. Napster and MusicMatch are offering subscription services which basically allow the user to license music from their database. I would be weary to say that they even allow you to download the music to your computer. It is likely that the music is just streamed to your computer (I really don't know how they manage this as I never have subscribed). I refuse to pay a fee for any music service that only allows me to listen but not own. Apple offers anyone to preview music on their iTunes Music Store for free. Furthermore, what happens when you do not renew your subscription fee to Napster? Do they send you an email stating "Your subscription has expired. Please delete all songs licensed by us from your hard drive". Not likely. This is further evidence that music from these stores are likely streamed to your computer, which brings me to my next point.
   
   
5. Micro$ofts' new copy-protection music format would have to include some sort of self-destruction device, that the song file would corrupt itself once a consumer's subscription was not renewed. You know as well as I do that hackers are attracted to copy-protected software like vultures are attracted to carrion. Someone will crack the code. Anti-copying codecs aren't much of a deterrent anymore; neither is the threat of legal action. Finally, charging an additional fee for this (over and on top of Napsters' subscription fees) is nothing short of robbery.
   
   
6. Subscription fees of $9.95 per month might seem like a good deal, but how can Napster manage to generate a profit from such low fees? Royalty fees for record companies are astronomical. If you pay for a CD in a music store, the artist you've supported may see one dollar of that $20 you paid. Half of what you paid goes to the store you bought music from, the rest is monopolized by the record company, manufacturing companies, and management firms. You better believe that these same companies are getting a share from every song you download from an on-line retailer like iTunes. The artist you supported is making no more than a few pennies from every downloaded song. Conversely, in order to keep prices competitive, Napster, iTunes and MusicMatch have to cut their overhead. Apple is only making a few pennies for every song downloaded from their store.
   In order for a subscription service like Napster to work, they would have to have tens of millions of subscribers. No record company is going to let digital music sit on a server and wait to be downloaded. Those record executives have been paid already. Unless Napster can entice ten million music enthusiasts to switch, and happily pay their license fees, their music service will tank -- and when it tanks, there will be many unhappy subscribers who have lost access to their favorite tunes.
   

It seems to me that this new marketing scheme reeks of rotten vegetables. I'd have to be a sucker to believe they are offering a better deal then Apple. I fully expect to see the iTunes Music Store alive and well in the next few years.

iPod Rantings & Ravings

I have been spending much of my time trying to get the most out of my iPod and iTunes collection -- you probably have figured that out already, since my most recent posts have revolved around my cute little white piece of therapeutic technology. While searching for interesting playlists etc., it has come to my attention that there are a myriad of reviews on the web that feel that the iPod is horrifically flawed, and undeserving of the title of the #1 digital music player on the market. I would like to address a few points for the record:

Yes, the iPod could be considered prohibitively expensive. I will agree that I feel that the price point of the iPod mini is almost ridiculous. I suppose it matters not, since the iPod mini is flying off the shelves worldwide. 4 gigabytes of storage is not enough for me; though I imagine that it is quite ample for most people. As for the 40-gigabyte model (or the rumored future 60-gigabyte model), I can't imagine having that much music and being able to listen to it all. Last case in point, every product Apple makes is expensive. Those who use Apple products are those who wish to deviate from the norm. Their products are sleek, sexy, and downright easy to use.

I can't recall how many reviews I have read that have downplayed the iPod, stating that the only file format that the iPod supports is the AAC audio format. Their arguments are that this forces the consumer to purchase and download music from the iTunes music store exclusively. This could hardly be further from the truth.

The only file format the the iPod does not support is the Windows Media Format. The reasons are not within the technology; it is due to marketing schemes. Of course Apple wants people to use the AAC format, it features digital rights management, and they profit form every song that is downloaded from the iTunes Music Store. The iPod supports MP3, AAC, Apple's new lossless encoder, and uncompressed CD audio.

A person does not have to purchase audio on the iTunes music store in order to listen to it on their iPod. There are a number of alternatives. You can of course, illegally download music from Kazaa, Limewire, or some other file-sharing client, and it will work on the iPod. The competition, of course, wouldn't tell you that. Or there is my solution:

As I am not an American citizen, or living in Europe, I have no access to the iTunes music store anyway. I also frown on illegally sharing music, as I am a musician and the process does hurt the musicians. Sadly, I don't like siding with the recording industry, as it seems they have all the money and power to prosecute 13-year old kids and 70-something grandmas who inadvertently have file-sharing programs on their computer.

Instead, I go CD shopping at pawn shops. I buy my CD's used whenever possible. I often get my CD's for a couple bucks each. Even compared to the iTunes music store, it is a way cheaper alternative than buying new, or downloading from these online digital superstores. This way, you get the artwork, you can encode the songs in a bitrate that is acceptable to you, you get no corrupted files, you always have an archive of your music, and it's legal.

Save the CD's; buy used.

iLikeIt

I thought I'd might share with you my latest purchase. After at least two years of yearning, I broke down and bought an iPod. But you knowing me, cheap and all, I wasn't going to splurge on such an expensive item unless I got what I felt was a good deal.

Getting a good deal has a lot to do with timing. Last week, Apple released the fourth-generation iPod. I personally felt that it wasn't that great of a revision, as there wasn't many great new features. Except, perhaps, the greater battery life (12 hours versus 8 hours). The 15 Gigabyte iPod was dropped from the roster, and the 20 and 40 gigabyte models remained. The new iPods did see a bit of a price reduction, but it was still 450 bucks (CDN) for the 20 gigabyte model.

The other major factor in Apple dropping the 15-gigabyte iPod was the introduction of the iPod Mini to the rest of the world. Sadly, the price point difference between the 15-gigabyte iPod and the iPod Mini was a measly 25 dollars. I liked the idea of the mini-iPod, even a 4-gigabyte hard drive wasn't much of a concern, but I felt like 225 (or less) would have been a more desirable price point. 350 bucks for a 4-gigabyte drive / mp3 player sounded like a lot of markup to me.

Knowing that these new models would be hitting the shelves this week, I went comparison shopping, and I found a 15-gigabyte iPod discounted 50 dollars. The 15 gigabyte iPod was actually cheaper than what the iPod Mini was going to be. Given the situation, I could not say no to that cute little white bugger.

So here I am, much poorer, but taking my tunes wherever I go -- which is usually to work. How does it sound? Well, it sounds pretty incredible. You can crank the system up all the way -- and there is no distortion at all. Not like it would be a good idea to listen to music that loud, but at least we know Apple is using quality materials in their product. Now I just gotta get me a pair of in-ear monitors!

Now on to my link of the day. SmartPlaylists.com is a great site that was launched when iTunes was released to the PC platform. For all those who have large music collections on their computer, they know that the best way to manage those songs is with playlists. SmartPlaylists provides numerous tips for managing your collection. Take a browse, it may give you some ideas on how to listen to all those songs that do not receive the play they deserve.