Steve Jobs on Amazon and Ice Cream

[animedude01]

Originally Posted by Format C:

It's simply impossible for a multipurpose device to do things well and to be portable in the same time...

That may be true for some, but not everyone. For many uses a multipurpose device is "good enough". Isn't a PC a multipurpose device? It can play music, videos, games, create documents, etc.

Originally Posted by Format C:

I mean: how can you fit a 400mm F/4 lens weighting about 3kg on a cellphone?
Not to mention Hi Fi speakers 1,5 meter tall...

So you always carry a 400mm lens with you when you go out? Having a decent camera on your phone means that you'll always have it with you for that time when you didn't think you'd need a camera but turns out you did.

Originally Posted by Format C:

High end Hi-Fi set, High definition monitors, desktop computers, DSLR with several lenses, TV set with BR / DVD, e-ink reader....
No portable device can, as of now, replace all that.

No, but then again, you'll probably throw out your back if you try to take all of that with you every time you go out
Many current smart phones can take decent pictures and video, play them back along with music, read your e-mail, read a few ebooks, etc. Granted, they don't do it as well as all that hardware you have at home, but it's also a hell of a lot more portable. With many devices you can even plug it into a stereo or monitor in your car, hotel, friends house to play your media and show your pictures.

Originally Posted by Format C:

Steve looks toward the low quality market, and he's right: integration and portability are the path to follow.
But high quality and good performance are another thing altogether...

Integrated devices generally aren't currently meant to replace your dedicated devices. They're meant to complement them. I do most of my reading on my DR1000, but I also have some books and music on my phone for when I want to do some reading or listen to music when I'm away from the reader or stereo.

People who use most of these devices don't expect the same performance as from their dedicated devices, they expect and get portability and flexibility.

I still have a nice DSLR that I take many places. I also have a laptop and nice HD video recorder, but if I tried to take these everywhere, I'd look like the hunchback of Notre Dame

You do have a good point, but I think that most of the population is happy with good enough.

[Greg Anos]

There's an article in the current Wired magazine on this. The high end is dying, and the good enough mindset is what is currently selling.

Example. How many of you have abandoned the MP3 format for WAV or FLAC? Space is no longer the issue anymore, as I can buy a 16GB SD chip for $30 US (any quantity) over the counter here in DFW. That's 30 hours of uncompressed Redbook CD audio, per chip. An Ipod classic can now be purchased with 160 GB of storage (that's 300 hours of music, uncompressed). My entire uncompressed music library is only 270 GB currently. But there is no trend of upshifting format of anything, except maybe Blue-Ray, and the jury's still out on that...

[Juliette]

Originally Posted by Ocean

Their customers seem to love it that way.

You can choose before you buy. If you're interested into blue-ray, rule out the MacBooks, but if you're not, hey, why not. A lot of other notebooks, too, won't have that optical unit. The same goes for most parts of the hardware- video card, number of usb outputs, keyboard, keyboard size, screen size and so on, until the top that is, IMHO, the OS. But the point is, why pay for what you won't use/need? (and this goes also for aesthetical features...)

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

There's an article in the current Wired magazine on this. The high end is dying, and the good enough mindset is what is currently selling.

Example. How many of you have abandoned the MP3 format for WAV or FLAC? Space is no longer the issue anymore, as I can buy a 16GB SD chip for $30 US (any quantity) over the counter here in DFW. That's 30 hours of uncompressed Redbook CD audio, per chip. An Ipod classic can now be purchased with 160 GB of storage (that's 300 hours of music, uncompressed). My entire uncompressed music library is only 270 GB currently. But there is no trend of upshifting format of anything, except maybe Blue-Ray, and the jury's still out on that...

It's not really true to say that the high end is dying, its simply the fact that the high end will by its very nature always be more of a niche product rather than mainstream, especially if the good enough can get very close to the high end.

Taking your example of music formats, the real change has already happened there with people going from low bitrate mp3s up to stuff in the 256-320k range that offers close enough quality to lossless formats to most people while still saving a fair bit of space, which is still a concern with portable devices even if you think its a non-issue nowadays.

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by Format C:

It's simply impossible for a multipurpose device to do things well and to be portable in the same time...

I mean: how can you fit a 400mm F/4 lens weighting about 3kg on a cellphone?
Not to mention Hi Fi speakers 1,5 meter tall...

High end Hi-Fi set, High definition monitors, desktop computers, DSLR with several lenses, TV set with BR / DVD, e-ink reader....
No portable device can, as of now, replace all that.

Steve looks toward the low quality market, and he's right: integration and portability are the path to follow.
But high quality and good performance are another thing altogether...

Suggesting that e-ink is somehow in the league of any high-end specialist equipment is a joke. For specialized reading, e-ink doesn't even compare with the legacy paper devices it's trying to replace.

[ahi]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

Suggesting that e-ink is somehow in the league of any high-end specialist equipment is a joke. For specialized reading, e-ink doesn't even compare with the legacy paper devices it's trying to replace.

I don't know...

I've yet to see a single paper book's contents reflow when I tear the page out and fold it twice so as to fit in my shirt-pocket neatly.

- Ahi

[basschick]

Originally Posted by sforce

“I’m sure there will always be dedicated devices, and they may have a few advantages in doing just one thing,” he said. “But I think the general-purpose devices will win the day. Because I think people just probably aren’t willing to pay for a dedicated device.”

< sarcasm >that's so obviously true. no one would ever buy a dedicated player to listen to music. < / sarcasm >

[doreenjoy]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

There's an article in the current Wired magazine on this. The high end is dying, and the good enough mindset is what is currently selling.

And, interestingly enough, Sony is at the forefront of that trend by "downgrading the 505 and 700 models of E-reader to the 300 and 600.

Who'd have ever thought Sony would be leading a trend?

[fugazied]

The thing about radio is that it mostly sucks. Really sucks. I think Apple not wanting to support radio also had something to do with pushing podcasts and pushing music sales. I get the good radio content via podcasts now, the rest of it (easy listening radio) is just rubbish.

As for Apple's take on the Kindle, Jobs won't tell you what he really thinks if there is an economic interest for Apple involved. Looking at some of the new features in itunes 9 it already looks PERFECT for ebook sales, easily the best platform for selling books, so the infrastructure is there, the hurdle would be getting publishers on board but Apple already got movie companies, TV companies and music companies on board.

[emellaich]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Apple products always excelled in good looking design, while usually lacking in features (see multitasking on the iphone, bluray on the Macs, and countless other examples).

Well, my opinion would be different on this one. I can see where you are coming from, though. Steve Job's has always carefully designed his products. He wants them to do one thing very well, and not to mess up the design with things that aren't necessary to his vision. So his first Mac's had small black and white screens for much the reason that eink screens are B/W today. At the time content wasn't in color, and color output (printers) was quite limited.

This was a reaction to the previous debut of the Lisa, that had everything, including a color screen, but that ended up pricing itself out of the market.

However, where it is part of the product vision the Mac has spent extra to provide peripherals that are necessary. Examples include the small 3.5" floppies, the first CD-Rom's, Firewire, and software such as iLife. Many of these innovations were consistent with the view of the Mac as a multi-media device. And those B/W displays may not have had color, but they were the only choice if you wanted a full screen GUI.

In fact, those who argue that Mac's are not premium priced usually base that on the fact that you have to add additional hardware to the bare bones PC in order to catch up to the Mac configuration.

Now, I don't know why there is not a good Blu-ray option, but I bet its not because Mac's are under-featured and has more to do with how Jobs has positioned the line.

MLH
(I don't own a Mac)

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

And, interestingly enough, Sony is at the forefront of that trend by "downgrading the 505 and 700 models of E-reader to the 300 and 600.

Interesting, except that it isn't what they have done, you have the 600 which is a sidegrade for both the 505 and 700, the 300 is clearly aimed at expanding the audience for ebook readers with its pricing and then you also have a new high-end model in the range with the presence of the 2121.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There's been a radio accessory for the "iPod Classic" for many years. I have it.

Right... you can pay $50 more for an FM radio accessory for your iPod... or you can buy a Zune.

I think it is about time the iPod had an FM receiver in it. BTW: Is it all models or just the new iPod Nano?

BOb

[Donnageddon]

Just the Nano.

[Format C:]

Originally Posted by emellaich

...
Steve Job's has always carefully designed his products. He wants them to do one thing very well, and not to mess up the design with things that aren't necessary to his vision.
......

If so, why, form the 6th generation on, he downgraded the iPod's digital to analog converter to a lower performance one?
Why his customers are happy with it, if they're concerned about quality?

[Hellmark]

Format C:, quality of what? Maybe Jobs wants a good quality mobile music experience. Having that doesn't require the absolute best sound.