Technology catch-all thread

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Well, the touch is much more than an mp3 player, I view it as a portable media device, as I can go on the internet, play games, etc. And if you want to compare prices, the Zune is about the same price, while lacking alot of what a touch offers (both are very good at certain things though).

 

What does the Zune lack that the iTouch has?

 

And the Zune costs $177 for 16 GB

And the Itouch costs $181 for the 8 GB

Edited March 12, 2010 by JoeCoolMan24

[iamshack]

Because they market the hell out of their products. How many other mp3 players do you ever see advertised? The Microsoft Zune is the only other one I have ever seen advertised, and not even CLOSE to the advertising apple does. You know they advertise a s***load when you hear people saying "iPods are the best, and mp3 players suck!" I just facepalm and punch them in the face for being so ignorant. Ask friends and family and I bet you 80% of them think an ipod and an mp3 player are two different things. Apple spends so much money is ads that people actually think an mp3 player is different from an ipod.

I'm sorry, but I was one of the people who resisted the advertising for the very reasons you mention.

Then I got tired of the crappy alternatives and was instantly shocked at how easy, reliable, and intuitive the iPod was.

The advertising doesn't hurt, but the product is genuinely superior in almost every way.

 

Apple was a nothing company before they created the iPod. Do you think it caught on through advertising?

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I'm sorry, but I was one of the people who resisted the advertising for the very reasons you mention.

Then I got tired of the crappy alternatives and was instantly shocked at how easy, reliable, and intuitive the iPod was.

The advertising doesn't hurt, but the product is genuinely superior in almost every way.

 

Apple was a nothing company before they created the iPod. Do you think it caught on through advertising?

 

Yes, it did catch on through advertising, definitely. I am not saying the iPods are not quality products, they are, but they are not worth what they cost.

[RockRaines]

What does the Zune lack that the iTouch has?

 

And the Zune costs $177 for 16 GB

And the Itouch costs $181 for the 8 GB

I dont have an itouch, I dont need that much functionality.

 

I would say integration into itunes is probably the biggest gripe i have, its also not as user friendly. I have a much easier time transferring files, movies songs and whatnot onto my ipod than on my zune, which is why i dont use it anymore. Most companies that develop applications to even move files usually develop them for the ipod first.

[iamshack]

Yes, it did catch on through advertising, definitely. I am not saying the iPods are not quality products, they are, but they are not worth what they cost.

No, it really didn't.

 

It caught on because it was an incredibly superior product.

 

The first iPod was introduced on October of 2001. Do you think anyone cared about their ads in 2001?

[RockRaines]

No, it really didn't.

 

It caught on because it was an incredibly superior product.

 

The first iPod was introduced on October of 2001. Do you think anyone cared about their ads in 2001?

I had a creative MP3 player back then. Terrible product.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

No, it really didn't.

 

It caught on because it was an incredibly superior product.

 

The first iPod was introduced on October of 2001. Do you think anyone cared about their ads in 2001?

 

Maybe you thought it was superior back then, but it's certainly up for debate now, as they are plenty of competitors with products just as good, for a cheaper price, but just are not as popular.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I dont have an itouch, I dont need that much functionality.

 

I would say integration into itunes is probably the biggest gripe i have, its also not as user friendly. I have a much easier time transferring files, movies songs and whatnot onto my ipod than on my zune, which is why i dont use it anymore. Most companies that develop applications to even move files usually develop them for the ipod first.

 

It has wireless sync, what can be easier than that?

[Jenksismyhero]

Maybe you thought it was superior back then, but it's certainly up for debate now, as they are plenty of competitors with products just as good, for a cheaper price, but just are not as popular.

 

That would be part 2 of Apple's world domination plan: Itunes. Everyone bought an Ipod, Apple went exclusive with its .mp3 format, the music industry was forced to buy into it, everyone went through years of buying their music through it, and even though competitors slowly started to make better products, the fact is everyone already had lots of $$ invested in music that is only playable through Apple products. Now you can get drm free Itunes music, but none of the old stuff you bought is transferable.

 

But that's assuming those products are equal or better than the Ipod/Itouch/Iphone/Ipad, which IMO, they just aren't. Apple makes their products fun to use.

 

 

Mac's on the other hand are just annoying to use as a daily PC.

[iamshack]

Maybe you thought it was superior back then, but it's certainly up for debate now, as they are plenty of competitors with products just as good, for a cheaper price, but just are not as popular.

It's a complex combination of things, including the product, the support for the product, integration of the product into their overall family of products, advertising, etc. The reason people think an iPod and an mp3 player are different devices is because they have established their product name as the name of the actual device, because of their domination of the product line, much like Xerox and Kleenex have done with their respective products.

Edited March 12, 2010 by iamshack

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

That would be part 2 of Apple's world domination plan: Itunes. Everyone bought an Ipod, Apple went exclusive with its .mp3 format, the music industry was forced to buy into it, everyone went through years of buying their music through it, and even though competitors slowly started to make better products, the fact is everyone already had lots of $$ invested in music that is only playable through Apple products. Now you can get drm free Itunes music, but none of the old stuff you bought is transferable.

 

But that's assuming those products are equal or better than the Ipod/Itouch/Iphone/Ipad, which IMO, they just aren't. Apple makes their products fun to use.

 

 

Mac's on the other hand are just annoying to use as a daily PC.

 

How was .mp3 an exclusive format? Are you thinking of .AAC?

[Jenksismyhero]

How was .mp3 an exclusive format? Are you thinking of .AAC?

 

I'm saying it was their .mp3-like format that was unique to them.

[bigruss]

What does the Zune lack that the iTouch has?

 

And the Zune costs $177 for 16 GB

And the Itouch costs $181 for the 8 GB

ZuneHD 32gb: $248.54

ITouch 32 GB: $267.99

 

Itouch has access to thousands more applications that the Zune doesnt, which is huge for me as I use it as an entertainment device, not just one that plays music.

 

[bigruss]

Try a refurb Imac, they are very reasonably priced, and the performance is amazing. I bought a core Duo, with 4 gig of RAM and 1 TB of storage for about 1,000

Thats what I am looking at right now, but I dont really have the cash on me to spend. When I replace my Dell laptop (which should have atleast another year or two in it since I upgraded nicely when I bought it) I will definitely look at a mac for an everyday computer. Their applications and software are topnotch, hell you cant even find a PC replica of alot of their programs.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

ZuneHD 32gb: $248.54

ITouch 32 GB: $267.99

 

Itouch has access to thousands more applications that the Zune doesnt, which is huge for me as I use it as an entertainment device, not just one that plays music.

 

More apps is the only thing I can find that the iTouch has an advantage over the Zune HD. The Zune has HD Radio, HD screen, and wireless syncing, all things the iTouch does not have.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I'm saying it was their .mp3-like format that was unique to them.

 

The .AAC format is considerably less used than the .mp3 format, and it's not even close. I mean, you are talking E-85 ethanol vs. unleaded gasoline.

Edited March 12, 2010 by JoeCoolMan24

[RockRaines]

It has wireless sync, what can be easier than that?

Doesnt work with the programs I use to transfer torrants to my ipod video. The only support IPODS

[RockRaines]

Thats what I am looking at right now, but I dont really have the cash on me to spend. When I replace my Dell laptop (which should have atleast another year or two in it since I upgraded nicely when I bought it) I will definitely look at a mac for an everyday computer. Their applications and software are topnotch, hell you cant even find a PC replica of alot of their programs.

My imac is lightening fast too. I tried to stream gigs of videos to my PS3 on my PC and it was completely bogged down and always had to be restarted, I had to restart it several times a day.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

My imac is lightening fast too. I tried to stream gigs of videos to my PS3 on my PC and it was completely bogged down and always had to be restarted, I had to restart it several times a day.

 

You have a s***ty PC then. There are so many PCs that there are bound to be lemons, but there are also a lot of PCs that are superior and cheaper than Macs as well. You just have to know what you are looking for and don't just buy computers out of a flyer.

[RockRaines]

You have a s***ty PC then. There are so many PCs that there are bound to be lemons, but there are also a lot of PCs that are superior and cheaper than Macs as well. You just have to know what you are looking for and don't just buy computers out of a flyer.

False, Im in the technical field, I dont buy PC's from fliers. I've had 3 corporate procure Dell laptops that havent been able to stand up to the rigors of the media work that I do mostly because of the inherent security weaknesses of windows. Not only is the Mac OS 100 times more stable than Windows, but the Mac hardware is superior also. I know you are a hater of all things Apple because thats your stance on computers, but I'm not some noob who apparently buys crap because I have no idea what I'm doing.

 

I'll tell you what, next time you log into your online banking portal, take a minute to thank me for enhancing the security and your user experience, because there is an 80 percent chance that I am responsible for it.

[HuskyCaucasian]

Another reason the iPad sours me on Apple (and yes, I love apple):

What happens if you need a new battery? No worries, just send in your iPad and they'll send you a "new" one. You only need to-

"sync your iPad with iTunes to back up your contacts, calendars, email account settings, bookmarks, apps, etc." because "Apple is not responsible for the loss of information when servicing your iPad." Then when you get a new iPad all you have to do is resync all your information, movies, music, etc and reconfigure all your network settings. Simple as that!

[iamshack]

Another reason the iPad sours me on Apple (and yes, I love apple):

What happens if you need a new battery? No worries, just send in your iPad and they'll send you a "new" one. You only need to-

"sync your iPad with iTunes to back up your contacts, calendars, email account settings, bookmarks, apps, etc." because "Apple is not responsible for the loss of information when servicing your iPad." Then when you get a new iPad all you have to do is resync all your information, movies, music, etc and reconfigure all your network settings. Simple as that!

Honestly, it stinks that they are making devices that only they can access the battery in, but syncing your device takes like 2 minutes.

[BigSqwert]

Honestly, it stinks that they are making devices that only they can access the battery in, but syncing your device takes like 2 minutes.

What about people like me that don't sync entire albums but individually selects only the tracks from an album that I most likely won't skip during random/shuffle play? How does that work with apple products?

[iamshack]

What about people like me that don't sync entire albums but individually selects only the tracks from an album that I most likely won't skip during random/shuffle play? How does that work with apple products?

Well I am assuming you have them on your computer still. So when you get your device returned from iPad you will have the option to put those same individual tracks back on your device.

 

I admit the battery thing is a major inconvenience, but I don't think it is the inconvenience AHB made it out to be initially.

 

I had my iPhone die on me about 9 months ago and had to deal with this same process. It was not difficult whatsoever.

[vandy125]

False, Im in the technical field, I dont buy PC's from fliers. I've had 3 corporate procure Dell laptops that havent been able to stand up to the rigors of the media work that I do mostly because of the inherent security weaknesses of windows. Not only is the Mac OS 100 times more stable than Windows, but the Mac hardware is superior also. I know you are a hater of all things Apple because thats your stance on computers, but I'm not some noob who apparently buys crap because I have no idea what I'm doing.

 

I'll tell you what, next time you log into your online banking portal, take a minute to thank me for enhancing the security and your user experience, because there is an 80 percent chance that I am responsible for it.

 

I'd rather hear about your hardware experience. Software engineer does not equal hardware guy. Seriously, you could be a good hardware guy, but talking about software does not speak to it.

 

To me, laptops and mobile devices in general are a weaker area for anything PC. I think I have that viewpoint because once you buy them, it is hard to change out much of the hardware. So, other than memory, you are pretty much stuck with what you have.

 

Also, we all know that Macs generally do much better with with media work. PCs are your general workhorses that get things done at a good price. If I were to buy a laptop to do mainly media stuff, I'd go Mac. However, for my do everything type of computer, I'll build my own PC or go with a good laptop for a much cheaper price than any Mac.

 

I'm not a Mac hater. In fact, I'd love to have a Mac, but I can just never justify the price considering my PC knowledge in how to run/buy a solid system.

 

The iPad looks pretty sweet, but I just can't justify the price considering I have my own PCs that do everything the iPad does (and much more), albeit not as well with the media stuff.