“Read about the iTunes-Harmony fiasco”
“Real”
“Apple”
RealNetworks has released a perfectly legal alternative to Apple’s proprietary music format. This allows the software to encode music compatible on the popular iPOD.
Apple’s response is no less than shameful as it has obviously taken a stance as an arrogant, self-absorbed, monopolizing entity. By accusing RealNetworks reverse engineering the technology as very similar to that of a hacker, Apple demands that the alternative be snuffed out.
While they’re at it, maybe they should ban GNU or Open Source, and only allow retail software from their storefront to be used with the rest of their machines. Maybe Apple should also get iTunes off the Windows platform too, and leave Windows Media Player alone in the windows environment. Or maybe we should chuck the whole antitrust case against Microsoft, since Apple apparently wants to act the same way. Sure there’s no forced bundled software, but in terms of “monopolizing the market,” I dare anyone to differentiate the two.
I really think Apple should stand down and stop being such a pussy. If Harmony is a threat, and the iTunes music store is as good as they say it is, then they have nothing to worry about. They’re Apple for crissake! Isn’t “quality, style, and performance” their edge against the rest? I don’t think they’ll have any problems with competition if they’re as good as people claim them to be.
This whole fiasco boils down to “not wanting any competition.” And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a company who doesn’t want competition. That would mean that they would dictate their own pace – which can be detremental to the progression of any technology.
I know it is good that Apple users give support to the company as it indeed boosts growth and development. But I have to say that if Mac users still take the side of Apple on this particular issue, then they are no less than fanboys the world of technology despises.
Fanboys with slogans similar to:
“Nevermind if I don’t understand, I just know that <insert brand here> is better, so I’ll go with them forever“
People like this really piss me off. They refuse to see the market as a whole, and how healthy competition actually works for us – the end users. If anyone has a right to be a fanboy, then it should solely be reserved to the employees of the company, as they are being paid to patronize it.