In the past few months, I've noticed a trend among the many people I see in the city.
iPod's are everywhere.
And when I say "iPod", this isn't me making that commonly known factoid-crap where I confuse an mp3 player — any mp3 player — for an iPod.
This is me noting how many iPod's seem to have been taken up and put into use by the public at large.
I see the official Apple earbuds almost everywhere I go. He's got one! And so does she! The people you just saw in the coffee shop; they do too!
And there are people who don't like earbuds or use better quality listening devices than the mediocre Apple ones. Sennheiser and Shure and Sony, oh my!
Seriously, Apple are taking over the market. In the space of a decade, they've turned themselves around from the fading computer company that only graphics and sound people really cared about.
Do you want to know why (and haven't read every other article or written piece like this so you can't point flaws in half of what I say)?
Having now played with the entire current Apple range (as of this time), I think I can tell you why.
1. Style
The first thing any geek should know is that mp3 players predate the iPod.
It wasn't the first. Not by a long shot.
Who remembers the compact disc player-sized Creative devices that roamed the streets? And all the other chunky hard-drive based media players because flash media just wasn't around or wasn't use for that purpose. Yeah, the iPod certainly wasn't the first.
But it was among the first to not look ugly. And that makes a big difference to people.
The iPod is an unobtrusive object. Really when you look at it, it's not a far cry from everything else. Its design consists of a screen, control pad, and really… that's it. And that works, believe it or not. It's not overburdened by buttons, lines, or operations… it is what it is.
Simple. Elegant. Easy.
Which brings me to…
2. Easy to use
As a reviewer, one of the first things I check is if I can use the device without needing to look at the manual. This is a very important thing because most people just won't bother with the manual.
Documentation is useful when needed but if the device is targeted at consumers and requires one to know how to use it before they can really do anything, it's been designed poorly.
The iPod is easy to use.
You glide your finger over the click wheel in a circular fashion or you just use your finger to browse through (if you've got the iPhone or iPod Touch). It really doesn't get much more obvious.
Other devices make a mess of menus and poorly implemented joysticks, controls, dialog boxes, and paddles.
But Apple is not the be-all and end-all of the mp3 (and if you must, mp4) market. For instance, as much as I love the iPod Nano, I don't actually own one.
And really, as much as I'd love one, I'm not planning on buying one either.
For osmeone like me, I find the direction that Apple are taking with the iPod isn't exactly a unified one.
You see, I feel that Apple are attempting to take on the world one mp3 player at a time. They have the style and the know-how to really pull this off, too, I should add. But before they can successfully pull it off, they're going to need to grow up in a few areas.
1. File Formats
What is it with Apple and this file format loop that I constantly find myself in?
While other companies are beginning to see the light, Apple still goes "oh, well we like mp3 but seriously, you should use AAC and nothing else." For crying out loud, even Microsoft are beginning to look at other formats.
I don't like AAC. I don't like iTunes telling me that I'll be buying something in crap quality and that's what I'm paying for. I like knowing there are a variety of formats I can use and I don't have to sacrifice the use of some just to own iPod.
As an example, some of my music is encoded in FLAC. It's nice and lossless and some music just sounds better like that. So I want to listen to a FLAC… or maybe I want to listen to an OGG… but I don't want to be told by my iPod that no, I can't listen to this format just because Apple didn't find it a format they'd ever want to include.
The same sort of thing applies with video formats. Who the hell at Apple thinks it's still a smart move to not include Divx or Xvid support? I mean come on!
Every other company on the planet is making the shift to at least attempt to support some of the more popular formats except Apple. Why?
Seriously… why?
2. Control
I know it, you know it. We all know it. Apple have some control issues.
Okay, so it might just be an issue of the good people at Apple admitting their mistakes in a group therapy session. We could bring Dr. Phil and a bunch of other quacks down to Cupertino, Steve could give a keynote saying how valuable he thinks this will be and in the long run how much better the company will be… and then he could launch the company's newest product… iM-in-control… the software that lets employees take charge.
Because control really is one area where Apple need to step back and think "well gee… am I being too much of an ass here? Well maybe I am!"
Who here really likes iTunes? Go on… raise your hand… all five of you…
It's actually a great solution on a Mac. Maybe.
But frankly, I prefer the feeling of dragging and dropping something. Shit, life was so much easier in mp3 players when I could just plug it in and move stuff over.
It's not just Apple this affects. Creative are doing it too. So are plenty of other companies. A browser for every bloody appliance.
Like I need a new version of Firefox for every bloody mp3 player I buy. Just let me drag and drop.
Just let me drag and drop.
Apple are bad with it, though. They don't even like Linux users even though they'll more than happily borrow from the Linux code-base to make their operating system.
Tisk tisk, Apple. Tisk tisk.
3. Long-term Usability
With credit to Apple, they have come a long way.
They used to hate the consumer.
Not hate-hate us. We've always been Apple's friend. But there was a time when your iPod battery was going to run out and they were more than happy to charge you near the full-price of a new iPod just so you could run it again.
Now it's not so bad. And though some people would still love to complain about Apple's "replace your own battery? now why would we let you do that" policy, other companies do it too. Replaceable batteries must be too irritating to manufacture or something. Or maybe they like ripping us off.
Either way, it's the long term usability where Apple probably need to pull theirs heads up because it lacks in areas.
Like with the iPod Touch. What a cool idea. I mean really: who doesn't want a sexy touch screen device…
…with a crappy keyboard.
Apple, what were you thinking when you designed that thing? I mean yeah.. typewriter style and simple & cool mentality… but I like knowing that lowercase is in fact lowercase and isn't uppercase… and I just can't think in all uppercase WITHOUT CONSTANTLY FEELING LIKE I'M SHOUTING AT THE WORLD LIKE SOME CRAZED NOOB.
And WiFi without mail? Seriously…I'll take mail over YouTube. I don't want to watch some idiot dancing around to Christina Aguilera on my WiFi enabled device… I want to check my email where I can see her naked… or topless… or with less inhibitions… or something like that.
I d
on't know if Apple will take notice of concerns like this… they probably won't. I mean hell, the iPod is still not supporting some of the biggest formats… it doesn't even have FM radio yet and crappy mp3 players have had them for years… but if they want to appeal to more people, the simple changes are the things that could make a difference.
It wouldn't be hard to make other formats playable. It wouldn't be hard to stop using the public as guinea pigs.
It will be hard to show you actually care.
Go on Apple… show you care.