June 16, 2004
Sony-fication, Indeed
Ernest points to a couple new items in which Steve Jobs puts on his Hollywood hat and decides that innovation should slow down until DRM can (if ever) catch up. I saw a related quote from the Mossberg interview on Paidcontent and got a chance to cross-check it today:
“Mr. Mossberg: A lot of music is likely to be available in formats I can’t play on my iPod today.
Mr. Jobs: Like what?
Mr. Mossberg: Like [Microsoft Corp.’s] Windows Media Format. Why should I as a consumer have to have a limitation on my device because you have a religious war with [Microsoft Chairman] Bill Gates? Are you against consumer choice?
Mr. Jobs: No. Right now we’ve got a choice to make ourselves, which is should we spend our energy enhancing the music store and enhancing the iPod in the format that has 70% of the business or should we take some of that energy and stop innovating and go back and try to play Windows Media, which has 30% or less of the market. And we’ve chosen right now to go with the 70% format. We really believe that we can innovate much more if we control that technology. [emphasis added]
Mr. Mossberg: So what if they get to 50%?
Mr. Jobs: Well, then let’s talk again.”
Sounds kinda similar to Sony. He wants to control the technology, and I don’t think he means that narrowly in the sense of just the iPod – he means the player (and other ancillary) markets. Yes, Apple may be able to innovate much more, but not everyone else will.
Filed by Derek Slater at 11:01 pm under General news
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