Analysis: iPad Is an iDRM Storefront For Apple Ambitions To Dominate All Digital Media Sales

[struggle4progress]

By Tom Foremski - January 27, 2010

Foremski's Take: My first impression of Apple iPad is that its low price of $499 is due to the fact that it's basically a storefront for Apple's iTunes and iBooks online store ... You won't be able to stream video from anyone but Apple ... Apple is setting itself up as the funnel for all other media. Media creators, after Apple approval, will be able to sell their content .. through its online store, delivered to Apple devices ... By building a proprietary, closed platform, with its own hardware and software, Apple is able to capture a larger part of the value stream from selling media ... The issue for creators is that Apple is the only way to get media and apps onto the iPad and iPhone. You have to go through Apple ... http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2010/01/analysis_ipad_i.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SVWatcher+%28Silicon+Valley+Watcher%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

[MercutioATC]

1. Give the hackers a month.

They'll make the iPad more versatile.

[no limit]

2. You wont be able to stream content from anywher else? Thats absolutely false

As much as I dont like apple for various reasons I dont like making shit up either.

[struggle4progress]

5. Apple's iPad -- a broken link?

... It looks like Apple is continuing to impose restrictions on their devices that limit both content publishers and consumers. Unlike many other ebook readers using the ePub file format, consumers will not be able to access ePub content with Apple's DRM technology on devices made by other manufacturers. And without Flash support, iPad users will not be able to access the full range of web content, including over 70% of games and 75% of video on the web.

If I want to use the iPad to connect to Disney, Hulu, Miniclip, Farmville, ESPN, Kongregate, or JibJab -- not to mention the millions of other sites on the web -- I'll be out of luck ...

http://blogs.adobe.com/flashplatform/2010/01/apples_ipad_--_a_broken_link.html


A number of websites are independently indicating that the DRM restrictions rule out Open Source software and forces you through Apple for commercial products. I don't know whether this is factual, and I'd certainly welcome any evidence you have to the contrary

[tomm2thumbs]

9. comparison - interesting

[no limit]

10. I dont know much about ePub but here is a quick link

http://toc.oreilly.com/2008/08/how-to-read-oreilly-epub-ebook.html

Yes, flash is a problem but apple keeps promising support in the future. However, anyone streaming content through flash can write an iphone app for it if they choose to.

[hobbit709]

3. I don't care for ANY proprietary media formats

itunes, M$ Zune or otherwise.

[Lerkfish]

4. As opposed to Bill Gates.

who seeks to NOT dominate all media

[struggle4progress]

7. !

[Sherman A1]

6. I think it's called being competitive, but I may be wrong

it's the build a better mouse trap sort of thing. If they did, the market will follow, if not it won't.

[tomm2thumbs]

8. Screenshots of iPad running Flash on major websites...

http://theflashblog.com/?p=1703