At the moment we live in a world where there are four operating platforms that users can choose from.
Kind of like choosing your utopian society.
Windows. Commercial and most popular with desktops and laptops.
Android. Gaining popularity and commonly used on mobile phones.
IOS exclusively used on Apple products. Tablets, Apple computers, mp3 media players and mobile phones.
Linux. Free to use. Technology not so user friendly or welcoming (for technologically challenged at least). Therefore least popular.
I am a Windows and Android user.
However I find that in terms of music appreciation, Apple has created the best media player (mp3) on the market. This is the only time I cross over to Apples world.
iTunes.
I have been using it for years. When I say years, 2001 it was launched and I feel like I have been using it since 1997.
That is until 2018.
Internet. A factor of consideration.
South Africa has been a bit slow on implementing first world internet infrastructure. Europe and USA have had access to fibre for years now.
Its interesting to see how the first world countries have evolved, while we have only now just stepped into a reliable high speed infrastructure.
What I have observed is that there have been 3 waves to internet improvements (globally that is).
First wave, from initial 50 kilobyte lines, known as dial up (50kb/sec best case), was ADSL. ADSL brought initial speeds of 2mb/sec (that is 2000kb/sec) and slowly upgraded them to 4 and 10mb/sec.
Then the next wave was fibreoptics. It brought initial speeds of 140mb/sec. In the States, some experience 1.5gb/sec.
The third wave is LTE. Basically direct satellite communications. Record speeds of 2.6gb/sec have been reached.
First world countries have embraced these technologies quicker. Which has also allowed them to work from a more reliable foundation.
It’s been interesting to see South Africas delayed updates. Only recently has fibre begun to be installed across the country (when fibre was invented in 1980s). At the same time LTE has arrived, it’s like being hit by double waves of improvements.
I am of the opinion that so many South Africans are jumping onto the fibre wagon without realizing LTE offers more.
For example, LTE works off sim cards (like a mobile phone does). Which means, unlike fibre, LTE connection (through modem) can be relocated easily.
The point of this captured thought process is to share my observations. Observations on how internet access has impacted my music platforms.
Overseas, first world countries have been using reliable internet to allow users to stream music.
Up until now, I had adopted a download and then play approach.
What I have enjoyed with this approach is that I have built a library of music. 300gb easily (duplicates included). Reliable and easily available.
With my library, I used iTunes to create playlists. With those playlists, I burnt CDs for the car. MP3 CDs with 140 songs and audio CDs with 20 songs.
Spotify launched in SA this year (been around in States for years) and introduced me to a new world of streaming. OK introduced is a strong word.
iTunes had introduced me to their live streaming service first. Not user friendly and quite restrictive. Initially live streaming showed too much dependency on data and I had limited access to iTunes (desktop and laptop but not mobile).
Spotify was user friendly and its selection of music was impressive.
I have created playlists and have cross platform access to its functionality. Mobile and PCs.
It was a breath of fresh air (at first).
The idea of access to unlimited music, streamed, at a nominal monthly cost is great.
Spotify allows to download playlists content (only playable on their software). That means that music can be played offline on its platform.
For the last 6 months I have turned my back to iTunes and have embraced Spotify’s offerings.
Until I got fed up with not being able to customize playlists (without needing to use up a lot of data). More importantly I got fed up about not being able to burn CDs for the car.
My wife and I both don’t have bluetooth enabled (or aux enabled) players in our cars. My wifes car actually only plays audio CDs.
With latest music being released, I found myself needing to buy music on iTunes.
I updated iTunes (per their insistance).
Only to find iTunes no longer allows MP3 burning.
So I was permitted to purchase new music but not able to burn it. Very frustrating exercise.
iTunes deliberately restricts this offering.
There have been many complaints about not being able to burn CDs and iTunes is not fixing this.
This forced me to find out that Windows Media play allows for playlist creations and MP3 burning.
At the moment I feel like I am torn between utopian worlds.
I have to use iTunes to buy music but not allowed to burn.
I love Spotify but with South Africas expensive data, I can’t afford to waste my allocated 50gb monthly usage.
Windows seems to be my saviour here when it comes to my need to burning CDs. I didn’t see that coming. Windows saving the day that is.
So disappointed in Apple.
Based on my experience, and my love to over analyze transactions, my conclusion is that Apple is distracted.
They have been industry leaders for a decade but the tide of technology improvements is hitting them.
Mobile phones now offer more storage than Apples iPod (media players). First world countries have access to cheap and reliable data. Therefore first world countries are being caught up in the freedom of streaming music from their mobile phones.
New cars no longer come with CD players but rather bluetooth enabled players or USB ports.
Apple seems to have lost direction.
Yes, I am frustrated that they no longer facilitate my outdated approach to music.
I also wonder though how they need to fight to stay relevant. Interesting times.