Susuto

Would anyone hazard a guess as to how much Apple really cares about Amazon’s success?

That’s right. Most probably not a wit.

Amazon’s success with DRM free MP3s is clearly a win for consumers. And a huge win for Apple. Why? Because Apple makes money on hardware, and only setup iTunes Store to provide a source for content for their iPods. But the runaway success of the iPod did more than make money for Apple: the iPod also crushed Sony’s and Microsoft’s hopes for a digital world slaved to those companies DRM file systems. Microsoft especially approaches every market with the intent of locking it’s customer base into it’s file systems, and hoped to make even more money thru never ending revenue streams by promising to lock down content at the behest of corporations, and damn the consumer. Or don’t you remember Microsoft stripping MP3 capabilities out of Windows Media Player in anticipation of dominating all forms of media with it’s custom anti-consumer DRM schemes?

Amazon, along with eMusic, is one of the companies that actually understand their market. Why? Because Apple’s iPods comprise more than 75% of the digital music player market. Any, and I mean ANY company stupid enough to back Microsoft’s WMA DRM schemes to sell music *automatically* loses a full 75% of their target market. Gone. Done. No revenue. Anyone trying to establish a digital download music store that does not support Apples iPod is a bankruptcy in waiting.

It’s that simple.The more DRM free MP3 or ACC music available to consumers is more tracks available to play on Apple’s iPod.