Apple Goes Bananas Over iPod PDA Emulator

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1292&e=6&u=/mc/20040309/tc_mc/pocketpcipodimitatorgetsapplesattention&sid=95573662
from WinCustomize Forums
UK developer Starbrite Solutions has a $20 software offering called pBop that may remind you more than a little of Apple's iPod. While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, pBop flattered the iPod too much as far as Apple's legal department was concerned.



"Apple felt pPod was being 'passed off' as an Apple iPod," Starbrite spokesman Ryan Kelly told MacCentral. "We were surprised to hear this as we have heard of no one buying a Windows powered Pocket PC application, being confused they are buying a hardware device."


While no one would mistake a Pocket PC-based PDA for an iPod, the diminutive device can run a variety of software and store a variety of files, including MP3 audio files. Starbrite developed pBop to give Pocket PC PDA users a "functional, easy to use MP3 player" that Ryan Kelly said is inspired by some of the most popular MP3 players on the market, including the iPod.


pBop's resemblance to the iPod was unmistakable, especially when the product first launched: It was originally called pPod, and featured an interface that was practically identical to third-generation iPods. The software included a navigation menu remarkably similar to the iPod's, enabling users to browse stored MP3 files by artist, track name and album. Touch buttons and a touch wheel interface even allowed users to navigate using their thumbs rather than the Pocket PC's stylus -- all in the same placement as Apple's iPod.


Kelly said that Starbrite has "cooperated fully to address Apple's concerns." The developer changed the layout of the software so the touch pad is now located between the menu and the buttons. Starbrite changed pPod's name to pBop, and also put a disclaimer on its Web site stating that the company has no connection to Apple or the iPod.
21,762 views 27 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
was a total ipod interface rip and they deserved apple's wrath.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
What? no way.. what about windows calculator.. i bet that piece of software looks just like a real one...
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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
bleh. Unless this thing has a virtual hard drive why's apple have their panties in a bunch. Virtually every mp3 player on the market has an ipod skin. I just installed an iPod skin for Quintessential Player - didn't make me think I was using an iPod. Apple and their lawsuits.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Apple are good at what they do, but they are total ass-hats at the same time..... I guess the issue is that it is charged for commercially... so it's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. Oh well.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
iPlod - who in their right minds would want to copy that
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Apple really has a case here. If the software were free, then it would be one thing, but this company is (was) making money off of Apple's design... and that's wrong. But yes, Apple has a history of takin legal action against companies trying to copy Apple's designs. Anyone remember the iPC? Or emachine's eMac? Those were gone in about... 3 seconds.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
"Hell hath no fury like Apple legal..."

Except Micro$oft Legal. They never sue anyone.

Yeah, who in their right minds would copy an Apple product? Nevermind that 85% of the skins on this site are Apple ripoffs.


-J.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Jeremy, not sure if you know, but Apple not only has the number #1 selling mp3 player, but also made the #1 selling computer of all time. And based on all the ipod rips and imac rips (as well as the drawing away from beige boxes), it seems everyone wants to copy Apple products. And you can thank Apple for the look of your computer... and your speakers. And your cell phone. Because we all know that because of the iMac, everything in the world changed from boring/business/bland to modern/cool/new.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Jester2k, Apple wants to sell 100 million songs by April, not 1mil. Right now they've got about 50 mil, so 100 is a long shot. But the iPod, which has sold about 2.1 million units, will no doubt continue its sales. Along with the iPod mini, which has 100,000 preorders.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
i meant pc
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Commodore 64 *was* a PC (Personal Computer). Not sure if it was the best selling computer of all time, but I wouldn't be suprised. Assume the computer you are refering to is the Apple II?
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The Commodore 64 is probably the biggest selling machine ever. There were probably tens of millions of units sold world wide in it's 10 year run. Consider today that the remaining machines still sell across ebay, swap meets, pc shows, and garage sales all over the country and there's still an avid hobbyist market for the machines.

The distinction between Apple and PC is idiotic. Apple was one of the first to introduce the Personal Computer to the masses. The real distinction is in hardware architecture which is Motorola vs. Intel. Apple has probably sold tens of millions of machines but that's counted across the entire set of models they've sold over the last 20 years I.E. they've probably sold a couple of million i-macs, a million or so ibooks and g4s and Powermac and apple IIc, and apple II+, etc.

Apple hires marketing and design firms to come up with "cool", "hip", and "popular" designs. In reality most of those designs are based off of other previous designs already available to the public with just minor variations in form or function (i.e. the ipod jog dial). Innovation is simply taking someone elses idea and making it one step or more better. In the case of US patent, trademark, and copyright law there are hefty price tags to getting into the innovation game. Prices that Starbrite has no doubt found out about.

I mean really the all-in-one design of the Apple i-Mac was nothing spectacular there were plenty of other all-in-one designs prior to that - but it came in blue which Apple trademarked as "Blueberry" (I can't believe that someone actually let them trademark "Blueberry"). Then they sued the pants off of any other all-in-one case/computer maker not off of the design but off of the color.
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Freegoo, I think the iMac sold 6 million... so maybe it was the fastest selling computer... or something... most sold in shortest amount of time...

Anyways-

Michael, Apple doesn't hire marketing firms. They have Jonathan Ive to make they're designs. The iMac was something revolutionary. Yes, there had been all-in-ones, but none that had the mass appeal like the iMac did.

This is how Apple can survive with only 3% market share. They innovate. That's the only way they can battle the M$ money machine.
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
"Because we all know that because of the iMac, everything in the world changed from boring/business/bland to modern/cool/new."

Hard to believe if Apple was such an innovator that the IMac wouldn't have lasted longer. Eye candy just isn't a replacement for functionality and software availability. Oddly enough I still see mostly dull boxes that work really well. So much for "art for art's sake".

As for the "emulation", there's nothing new about that. People love to buy something that works the way they want it to, and then make it look like something they chose not to buy. If Apple sues, it must be because people are profiting, because they sure left all our skin sites littered with "ports".

Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Watch your mouth on the last line!
Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You'd be very naive to think that Apple does all of it's own design work. While they have an internal design group they also make use of external design and marketing groups (i.e. Frog Design and others). Apple makes prolific use of NDA's in keeping a gag on 'partners' and how they may have helped or influenced design aspects of Apple products. An NDA kind of stifles the ability of a design company to put Apple on their resume of design work - hence people think that Apple designs everything internally.

Apple relies as much on loyal customers repeat sales in combination with high pricing to stay afloat. Also it's created it's own niche market (in a sense outside of the typical PC market) in which there are no other players to compete against.

There's been nothing that I've seen come out of Apple over the years that was "OOOOH wow! Now that's really innovative". Even the iPod is just a modification of a product that was already gaining in popularity. Again innovation today is just the modification of someone's idea to the next step. We see very little real innovation (i.e. the introduction of a completely new idea or device).

This just highlights one of the other Apple survival mechanisms which is to cash in on popular ideas. Sometimes they can take that popular idea and turn it into a cash cow like the iMac or the iPod and sometimes they peter out like the Cube.
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The cube was a truly innovative product, but it was just lacking in expandibility. That was its problem.

Some more innovative products from Apple:

Firewire (yes, you can thank them for that)
The First 64 Bit Personal Computer
The first truly portable laptop
iPod
Garage Band
iSight
ITMS
GUI in general
The Mouse

Now before you go off saying that Apple stole from Xerox, the true innovators, I'll say this: Apple was given the rights to use what PARC developed. So theft was not the reality. And what Xerox had was essentially unusable. Apple made it work. Now I'm not saying that Apple is the savior of computing, but it did make a huge dent on the computing world, and continues to.
Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Bought, borrowed, donated, stolen, bequeathed...all same difference....not OEM...
Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Some more innovative products from Apple:

Firewire (yes, you can thank them for that) - extremely imrpived idea, still they good the basics from USB and all other serial technology.
The First 64 Bit Personal Computer - arguable
The first truly portable laptop
iPod - Stolen
Garage Band - Get a big plus for that.
iSight - nothing new, just improwed web cam for christ sake.
ITMS - they didn't invent it they just were first to get all the deals ready.
GUI in general - stolen
The Mouse - stolen

Get back to the article I have used this product on my PDA, it's a total waste of time and money. Most PDA users use the hardware buttons anyway or want to take use of the screen that's about the same size as 4+ ipod screens.