Apple and America Online

So AOL's anticipated a la carte store will not be competing with iTunes... it will BE iTunes!

It's good to get at all those customers, but Time Warner just dropped AOL from it's name. Downloading MP3's over 56k isn't a pleasant experience

AOL may well be the Satan of ISP's, but this answers the very vital question of how Apple was going to get mass-market Windows users to choose iTunes. Y'know, the demographic who BuyMusic figured their ads would appeal to. The ones who only vaguely realize that there's a company called Apple, and who use Windows 'cause that's what they're used to at work, and who use Internet Explorer 'cause it's right there on their desktop. And, coincidentally enough, the ones who are pretty likely to use AOL.

Just as AOL is the default choice for ISP for so many people--simply because it's ubiquitous, and has such brand recognition--putting iTunes up as the default music provider to AOL is going to rope in a lot of the people who wouldn't even have HEARD of iTunes and all that Apple stuff otherwise.

And ye gods, using only your screenname to pay for your music?!? That is, without a doubt, the most mind-numbingly brain-dead simple thing I've ever heard of. Any idiot who can manage enough of a Windows computer to even log into AOL (and some of the chat rooms can testify to how much of an idiot you can be and still manage this) can comprehend that. Heck, AOL could actually leverage that as a FEATURE to increase subscriber base.

iTunes for Windows was a necessity. Putting it on AOL was a stroke of effing genius.

Well for the people that use AOL for anything else besides mail and connection I pitty you.

But I guess this is another plus.

Really good: AOL + iTunes downloading... excellent...

eh... being from across the pond (and one much smaller pond further): what is wrong with AOL?
Forgive me if I sound ignorant...

Originally posted by MacsRgr8
eh... being from across the pond (and one much smaller pond further)...

does this mean non us-ers with aol can use the music store, i didnt read anything about that.

Originally posted by Wonder Boy
does this mean non us-ers with aol can use the music store, i didnt read anything about that.

I was just referring to me as a European not knowing why AOL is an ISP "satan" as previously called.
Nothing about EU AOL iTMS. Wish it were... :rolleyes:

So Apple's demonstrated business acumen and showed people how they're going to remain the dominant player in online music.

And the stock sinks 6%.

This is a good thing because to me it indicates that Apple and AOL are taking their partnership seriously.

Next up: iChat AV for Windows *bundled* (I hope) with iSight for Windows.

Originally posted by ClimbingTheLog
So Apple's demonstrated business acumen and showed people how they're going to remain the dominant player in online music.

And the stock sinks 6%.

The stock had already fallen after the financial news and prior to the iTunes news. There was some major profit-taking but they'll be back. It's the whole buy low, sell high, buy low scheme.

It is off the lows of the day quite a bit--something like 84 cents and the volume was 17 million shares, which is incredible.

Wait until next week, u'll see it over 24 dollars again.