 |
More of my sitesWinInfo Daily News
|
About this siteFor six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul Saturday, August 28, 2004The truth behind HP's half-assed attempt at getting iTunes to other devicesA couple of readers forwarded me a link on MacMinute which says that "has introduced HPTunes, software for Microsoft's Windows Media Center operating system that 'lets iTunes music be played on the Media Center's extended interface.'" This, they say, answers my long and loud complaint that HP was picking an incompatible audio format through Apple and was doing nothing to make sure that that music oould play back on its many other PCs and devices, all of which are WMA compatible.There's just one problem. HP's "solution" doesn't solve the problem at all, and it's not what MacMinute says it is either. Here's what they're really doing: HP has created an ActiveX plug-in for their Media Center PCs that controls the Apple iTunes application in the background via scripting. The plug-in can play back music from your iTunes Music Library, including Protected AAC songs that you purchased from the iTunes Music Store. However, they haven't implemented this plug-in in an elegant fashion at all, and it doesn't use any QuickTime APIs or Media Center extensibility features, as it should, to provide a seamless experience. Instead, it's presents a separate experience--a completely different and separate user interface--from Media Center that cannot interact with Media Center. Specifically, if you are listening to music through the plug-in and decide you'd like to watch a photo slideshow, the music stops. Had HP adopted a WMA-compatible music device, the company would have had to do absolutely nothing to make the device, and it's online store-bought music, completely integrate with Media Center. That stuff is built right in to Media Center (where you can, for example, play music and watch photo slideshows simultaneously, among other things, all controlled via remote control). For Media Center users, it's jarring to enter into a scripted front-end to a 2' application when you're using the 10' user interface. Media Center users are used to a unique, integrated experience. Which, again, they would have gotten if HP had just gone with any other music player on the planet. As I've been saying since January. And what about HP's many other products, including Media Center Extenders, iPAQs, digital audio receivers, and more? How will they interact (seamlessly, if at all) with iTunes? The answer, of course, is .... dahhhhhhhh... they won't. Because, despite the fact that HP's had over eight months to work on this stuff, the only thing the could figure out is an ActiveX control that front-ends iTunes and works outside of Media Center. Yep, there's the budding consumer electronics giant in action, folks. So is HP's solution really a solution at all? No. Is it lame? Obviously. What could have fixed this? Two things: 1. HP could have gone with a WMA-based solution. 2. Apple could have opened up Fairplay. [ Posted at 9:31 AM | Permalink ]
|
|
Nexus Home | Nexus Archives | Email Paul
|