[seldo]

BREAKING: hacker nerd who has had nothing to do with Apple for 3 decades takes positions markedly different from Apple orthodoxy.

Woz always takes very predictably pro-hacker positions; I'm not clear why we regard it as news when he does.

[mariusc]

The headline is not all about Wozniak,it's also a nice direction for iTunes from an Android user perspective.I'd like to listen my music from iTunes account without buying again from Google Music.

[37prime]

Since music tracks from iTunes are DRM free, they can be played in any Android devices.

[eli]

Yes, music bought from the iTunes store can be played on Android. Which makes it all the more annoying that iTunes does not support Android.

[37prime]

I believe Monique Farantzos and Jon Lech Johansen is working hard to bring iTunes and Android together.

[Tyrannosaurs]

For now iTunes and the distribution deals Apple have are a competitive advantage that Apple wouldn't be willing to give up by integrating tightly with Android.

But in a few years time when Google have similar deals in place and any advantage is marginal (if that), it might happen. While Apple aren't really in the business of selling music (obviously they do but it's a relatively small part of their revenue mix next to hardware sales) there is an opportunity there.

That said over time as these deals become more common, the music business is going to be commoditised which will squeeze profit margins. It may be that those lower margins mean that even with access to a significantly larger potential market Apple aren't interested - they've never really been a high volume, low margin business.

[sycren]

I would argue that it has not been done before because Apple needed to give the ipod the competitive advantage. I think that its hard to say what would happen if iTunes now opened up to android devices too. Would the Music Play store sales decrease and Apples music sales increase? Would there be more music Apple sales with both iOS and Android but less iPods sold?

As I said it is hard to say what would happen and by how much.

[killahpriest]

The first two words in the headline are "Steve Wozniak."

[mariusc]

True.But not 'Apple Co-founder' like in link's headline.He's just a hacker nerd who shares his opinion.

[joesb]

> it's also a nice direction for iTunes from an Android user perspective.

What direction? He has no influence on Apple's decision.

[mariusc]

My perspective :).Sorry for misunderstanding.

[WayneDB]

"I'm not clear why we regard it as news when he does."

Go read the front page right now. Do it. Half the items on there are just stuff that people want to talk about. Notch's new office (oooooohhh!). Yet another Apple/Samsung article (woah!). The 256th python tutorial (wheee!)... Maybe just get over it, hmmm?