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RealNetworks Inc. is merging its RealPlayer and Music Services business units into a single group so that the teams can collaborate on developing new products and services, the company announced Thursday. The merged unit will bring together teams from the Seattle-based company's RealPlayer, RealPlayer Music Store, RadioPass and Rhapsody divisions. more
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Real merges its player, music services units
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#2
Nobody 
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Posted 23 September 2004 - 07:04 AM
Speaking of the iPod, as it were, I found the following article interesting. It seems like the only thing that Apple did on the iPod was the case design; everything else was purchased from second parties. The firmware, the hard drives, the scroll wheel, etc.
http://www.mp3.com/story/feature[/u]ipod_wheel.html
http://www.mp3.com/story/feature[/u]ipod_wheel.html
#3
fribhey
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Posted 23 September 2004 - 07:56 AM
no kidding.... but they did a little more then just the 'case design'. they designed the entire thing and hired companies to help develop the guts, they didn't just 'purchase' parts from other companies, they had other companies develop parts for the ipod that apple designed....
do you think apple develops the processors, hard drives and ram used in their computers?.... No, they use 3rd party companies for that - it's no different then with the ipod.
do you think apple develops the processors, hard drives and ram used in their computers?.... No, they use 3rd party companies for that - it's no different then with the ipod.
#5
kmark
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Posted 23 September 2004 - 07:26 PM
This is old news. Apple staff freely told people at MacWorld in Jan that the wheel was made by Synaptics. The news about other parts suppliers has been around for even longer - Apple actually insisted that specific companies be used..
This is a perfect example of how outsourcing should work - it leverages Apple's user interface and product design expertise with the experts in processing chips (ARM/PortalPlayer), firewire chips (TI), audio chips, flash chips (Samsung), touchpad sensors (Synaptics), hard drives (Toshiba/Hitachi), handheld OS software (Pixo), etc. That's how Apple can create such fantastic products despite not being anywhere near as big as Dell or Microsoft.
This is a perfect example of how outsourcing should work - it leverages Apple's user interface and product design expertise with the experts in processing chips (ARM/PortalPlayer), firewire chips (TI), audio chips, flash chips (Samsung), touchpad sensors (Synaptics), hard drives (Toshiba/Hitachi), handheld OS software (Pixo), etc. That's how Apple can create such fantastic products despite not being anywhere near as big as Dell or Microsoft.
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