(keitai-l) Re: mp3 to keitai?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: daniel dolan <dan@glocom.ac.jp>
 
> Digital file sharing via wired Internet is big,
> particularly in the US. Mobile Internet is big (well,
> i-mode in Japan for now), and some version of i-mode
> probably will take off in the U.S. soon.
> 
> I am not the first person to imagine this, but it
> seems likely that one of the next Really Big Things
> will be a convergence of these two forces, enabling
> digital music access and file sharing via
> Internet-enabled keitai. A real plus would be the
> ability to beam music files (e.g., mp3) from keitai
> to keitai quickly and easily.

Hello.. I think you have fielded a bunch of questions here
that reflect some big issues..  I think the words "quickly
and easily" do not apply to any part of this paragraph..

First, as you just said, "some version of i-mode PROBABLY
will take off in the US soon".  _PROBABLY_ is right.  Many
very well informed people on this list have already discussed
major differences between cultures in Japan and the US
and tried to explain why US has not cought on "wireless"
yet.

Let me just say that the major difference is probably public
transportation.  In Japan millions of people spend many hours
a day in public transportation and have the time to use the
phone.  This does not happen in the US.  Not yet, at least.

Same thing applies to Europe (I think).  It is not that WAP
is that bad (although it is not great either), it is more that 
most people simply don't have the time or the inclination 
to give a damn about it..

Also.. the culture in the US is such that people do their web
surfing at work, on a workstation, not during transportation
on a phone.  They do more surfing at home, on a PC, since 
telecomm costs are relatively low.

Second, I think there will be a serious shakeout of the
digital rights issues before things like MP3 can continue to
survive.  I see the record companies begining a serious 
crackdown on this.  

Either they go out of business because cannot prevent people 
from ripping CDs to MP3 OR people simply start to pay OR.. I 
cannot think of any other alternative.

So.. to answer your question.. I don't think the Next Really
Big Thing on keitai is that clear.. yet.. in the US at least..

Cheers..

Cris Vulpe



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