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Re:Apple releases MGIE, an AI-based image editing model by MBCook on Wednesday February 07, 2024 @01:59PM (#39292702)
I think people give way way too much credit to the walled garden for their success.

The iPod wasn’t a success because of the walled garden. They didn’t have one (once they released on Windows).

If MS had released a player that was good enough they could have stolen the market, yes. But that’s the point. No one did because everyone released something akin to a flash-based CD player. They didn’t rethink the interface much. The interface is why the iPod grabbed the hold it did.

Yeah it became cool over time.

But I contend an iPod with the interface of a Creative Nomad Jukebox wouldn’t have succeeded the way it did.

Re:Apple releases MGIE, an AI-based image editing model by gnicholas on Wednesday February 07, 2024 @02:09PM (#39292827)
> The iPod wasn’t a success because of the walled garden. They didn’t have one (once they released on Windows).

My reading of the upthread comments is that people are saying a walled garden isn't necessary, and using the iPod as an example of Apple's success before it had a walled garden. No one is saying that they had a walled garden back then. They did have a built-in audience (Mac users), but that is different from a walled garden. On iOS, they can prevent app devs from accessing their hardware in the same way they can, effectively neutering their efficiency.