Apple Inc (AAPL)

[Tex]

re Latin music

Emphasizing the availability and coolness of Latin tunes is not only classy, but demographically smart. In the US it's the fastest-growing ethnicity, and we have a lot of contiguous land full of music-loving and reproductively active neighbors south of the border.

If it's true the men at the Alamo never heard the news the Republic had been declared, and died under a Mexican flag supporting the 1824 Constitution of Mexico, then as a Texan I must think myself spiritually half-Mexican, deep down inside. Vive La Cucuracha!

I did like the video. The silhouette did something interesting to me. Because the dancer's skirts occasionally obstructed the headphone cables, I kept hunting for depth and detail within the silhouette, when normally a black featureless silhouette be the least interesting place to look for interior detail.

The ads are pretty cool. I think of the Zune tombstone ad and shake my head: it is not only not fun, but it tends to convince you Zunes will pass songs along one after another through a community, when that is specifically blocked from happening. Deceptive trade practice? Unhappy users? Who knows.

I am interested in seeing Apple work on selling music to South America. With the Beatles litigation behind it and full rights to the trademarks at issue, Apple should be able to form its own pseudo-label if it likes. Apple could offer, for the first time, immediate worldwide release without huge up-front money. In a few years, Apple could be the place to break new artists to the world audience.

Yeah, Apple is purportedly "slightly" profitable on iTS, but as volume grows even a thin slice has to become material. The question is, what will limit Apple's sales growth? If there isn't anything to limit it, and Apple ends up with exclusive electronic distribution deals that don't expire quickly, Apple could become the store of choice for a lot of users.

No DRM a possibility? AAC > MP3? Increasing fidelity? Over the long run, things look good.

BTW, can anyone suggest some good Latin music? I love the stuff, but I don't understand a word (well, maybe a word here and there), and I have no idea how to shop for it.

Take care,
--Tex.