Apple's chokehold on the digital music player industry.
Okay, so the other topic was primarily based on who owns an iPod. This topic, stemmed mainly from personal interest, is just general discussion about the future of the iPod.
I own a 15GB 3G iPod and am happy with it. However, I think competitors like Rio, Creative, Dell, and Virgin can't really put much of a dent on the market iPod has control over. They try to add new features to it, but the main selling point of the iPod is fashion and function. You not only see people with the white earbuds, they're holding their iPods out in public. The only competitor, I think, that has a chance is Microsoft. They can afford to fail in this type of business.
There are many MP3 players like the iRiver H10 and Zen Touch that offers much longer battery life and features. But that click wheel is just so easy to use that there hasn't been a device similar to match it in terms of ease of use. The Zen Touch has a built in FM transmitter, but it still can't sell too much.
The iTunes store, which their music can only be used on iPods and strictly prohibits(forcefully, not legally) other protected files not from iTunes to be used on iPods. I think once Microsoft steps in, you'll definitely see a price drop from the iPods, Microsoft can afford to offer the same features for a lot less. The Dell Pocket DJ, which is similar to the iPod Mini has 1GB more of space, longer battery life, much more features and is $50 less. It doesn't sell as well as the iPod since it's interface isn't nearly as polished and doesn't have the look that people want...even though it's just as big as the iPod Mini.
I'm anxious to see how much longer the iPod can hold onto the market, since I'm anxious to be able to play movies with longer battery life for a similar to cheaper price on a similar size device.
So yeah, I don't expect many comments from this...but eh. I just felt like talking about it.
Apple mocks the Lord by embracing the symbol of fallen man.
The trick to marketing isn't so much a material prowess over your competitors as a conceptual, cultural marketshare. Apple may not hold the mp3-player sphere in the long run - unless you're Coca-Cola, your product has not likely replaced a neurotransmitter in the world's collective brainstem - but for now, Apple unofficially owns the rights to the "stylish luxury music connoisseur" culture module. People who want that will go to the iPod. Even as other players out-gigabyte it, or make ineffective attempts to out-style it (iRiver, Zen Touch), iPod will own its cultureshare until someone absolutely kills it for performance. Which, like you say, would probably be Microsoft. And even then, Apple has fair command of the suave, modern techie market, so it'll be less of a killing than the introduction of competition.
My Mac-obsessed friend and i often exchange bemused verbal blows over his Apple loyalty. i wonder if i will burn in the eighth level of hell for oblique defense of Microsoft.
