Apple's chokehold on the digital music player industry.

[Dingo Jellybean]

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.

[krissy]

always thought it was kinda dumb looking to be honest

[Meow]

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.

[Zell's Fists of Fury]

Wait, so if I do get that iPod for Christmas, I'm going to have to re-download and pay for all my music off iTunes? Gay. I'll be taking it back.

[Mirage]

Naw, I'm pretty sure you can upload all your existing music to the iPod through iTunes. But it's not really a problem is it? Surely, you own the albums for all your music and can just rip them again with iTunes. :P

And I don't think I would buy an iPod. I'd look for something with vorbis support aswell, It's not fun having to convert lots of files.
Creative's hard disk based devices aren't selling too bad either, I think. But probably nowhere as much as the iPod.

[Rinoabella]

In my opinion, Apple has triumphed because of their clever (and blatantly obvious) use of advertising. This includes:

Branding it the iPod
A sleek look with alternative candy colours.
Funky ads
Popular music
Marketing slogans such as iWish, iWant etc. *subliminal messages (not)*

They make it seem like it's as important for a young adult to have as their mobile phone. Simple, but it works.

edit: I kinda feel sorry for their opposition. Apple has basically named the mp3 player their own. I have never seen another mp3 player advertisement on TV aside from theirs.

[Dingo Jellybean]

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.

It's what's trendy right now. Do I think Apple can keep it up? Only if Microsoft keeps out. But what Apple has done was introduced hard-drive MP3 players as the mainstream over flash MP3 players and CD players.

Wait, so if I do get that iPod for Christmas, I'm going to have to re-download and pay for all my music off iTunes? Gay. I'll be taking it back.

No. If you have an iPod, the only songs you can't play on it are songs purchased from Real, Napster, MSN, etc. You can still rip all your music from CDs(anywhere from 16kbps to over 200kbps compression) onto your iPod and any non-protected MP3/WMA/WAV files you may have.

In my opinion, Apple has triumphed because of their clever (and blatantly obvious) use of advertising. This includes:

Branding it the iPod
A sleek look with alternative candy colours.
Funky ads
Popular music
Marketing slogans such as iWish, iWant etc. *subliminal messages (not)*

They make it seem like it's as important for a young adult to have as their mobile phone. Simple, but it works.

edit: I kinda feel sorry for their opposition. Apple has basically named the mp3 player their own. I have never seen another mp3 player advertisement on TV aside from theirs.

Not only does it appeal to the young generation, a lot of adults want one too. The advertising is a huge success for apple. If you listened to that Outkast(or was it Black Eyed Peas?) song on that apple ad a year ago, it just made you want one. When I was in Australia 1.5 years ago, I just saw ads for it at bus stations. People rocking out to music on such a small device.

But Apple is coming out with a Flash iPod, or Flashpod, or iFlash...whatever they want to call it. It'll be cheaper too, around $170 for like, 2-4GB. Though hard-drive MP3 players primarily belong to Apple, flash MP3 players still account for more than half of MP3 players sold total. Apple should try to know it's ground before it steps into quicksand.

[-N-]

The standard iPod is tough to beat, but Minis are seriously overpriced and competition is serious for the so-called midsize mp3 player market (the single-digit GB range). There are some people that just don't have 15 GB of music. That's the only HD-based mp3 player turf Apple has to really worry about fighting over right now. Solution: Knock down Mini prices about $50 to get back into the game.

[Dingo Jellybean]

The standard iPod is tough to beat, but Minis are seriously overpriced and competition is serious for the so-called midsize mp3 player market (the single-digit GB range). There are some people that just don't have 15 GB of music. That's the only HD-based mp3 player turf Apple has to really worry about fighting over right now. Solution: Knock down Mini prices about $50 to get back into the game.

Yeah, the iPod Mini is $250, yet for $50 more you get 5 times the space. Many people(myself included) do not have tens of GBs of music. I don't even have 1GB of music. But it is growing, I guarantee you that.

If the iPod Mini was $150, I'd snatch it quicker that you can see. But I do agree with you, when the iPod Mini came into the market at $250, Apple did dig itself a bit of a hole since this is where Rio and Dell can chime in. Proof? The most popular model this X-Mas is the 20GB model. That's the only model Apple is having trouble replacing. It should tell Apple to either lower the price or take it off the market, and the former is probably best.

I also want to note that the iPod Mini is NOT compatible with many accessories and features the standard iPod has. But I do want a green iPod mini.

[Rinoabella]

Yeah, the iPod mini is basically a lower-capacity version of any regular ipod covered in candy and overpriced. I guess it's for those who aren't Apple junkies, and more for the general public.

The only downside to the regular iPods, is that it's not easy to change their look/colour. It'd be awesome if you could flip face plates or something instead of silicon iSkins...they look and feel non-adequate, to me.

[Dingo Jellybean]

Yeah, the iPod mini is basically a lower-capacity version of any regular ipod covered in candy and overpriced. I guess it's for those who aren't Apple junkies, and more for the general public.

The only downside to the regular iPods, is that it's not easy to change their look/colour. It'd be awesome if you could flip face plates or something instead of silicon iSkins...they look and feel non-adequate, to me.

The iSkins work great to be honest. They glow in the dark and protect the iPod. I also have an iShade, so my iPod is a bright neon green. I actually prefer them over faceplates, since my iPod is pretty scratched up.

[Yamaneko]

People aren't <i>that</i> dumb. Apple is either going to have to add features and drop the price to its product or face being put out of business. One can only be stylish for so long before they start to realize they're being screwed.

[DMKA]

Wait wait wait...so I can't just put all my exsisting music on an iPod? Wtf? That sucks...I'll just keep burning CDs, thanks.

I thought iPod's were cool and you could put your own music on it...now I don't want one. ;__;

[Yamaneko]

You can still rip all your music from CDs(anywhere from 16kbps to over 200kbps compression) onto your iPod and any non-protected MP3/WMA/WAV files you may have.

[Doomgaze]

Wait wait wait...so I can't just put all my exsisting music on an iPod? Wtf? That sucks...I'll just keep burning CDs, thanks.

I thought iPod's were cool and you could put your own music on it...now I don't want one. ;__;

If you haven't been buying music from online stores (other than iTunes) it would be fine.