iPod Marketing Article

[krgy]

Here's an article, a lone voice in the woods, that predicts the demise of the iPod. The sad part is, his arguments are logical and quite convincing. He compares it to the way PDA's and consumer digicam sales (not professional digicam sales) have fallen worldwide, to be replaced by the all-in-one gadget of a cellphone/PDA/camera/MP3 player. He's using history to predict that the iPod will soon cease to be the monster consumer gadget it currently is much in the same way the Palm Pilot and other PDA's also declined in popularity in the 1990's

http://communities-dominate.blogs.co..._of_a_dar.html

Still, no matter what he's written, I still very much like my iPod.

Your thoughts?

[lockheed]

i've had a clie n760, 3 digicams since 1999, 3 flash based mp3 players, a nano and went thru more phones than i can remember.

am still waiting for the perfect treo (love its implementation of the thumbpad) with a built in 802.11x, auto focus camera with flash etc... it'll probably come in 5 years

i've always wanted a superb all-in-one pda/webrowser/mp3/videoplayer/camphone that takes excellent shots even @ poorly lit settings.

despite believing the often repeated 'get a dedicated camera for quality pics' (hence the 3 camera's of different sizes), i also believe that a camera is only as effective as the number of times you have it with you when you need to take a pic. (fender benders on the road or unexpectedly meeting a former classmate)

the phone is the perfect medium to do that. it's a communication device that i always take with me when i leave home. it's as essential as my wallet and something i always check before leaving.

[enuhski]

hi everybody!

personally i think the article used numbers and solid facts but presented them in such a way that the effect is misleading.

i think the ipod is perfect for people who love music and who want to take music with them everywhere they go. cellphones are another matter, we use these for communication eh. in fact we have created a need for it.

for me, even if a cellphone carries mp3 and camera capabiilities, a practical person wouldn't want to tie up his phone listening to music, texting and answering a call. or bring his fone to go jogging just to have music to listen to, for that matter. if a phone does all that, great, like the SE walkman line. but to buy a phone specifically for its music capability, that i disagree with.

i'd like to hazard a guess that a person who buys a fone specifically for its camera/music/browsing capacity is probably not that particular about the quality or resolution of the pics or music. a person who cares or is particular will want a separate gadget for his particular needs. e.g. a photographer wouldn't opt for a hi-end ericsson for its camera, or a hardcore music lover would try and fit all his songs into his fone para lang masulit ito.

owning an ipod is a choice, not a necesssity - in general. a cellphone pretty much is. music/video/photo lovers will want their own handy companion and will spare the extra cash for it. buying a phone with so many features does not mean it will be to the exclusion of other gadgets.

and most likely apple's next gen ipods will definitely include even more amazing features that might put naysayers to rest. i also disagree with the author that apple's iconic appeal has been supplanted by ipod knockoffs that people buy to pretend they have ipods. i'm willing to bet a greater majority prefer the ipod over other music players not just to aspire for a kind of social status, but precisely because we know that apple is technically superior but yet encased in a very simple design that will keep you satisifed for the next year or so. besides knockoffs only affirm the popularity of a given product. it doesn't mean less people are buying ipods.

to quote a review i read, 'intuitive.' at the same time, definitely sturdy and very beautiful to behold.

nokia produces new phone models practically every month. do people really care all that much? apple takes its time, but when it unveils a new product, critics are simply shut up by the awe and beauty of its latest designs.

apple keeps everyone guessing... i have a feeling that once again, they will exceed all expectations.