MP3 Player vs Mini Disc Walkman

[vansmack]

Originally posted by the scientist:
   
 
 Oh btw they have sold 1 million ipods making it in terms of revenue at least the most popular portable music MP3 device.....

At $300-600 per, they didn't have to sell that many to get the revenue award.

[markie]

Originally posted by vansmack:
 

Originally posted by the scientist:
 [qb]  
 At $300-600 per, they didn't have to sell that many to get the revenue award. [/b]

Cool, huh?
 
 A lot of other devices are between $100 and $200 though, so that can still be counted as quite a success for a premium product released well after the first generation of players.

[kosmo vinyl]

Originally posted by the scientist:
  But I want a ferrari of portable music devices.
 
 

a bit early for the midlife crisis isn't it?  

[chaz]

Originally posted by bags:
  Okay, I want you all who are recommending the iPod to tell us if you're talking about the PC model.
 
 I have the 20 GB iPod and love it to death (I also use it on my stereo and in my car, which absolutely kicks because it's 2400 songs at my fingertips).  And I have about 5 friends who love their iPods as much as I.
 
 That being said, I have a few friends who got the PC versions and have had loads and loads of troubles.  I just think that Mac is king at that kind of multimedia capabilities, and they haven't made it fully compatible with PCs.  Which I have no problem with, since just about everything else is made with f*&^in' PCs in mind.
 
 Just something to get some more specific feedback on.  Of the PC MP3 players, I've heard good things about Nomads and Rios.  Just be sure to get at *least* 5 GB.

I use my 15 gb ipod on a machine running Win 2000.  Lots of folks have big time problems using them on PC's but I've had none.  I'm pretty handy with computers and gadgets in general.  I can't really comment on all the folks who've had problems with theirs.
 
 Just get a good firewire card and make sure it's working before you proceed with ipod installation.  Then i just followed the instructions.  Once it was up and running I downloaded Ephpod for free and ditched the included MusicMatch Jukebox......I really think most folks who have problems could blame then on that piece of shit MMJB software.  I use Ephpod to add music and never ever had a problem.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by the scientist:
  Cool, huh?
 
 A lot of other devices are between $100 and $200 though, so that can still be counted as quite a success for a premium product released well after the first generation of players.

I would say selling 1 Million is impressive.
 
 I would say being the revenue leader is not impressive at all.
 
 If they sold 60% of the cheapest ones ($300), 30% of the mid-range ones ($400) and 10% of their high-end model ($500), their 1 Million ipods would generate $350M of revenue.  The MP3 player at $150 would have to sell 2.3 Million in a market saturated with MP3 Players at the same price range or cheaper these days, just to have the same revenue.  Excuse me while I yawn at the most expensive player generating the most revenue when their cheapest model is still more than the average price of a player - duh!

[markie]

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
   

Originally posted by the scientist:
  But I want a ferrari of portable music devices.
 
 

a bit early for the midlife crisis isn't it?    [/b]

My whole life has been a midlife crisis.
 
 I love those big red cars.

[markie]

Originally posted by vansmack:
 
 
 I would say being the revenue leader is not impressive at all.
 
 

But by your reckoning they have sold at least  40% of the total units of a cheper player.
 
 My point was that was very impressive considering the premium price point.
 
 When the ipod was first announced I really thought that it was too expensive and would be a failure. I only got my ipod second hand, but if it broke I would go out and buy a new one instantly. It really has changed the way I listen to music.

[ggw]

Screw the iPod -- You need one of these:
 
 http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/07/02/popsci.stereo.kill/index.html

[vansmack]

Originally posted by the scientist:
  But by your reckoning they have sold at least  40% of the total units of a cheper player.
 
 

Don't ever change your screen name to "the economist".
 
 40% of any one other player with the same name - your numbers aren't eaxctly right beacuse different units have different names - for example Nike-Phillips PSA has a different name between the 64 MB version and the 128 version.  The highest revenue earning company on all their players is SONICBlue, who bought Rio who was first to hit the market with the Diamond but they now have many models with different names, yet the Ipod counts all of the models as the same to brag about revenue.  Excuse while I yawn again.    
 
 Anyhow, there are over 37 different players in the market at $100-$150, so there is too much competition for one player to meet the revenue of the IPod, yet many companies have met the revenue with their assortment of players.  
 
 But don't get me wrong.  As I said before, the Ipod is the best MP3 player on the market at this moment.  All I was saying was that it's not worth the high end price for it's limited capability and functionality.  It's only a matter of time (late 2003/early 2004) before HP, Dell, Sony or Handspring/Palm catches on and your Ipod goes the way of the 8 track.  
 
 And I will come back to this board and laugh at you.  And say that I was right.  Again.  And then you will turn to personal attacks because you will know that I am right.  And then I will turn to personal attacks too, because they are fun.  And I'm babbling now, so I will stop.

[raebyddet]

Originally posted by ggw:
  Screw the iPod -- You need one of these:
 
  http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/07/02/popsci.stereo.kill/index.html

What a waste of good audio equipment.

[mjnova]

Originally posted by the scientist:
  Yeah, Erasure sucked completely after their covers of Abba EP abbaesque. That EP is sublime though.
 
 The POP compilation of 20 singles is as good as the human leagues greatest hits....
 
 Yea, you would like allsaints the album is surprisingly not just two singles and a load of filler.
 
 I bet you will like the new Dandy warhols album, welcome to the monkey house.

Continuing the coincidences, I was listening to the Dandy Warhols EP that they gave to college stations last week (on which they cover Blondie's Call Me and Relax), and when we get in a copy of the album proper at our station I'm definately going to snatch it up.
 
 The only thing I have against All Saints is that Stuart Zender left Jamiroquai after marrying one of them.  I wonder if he's doing much session work.

[markie]

Originally posted by vansmack:
 
 
 But don't get me wrong.  As I said before, the Ipod is the best MP3 player on the market at this moment.  All I was saying was that it's not worth the high end price for it's limited capability and functionality.  It's only a matter of time (late 2003/early 2004) before HP, Dell, Sony or Handspring/Palm catches on and your Ipod goes the way of the 8 track.  
 
 

laugh at me? I already said I bought my ipod second hand for $100. I was going to pay more for that for a nice portable CD player as my old one had become unreliable.
 
 Actually Samsung already previewed a machine that looked like the ipod, infact so much so that apple talked to them and they have had to redesign it.
 
 Sony seem to be suspiciously asleep. But because they have their own music publishing they seem reluctant to embrace MP3.... I wonder how much longer it will be before they catch on?
 
 Dell, well I just dont see them doing it..... If they were why sell ipods from their store?
 
 Handspring/Palm.... when they have a device that has a hard drive maybe. I think that they wil focus on the mobile phone OS from now on though, dont you?
 
 Apple seems to have a nice niche right now.
 
 One point, if a new player comes out with more features I dont see the ipod becoming obsolete. I dont see small portable music files changing dramatically in the next few years and the ipod os is upgradeable.
 
 The only thing that will make it look outdated is the introduction of smaller decent capacity hard drives. How much can you get on one of those ibm microdrives?

[thirsty moore]

Imagine playing Lionel Richie's Dancin' on the Ceiling on that.
 
 

Originally posted by ggw:
  Screw the iPod -- You need one of these:
 
 http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/07/02/popsci.stereo.kill/index.html

[Bags]

Originally posted by vansmack:
  I'm really kind of shocked that all of you iPod lovers aren't talking about it's one dimensionality, especially for the price you're paying.
 
 With just a 10 GB model, the ability to run everything a handheld runs (word processor, email internet, etc.) would take up less than .01% of you available disk space, at a software licensing cost of less than $100.  And for you Windows haters, it could use the Palm OS and be even less.
 
 I could never justify spending that much and getting so little in terms of functionality, when it could very easily have been made into an unbelievably useful tool instead of a portable hard drive with music playing capabilities.  More industry short sightedness as far as I'm concerned.

I fully admit my love for the iPod is in part my desire to carry around a large music selection.  Of the 20 GB, I have only about 300 MB of room left on that baby.  And in the car, I have over 200 CDs at the ready.
 
 Plus, the interface is just great, and it is easy as pie to work with from my iMac.

[Bags]

Originally posted by vansmack:
 

Originally posted by the scientist:
 [qb] But don't get me wrong.  As I said before, the Ipod is the best MP3 player on the market at this moment.  All I was saying was that it's not worth the high end price for it's limited capability and functionality.  It's only a matter of time (late 2003/early 2004) before HP, Dell, Sony or Handspring/Palm catches on and your Ipod goes the way of the 8 track.  
 
 And I will come back to this board and laugh at you.  And say that I was right.  Again.[/b]

I think you're wrong.  Yes, other companies will come up with more similar MP3 player products, but I think this is the one niche that Apple will  hold on to -- they will stay out in front on this one.  Just look at their iMusic Store.  I bet it catches on as the model for downloading over the next few years.  They have set this market in their sights, and they are closing in (if they haven't already!).