Comments on: Apple’s iPhenomenon http://www.completetosh.com/weblog/2004/12/01/apples-iphenomenon/ by Neil McIntosh Wed, 04 May 2011 13:45:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Adam Bowie http://www.completetosh.com/weblog/2004/12/01/apples-iphenomenon/comment-page-1/#comment-195 Adam Bowie Mon, 13 Dec 2004 00:04:25 +0000 http://69.89.31.92/~complew7/?p=164#comment-195 I wouldn't write off a major competitor to Apple just yet. The numbers they're selling at the moment are tiny compared to what the market could sell if the price was a bit cheaper. iPods are still out of most kids' reach for example, and although many pairs of white headphones are to be seen around London, there are many non-white headphones still in evidence both there and elsewhere. The hassles of re-ripping your audio are already being faced by people who's current iPods either break or are lost or stolen - I've come across at least two people who had to start from scratch because they didn't back up their audio on the PC. In time we'll get better at our backing up regimes, but then drive capacities will rise and lossless compression will become more important. I think that at the moment, most of Apple's direct competitors are happy to take part of the pie at the current price levels, perhaps being just a bit better value. Once prices really start to get cut, as surely they must, then market dynamics will really change. And the nature of the devices means that there won't be much difference in audio quality between cheap Chinese versions and pricey Apple or Sony examples. A decent pair of headphones would in most case even out the differences. I wouldn’t write off a major competitor to Apple just yet. The numbers they’re selling at the moment are tiny compared to what the market could sell if the price was a bit cheaper. iPods are still out of most kids’ reach for example, and although many pairs of white headphones are to be seen around London, there are many non-white headphones still in evidence both there and elsewhere.

The hassles of re-ripping your audio are already being faced by people who’s current iPods either break or are lost or stolen – I’ve come across at least two people who had to start from scratch because they didn’t back up their audio on the PC. In time we’ll get better at our backing up regimes, but then drive capacities will rise and lossless compression will become more important.

I think that at the moment, most of Apple’s direct competitors are happy to take part of the pie at the current price levels, perhaps being just a bit better value. Once prices really start to get cut, as surely they must, then market dynamics will really change. And the nature of the devices means that there won’t be much difference in audio quality between cheap Chinese versions and pricey Apple or Sony examples. A decent pair of headphones would in most case even out the differences.

]]> By: Suw http://www.completetosh.com/weblog/2004/12/01/apples-iphenomenon/comment-page-1/#comment-194 Suw Thu, 02 Dec 2004 17:57:59 +0000 http://69.89.31.92/~complew7/?p=164#comment-194 Question remains, will they ever make decent iPod earphones? Or am I the only person who yearns for a decent fit without sacrificing the nice, status-symbol white of the supplied pair? Question remains, will they ever make decent iPod earphones? Or am I the only person who yearns for a decent fit without sacrificing the nice, status-symbol white of the supplied pair?

]]>