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iPod Why Apple just lost a sale

Well, here's why they lost a sale from me. It's en route, so I have no comments on it, yet.

http://www.amazon.com/Witness-2GB-D...=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1253389142&sr=8-7

I've been considering an upgrade to my 1G Touch all summer, waiting for the new models, but fm didn't happen and I don't know that the speed and storage is enough upgrades for another $400 purchase right now. I mean, I do have a functioning Touch, already. The fm implementation on the Nano might have been enough if it was in the Touch since I need to record some fm on occasion, but I just jumped straight to the real thing.

Ugliness matters not.
 
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dXTC said:
Leave it to Sony to come up with something that makes the Zune HD look beautiful by comparison. I think Sony was trying to provide a tactile-only control interface for those users who keep it tucked in a pocket. That button cluster being the hot mess that it is, I wouldn't blame the user for hiding it.

And seriously, what's the deal with that faux mono-LCD-pixel background?

EDIT: OMG. I just noticed something. Disney to sue Sony in 3... 2... 1... :D
Click to expand...

I thought I got that last part... but really... I didn't. Care to explain? Yes I know... it's probably so obvious, but I'm kinda slow. :D
 
You can all laugh now, but one thing Paul Thurrott (of WinSuperSite.com and Windows Weekly podcast fame) suggested is that Microsoft may be on the verge of merging Windows Media Player and the Zune software into a singular program.

If that happens, that could be a gigantic game changer, since I've played around with the with Zune software program and it's actually quite good in terms of file management. If Microsoft designs the new combined WMP/Zune program to sync and do file management with portable music players from Creative, Samsung, Sandisk and Sony, Apple may finally get some serious competition in the portable media player market.

I actually like the potential of the new Sony NW-A840; pair it with the rumored combined WMP/Zune software and it could seriously cut into iPod nano and possibly iPod classic sales.
 
roland.g said:
Wow that thing is ugly.

You'll need to keep it in a paper bag so no one sees you using it.
Click to expand...

But at least no one's going to steal it.


I think the reason Apple is letting the nano's specs become stale is because the iPod touch has more revenue potential due to the App Store.
 
SactoGuy18 said:
...that Microsoft may be on the verge of merging Windows Media Player and the Zune software into a singular program....
Click to expand...

You mean they're only thinking of it now? (Don't spend much time on Windows, except in work, so I really don't know)

That kinda confirms they're idiots, doesn't it?
 
j26 said:
You mean they're only thinking of it now? (Don't spend much time on Windows, except in work, so I really don't know)

That kinda confirms they're idiots, doesn't it?
Click to expand...

It means they drop any pretence that "PlayForSure" was ever meant as something serious to help manufacturers of music players, and admit that all the program was there for was to **** their competitors until their own music player was ready.
 
wow..just randomly gave the zune media player a shot (i dont have a zune) just to see what its like. amazing looking and WAY better than itunes even at an initial glance. apple for once needs to learn from microsoft! i wish i could use my iphone with it.
 
j26 said:
You mean they're only thinking of it now? (Don't spend much time on Windows, except in work, so I really don't know)

That kinda confirms they're idiots, doesn't it?
Click to expand...

You have more or less the same situation on the Mac: iTunes and QuickTime are in many ways separate programs.

What Thurott hinted at is essentially the Zune software and Windows Media Player being one and the same program (it may even become the replacement for the Windows Media Center program, too). Imagine one singular program that not you can buy music and videos and do file management on a portable music player, but also becomes the main program for media playback of all types from uncompressed .WAV files all the way up to playing back Blu-ray discs.

I wouldn't be surprised that this combined Zune/WMP program will be available about a year from now, likely a free download for Windows 7 users and a low-cost paid download for Windows XP and Windows Vista users.
 
One of the biggest advantages that Apple has are its Apple Stores. You can walk into anyone of these and actually play around with the product you want to buy.

Try doing that with another brand as easily. I have been looking to move away from ipod for several reasons and was interested in the Sony and Cowon series of mp3 players. I had a look in London's west end and I barely could find a dealer for Cowon and when I did they were all boxed up. Nothing on demo at all.

Heck the Sony store I popped into didn't even have the Sony mp3 player on display or if they did it wasn't easy to find.

Apple has this market sown up with brilliant marketing and good product. The ipods don't even sound as good as the Sony or Cowon (from reports I have read by audiophile types) but still they sell. They look good and they are so easy to use.

Despite the hatred I have towards that rubbish 120gb Classic that Apple released I still would rather find a way to stay with Ipods - hence I am considering the touch. The integration with Itunes is great and so easy to use.

I do feel Apple will eventually lose some steam but that is a long way off and it will cost other companies considerable money in marketing and product development to catch them.

Eddie
 
eddiel said:
One of the biggest advantages that Apple has are its Apple Stores. You can walk into anyone of these and actually play around with the product you want to buy.

Try doing that with another brand as easily. I have been looking to move away from ipod for several reasons and was interested in the Sony and Cowon series of mp3 players. I had a look in London's west end and I barely could find a dealer for Cowon and when I did they were all boxed up. Nothing on demo at all.
Click to expand...

Well here in the states, and Canada we have a stores like Best Buy, Futureshop and Fry's that carry many of the larger name brand stuff like Sony and Samsung, and even Cowon at times and many of them are on the show room floor. And in many majors cities in the U.S.(and few places in UK. and Europe) from what I have seen, there is a Sony store, which works similar to the Apple store, except there are more tv's, PS3, stuff there than computers.
 
bloodycape said:
Well here in the states, and Canada we have a stores like Best Buy, Futureshop and Fry's that carry many of the larger name brand stuff like Sony and Samsung, and even Cowon at times and many of them are on the show room floor. And in many majors cities in the U.S.(and few places in UK. and Europe) from what I have seen, there is a Sony store, which works similar to the Apple store, except there are more tv's, PS3, stuff there than computers.
Click to expand...

Ah yes I was referring more to the UK than the US or Canada. I have been into a Sony store here in London and the Apple store was much better. The Sony shop was empty and had no buzz but it could have been an off day.

Best Buy is entering the UK market place so maybe things will change here.

Eddie
 
Hahaha Dream on. More expensive than touch, so it's in the same class as touch.

Sony player
2.8" screen
OLED
no multi touch
apps, what apps
16gb $263
32gb $329
64gb $439

iPod touch
3.5" screen
LCD
multi touch
app store
32gb $299
64gb $399

Other facts:
Apple sells more music players in Japan, Sony's home turf than Sony.

On OLED screen, just in case you don't know anything about it.
http://obamapacman.com/2009/09/microsoft-zune-hd-vs-apple-ipod-touch-3g-feature-comparison/

SactoGuy18 said:
You can all laugh now, but one thing Paul Thurrott (of WinSuperSite.com and Windows Weekly podcast fame) suggested is that Microsoft may be on the verge of merging Windows Media Player and the Zune software into a singular program.

If that happens, that could be a gigantic game changer, since I've played around with the with Zune software program and it's actually quite good in terms of file management. If Microsoft designs the new combined WMP/Zune program to sync and do file management with portable music players from Creative, Samsung, Sandisk and Sony, Apple may finally get some serious competition in the portable media player market.

I actually like the potential of the new Sony NW-A840; pair it with the rumored combined WMP/Zune software and it could seriously cut into iPod nano and possibly iPod classic sales.
Click to expand...

Smells like vaporware, just like 3d games and apps MS promised for zune hd for launch date.

Wishful thinking. Another "ipod killer" wannabe.

Haha. The most popular Zune after 1 week of sales, already dropped to 30th on amazon, while iPod touch is at #2.

eddiel said:
Ah yes I was referring more to the UK than the US or Canada. I have been into a Sony store here in London and the Apple store was much better. The Sony shop was empty and had no buzz but it could have been an off day.

Best Buy is entering the UK market place so maybe things will change here.

Eddie
Click to expand...

Sony store is usually almost empty no matter where.
 
Sony the DRM kings of the world..yeah I'll pass. It could have 2TB of space, 3.5" screen with the best sound quality in the world for only $150 and I'd pass.
 
Consultant said:
Hahaha Dream on. More expensive than touch, so it's in the same class as touch.
Click to expand...
So, then by this notion, 100k MB S class is in the same class as 100K Porsche 911. No? You just can't go on price alone, you have to go with features so since this isn't a touch screen player its more comparable to Nano(or Classic even). Plus, this is just a mp3 player first(like the Nano), and this does one thing really well and that is play music with SQ that is always highly rated(and for many better than what Pioneer, Cowon, Samsung or Toshiba/MS offer).
BTW the price will be lower once it reaches the state, and its really vaporware, since there are actual pics of the actual device(with people holding them).
 
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