“It’s a mini-world after all. Apple’s new iPod Mini was a strong seller in its first full week in circulation, even though Mac faithfuls earlier complained it was overpriced. The 4-gigabyte digital music player, which can hold a thousand songs in a device the size of a fat credit card, began retailing Jan. 20. By Wednesday, hundreds of units were sold-out at multiple city retailers, including the Apple Store in SoHo and Tekserve in Chelsea,” Nancy Dillon reports for The New York Daily News.
“‘I had it in my hands, and then I lost it,’ said a frustrated Steve Perry, 40, managing director at Kirkland Investors in Manhattan. He missed buying the SoHo store’s last iPod Mini by a matter of minutes,” Dillon reports. “‘I went downstairs to ask some questions, and someone snapped it up. I should have done the New York thing and paid first, asked questions later,’ he said.”
“‘We’re turning away a hundred people a day,’ said Tekserve owner Dick Demenus. ‘We’re hoping to get a new shipment [this week]. I heard there’s a component shortage.’ Apple is still the market share leader, but a war over the format for downloadable music could change this, analysts said. Apple’s iTunes site sells songs in a format that iPods alone can play,’ Dillon reports. “Most other services, including the new legal version of Napster, sell songs in a Microsoft format that Apple iPods can’t play.”
“Microsoft also is reportedly building an online music store. ‘Microsoft could really be a threat to the iPod,’ said Danielle Levitas at research firm IDC. ‘Windows is the dominant PC platform. And there are still lots of consumers who don’t quite get that you can use an iPod with your Windows PC,'” Dillon reports.
Full article here.
