“It’s hard to recall any branded recreational product that ever carried the cultural oomph that the iPod now has. The Hula-Hoop was a fad. The PlayStation, the Prince tennis racket, and the Big Bertha golf club have all had significant competitors. As for the Walkman, the iPod’s mobile-music ancestor, it generated massive sales. But it never impacted behavior or peripheral markets quite the way the iPod has,” Andy Serwer reports for Fortune.
“Apple has now sold some 15 million (and counting) iPods worldwide, and contrary to what many Steve Jobs bashers suggested, sales didn’t fade away after Christmas. In fact, the company sold 5.3 million of these babies in the first quarter of 2005. (That’s more than one per second of every working day during those three months,)” Serwer reports. “Even more than its astounding success in the marketplace, the iPod has become a true cultural and social phenomenon—it’s influencing lives in a way that consumer marketing types usually only fantasize about. The iPod is not just the ultimate tween girl accouterment. It’s practically indispensable in a Wall Streeter’s briefcase, it’s often a soccer mother’s little helper, and it’s definitely in every college dude’s backpack. (Duke says it is ending its policy of giving it gratis to all incoming freshman. Of course: They all have one already!) How many products have that kind of demographic span? Meanwhile, the Pod is revolutionizing the retail music business as we download scads of songs—over 400 million at last count—from Apple’s iTunes music store.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Those who predict the “slowing down” of iPod sales fail to realize that 500% gains are simply not sustainable and seem to forget that Apple is due to sell about 5.35 – 5.5 million iPod units this current quarter, according to a recent reports by Goldman Sachs and Piper Jaffray respectively. Apple sold 5.311 million iPod units during its fiscal 2005 second quarter ended March 26, 2005 and 4.58 million iPod units during its fiscal 2005 first quarter ended December 25, 2004. In its fiscal 2004 fourth quarter ended September 25, 2004, Apple sold 2.016 million iPod units. Clearly, Apple’s just getting started selling iPods.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple shares slide on reports of iPod sales of over 5 million for quarter – June 03, 2005
Goldman Sachs expects ‘little sequential growth’ in Apple iPod shipments this quarter – June 02, 2005
Piper raises Apple estimates on Mac sales strength; estimates 5.5 million iPods shipped this quarter – May 26, 2005
New iPods on Tuesday!
People like iPods. Duh.
Way to stay on the cutting edge, Fortune. I eagerly await next week’s article, “Google: This Thing’s Pretty Handy!”
Its up there with the Hoola Hoop and the Twist for sure. But this is only the begininig—of course Jobs switch to INTEL is up there with those
Applesauce Fa and Do Suicides, Kamakizee pilots, beached whales,
and the like.
Yeah, people have some ludicrous expectations sometimes. In Nov. 2004, I was expecting iPod sales of about 20 million for 2005, and Apple seem like it’s well on its way of selling 25 million this year. That’s what you call superlative.
Yet suddenly, people seem to think that if Apple doesn’t start selling 25 million per QUARTER, suddenly iPod sales are “declining.” I guess some people were out sick when they were teaching arithmetic in grade school.
Another ludicrous notion that iPod detractors seem terminally stuck on is that Apple will stop introducing new iPod models. “The iPod is doomed because of this new player from Creative” or “The iPod is history because of the upcoming Dell DJ.” Somehow, it seems to escape their attention that Apple regularly introduces new iPods, too, which keeps them ahead in the game.
It’s like some guy loudly bragging about how his souped-up roadster is gonna toast all other cars with 0-60 time of 6.0 seconds and Apple is quietly firing up the engines in a dragster that does 0-60 in 4.0 seconds. Would be funny if it weren’t so sad.
The problem is that fairplay cripples the free use of music files that a person might own. Its very annoying and a reason I use iRiver. Personally, I want my music to simply work. I don’t get that with the high restrictive iTunes/iPod combo.
“Google: This Thing’s Pretty Handy!”
– Oh, too funny!! LOL
stantheman:
Can you explain “fairplay cripples the free use of music files that a person might own?”
I have an extensive collection of music I ripped from my CDs that I listen on my iPod/iTunes, and haven’t had a “crippling” experience, unless there’s something else.
stantheman
You can put any of the music you own on an iPod.
You can play any of the music you own, or don’t own for that matter, in iTunes.
You can also play iTunes Music Store music in iTunes and put it on your iPod or burn it to CD.
Hell you can even get crappy WMA files to play in iTunes and iPod or burn them to CD.
How is this restrictive? Are there any other players out there that are this versatile or easy to use?
No.
Fairplay is a restriction that applies to iTunes Music Store product and is really placed there by the copyright holders of the music to make sure they get paid for their property. Is there something wrong with that?
stantheman obviously does most of his research while standing in line at the supermarket checkout. iPod owners know better, and are smart enough to be able to circumvent what few restrictions there are.
How much is the peripheral business worth? Its an industry in its own right with what must be thousands of products by now.
…still remember the Tuesday that Apple held a special event in Cupertino to introduce the iPod. The Mac press reaction was..”Is THIS it!??!”
Aahhh…the vision of Steve Jobs!
MW: Voice. As in Podcasts give me a voice!
Other than the iMacG5, every single hardware product on the “Apple Store” is iPod related. Talk about the right time to “transistion” to the Intel processor!!
I use an iRiver because it looks cool, and many girls want me now.
Leave stantheman alone!
Is it not enought that he has to endure windows *and* the iRiver?
“The problem is that fairplay cripples the free use of music files that a person might own. Its very annoying and a reason I use iRiver. Personally, I want my music to simply work. I don’t get that with the high restrictive iTunes/iPod combo”
It’s has become obvious to everyone on this board that you are nothing more than a delusional troll. Your statement has absolutely no basis in truth. It’s laughable.
MDN magic word “where”, as in, where the hell are you getting youre information?
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’d much rather be locked into WMA DRM rather than Fairplay. After all the Windows Media format isn’t the least proprietary!!
stantheman:-
“I use an iRiver because it looks cool, and many girls want me now.”
This is the saddest post I’ve read this year.
I think stantheman is having a really hard time.
I am not a cool dude at all and I have no MP3 player 😮
Suppose I buy a USB memory stick that also allows playing MP3s, what functions of an iPod (or iRiver or whatever these things are called) would I miss?
I’m not trying to be funny or trolling or something, I simply don’t know those newfangled yokes. So far, my walkman does the job, but those tapes are starting to wear…