“Apple’s version of the Maginot Line is the integration of the iTunes music store with the iPod and while people sincerely believe they can dethrone Apple from atop the electronic music market by just biding their time or making ever more silly mp3 players they are simply wrong, the only way to beat Apple in the electronic music field is by innovating something completely new and going around Apple’s carefully placed defenses,” Chris Seibold writes for Apple Matters.
“As it stands precious little innovation seems to be coming down the pipe but plenty of folks are sure Apple’s ride is over. Gene Munster, an analyst that usually has only the best things to say about Apple, was quoted by CNN as saying ‘Its inevitable that over time their market share declines.’ The reason Mr. Munster gives for this is that no particular product can dominate the consumer electronics market for more than two or three years. Going by past experience that is seemingly true, consumer electronics rarely hold such a large percentage of the market over such extended periods of time. Yet Mr. Munster forgets that the iPod is much more than just another consumer gadget people can get rid of on a whim. Once you couple the iPod with songs from the iTunes music store you’re stuck (short of EULA violating hacks) using the iPod as your mp3 player until something sufficiently compelling comes along to replace it,” Seibold writes.
Full article here.
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