Add BenQ to the list of vanquished “iPod killers” which includes Virgin Electronics, Rio, and Olympus. DigiTimes is reporting that BenQ will withdraw its Joybee line of MP3 players from Taiwan’s iPod market citing stiff competition from Apple’s line of iPod music players. BenQ plans to soon introduce a series of MP3 mobile phones according to the report.
Full article here.
According to Mobilemag.com, BenQ is also pulling its Joybee line of MP3 players from the Korean iPod market, too.
Full article here.
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As MacDailyNews reader “TimD” recently wrote in response to the article detailing Olympus’ exit from the iPod market: “iPod, killer.”
Related articles:
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Olympus halts production of portable digital music players – November 09, 2005
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Rio is dead – August 26, 2005
Apple’s iPod has blood on its Click Wheel: Virgin Electronics is dead – March 08, 2005
what’s a joybee?
Never heard of them in the first place!
I see a shark in the water….
A “joybee” was like a sony walkman bean or a creative zen is today – in that these products are designed as immovable shelf space holders / dust measurement devices. It seems that due to contracts, only upon discontinuation, can retailers actually finally remove them and replace them with wildly salable Apple iPods.
So, is the mp3 mobile phone market going to be easier? They are kidding, right？
The “Blood on the Click Wheel” SECTION of MDN is my favorite. I cannot wait to read that Creative has joined the ranks of Rio et al. Perhaps Creative and Napster will have a joint press release. Hey, Christmas is just around the corner!
Every iPod should come preloaded with:
“There was whiskey on my breath and blood on the wheel
And bright lights in my face…’Hey, what’s the big idea!'”
– from Cadillac Jack by Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes
Celebrate by watching this video!
http://homepage.mac.com/hogfish/iMovieTheater3.html
MacDude:
Great mov! Thanks!
MW = progress. Yep, that about sums it up.
Every iPod should come preloaded with:
The entire Blood, Sweat & Tears catalog. Or maybe just “And When I Die”:
“And when I die, and when I’m dead, dead and gone
There’ll be one child born to carry on, to carry on!”
Or maybe “Go Down Gamblin'” would be more apropos:
“Go down gamblin’, say it when you’re running low!”
Because that’s what the other mp3 player manufacturers are experiencing right about now — losing a lot of “Blood”, drenched with a lot of “Sweat”, and crying a river of “Tears”.
There all doing a lot of gamblin’, but the iPod will be the one child left at the end of the day.
I haven’t read about the Apple Death Knell (sp) lately. Has anyone else read anything about Apple going out of business? I’m wondering if the analyst’s have stopped analizing. They really should.
“Joybee” sounds like the name of a sex toy.
MW=”woman” I swear.
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iPod is a serial (USB) killer.
Horn Man,
Love your music selection. I have just about every BS&T CD. How about “Sometimes in Winter” for the iPod wannabes:
“Sometimes In Winter
I wish the empty streets
Would fill with laughter from the tears
That ease my pain”
If everyone stuck to doing what they do best instead of competing with each other there wouldn’t be these problems. I’m sure Apple couldn’t make a decent digital camera as much as Panasonic can’t make a decent mp3 player. Instead of competing, work together.
“Click wheel keep on turnin’,
Proud Stevie keep on burnin’,
Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ over iRiver.”
or
What goes up doesn’t have to come down
Spinnin’ click wheel got to go ’round
Talkin’ ’bout Creative’s troubles it’s a cryin’ sin
Ride a painted nano let the spinnin’ click wheel spin
(With apologies to John Fogerty and David Clayton-Thomas)
Ampar — Right on! Luv the “Spinning Wheel” riff.
Synthmeister — Ditto. One of the most beautiful love songs ever written.
And some more suitable entries —
How about “Back Up Against the Wall” from 1973? I can just hear Creative, BenQ, Rio and all the others singing these plaintive wails:
“I just stopped by for a minute,
And I can’t stay long at all
You see, I gotta run,
You know I’m under the gun,
And my back is up against the wall!”
And an Apple commercial could easily ask this about other maker’s mp3 players (from “Mirror Image: Movement IV-Rock Reprise”, 1974):
“Does the music you hear make you dance?
Do you step to the rhythm of a chance?
Does the beat of your drum keep the time?
Does the song that you sing have a rhyme?”
Funny how well that first line brings to mind the dancing silhouettes in the iPod commercials, for instance. And the second line fits strangely well with the iPod shuffle, eh?
BS&T – unappreciated greatness.
The bigger they are the harder they fall. Do we all think iPods will be around in ten years?
“Do we all think iPods will be around in ten years?”
Probably not. But it doesn’t matter, cuz it’ll be SOMETHING from Apple.
Maybe the iPod inviso, as Steve mentioned on SNL.
How about “The Gambler”
You have to know when to hold them, know when to fold them