“Apple is planning a ‘significant redesign’ of the iPod to counter slowing sales of the digital music player, according to reports. Industry weblogs, which in the past have tended to accurately predict Apple’s development plans, say a new player will be released this autumn and could replace the current iPod nano,” Rhys Blakely reports for The London Times. “Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Apple Computer, last week dismissed claims that the company was facing a growth slowdown, insisting that a sharp drop in sales of the iPod was ‘not a cause for concern.’ Mr Jobs blamed a drop in sales of the music devices from 14 million to 8.5 million on the exceptionally strong demand during the holiday season. He said he remained optimistic about the growth prospects for the iPod, adding: ‘To be honest, nobody has ever sold 8.5 million music players in a quarter.'”
“However, the fall, during Apple’s fiscal second quarter, marks dragged sales figures about one million short of what Wall Street had expected. Analysts said the drop in iPod sales, which was accompanied by a forecast that was below expectations, signalled that the company was no longer set to forge ahead at the same pace. Significantly, Apple has not recently introduced new versions of the iPod to help to lift sales. Meanwhile several rival products have come on to the market. Shipments of Apple Macintosh computers also fell in the period to 1.1 million, down from 1.25 million during the holiday period,” Blakely reports.
Full article here.
Today’s poorly conceived hit-piece brought to you by Rhys Blakely and the fine folks at The London Times who can’t seem to figure out that there is no “second Christmas” in March. For “several rival products” that “have come on to the market” to have affected iPod sales, wouldn’t such products have to have actually sold some units in quantity? No such evidence is provided by Blakely. Bad form, Rhys. Blakely and his editors also can’t fathom why people would decide wait a bit to buy certain Intel-based Macs until they are actually available for sale. They’ve registered a “Thurrott” on the Obtuse Scale (see related article). Blakely’s article is just a stupid waste of time, paper, ink, bandwidth, and electrons. And, as quoted, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is wrong. One company has sold at least 8.5 million music players in a quarter: Apple has done it two quarters in a row, with many more to come.
As for the rumored “iPod redesign,” please name a year since the iPod was introduced when Apple didn’t redesign at least one iPod model.
Apple shipped 1,112,000 Macintosh computers and 8,526,000 iPods during the quarter, representing 4 percent growth in Macs and 61 percent growth in iPods over the year-ago quarter.
[UPDATE: 11:08am EDT: Added Mac and iPod shipment and growth numbers to end of Take.]
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Related articles:
RUMOR: iPod nano featuring ‘significant internal redesign’ due fall 2006 – April 25, 2006
Thurrott: It’s starting to look like Apple’s iPod and Mac sales are leveling out – April 21, 2006
MDN: It’s “The Times” not “The London Times”, if you went to the website you would see that.
It’s a national newspaper, not a London Newspaper, so you’d be more correct in calling it “The British Times”, although that would still be wrong.
Thanks pog. That clarification was timely, relevant, and important.
“As for the rumored “iPod redesign,” please name a year since the iPod was introduced when Apple didn’t redesign at least one iPod model.”
2002. Apple didn’t redesign the iPod that year, they merely put in a touch scroll wheel (instead of a movable wheel), made it thinner and added Windows support.
So several unnamed iPod rivals have come on the market, and Mac sales fell after the holiday period? Mmmmm-kay…
So, macnut222, there hasn’t been a year that iPod wasn’t redesigned as you do describe a redesign?
Also, MDN knows what they are doing by calling them “The London Times.” The Times dislikes that moniker which is why MDN intentionally used it, I would hazard a guess.
Hasn’t anyone noticed that ipod/itunes market share has gone up, not down, this past quarter ?
Everybody’s looking to call the market turn….looking for the headline that grabs vs doing some factual reporting.
We also need the quarter on quarter (05 to 06) to be able to accurately see any possible trends. If I was MDN I wouldn’t shout from the rooftops just yet. But the quoted figures from The Times only paint half the picture.
Peter, can you look at the 1G and 2G iPods (the ones I’m referring to) and make a distinction between them? I can’t – unless you notice the little cover for the FireWire port (introduced with the 2G iPod).
Wallstreet prognosticators and Weather forcasters. They are almost always wrong.
I don’t know why people put so much stock in what they predict when what they expect to happen – doesn’t happen.
They are professional guessers – nothing more.
I live in Texas – they predict rain almost every day. It mostly doesn’t rain.
Since one is 1G (first generation) and the other is 2G (second generation) there were design changes. Hence: “redesign.” The scroll wheel going from mechanical to electrostatic alone counts as a redesign. Not to mention the other differences: 10 percent thinner, higher storage capacities, and the aforementioned FireWire port cover.
Pog,
Perhaps you’re aware that there is also a TIMES newspaper somewhere in this country . . . New York, I seem to recall. I realize all Brits believe there is only ONE “Times,” but MDN’s over-clarification is understandable and forgivable on THESE shores.
Hey, Drunk Cheney – don’t forget the days the those same forecasters down here in oh-so-predictable Texas say there’s a “20% chance of light rain” and we get flooded out!
Even though I am a Londoner and I take the point (agree on most occasions) I have no problem with the term London Times for at least I know which one they are referring to. The Guadian was perfectly happy to be called the Manchester Guardian for a cetury or so,
Just one more example of another great cock-up from the Murdoch empire.
The Times was once a great British newspaper. Today it is just a sad reflection of its former self.
London Times is OK. Here in New York (and in many parts of the country, even in LA) The Times means New York Times. London Times is specificity, not redundancy.
spyinthesky>
Nice to see you even believe in using typos like The Guardian
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Great place to work: subsidised restaurant open twice a day (once for lunch, once for dinner). Particularly useful if on a late shift. Used to start at noon, go straight to lunch, do a few hours work, go to dinner and then drive home out of the rush hour. Absolutely fab.
The Times is over 200 years old and therefore probably deserves the unqualified title. Although it is published in London at present, it’s soon to move out, so The London Times will become incorrect rather than arguably misleading. It’s also published by News International, a division of News Corporation, who have recently been showing an increasingly pro-Microsoft anti-Apple bias in a number of areas.
London blows.
Of course iPod sales will continue to drop – who doesn´t own one?
If you have 1,2,3 or 4 how many more does one need?
Last time we bought was last October. Now everyone has one, no one needs another.
I toured their printing facility about 10 years ago. I lost a nice lighter there.
I think we need a new term to describe the mental state of certain members of the press who feel compelled to rail against Apple. How about ADS – Apple Derangement Syndrome? It’s much like BDS – Bush Derangement Syndrome but without the treason/damage-Bush-at-the-expense-of-your-own-nation factor. Allah be praised.
Conrad G.,
Everyone has one? Approx. 50 million iPods sold so far. For your edification, Sony sold over 300 Walkman cassette and CD players in a 20-year period. There are hundreds of million of people who can afford to buy an iPod who do not have one.
Apple will sell multiple hundreds of millions of iPods over a period of decades.
Get some real perspective, man.
Apple is DYING!!
NOT!!
And what does Wall street know about the digital music revolution? Much less predicting anything right?
They are just there to pretend they know, but in realitiy they don’t know for sure.
I love that –
“Apple is planning a ‘significant redesign’ of the iPod to counter slowing sales of the digital music player.”
So apple is redesiging the Nano to counter the holiday season (Slow Sales)?
Little known facts about Rhys Blakely:
•He was an astute student at Oxford, majoring in nanoeconomics.
•Adamantly refutes the theory of stronger sales during the holidays, instead explaining that companies simply are not doing well in the ensuing months.
Don’t fret. The iBangers, iHaggis and iKidneyPie are being kitchen tested in a secret Apple lab at this very moment.
one in l.a. i think, also washington (d.c.), korea, japan, and probably a lot of others too.