“In a research note released to clients this week, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said he… sees a wireless iPod making its debut from Apple. ‘Apple has stated that ease of use is a key element of the iPod, so wireless functionality is an obvious next step for the product line,’ Munster wrote. ‘Apple has also stated that the pace of iPod innovation will not change,'” AppleInsider reports.
Based on historical trends, Munster believes new iPods are due soon. “‘We expect a new wireless iPod this fall,’ Munster stated, according to the report.
AppleInsider reports, “While acknowledging that there has recently been a lot of talk about Microsoft’s new wireless MP3 player, the analyst said he does not believe the yet-to-be-seen offering will be a worthy opponent for the iPod. ‘One significant indication is that Windows Media-enabled MP3 players have been in the market for three years and have been unable to grow their roughly 25 percent market share,’ he wrote. ‘Additionally, we expect Apple will release a new iPod this fall that will likely focus on ease of use, including wireless connectivity.'”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “LinuxGuy” for the heads up.]
Can Microsoft hit a fast moving target? No. Microsoft can’t even hit a constantly slipping shipping date over a period spanning years for their bloated OS and office suite. These results with their supposedly have vast background in software; they have precious little experience in portable media hardware. You know, they aren’t called “Microsloth” in some quarters for nothing. And, by the way, we thought Microsoft and their many “partners” would combine to form the perfect storm that would sink Apple iPod? Au contraire, iPod+iTunes gained in strength as hardware and music service partners floundered. So now, it looks like Microsoft thinks it’s time for plan “B,” to copy Apple’s control of the whole widget, but they’re already years too late. Why it’s too late is really quite simple: too many iPods and iPod+iTunes is too good.
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Related articles:
Analysts: Microsoft faces uphill fight to supplant Apple’s iPod+iTunes market dominance – July 07, 2006
Microsoft plans to convert iPod users by replacing iTMS songs with free WMA format songs – July 06, 2006
Microsoft to release wireless ‘iPod killer’ by Christmas to challenge Apple – July 05, 2006
Analyst Wu: Microsoft unlikely to dethrone Apple iPod+iTunes – June 21, 2006
Microsoft preps iPod+iTunes killer – June 19, 2006
Report: Microsoft readying Apple iPod+iTunes rival – June 16, 2006
Microsoft: No iPod killer planned – June 05, 2006
Microsoft, Toshiba, DoCoMo, Victor to develop Japan iPod+iTunes killer – June 02, 2006
Patent application shows iPod capable of live wireless video conferencing – June 13, 2006
Apple patent application filed for wireless iPod+iTunes distribution – May 04, 2006
Generator Research: Apple to Ship $4.2bn in Wireless iPods (WiPods) by 2010 – March 14, 2006
Ready for your wireless Apple iPod? – February 09, 2006
Wireless iPod? CSR and PortalPlayer to bring wireless connectivity to personal media players – February 08, 2006
Wireless Apple iPods coming in 2006? – December 09, 2005
More blood on Apple iTunes Music Store’s play button: MyCokeMusic is dead – June 20, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: iRiver gives up on digital media player market – May 23, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Sony’s Walkman Bean is cooked – February 13, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Dell dumps ‘DJ’ hard-drive MP3 player line – February 04, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: iRiver pulling out of Europe? – February 01, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Thomson gives up on MP3 player, CE markets – December 12, 2005
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: BenQ withdraws from MP3 player markets – November 28, 2005
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
Apple’s iTunes Music Store has blood on its play button: BuyMusic.com is dead – March 28, 2004
I believe that Microsoft’s already started the back peddaling on info that they probably leaked in the first place:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5157516.stm
Uh if Dell’s junkbox combined with (who was that online music company?) their own online music service, combined with bundling a MP3 player deal with new consimer PC’s wasn’t enough to take on Apple.
What makes Microsoft think they can do better?
iPods are status symbols, it’s hip to be “anti-establishment” and that establishment is Microsoft.
Apple is cool, Microsoft represents everything evil in the computing world. Malware and work.
Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer has stated that they will “make our DRM harder and harder to crack”
Well that’s just what we don’t want to hear.
goodbye Microsoft, I don’t give you a dime anymore and everyone else should do the same.
>Can Microsoft hit a fast moving target?>
Not even a stationary one.
But I betcha MS can shoot themselves in the foot.
Although MS can, and probably will, cause Apple some headaches simply by having billions of dollars at their disposal to throw at this project, I don’t see why they would do any better than Sony.
Sony has the best brand recognition in the world when it comes to portable audio, knows how to build consumer electronics, has established manufacturing, distibution, and sales organizations for that market, and also happens to even be a content provider. They also have money.
Even with all of that (most of which MS doesn’t have), Sony couldn’t make a dent in Apple’s market share.
The only thing that is different about MS is that they have a management team that doesn’t seem to care if they make money or not in a given market if they have decided that they want to be a contender in a “strategic” market. That is a truly scary competitor.
By the way, any time corporate management can’t justify an investment decision on a financial basis (i.e. they will lose boatloads of shareholder money), they always say that it is being done for “strategic” reasons.
It is very difficult to beat someone in their own game. You got to be extremely good.
What’s the alternative? You make your own game. You make your own market. This market should be well thought out. I don’t think Microsoft has ever defined a market on their own.
They are truly a one-“hit” wonder. They were “luckily” there when the PC revolution started and took the best chance when Apple was too stubborn to collaborate!
Beyond that, they haven’t created any new markets.
Oh.. I don’t see any way except for Microsoft to go back to drawing board and come up with something that’s extremely neat and execute it well. And btw, keep it a secret until you are ready to ship.
Wireless iPod is a stupid idea unless that wireless is a phone – period!
Enron went bust because it pursued loss making ventures and hid those losses.
Let’s keep fingers crossed that MS goes tha same way…
Blatant Off-Topic Post:
Today, July 7th, 2001 Apple discontinued the Cube. Worst day in history ever!
Dirty Pierre, on the ball! Thanks!
“Microsloth” – HA! My new favorite. Thanks MDN!
I think its great Microsoft is entering into competition against the iPod. It will finally get Apple off its “are we a monopoly yet?” iPod butt and start bringing out better iPods sooner and at a lower price.
Competition is great for us Apple consumers!
So, I recall reading that Microsoft will be debuting a wireless mp3 playe a couple of months ago. And until now, there’s been hardly a whisper about Apple debuting a wireless iPod. Could it be that Apple is following Microsoft, just so they could try and upstage them? (The same goes for the MDN article about Apple “keeping a close eye on” Vista.) Why would Apple care to do such a thing?
Yeah, Apple just needs to get a new iPod out with new features…that way…Microsoft will have to delay a year to copy/try to trump the features…then next year…repeat
MS should easily become Apple’s number one competitor, but the real question is: Will MS dent iPod/iTunes market share?
Initially, not likely, as they will simply consolidate the currently floundering WMA market.
This consolidation will be spun by Redmond as mass adoption and success of their own play/jukebox vertical formula.
At the same time, Balmer and Co. are spewing such meaningless statistical claims in January, Apple will be showing off numbers in their quarterly conference call in the “20 million shipped”
Summary of Reality in January ’07:
Microsoft consolidates their diminishing WMA market share, claiming victory, while Apple simply dominates and continues to grow overall market share to the 80%+ range.
Apple’s HW products that will enable the iPod/iTunes franchise to do so:
The new Shuffle will be a 1 and 2 GB b/w screen Nano, $20 more than current models.
The new Nano will sport a larger screen, up to 12 GB of storage and video capabilities. Same price.
The iPod video will sport a full screen (yes, touch-screen), up to 80 GB of storage, and same price.
So while MS claims victory with statements like “The New MS Sliver vaults to the #2 position in only 30 days, bla, bla, bla” Apple will congratulating them for losing – yet again.
In another NW rivalry sort of thing, it reminds me of the Washington Huskies talking about the 1980’s and their victories of yesteryear, while the Oregon Ducks talk about the past 10 years, and the future of football, and how they dominate in the present.
Redmond, when losing, continue to think of their Windows and Office dominance, which is just fine by me.
By this time in 2007 Apple will be finishing up this last battle, perfectly positioning themselves for the cell phone and livingroom.
Where MS pre-announces a product then delays it the choice is still Windows vs new Windows. But this announcement is MS MP3 vs Sony/Creative/SanDisk MP3 players. This will cause a vacuum in sales for iPod-haters as they wait for MS to ‘show them the money’. I would not want to be in their shoes as their sales plummet to nil to zero based on this rumour.
Let’s face it. The only reason that Windows Media-enabled MP3 players have anywhere close to a 25% market share is because of 2 reasons: 1) MS-only Zealots and 2) Relatives, spouses and friends who don’t know anything about computers and consumer electronics and buy them as gifts because they don’t know any better.
Microsoft couldn’t hit the numerous release dates for Longhorn and Vista, something that Microsoft had total and absolute control. Origami, ostensibly released on time, is pathetically underpowered and incredibly over priced. Microsoft’s current “success” as the “dominant” vendor of PC-centric technologies is due primarily to inertia rather than innovation. Why any thinking individual has faith that Microsoft has the inherent capacity to design, develop, and release cutting-edge software and hardware on time is beyond me.
Microsoft can’t even hit their OWN target.