“There are a lot of rumors this week about Microsoft’s anticipated iPod Killer,” Rob Enderle writes for Digital Trends.
If the rumors are true, “would create an interesting event where, on the Operating System front, Apple may have beat Microsoft to market with Leopard, while on the MP3 front, Microsoft has hit Apple equally hard,” Enderle writes. “Let’s take a look at what the components of an iPod Killer would have to be in order to truly ‘kill’ the iPod and whether Microsoft has the right stuff to even be a contender.”
According to Enderle:
• “Microsoft actually does have competitive design skills” to “beat Apple on design.”
• In “Ease of Use, “Microsoft has the potential” to “beat Apple.”
• “Apple is the most secure” on the issue of marketing, “the third leg of Apple’s competitive advantage.”
Enderle concludes, “Microsoft could build a product that would be an iPod Killer, but right now they aren’t demonstrating the marketing competence that would be required to allow the device to rise to its full potential… while Microsoft could build an iPod Killer, they currently lack the marketing capability to kill the iPod with it.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Michael L.” for the heads up.]
Enderle, as usual, has it all backwards. It is in the areas of “design skill” and “ease of use” that Apple is hardly threatened by Microsoft’s current vapor. It’s the “marketing” area at which Microsoft could throw vast sums of cash that Apple would be reluctant or unable to match.
The Joy of Tech: Things Microsoft could do to make you switch to their iPod killer.
Advertisements:
• Introducing the super-fast, blogging, podcasting, do-everything-out-of-the-box MacBook. Starting at just $1099.
• Get the new iMac with Intel Core Duo for as low as $31 A MONTH with Free shipping!
• Get the MacBook Pro with Intel Core Duo for as low as $47 A MONTH with Free Shipping!
• Apple’s new Mac mini. Intel Core, up to 4 times faster. Starting at just $599. Free shipping.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
Related articles:
Enderle spouts some incredible nonsense about Apple iPod+iTunes – July 07, 2006
Enderle: If Apple can’t double market share it will abandon Macs – May 02, 2006
Enderle: Apple as Windows OEM – April 10, 2006
Enderle: Microsoft’s ‘PlaysForSure’ going to be a long-term problem for Apple – January 09, 2006
Big surprise: Enderle was wrong about Apple’s holiday quarter Mac sales – January 19, 2006
Enderle: What if Microsoft bought Apple? – April 03, 2006
Enderle: Apple+Intel could be wonderful for those of us that love design and use Windows – December 26, 2005
Enderle admits Apple’s switch to Intel not hurting Mac sales, says Apple ‘has never looked stronger’ – December 08, 2005
Enderle: ‘Some people got really excited by the new iPod, but a growing number of people did not’ – October 19, 2005
Tech pundit Enderle: ‘Microsoft wrote the first Mac OS’ – September 28, 2005
Tech pundit Enderle incorrectly compares Apple’s Mac OS to iPod licensing – September 01, 2005
Enderle: ‘Surveys indicate demand for Apple’s products is dropping like a rock’ due to Intel switch – August 01, 2005
Rob Enderle’s latest Windows Vista article is ‘vapid and incomprehensible’ – August 01, 2005
Enderle: ‘iPod Halo Effect is just a myth, same thing as having Paris Hilton visit Apple stores’ – May 02, 2005
Tech pundit Enderle: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger’s main features ‘borrow heavily from Longhorn’ – May 02, 2005
Tech Pundit Enderle: ‘This year will be more difficult for Apple Computer’ and iMacs in earthquakes – January 24, 2005
Enderle: Gateway’s MP3 Photo Jukebox ‘ahead of the Apple design curve, like the iPod of the next-generation – November 08, 2004
This guy is out of his F*CKING Mind! What the hell does he care about MP3 players? I though he was the big IT consultant for big business. I hate that freaking moron!!!!!!!
If Enderle (or anyone else, for that matter) thinks that marketing/advertising made the iPod the success it is, then he’s delusional.
Didn’t happen that way.
Not that it didn’t help, it’s just that marketing/advertising aren’t the “smoking gun” of success. Not that they don’t help a lot of products in the marketplace, but in the case of the iPod, it’s success is primarily due to the iPod itself.
Like the Model T, it’s a product for it’s time. Ford didn’t invent the automobile and Jobs didn’t invent the mp3 player. However, each (thru their respective companies) have given average consumers something they wanted, but couldn’t get before then.
Q: What it would take for Microsoft to kill Apple’s iPod?
A: Microsoft would have to buy Apple and Market it itself, that would definitely kill it. Maybe Creative could make a comeback then.
Q: What it would take for Microsoft to kill Apple’s iPod?
A. Bundle a certificate for 1,000 free iTunes songs with every MS player.
Sure it’d be a huge loss leader, and that’s the beauty. The more MS loses the better. When people see how lousy MS’s players work (despite sickeningly phony press reviews), they can load all those free songs onto their iPods. Vola!