“To many observers it is one of the great mysteries of the electronics world. Not how the iPod became such a huge success, but how other manufacturers have still failed to effectively compete against the white ear bud toting little player from the company formerly known as Apple computer. Yet with each passing year, the total dominance of Apple Inc.’s humble little player continues to baffle experts. As each new device from competitors is hailed as an ‘iPod Killer’ and promptly fails to live up to expectations analysts seem to have finally given up on the term altogether,” Thomas Fitzgerald blogs for thomas-fitzgerald.net. “But why hasn’t anyone been able to create or market a music player that can effectively take on Apple’s iPod?”
Fitzgerald writes, “It was the recent launch of the iPhone, and more important the reaction to it that made me realise what the key is. I think most manufacturers simply still cannot grasp that the iPod could have ever been a success, even though the reality is staring them in the face. I think that there is this feeling among many boardrooms is that the success of the iPod is a fluke; after all, this is the company that in the minds of many business people, failed so spectacularly with the mac. What makes me think that? Well, much of the reaction to the iPhone is the same as the reaction to the iPod when it was released. Manufacturers are assuming it will be a failure because they offer devices with similar functionality for less money.”
Fitzgerald writes, “Last week, Apple once again showed a better way of doing something… Electronics firms are not going to respond to the iPhone, because in their eyes, the iPhone couldn’t possibly be a success.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “LinuxGuy and Mac Prodigal Son” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Street Insight: Apple iPhone faces a number of potential obstacles – January 16, 2007
IDG News Service: ‘Reality might tarnish iPhone’s shine’ – January 16, 2007
The Times: Apple’s brand of corporate hubris is almost always damaging in the long run – January 16, 2007
Hackers ‘salivating’ over Apple’s iPhone – January 15, 2007
Bloomberg writer: Apple iPhone won’t make long-term mark; will only appeal to a few gadget freaks – January 15, 2007
Dvorak on Apple iPhone: ‘I think Apple can do wrong and I think this is it’ – January 13, 2007
USA Today writer: Apple iPhone is an ‘ordinary, average product’ at heart – January 12, 2007
FUD Alert: Analyst – I am pretty skeptical Apple’s iPhone can succeed – January 11, 2007
The massive FUD campaign against Apple’s iPhone ramps up – January 10, 2007
The Register’s Ray: Apple ‘iPhone’ will fail – December 26, 2006
Analyst: Apple iPhone economics aren’t that compelling – December 08, 2006
CNET editor Kanellos: ‘Apple iPhone will largely fail’ – December 07, 2006
Palm CEO laughs off Apple ‘iPhone’ threat – November 20, 2006
Reading through these comments, I was surprised to realize that I’ve been using my Cube (failed product that it is) for over five years. The only improvements I’ve made on it were OS upgrades (currently on Panther) and replacement speakers (alas, the audio digital-to-analog conversion system failed, necessitating replacement with a Griffin product). Interesting on that D/A system – it’s housed in a piece of clear plastic that’s shaped remarkably like an iPod mini!
Anyway, I must say that I’m on the third rebuild of a Wintel box that’s been around for the same five+ years as my cube. Not just upgrades, but complete MB, processor, HDD, memory and power supply replacements. It has cost vastly more to maintain the Wintel box in a state utility comparable to the Cube (this PC’s present configuration provides faster processing and much more storage, but is not a “better” machine by any stretch).
I hope to replace (or supplement) the Cube with an Intel-based Mac sometime in the near future, but am in no terrible hurry to do so. It’s a testament to Apple’s design foresight and its support of loyal customers that I can still reasonably use this machine. I see the same sort of thinking behind the iPhone as is evident in the Cube and have absolutely no doubt that one purchased in June of this year will still be functional, indeed fully so, in January of 2013.