“Apple’s latest batch of iPod announcements was fairly well received, save for a few corners grumbling that the event was lacking in any big news, other than an energetic albeit thin Steve Jobs on stage,” Andy Patrizio reports for InternetNews.
“The challenge for Apple is starting to become what else to do with a music player now approaching its ninth birthday. There are only so many ways to skin a cat and despite a few nifty new features like shake to shuffle, in the end, it’s just a music player,” Patrizio reports.
“‘The iPhone clearly is overshadowing the entire iPod line,’ said analyst Rob Enderle, of The Enderle Group (Enderle is a consultant for Dell, which is reported to be working on an iPod competitor),” Patrizio reports.
MacDailyNews Take: Enderle would actually be right if he added “iPod touch” along with iPhone.
Patrizio continues, “‘Apple has clearly signaled that their focus is on the iPhone and the iPod looks like obsolete technology at this point. It’s hard for people to get excited about the iPod because the best iPod is a stripped down iPhone,’ said Enderle.”
MacDailyNews Take: People who are in the market for the world’s best digital media player are definitely excited about the iPod touch and also seem to really like the new iPod nanos from what we’re hearing and reading.
Patrizio continues, “But there’s no way Apple will get 160 million unit sales from the iPhone, like it has enjoyed with the iPod, since Apple can’t control the mobile phone ecosystem like they can with the iPod, Enderle argues.”
MacDailyNews Take: iCal’ed. The mobile phone market is so much larger than the digital media player market that Enderle will eat those words. It’ll take a few years, but iPhone will sell more than 160 million units.
Patrizio’s full article, which seems to have been dictated to him by know-nothing Enderle, including a bunch of gobbledygook about iTunes needing subscriptions (because that seems to be what Enderle is pushing on the Dell dopes who hired him to “consult”), here.
What’s wrong with milking a cash cow, especially when one has new products on the rise to eventually replace it? This is Marketing 101, brilliantly executed by Apple.
I can’t wait to see what “innovations” Dell brings forth to back Enderle’s words that the ipod is obsolete.
Finally, if one less iPod means one more iPhone, that’s a deal I’d take any day.
It’s pretty obvious astroturfing.
“What if MacDailyNews and other Mac sites stopped republishing his articles?”
Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.
– Sun-tzu, Chinese general & military strategist (~400 BC)
The iPod line will continue until component prices drop enough so that all iPods become iPhones.
Hey Enderle – the iPhone is a pocket computer, the iPod is a music and video player. Big difference.
I ran into Enderle at a men’s room a few years ago. I’m not gay or anything, but I decided to do some nasty things to him.
I still feel dirty.
I would say the signs are already there for a product transistion.
The iPod Touch is the replacement for the classic. The classic is now down to 1 model. By Jan or Jun next year it will probably be discounted assuming a 64-128 GB flash based iPod is cheap enough.
The changes to the Nano are interesting. Making the screen in portrait mode is comparable to the touch. The accelerometer and other features suggest the direction Apple are going. Next up would be a touch screen nano in a year or so.
I think this will lead the way to a nano phone. Remember Apple made a huge leap in market share with the mini / nano. The same will happen with the iPhone if they offer a smaller and cheaper version. Not everyone can afford a luxury purchase like the iPhone, but would go for something that is less than $100 after subsidies.
I have one of the “old” itouches and I love it. I’d love for it to have the remaining iphone features (constant internet access instead of wifi; gps) but I’m very glad I don’t have to pay AT&T;each month.
Also, here in NYC where I live, AT&T;service seems inferior to Verizon.
If I could get iphone on Verizon, I’d buy one. But for now I’m perfectly happy with my touch and thankful that the revamped itouch doesn’t seem too far ahead of my $400 itouch.
iPod nano still the best player for active people.
“Arriba Arriba, Enderle, Enderle!!!”
-Speedy Gonzalez
Ok, so I’m over 40 and I have no clue what iCal’ed means. I’ve seen this several times in the past and still can’t figure out from context.
Someone please enlighten this over the hill internet user.
What does ” iCal” something mean? I read this term often on this forum. WTF?
you know, maybe Enderle has a point this time around…..
Remember Folks
What the Enderle’s of the World will maybe never understand
Apple does not do:
Bigger is Better cause it’s New and Improved with tiny scrubbing bubbles and the larger Tail Fins provide stylistic enhancements all the Homekeepers in YOUR Neighborhood will demand this Season
For just 10% down, low monthly payments, 90 days same as cash
Yes, YOU can have the worthless crap of Tomorrow, Today
BC
…only problem is, I like my antiquated technology since it fits seemlessly with my antiquated music server and ubiquitously fits almost every device ever made for it….
The other problem is that no one seems to be able to compete in this space.
rickw.
Rob Enderle is an idiot.
The iPod touch is the second or third couch computer in every household on the planet.
I take it to the john, outside, to work, on vacation,
and even the grocery store. For what I need, it is much better than a laptop. It does need disk image support, but there are ways around it.
I refuse to pay a huge cell phone subscription and will stick with a cheapie flip for occasional calls, but I whip out my iPod touch everywhere, even n in church for my bible(the text is huge and multilingual for my Chinese wife. This thinkg is much more convenient than a laptop and people are realizing it now that there are so many cool apps. GPS, edit and save documents, disk image, cut and paste and landscape keyboard and this thing will cannabalize Macbook sales. Apple knows it and is keeping it lean on purpose.
Enderle is yet again WRONG!
Well, I have an iPhone 1st gen, an iPod 3rd gen, an iPod nano 1st gen, an iPod Photo, an iPod Touch 1st gen, an iPod Shuffle first gen, and never the less I am in the market for an iPod classic.
Why? Enderle will not explain, that is for sure.
anthony007 – I think he means he put a reminder in his iCal software to recall the day Enderle was quoted driveling about Apple not being able to sell 160 million iPhones… that way MDN can remind its readers – once again – what a Ballmer-Arse-End-erle this “consultant” is.
I don’t think anyone can explain why you have a first generation iPhone and iPod Touch, amongst the rest you have.
I hope it makes sense to you…
“How do I become a consultant and does it pay well? “
Get a dog and put the word “Group” after your name.
That’s all Rob did.
@HMCIV
I LOL’d!
At least Rob’s wife got a deal, she’s married to the biggest tool in the world.
So tell me, does the iPod cost 100 bucks per month? Does Apple get constant payments from people that purchased iPods? Now doesn’t the iPhone do all the things that iPod does?
So you tell me… Does Apple need to sell 160 Million units to make just as much money? yeah I didn’t think so either.
-Pi
To MacFhearghaile:
NICE!
had to go in to the local Apple store today. you should have seen the speed they were selling touches at.
even if he was right and the iPhone wouldn’t sell at those numbers, the nano and touch will blow those numbers outta the water…..
That is stupid. A lot of people do want “just” a music (media) player and a separate mobile phone. While I agree that the iPod classic is old technology that will get phased out soon, the new iPod nano is the near-perfect media player. Apple will sell tens of millions during the holidays. For those who want the “iPhone minus phone,” there’s the iPod touch.