While the PC-impressed press is fawning over Microsoft’s second-rate late to the gate Zune, the iPod Shuffle is tearing up the marketplace.<\/p>\n
Yes, whilst reports state that Zunes are sitting on shelves across America, retailers CAN’T KEEP THE SHUFFLE IN STOCK!<\/p>\n
$79.<\/p>\n
It’s all about price and perception.<\/p>\n
You might be under the illusion that kids read the newspaper and watch TV news, but if you don’t know that most kids get their news from the Web, turn in your marketing badge.\u00c2\u00a0 And the news on the Web is bad, VERY bad.\u00c2\u00a0 The Zune is a dud.\u00c2\u00a0 Doesn’t matter that you want a viable Apple competitor, the Zune has been imbued with a stink matching its brown color.\u00c2\u00a0 Even ROLLING STONE trashed the Zune.\u00c2\u00a0 NOBODY who knows anything about tech, nobody who needs his friends to feel good about him, NOBODY except an Apple hater would buy a Zune.<\/p>\n
Yes, there are Apple haters.\u00c2\u00a0 Which is why the Zune will encroach upon SanDisk and Creative’s market share at best.\u00c2\u00a0 Impact on Apple?\u00c2\u00a0 Not exactly Elvis Costello’s less than zero, but close.\u00c2\u00a0 Because Apple has got the market cornered on cool.\u00c2\u00a0 Which is quite the feat if you think about it.\u00c2\u00a0 The market leader, the DOMINANT player, is the cool one.\u00c2\u00a0 In a business where ubiquity KILLS acts, one can only marvel at Apple’s marketing job here.<\/p>\n
They did it by creating a phenomenal product.\u00c2\u00a0 As opposed to the public perception that every CD only has one good track.<\/p>\n
And the product comes in elegant packaging.\u00c2\u00a0 And with a minimum of additions.\u00c2\u00a0 Do we really need MORE info in tiny CD booklets or a simplified package at a cheaper PRICE!<\/p>\n
Price.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s the real point here.<\/p>\n
The original iPod Shuffle arrived before iPods were ubiquitous.\u00c2\u00a0 All we heard was it didn’t have a display.\u00c2\u00a0 Before Sony released a similarly-sized product with a window that failed.\u00c2\u00a0 The Shuffle is an ON THE GO product.\u00c2\u00a0 But it looked like a Pez dispenser.<\/p>\n
The Shuffle looks like a Pez dispenser no more.\u00c2\u00a0 And is even CHEAPER!<\/p>\n
The iPod Shuffle is suddenly the coolest iPod, the MUST HAVE!\u00c2\u00a0 The Christmas gift of the season, the Tickle Me Elmo of 2006.\u00c2\u00a0 Parents who’ve been nagged for eons can pop $79 for a Shuffle, if they can find one.<\/p>\n
And it’s not only newbies.\u00c2\u00a0 People who ALREADY own iPods are scarfing up Shuffles, to run with, to travel with, to LOOK COOL WITH!<\/p>\n
Lose your full-sized iPod and your insides cry.\u00c2\u00a0 Lose your Nano and you feel just about the same, it’s a tiny jewel.\u00c2\u00a0 Lose your Shuffle and shrug…JUST GO OUT AND BUY A NEW ONE!<\/p>\n
That’s if you can find one.<\/p>\n
We’re RACING towards CD marginalization.\u00c2\u00a0 The tipping point is on the horizon.\u00c2\u00a0 It will be reached with a certain level of iPod penetration.\u00c2\u00a0 And we’re rapidly approaching that number.\u00c2\u00a0 Buy someone a CD as a gift for Christmas 2007?\u00c2\u00a0 ARE YOU KIDDING ME??<\/p>\n
The labels are about to go through turmoil heretofore unseen.\u00c2\u00a0 And Apple’s not gonna cough up a buck a unit, and even if the company does, it won’t make up for lost revenue.<\/p>\n
As opposed to complaining that MP3 players\/iPods are filled with stolen tracks, Doug Morris has got to figure out, QUICKLY, how to get paid for the music on those devices.\u00c2\u00a0 And it’s not by bitching at those who make the players, after all, that’s been litigated, that’s totally LEGAL!<\/p>\n
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