Is Apple Trying to Take Over iPod Accessories? 193
An anonymous reader writes "With more and more iPod accessories being released by Apple all the time many users are speculating that Apple is trying to shoulder the after-market iPod companies aside. However, at least one user doesn't see it that way, and thinks that Apple's move may actually help the after-market companies. From the article: 'Even if it wanted to, Apple knows that it couldn't simply make the iPod accessory market participants magically go away. If Apple did try to steal their lunch, all it would succeed in doing would be to drive those companies straight into the arms of the iPod's competitors, most of whom are desperate to see any kind of an accessory market form around their players. And that's the last thing Apple wants to have happen.'"
This seems appropriate (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:This seems appropriate (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:This seems appropriate (Score:2, Funny)
That's where you are wrong!
Apple is clearly undercutting the high-end market for $199 iPod holders, made of nothing less than Rich Corinthian Leather.*
* You must be an old fart to know what this means.
Re:This seems appropriate (Score:2)
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Re:This seems appropriate (Score:2)
Re:This seems appropriate (Score:5, Funny)
Especially when it comes to audio.
Personally, I'm holding out for the leather case that'll make the high notes higher, the low notes lower and the mid notes really *pop*.
And no, I will not put my iPod in the microwave. It didn't make the electrons run any faster at all.
Re:This seems appropriate (Score:3, Funny)
Have you tried drawing around the outside with a green felt-tip pen?
brand strength (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:brand strength (Score:3, Insightful)
Nope. Choose either:
To your average apple fanboy no amount of accessories will make another player as attractive as the iPod
or
To your average mp3 buyer, no amount of explanation will make them understand the difference between another player and an iPod
You see - to your average joe, an mp3 player is an ipod - they no more understand the difference between an ipod and *generic mp3player* then they do the d
Re:brand strength (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:brand strength (Score:2)
Re:brand strength (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:brand strength (Score:2)
Frankly, that's a load of horsecrap. The average Joe can certainly tell the difference, and knows which company makes it. How many "average joes" did you interview to determine they don't know the difference?
Re:brand strength (Score:5, Insightful)
1) Because walmart sells ipods. [walmart.com]
2) Average joe walks into CE shop & asks for an 'ipod' meaning 'generic mp3 player' - what do you think he's going to get?
3) Advertising. To average joe, a brand you've heard of is better then any other brand.
Re:brand strength (Score:2)
My old Archos Jukebox played mp3's just fine... If I never wanted to find a specific song out of thousands to play. The interface for scrolling through my library was one of those nipple-button dealies that were so... very... slow... to... get... to... the.. so
Re:brand strength (Score:4, Insightful)
Do you have any basis for this statement at all?
Customer walks into store.
Man: "Hi, I would like to buy an MP3 player, a protective case, a dock with build in speakers, and an adapter to use it with my car stereo."
Sales rep: "Do you see that wall over there? Those are iPod accessories. You can get cases ranging from $10 to $500 in plastic, silicon, or leather in any of 800 million colors from companies ranging from Nike to Gucci. There are suitable speaker systems and car adapters from a plethora of manufacturers in virtually any price range."
Customer: "What if I don't want an iPod."
Rep: "Oh, hmm... Well, in that case you could buy this Rio and keep it in a sock, and if you're handy with a soldering iron, maybe you could hack one of the iPod accessories to fulfill your other needs."
Re:brand strength (Score:2, Insightful)
And that, my friend, is Apple's secret in a nutshell. What you need to go through to get your whole music buying and playing experience to match the iTunes Store/iTunes/iPod combo function for function doesn't strike the average person as all that different from soldering connectors and milling cases. After I bought a mp3 player, which as an player is pretty good, I tried out their software and it wa
Re:Bullshit... $3 cable + 10min = Problem Solved. (Score:2)
Basis... (Score:2)
For what little it's worth, I'm that sucker. I feel dirty as hell for it but I'm also honest enough to admit it's true.
The iPod just [got] it right.
Having messed with various alternatives, I tried the old mono version. Rather than clunky jog switches and too many buttons, that touch wheel was the perfect way to navigate. Rather than present me with a million config options (and, I'll admit, I'm usually a total whore for them) it gave me a few way out of the wa
To be fair though... (Score:2)
Sell 10,000 at $30 with a $1 profit and you can make $10,000 and pat yourself on the back for selling more than your competitors.
Sell 1,000 at $40 with a $11 profit and you can make $11,000. Sure, you have less customers but you made more money.
My guess is Apple has such a massive market with the core iPods that they're happy to run the numbers that way - sell less overall but at an outrageous profit and they still
Re:brand strength (Score:2, Funny)
omgwtfbbq (Score:4, Insightful)
If other companies are too slow to release new ipod accessories and apple beats them to it, well thats just too freakin bad for those other companies now isnt it?
Dont blame apple for keeping on top of the game, blame those smaller companies for slacking.
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:2, Informative)
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:2)
And a $99 iPod case? LOOOOL I'm sure the iPod case guys are shitting their pants now. OMG Nobody will want to buy our $35 case now. I actually interpret the pricing as a deliberate attempt by Apple to not offend or harm the case vendors, while still providing a solution for the oddball
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:2)
This is a joke, right? Mod funny? Because there are [bose.com] no [hammacher.com] end [designtechnica.com] to [alteclansing.com] iPod [logitech.com] speaker [klipsch.com] accessories [klipsch.com]. None [tivoliaudio.com].
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:3, Insightful)
Um, not when they have a near monopoly. Let's change that to "MS created Windows, they can create the programs for it if they want."
Still agree with that statement? Didn't think so. And I'm not sure where you're going wieh the speed argument. Apple isn't "beating" anyon
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:2)
I mean, they were being charged primarily for bundling a browser with their OS. It's 8 years later, can you find an OS without at least one built-in browser?
Microsoft had some bad business practices, but it never was a monopoly. Their customers and developers were always totally free to move to another platform. Microsoft simply made sure there were compelling - but never overwhelming - reasons to stay.
It's very different fro
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:2)
Yep, Microsoft has a monopoly with Windows, and yes, they can, in fact, make programs for it.
Now, if you changed the situation so that it bore no resemblance what-so-ever to what is actually going on - if you said "Microsoft has a monopoly with Windows, and they are the ONLY ones who can make programs for it" I'd disagree.
Fortunately, Apple isn't attempting to be the ONLY ones who can make accessories for the iPod. They're just offering another option. The ON
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:2)
The thread is referring to Apple's ability to control what accessories are made for iPod - potentially becoming the SOLE producer. Consider what would happen if one made the argument that MS should be the SOLE producer of windows programs - or to toghtly control who was allowed to do so. Anti-trust would apply.
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:2)
No shit. And my point is that Apple's handling of the iPod accessory market is in the same mold.
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:2)
That is an "if" that isn't satisfied here. Has Apple beat others to the accessories game? Apple was generally late to make accessories, and sometimes half-assed too, like the $99 leather case and the iPod socks. Anyways, I think this whole article is irrelevant. There is plenty of room in the market for accessories, and thankfully a lot of them
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:2)
Get some profits from an existing market without any heavy R&D, while at the same time forcing your new competitors to help sell your other products.
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:2)
Re:omgwtfbbq (Score:2)
Re:confused (Score:2)
Uh... Yea! (Score:3, Insightful)
Why wouldn't they want a piece of the action? (Score:4, Insightful)
Believe it or not, a company exists to make money. With the cachet of the Apple brand already driving the sales of the ipod, why not increase the booty a bit by getting in on the extras?
Re:Why wouldn't they want a piece of the action? (Score:2)
By that logic, maybe Apple should sell their already ridiculously priced iPod case for $199 to maximize profits. There is the small matter of pricing your accessories such that people will actually buy them. The only people stupider than Apple for trying to sell a case that cost 1/3 of what the iPod itself does, are the people that actually buy it.
Re:Why wouldn't they want a piece of the action? (Score:2)
The core of fanatics here don't really pay attention to the prices, so long as the brand is there. If it has the logo, then it sells. It's the same principle as designer je
Re:Why wouldn't they want a piece of the action? (Score:2)
Re:Why wouldn't they want a piece of the action? (Score:5, Insightful)
Except when they're not...
But hey, I get that it's easier to toss off a dismissive generalization than it is to actually think about something.
[1] I use mp3 throughout to refer to a whole swath of digital audio formats, as I'm too lazy to type everything out.
[2] Of course I stopped looking after buying my player last year. Thing may have changed, but I doubt it...
Hipness (Score:2)
Apple's advertising is tightly coupled to Apple's sales. Apple begins an ad blitz for the iPod that has essentially no content but plenty of playing off of hipness, Apple sells tons of the things.
So while I'm sure that there are people who went out and made a carefully reasoned decision to get the best product, it isn't much of a stretch to say that the bulk of iPod owners purchased the product because it had a hip image.
It's not as if the iPod is the only product for which this h
Re:Hipness (Score:2)
So, why did it sell so well before Apple did any significant advertising of it?
it isn't much of a stretch to say that the bulk of iPod owners purchased the product because it had a hip image.
Actually, it is. People don't buy music players just to be hip. They buy them to ... you know ... play music. I think all this "iPod only sells because it is hip" is either just s
Re:Hipness (Score:2)
When was the last time you saw Nomad, iRiver, Arch
Yes... (Score:5, Funny)
That's right... You guys are misunderstanding this. Apple are saints. They're only trying to help other companies by releasing competing products!
I'm getting deja vu (Score:2)
Sarcasm aside for a minute: Didn't we go through all of this when Apple included Dashboard in OS X 10.4, basically killing Konfabulator on OS X? Or when Apple started selling Final Cut Pro and Apeture? Or GarageBand, Pages and Keynote... you get the idea.
Apple has helped encourage a burgeoning accessories market with the iPod, and just because they're playing the game themselves
Re:I'm getting deja vu (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:I'm getting deja vu (Score:2)
Re:Yes... (Score:2)
Is this "Obvious Day" on Slashdot? (Score:5, Funny)
Is Apple Trying to Take Over iPod Accessories?
You mean, has Apple realized that people are willing to pay obscene amounts of money on cheap accessories for the gadget of the decade, and would Apple like a cut of that delicious, delicious profit by making some of those cheap accessories too? I believe the answer is "yes".
Next up on Slashdot: Is Microsoft trying to compete eith Open Source?
After-Market ipod accessories are generally poor (Score:5, Interesting)
It all comes down to quality of product, and I would much rather have something confortable and that lasts longer and looks nicer for a little more..
One exception is the new itrip nano.. that thing rocks.
Re:After-Market ipod accessories are generally poo (Score:2)
So how do you find a good product. Certainly an Apple branded product will be a good risk. It will probably be of reasonable quality, and not neccesarily out of line on price. For instance, a $100 Apple case might compare favorable with a $215 Prada case.
Now, with me, I have my favorite companies.
Re:After-Market ipod accessories are generally poo (Score:2, Flamebait)
You can also lose out by buying Apple. A $99 case for an Ipod? Does is massage your ass when you wear it? A $30 armband for the shuffle that only cost $2 to make?
"It all comes down to quality of product, and I would much rather have something confortable and that lasts longer and looks nicer for a little more.. "
Again, don't buy shitty 3rd party products.
Not quite (Score:4, Insightful)
I think the summary has it backwards. The accessory market won't develop unless the product has good marketshare already. If Apple drives the iPod accessory companies to make accessories for the iPod's competitors, it will in effect drive them out of business.
Look at it this way: if there was good profit to be made making accessories for other music players, there would be companies meeting that demand already.
Seems clear what they're doing. (Score:2)
It's like getting your key blanks from the dealer rather than at the corner store. They don't want to take away the market, but they certainly do want to own the 75% margin end of it.
Do it slow, then (Score:2)
Elbow out the accessory companies one company or accessory at a time, until they lose the critical mass they need to stay in the business. And do it slowly so that won't mount a unified reponse against Apple, such as a multi-complainant antitrust suit.
Comment removed (Score:3)
Re:Coach (Score:2)
Note that a purse does exactly the same job as a paper grocery bag under most circumstances. From a functional point of view, it's just a bag with a handle.
Women buy expensive Coach bags (and even more expensive ones from other makers) because what a woman carries is considered part of her outfit. She doesn't carry a purse; she wears it.
From the photos I've seen, the $100 iPod cover f
Re:Coach (Score:2)
I don't take them seriously when they tell me that today.
If it looked exactly like a lump of fresh dog turd, I'd still take it everywhere, because I find it extremely handy. (I might be more tempted to buy a case from Coach to hide it in, though...)
Re:Coach (Score:2)
Re:Coach (Score:3, Informative)
Raising the bar (Score:2, Interesting)
Or maybe Steve is really on one of his kicks to control everythin
the footsteps of HD ??? (Score:3, Interesting)
i think apple is also following the same footsteps..
Apple (Score:3)
I mean I don't hear anyone going "Sony are releasing PSP extras! That should be banned!" or "Nintendo released a DS carry case! They're trying to push others out of the DS add ons market!".
Seems the old "attack opponents character so we look better even if we're as black as that pot over there.
Slashdot (Score:2, Insightful)
For crying out loud, I'm as much of a fan of Apple as anyone. OK, not anyone, but I do like my Powerbook quite a bit. But really, the ratio of Apple to non-Apple news on
Righto! (Score:2)
Re:Righto! (Score:2)
Re:Slashdot (Score:2)
The answer.. (Score:4, Funny)
Yes. That was easy. What's next? I'm on a roll.
To respond to the snippet... (Score:2)
Apple also opens doors for accessory makers (Score:2, Insightful)
The missing step 2!!! (Score:5, Funny)
Step 2) Sell cases to prevent scratches to said easily scratchable MP3 player.
Step 3) Profit!!!
Plenty of room (Score:3, Insightful)
Articles like this... (Score:2, Insightful)
Article is right for the wrong reasons (Score:5, Insightful)
I haven't read anything that spoke towards manufacturers backing out b/c the licensing hike tho but I suppose economic theory implies some products getting squeezed out.
Is apple trying to squeeze out the market by marketing first-party schwag and jacking its fees?
I think a more compelling argument might be that they're just trying to squeeze every dime out of the ipod as corporately possible before the ipod loses its buzz. Between that and the fact that the silly boom box is yawn inducing (as opposed to being the killer accessory for the killer app) I'm not sold on apple's upcoming knick-knack dominance.
I don't like iPods, BUT... (Score:2)
That being said. One best features of the ipod is the external interface. Yes, the UI is good, and the case looks cool, but I can't think of any other digital audio players that offer complete access to the unit to external components. This is a crucial feature.
If anyone wants to make an 'ipod killer', the first thing they need to do is ma
Re:I don't like iPods, BUT... (Score:3, Informative)
Oh, wait, you can. My iPod's 3 years old and on its first replacement battery. The hard drive's running fine. Heck, if I were feeling needy, I could get one for my 2G iPod from Macsales.com for $8! The thin battery makes for a thin case, which is a great selling feature.
The battery was only an issue for early adopters, until 3rd parties started offering replacements. It's now a moot point, IMO.
Re:I don't like iPods, BUT... (Score:4, Insightful)
To state that this design choice is not an issue at all, show a distinct fanboy attitude. You may feel that it wouldn't stop YOU from buying one, but it is certainly a problem for a very large portion of the population.
Re:I don't like iPods, BUT... (Score:2)
Nothing to do with fanboyism - I don't even own an iPod. And the battery is not a
Re:I don't like iPods, BUT... (Score:2)
That's right, you agree that they fail, and that will usually fail outside of warranty. Given how trivial it would be to make a battery door, and thus make the battary replaceable, there can be no question that the unit was designed to fail. I never said that it an ipod would 'expire' while it was still in warranty. I just said that it was designed to 'expir
Non-replaceable batteries lowers overall cost. (Score:2)
In addition to these comments: http://apple.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=179394& c id=14865060 [slashdot.org]
> [lack of user replaceable rechargeable batteries] is certainly a problem for a very large portion of the population.
What percentage is a "very large portion", 33%? I think 33% would be a very generous definition for 'very large portion of the population'. I'll bet the percentage of the [audio player buying] population that needs user replaceable rechargeable batteries is more like 1% -- and it would be an o
Re:I don't like iPods, BUT... (Score:2)
You could say this is still bad design, making one remove the case--and possibly damaging the iPod--to replace a battery, but you cannot say it's not possible. Apple either didn't realize this was going to be a problem, or understood the problem but took time to forge a solution so as not to scare awa
NO, unless by 'take over' you mean cherry-pick... (Score:2)
Anyone with half a brain knows that two high-end ( to use a nice term ) products don't mark a 'taking over' of the iPod accessory market. Apple looked at a bunch of can't-fail high-markup accessories, and picked the two that had the highest likely return on investment. End of story.
So that's why they are so easily scratched (Score:3, Interesting)
Rockbox is free anyway! (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Why don't they sell their headphones??? (Score:2)
Right here. They even throw in a little remote like the one that some of the 3G iPods used to come with.
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/A ppleStore.woa/6034003/wo/5j7PKMQPV1zg2TmF2SXxlrDh2 9B/1.SLID?mco=49C8A68F&nplm=M9128G%2FA [apple.com]
For $40, you can probably buy much nicer headphones. I find that the Sony $10 earbuds sound just as good if not better.
Re:Why don't they sell their headphones??? (Score:2)
Also, those won't work with the new 5G iPods, nor with the Nano (thanks to the remote plug), unless they can (as one would hope) be separated from the remote itself. In which case you've just wasted $35 on a useless remote and the other $5 went to overpriced earbuds.
Re:Why don't they sell their headphones??? (Score:2)
Sales = 0???
You haven't set foot in a Best buy in quite some time have you. Those little jobbies fly off the shelves there.
Also, those won't work with the new 5G iPods, nor with the Nano (thanks to the remote plug), unless they can (as one would hope) be separated from the remote itself.
They can. They are the exact same ear buds
Re:Why don't they sell their headphones??? (Score:2)
Nope, I try and avoid that place. Anyways, zero was an exaggeration.... lower than they could be. I'm just saying that when 50% of your marketing is style, if a competitor makes a product that's actually available (and at a fairly reasonable price) but doesn't fit the style, it won't sell as well as it could.
They can. They are the exact same ear buds as the ones that don't come with the remote
Re:Why don't they sell their headphones??? (Score:2)
Well, the nicer screen, longer battery life, and video capabilities of you 5G nicely offset that disadvantage. Still, it's a feature that I'm sad to see has been "Steved" somewhere along the way.
You can get replacements for free! link in comment (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Why don't they sell their headphones??? (Score:2)
Re:Why don't they sell their headphones??? (Score:2)
Re:Why don't they sell their headphones??? (Score:2)
Re:Why don't they sell their headphones??? (Score:2)
You sure those aren't something like the RetroPod [flickr.com] (Walkman modded as iPod case)? You might be less likely to get mugged [macworld.co.uk] if they thought you just had an old piece of junk.
Re:look at the prices (Score:2)
Re:Well... (Score:5, Informative)
It just goes to show what the markup is on accessories. A case for an iPod which could be a few lousy bits of neoprene stitched together could well sell for $30. It's no wonder Apple want in - there are suckers aplenty who buy such tat even if their iPod is going to be obsolete by the same time next year.
Re:Well... (Score:2)
Last I checked, there was an armband, some socks, and a few more accessories. Now there are expensive leather cases and a high-end speaker system. That's not as many products as this statement in the submission implies, especially when compared to the thousands of products from third parties. I think Apple wants a little slice of the pie, but doesn't want to take it over, as it's obviously against common business sense since all the