iPod will be no more in 5 years time

I see your point. I would doubt that Apple would give up on the iPod anytime soon. Another crucial point is that they've done so many updates and changes in the last year. How many new iPods did we see? I highly doubt they would go through all that work just to have it blow up in their faces in 5 years. I don't see it happening.

And you're right - Apple sells a concept, not a product. People will indeed continue to buy Apple products simply because they're good products.

It makes me wonder why this guy is writing for an Apple website if he's being so pessimistic about his own product. Even the other article you seeded about why there won't be any Macs in 2010... why write these articles and yet claim to promote the subject in your magazine? It doesn't make sense to me.

To answer you question ONI what is this guy on. He is on the same thing that Dvorak was on when he said that apple will turn into a hardware company, and use windows as there OS.

iPod has close to 80% worldwide mp3 player market share. coupled with iTunes, Apple has the strongest content, price point and distribution system and players in the market. no one else comes close at this point.

there are, of course, competitive products out there. however, there is no real competition for the iPod. there is no Pepsi to iPod's Coke (and even so, Pepsi doesn't even get close to Coke's market presence). the mp3 analogy is like choosing between Coke or your generic brand cola. you will have people that by the generic brand to save some pennies, but most everyone is going to buy the real thing (marketing slogan not intended).

like it or not, in real terms, there are companies trying to compete with iPod, but they aren't really succeeding.

my guess is that in 5 years, technology will have improved to the point that the mp3 players that we know today will have become obsolete and a brand new technology will take over. i think that is what the author is referring to.

I can see the iPod being no more in the future because this reminds me of the walkman. You know we all had it in the 90's where we'd by a cassette and listening to our music on the go. Much like the iPod today but with new technology. So as time goes on we all know technology will advance and we'll either have some other new product take over iPods throne or just some evolution of it.

The author of that article is missing the point completely. Of course he is right that the iPod in it's form right now will not be with us in 5 year; however, that is the point of each new generation of the iPod...improvement. Apple has a great name-value with the iPod, and they will continue to milk yet change the product.

In the other article, did he not say that in 10 years Apple will still be alive but solely on software and iPod? So, if he is right with both of the articles, Apple will rely on hardware and software by 2011 and only software by 2016? Sounds a little far-fetched =P

Knowing Apple, they will keep putting larger and larger disks in the iPod, giving it more functionality and keeping the price point at nearly the same price.

So in 5 years, there will be a 250GB iPod that holds movies and can hold HD quality movies. It will have an adapter that will allow the user to connect it straight to an HD TV. The form factor might get a little bigger so that the screen size can be increased so that it can display the HD content at native resolution however, the pixel density will be so high that the form factor won't be that much bigger than it is now. It will have a touch sensitive screen that has a graphical based click wheel (as recently predicted).

Most importantly, the iPod will hold even more market share than it does currently.

The price point has no barring on how well it sells. There are competitors out there now. Yet the iPod still has a huge market share. Why? It's the best at what it does. Ease of use, size, design, etc...

For crying out load, it's $400, yet it still sells like hotcakes! Even when it was $500, I had no problem buying one. I currently have 4 working units and one that had an argument with the ground a couple of years ago and lost. A 3G 10GB, a 2G 20GB, 2 3G 40GB's (one dead), and a 5G 60GB.

What is this AppleMatter's site? Is it a Apple fan site or hate site? From some of the articles they write, it's really hard to say.

The "iPod" may not last forever -- product lines always evolve, but with the foundation of the iPod, I think they'll continue to dominate the personal media market. Imagine a 60 gig iPhone Nano with built-in iSight. Real-time video conferencing in your pocket, thousands of songs, the ability to wirelessly connect to any HD television to play feature-length movies. I believe this is the future of the iPod.

It's true that the iPod has not much competition against it. But that doesn't mean it's the best mp3 player available. Not by a long shot. They have always been months, and even years behind their competitor's technology. And, they are reknown for the unreliability. Countless people have discouraged them to me. The only reason they sell so much is because of the marketing tactics and the fact that people think that other mp3 players dont look as cool(matter of opinion of course. I personally hate the looks of the iPod.).

"...this is the iPod killer and I hear its got a 30GB hard drive, its got a colour screen, its slim and it does videos and photos...I think. Whatever."

How wrong you are, ONI. Video's were available with Creative and iRiver at least a year before the iPod with video capability was even released. I'm not sure how long the gap was with photos, but there were players out there with photo viewing mode well before any ipod. The iPod STILL doesn't come with FM radio, voice recording, FM Radio recording and support for text documents.. The accessories that normally come with another brand mp3 player cost about $30 per accessory.

i agree with legham that technically the ipod has always been both far behind and inferior to other competitive brands and products. but apple has managed to create and more importantly sustain a buzz and a hype that i think even surpassed their own wildest dreams. me, i wouldn't want to be caught dead with an ipod, but i can see why people like it. personally i think the hype, and the market dominance, will fade sooner than the professed 5 years mentioned in the article. others are bound to catch up, and realize that a technically superior product is not always what consumers want.

I can see the iPod being no more in the future because this reminds me of the walkman. You know we all had it in the 90's where we'd by a cassette and listening to our music on the go. Much like the iPod today but with new technology. So as time goes on we all know technology will advance and we'll either have some other new product take over iPods throne or just some evolution of it.

imo sony lost the walkman to the iPod because of their reluctance to embrace MP3s. How long did it take for minidisc players to support MP3s?

The iPod STILL doesn't come with ... support for text documents.

its had notes since the start.

And, they are reknown for the unreliability.

really, I had 1g iPod, bought the day they were released which was finally died when my younger brother threw it in some water just over a year ago. My current 3g iPod has only had the battery replaced and aside from that is fine. I dont personally know of anyone who has had any issues with an iPod.

Countless people have discouraged them to me.

well then there you go, theres your answer, maybe you just need to try one for yourself (though i suspect 'countless' is there for dramatic effect).

It's true that the iPod has not much competition against it. But that doesn't mean it's the best mp3 player available. Not by a long shot.

Well, Windows isnt the best OS, not by a long shot yet that has 90%+ market share of the desktop. Likewise, Ferrari (yes I know its an old tired argument and Ferrari arent the best quality-wise but still it works) dont sell as many cars as Ford, yet I know which Id prefer to have. Market share is irrelevant, for me its down to user experience and until or unless Apple start with dodgy practices for iTunes and iPods (if they do I think the record labels will be mostly responsible) or drop the ball with the iPod (they nearly did with my 3g, what WERE they thinking with that 4 button layout) Ill stick with them.

Reliability: My oldest iPod, a 2G 20GB, is still working just fine. All of my iPods work great. The only one that isn't was dropped about 3 feet to concrete. Yea, if that's unreliable, then I would say all HD based MP3 players are unreliable.

Competition: Apple has tons of competition in the MP3 player market place. Why people think they don't is truly beyond me. All you have to do is open Amazon.com and search for MP3 player. Or go to your local BestBuy/CompUSA. They are winning, not because of hype, although that does help. They are winning because they have the cleanest user experience. It's really just that simple.

I have owned two non-Apple players before I started buying iPods. A Creative player and a CD based player. The Creative player was horribly slow in syncing due to it's USB1.1 interface to the computer. It used MusicMatch for it's sync'ing software, and the user experience was deplorable. Finding a song or even album took way too much effort to perform.

I don't see the iPod going away any time soon, and I don't see them being dethroned anytime soon either.

"but apple has managed to create and more importantly sustain a buzz and a hype that i think even surpassed their own wildest dreams."

That's what i meant by "marketing tactics" :p.. I couldn't think of a better way to say it.

"As for features like FM radio and voice recording...theirs accessories that support this - naturally to add more margin to each iPod product sold with such accessories but I don't remember an occasion where I've needed or wanted this and I can say the same for many other people that I know (iPod owners or not)."

I guess that just comes down to the user. I use my microhphone a lot, and have used FM Radio recording a fair few times aswell.

"its had notes since the start."

I dont know what you mean about notes.. Notes as in being able to transfer documents to your ipod and open them up like normal? Cause I've never seen anyone do that..

"well then there you go, theres your answer, maybe you just need to try one for yourself (though i suspect 'countless' is there for dramatic effect)."

I have used iPods a few times. And in fact, i found them really complicated at first. I suppose you get used to it, and maybe it's because im used to using a computer and using mp3 players that have the default folder system like a computer. As for countless, countless as in if i try to think back to all the people that have discouraged it, i wont be able to know.. It'd be around 15 though. And i dont even ask people about them.

"Ferrari (yes I know its an old tired argument and Ferrari arent the best quality-wise but still it works) dont sell as many cars as Ford, yet I know which Id prefer to have."
Lol! I'm sure price has a lot to do with it :p. In fact, it is my life goal to own a ferrari (as of a few weeks ago), and i never want to own a Ford.. Too boring:p. But, i know what you mean.

"All of my iPods work great. The only one that isn't was dropped about 3 feet to concrete. Yea, if that's unreliable, then I would say all HD based MP3 players are unreliable. "

Haha, funnily enough, I've dropped my iRiver H340 from chest height (im about 5"6') while the harddrive was spinning just after i've got it, almost a year ago and its still going as new. Go Figure.

"Apple has tons of competition in the MP3 player market place. Why people think they don't is truly beyond me. All you have to do is open Amazon.com and search for MP3 player. Or go to your local BestBuy/CompUSA. They are winning, not because of hype, although that does help. They are winning because they have the cleanest user experience. It's really just that simple."

Of course Amazon isn't going to have hundreds and hundreds of iPods followed by a few iRivers and a few Creatives and a Samsung maybe :p. That doesn't mean that lots more iPods havent been sold that good brands. Although i do wish they had more competition. I've noticed loads of people say they want an iPod just because they dont know of anything else available. Because they see heaps of people listening to them, being able to tell from the white headphones, they figure that it is the best option, which it definetely is NOT. Everytime me and a friend of mine hear someone say they're thinking of getting an iPod, we always tell them about the advantages of going with another brand. And everytime we tell them what's available, they always go for something other than the iPod. If people who research other mp3 players, go with other players rather than the iPod, what does that show?

Jeez.. Longest comment ever.. I'll release it in a paperback next time :p.

I dont know what you mean about notes.. Notes as in being able to transfer documents to your ipod and open them up like normal? Cause I've never seen anyone do that..

Well, you can put text files on your iPod and read them, they even support hyperlinks I believe. Its no Word (eurgh) but I cant see why youd want that on an MP3 player anyway.

That's what i meant by "marketing tactics" :p.. I couldn't think of a better way to say it.

I think very little of the hype is Apple initiated, its just through friendly media reporting, iPods appearing on many TV shows and films (just as macs have for years) and iPod becoming synonymous with MP3 player, in the same way that Hoover has with vacuum cleaner and Walkman did with portable cassette player. Thats surely not down to Apple, its just that society as a whole has been happy to use 'iPod' whenever they mean 'MP3 player'.

I have used iPods a few times. And in fact, i found them really complicated at first. I suppose you get used to it, and maybe it's because im used to using a computer and using mp3 players that have the default folder system like a computer.

I had a Rio MP3 player originally which had no file structure and I went straight to an iPod from that which seemed natural to use to me. I dont see any correlation between the interface of a computer and that of an MP3 player, theyre completely different beasts - but maybe thats just me.

"Well, you can put text files on your iPod and read them, they even support hyperlinks I believe. Its no Word (eurgh) but I cant see why youd want that on an MP3 player anyway."

Oh cool. I didn't think you could do that. I like to read along to the lyrics as i listen to songs sometimes. I only listen to heavy music pretty much, so its fun knowing what the lyrics are while your listening :p

"I dont see any correlation between the interface of a computer and that of an MP3 player, theyre completely different beasts - but maybe thats just me."

My iRiver h340 is a lot like a computer. It has the root folder (imagine C: drive) then has folders for all the different file types (music, video etc). and the files, and even more subfolders if you wish inside them. you can just browse through the folders like a normal computer. Of course, you can change it however you like, but thats how it comes as default.

My iRiver h340 is a lot like a computer. It has the root folder (imagine C: drive) then has folders for all the different file types (music, video etc). and the files, and even more subfolders if you wish inside them. you can just browse through the folders like a normal computer. Of course, you can change it however you like, but thats how it comes as default.

Being a Mac user, the C: drive concept seems silly to me, what the hell has 'C' got to do with a drive? But anyway, my point is that is NOT a computer, its an MP3 player, so why would it use the same analogies as a computers OS?

a) Because it's simple.
b) because a hell of a lot of people know how to use computers (however basic their knowledge may be).

It takes about 5 seconds for me to explain to people how to use my iRiver, and about another 5 seconds before they're pretty much used to it. You press back to go back a folder, forward to go up a folder, the Navi button to select a file (Navi is pretty much an 'OK' button). It took about 15 minutes trying to get used to an iPod the other day, and i've used them before even.

@Legham: This sounds real familiar. Like the old "My OS is better than your OS!" argument that has been going on for years.

You claim that the iRiver way is better, and I say that the iPod way is better. It's what we are used to.

Personally, I prefer having a few more options than Artist and Album for picking songs I want to play. Sometimes, heaven forbid, I want to play all the songs of a particular genre. For some reason, the iPod and iTunes are the only players I have seen that support using genre as a selection criteria.

What software do you use for creating playlists and syncing your iRiver?

I'm not limited to Artist and Album. I use the simple 'drag and drop' style of transfer. So, i can it organised however i like. Also, if i ever did want to use iPod style menu's there are programs that'll sort all your music in that way.. Also, using Rockbox (third party free software) i can easily use an iPod theme. So, iPod really can't have any advantage over iRiver.

I don't use playlists. I prefer to have a favourites folder and just have it on shuffle directory mode. Although, there are programs to make playlists for it. Also, im yet to see anyone with an iPod using playlists.. I don't know why.. it's meant to be one of their major features, apparently. I choose not to sync my iRiver with anything. I just copy stuff on there myself. I haven't really researched it, but someone said that syncing is when your files update themselves whenever you plug your mp3 player into the computer. I don't see how that can be an advantage to anyone.. Don't iPods need the iTunes software on the computer for them to be able to transfer files between them? I use mine to transfer files between computers and stuff all the time. There are programs around to sync with. Just yesterday a friend was saying how he started using a different program that he found, instead of Media Monkey, so there is no shortage of programs.

I'm not limited to Artist and Album. I use the simple 'drag and drop' style of transfer. So, i can it organised however i like.

Ah, but you are limited. You can only play "blocks" of songs based on how you setup your folder structure. If you setup your structure to play by genre, then while at work or away from your computer, you decide you want to play all songs by Rush. Well, you can't. You have to come home and re-copy the files by artist/album. Using MP3Tags and the iPod, a user can decide how the want to listen to their music any time they want.

Also, im yet to see anyone with an iPod using playlists.

Well, even though you can't actually see me, you now have "met" someone who uses playlists exclusively. A total of about 8 smart playlists. Each list builds a list of songs to be queued to be played. The final playlist plays songs randomly, from a pool of least recently played songs that are rated at 4 stars. Songs are injected into this list that are 5 star and 3 star, 5 star played more frequently, and a playlist where I can place songs I want to hear more frequently than the normal 4 star songs. Basically my own personal radio station.

I choose not to sync my iRiver with anything. I just copy stuff on there myself. I haven't really researched it, but someone said that syncing is when your files update themselves whenever you plug your mp3 player into the computer. I don't see how that can be an advantage to anyone..

So you are basically playing songs out of a thumb drive. You seem to be forgetting a strong selling point of the iPod and Macs in general. Ease of use. Oh sure, you personally thing your way is easy. However, you are a special breed of human like myself that "get" computers. There are quite a few people out there in the world that are not computer geeks like ourselves. They don't "get" it. They need hand holding and I'm afraid that your way of using your iRiver would leave many scratching their heads and leaving the device on a table instead of using it.

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There are a lot of MP3 players out there that are pretty cool now, thanks to the iPod. The Creative Zen Vision M looks really nice. It has pretty much the same features as the latest iPod and is priced about the same. The only draw back is that it doesn't seem to have a 60GB version. The problem with competing with the iPod is, if the consumer already had an iPod and was in the market for a new device, they will probably buy a new iPod simply because they are locked in if they bought music from the iTMS. New consumers will be able to choose freely.

The opposite isn't exactly true when it comes to someone who owns a Creative Zen Vision M. When they go to buy another unit, they are not locked into a product by Creative. They can choose from many other companies that also support the files that Creative plays. That may change if Creative makes a music store like Apple did, but I don't know if that is in the works or not. So brand "loyalty" isn't as strong on the other side of the coin. This isn't a bad thing for consumers. They are given a large range of products to choose from. It does hurt the manufacturer in that they need to make sure the consumer buys another one of their products vrs. a competitive product.

I personally have too many tracks that will only play on an iPod to buy anything other than another iPod. I don't have a problem with that myself. When ever I buy a track from the iTMS, I also find a copy of that track somewhere else so that I can play it on my TiVo and other players. Some stuff just isn't as easy to find as others.

By the way, there are quite a few programs that allow you to put music on an iPod. I am by no means limited to iTunes to get my music on my iPod. Including using WinAMP. However, if I want the info that the iPod keeps while playing songs (time track was played, current star rating, etc... I need to use either iTunes or WinAMP.).