I was just reading an interesting post on digg on why all of the supposed iPod killers out there haven't been able to actually kill the iPod. A lot of people have a lot of opinions on the subject, so I figured I might as well give mine too.
While it's arguable that the iPod is still the best player on the market, the fact is that the iPod is a freight train that was started several years back when the iPod first debuted. Back then, I'd say it was definitely the best player out and a breath of fresh air in a market that was just getting off the ground. It was a player that could be used on a Mac and was made by a company that had an underground cult following, and oh by the way, it was a great little device with a great interface and was easy to use.
Fast forward a couple of years and here I am looking for another mp3 player. I had owned several by now, including one of the first CD-based players, and I was looking for something with a little bit more storage than my current Smartmedia-based Rio would allow. I did the research and the iPod topped the list of what I wanted and had the biggest choice of accessories (by now the freight train was rolling down the track), so that's what I got. And I couldn't have been happier. By that time, I had owned and sold probably 5 different types of mp3 players and the iPod was the best one I had ever used, bar none.
Fast forward another couple of years, I'm ready to upgrade, and the iPod with video hits the market. At this point, I don't even do any research. I already know that I love the iPod and so I buy the iPod with video without a second thought. I don't take time to look at the iRivers or the Creatives of the world. I'm faithful to a player that I know will give me the functionality that I want and I stick with it. It's got nothing to do with fashion or being hip. It's loyalty, simple as that.
While the iPod may or may not still be the best player out there with the most features out of the box, I think there are a lot more people out there like me who fell in love with the iPod several years back when it definitely was the best, and now it's just a matter of brand loyalty when we're ready to upgrade. Sure, there are no doubt a lot of people out there who buy the iPod because "everyone who's anyone has an iPod", but I don't have the kind of money to throw away on something just because it's popular. I buy it because it works, and that's what the iPod does... it just works.
While it's arguable that the iPod is still the best player on the market, the fact is that the iPod is a freight train that was started several years back when the iPod first debuted. Back then, I'd say it was definitely the best player out and a breath of fresh air in a market that was just getting off the ground. It was a player that could be used on a Mac and was made by a company that had an underground cult following, and oh by the way, it was a great little device with a great interface and was easy to use.
Fast forward a couple of years and here I am looking for another mp3 player. I had owned several by now, including one of the first CD-based players, and I was looking for something with a little bit more storage than my current Smartmedia-based Rio would allow. I did the research and the iPod topped the list of what I wanted and had the biggest choice of accessories (by now the freight train was rolling down the track), so that's what I got. And I couldn't have been happier. By that time, I had owned and sold probably 5 different types of mp3 players and the iPod was the best one I had ever used, bar none.
Fast forward another couple of years, I'm ready to upgrade, and the iPod with video hits the market. At this point, I don't even do any research. I already know that I love the iPod and so I buy the iPod with video without a second thought. I don't take time to look at the iRivers or the Creatives of the world. I'm faithful to a player that I know will give me the functionality that I want and I stick with it. It's got nothing to do with fashion or being hip. It's loyalty, simple as that.
While the iPod may or may not still be the best player out there with the most features out of the box, I think there are a lot more people out there like me who fell in love with the iPod several years back when it definitely was the best, and now it's just a matter of brand loyalty when we're ready to upgrade. Sure, there are no doubt a lot of people out there who buy the iPod because "everyone who's anyone has an iPod", but I don't have the kind of money to throw away on something just because it's popular. I buy it because it works, and that's what the iPod does... it just works.
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