The iPod has been synonymous with MP3 players since the very first generation launched. While Apple continues to improve the iPod, the competition is getting stronger.
It seems as if every manufacturer has been trying to emulate the Apple iPod, from product design to the iTunes Store model. Over time, however, this tactic failed: It didn't capture consumers' attention. Rather, eight years after its introduction, the iPod remains the top-selling MP3 player by far. After all the fanfare of Apple's recent Music event, it may be difficult to see how the competition can even stay relevant.
According to Apple, the iPod takes up 74 percent of the portable media player market, with SanDisk at 7 percent, Microsoft at only 1 percent, and 18 percent going to "other" players,.
Given daunting statistics like those, how can that 26 percent of non-Apple players stand out from the giant's shadow? And are Apple's latest introductions to its iPod line enough for the company to maintain its comfortable lead?
More: http://pcworld.com/article/171797/
It seems as if every manufacturer has been trying to emulate the Apple iPod, from product design to the iTunes Store model. Over time, however, this tactic failed: It didn't capture consumers' attention. Rather, eight years after its introduction, the iPod remains the top-selling MP3 player by far. After all the fanfare of Apple's recent Music event, it may be difficult to see how the competition can even stay relevant.
According to Apple, the iPod takes up 74 percent of the portable media player market, with SanDisk at 7 percent, Microsoft at only 1 percent, and 18 percent going to "other" players,.
Given daunting statistics like those, how can that 26 percent of non-Apple players stand out from the giant's shadow? And are Apple's latest introductions to its iPod line enough for the company to maintain its comfortable lead?
More: http://pcworld.com/article/171797/