Comments on: Zune Makes a Non-Dent in iPod Market Share

By: SalHepatica

SalHepatica — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 18:05:42 +0000

Joao:

The LC was introduced in 1991. What 1991 PC are you still using?

The 7200 was released in 1995. Tell me all about the important work you’re getting done with your 60 mHz Pentium 1.

The 500 mHz ibook came out in 2001. I’ll stipulate you might still be using a 700 mHz Celeron but I doubt you’d be bragging about it on a computer forum.

My first Mac was a Performa, the equvalent of an LCII, in 1992. I bought a 7300 in 1998 and gave the Performa to a niece at college, who used it for an additional year and a half. I downgraded the 7300 to secondary status in 2003 when I got one of the first Power Mac G5s, but the 7300 remained hooked up to the home network for two more years as the “upstairs computer,” for quick access to the Net and for screening CDs for my website. In just over 14 years I’ve had three Macs. I don’t know any serious computer users who got by with that few new PCs in a similar period of time. Most PC enthusiasts I know laugh at people who try to upgrade old PCs to run major releases of Windows — they recommend buying a new box with the new version preinstalled. In the time period you are describing, we’ve had Windows 3.1, 95, 98, Millenium and XP. That’s five computers right there, and Vista makes six.

Your remarks about Mac obsolescence are clearly off base in that light. PS: I fully expect to get several more years out of the G5, Intel transition or not.

By: JoaoPT

JoaoPT — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:38:56 +0000

I hate to rub it in… but that’s why I changed from Mac to PC in the first place.
I’m the proud owner of three dead ends… an original LC, a Power Mac 7200 and a 500mhz iBook. Never again.

By: Mike Voice

Mike Voice — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 01:25:53 +0000

21 Let’s face it, if you buy a PC-in-a-monitor, you get a monitor that lasts much longer than the PC.

Thats where I’m at with my G5 iMac… but I knew that going in.

Love the 20″ screen, but wish there were more upgrades available than just a dual-layer DVD burner.

I had hoped the user-replaceable parts of the early models – like mine – would increase the upgrade potential. But with the hardware changing every 6-months, a critical mass of a given configuration can’t be reached. The pool of potential upgraders is too fractured to be lucrative to 3rd parties.

By: JoaoPT

JoaoPT — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 23:33:44 +0000

#12 That’s because Apple (computer) really has two product lines:
Laptops and Workstations.
The mac mini and the iMac are, really laptops in disguise. And the MacPro is too much for the ordinary user. The mini is just too underpowered and the iMac, although at first glance looks cool, is in fact a dead end. The only upgrade possible after 3 years (normal obsolescence period) is a mobo/CPU swap, and those won’t come cheap. Let’s face it, if you buy a PC-in-a-monitor, you get a monitor that lasts much longer than the PC.
#17 My thoughts exactly…

By: doug

doug — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 23:11:15 +0000

#8. Until MS un-cripples the Zune’s wi-fi, all its customers “bought a brown one,” as it were.

I forgot who mentioned it first but it struck me as a good idea – ditch the stupid points system and go with a monthly all-you-can-eat subscription service. that way, they can keep the DRM that the RIAA demands AND share amongst users. After all, why not swap files among people who don’t have to pay for them, per song? What does it matter if you downloaded it yourself or got it from another Zune subscriber?

But anyway, uncrippling the wi-fi is key, since that is the only thing that could distinguish it from the iPod.

By: Eideard

Eideard — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 22:52:18 +0000

#12 — I suggest you read articles — instead of fanboy blogs of either flavor, since you sound like this topic means something critical to your life.

I haven’t offered this as a Post — because it’s unimportant to anyone other than marketing types; but, this week’s survey release by IDB finds folks planning to buy [1Q2007] new desktops in almost the identical position as folks planning to buy new laptops: Dell, first — HP, second — Apple, third — followed by also-rans.

In both classes, HP was 1 percentage point ahead of Apple — both in the high teens of market share projection.

By: Esteban

Esteban — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 21:07:34 +0000

What Has Brown Done For You?

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 20:34:01 +0000

I will never buy an iPod till you can replace the battery, period, ever. The Sandisk is an excellent product.

By: ChrisMac

ChrisMac — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 18:01:50 +0000

Why don’t they give mp3 players away for free and charge for the music..

By: Pedro

Pedro — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 17:51:33 +0000

#9 taking some discussions from another theme (Lauren the Ghoti), this should mean that the zune is a quality gadget, just like the mac, because quality is not popular, is it?

Actuallyn there’s another good ad moto

Mac…Because quality is not popular.

Oh christmas flame
oh christmas flame
please let me enjoy
the answer

By: GregA

GregA — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 17:10:05 +0000

kballweg,

Sounds like you had a good hear!! Merry christmas! Good on yah!

Check this out, This is a picture [edited: pls use tinyurl] of my bonus check and my walkin around cash for christmas shopping this weekend!

Merry christmas Indeed!

By: kballweg

kballweg — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 16:56:09 +0000

Actually Greg, I want an MacPro very badly. I’m just waiting for the core count to hit a ridiculous sweet spot, which I think will happen in January.

And, yes you are somewhat right. Part of the reason I did delay getting one was because I “had” to have the new MacBook more. Being able to let clients experience XP, Vista, Ubuntu, and OS X hands on with the same box has been invaluable.

By: GregA

GregA — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 16:17:44 +0000

Alfredo Octavio,

Actually, I had insomnia last night. I read just about every mac site there was. People have broken down the apple market share. IPods and Apple laptop computers are doing great, because of those two product lines apple is gonna have their best quarter ever.

On the other hand the iMacs, and Mac Pro product lines are a drift right now. Sales are downright dissapointing. In that segment, they havent done worse since just before the iMac launch in 1998.

Everyone wants the apple laptops and iPods. No one wants the Apple desktops…

By: Mike Voice

Mike Voice — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 15:47:38 +0000

Zune had a decent debut last month, but Apple Computer’s iPods continued to dominate the MP3 market…

And anyone who thought this would turn out differently is a moron.

The big question: What is Microsoft really trying to accomplish with the Zune?

Are they content to target/control just the anti-iPod market?

Are they hoping for an iPod backlash?

By: Alfredo Octavio

Alfredo Octavio — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 15:36:11 +0000

I wish the press and others treated Apple’s computer market share the same way they treat the Zune market share. Why do they calculate the market share of “hard drvie based” Mp3 players but nobody calculates market share of “over 1000$” computers or consumer market share? I bet Apple has done fine in both for years, still when they talk about market share they always mention de “less than 5%” market share of Apple even though that includes segment where Apple does not compete. Trying to have it both ways? The Zune is as successful as the Tablet PC… And Microsoft, in its history, has a lot more failures than successes…