Business Week: iPod the key to Apple's future, not the G5?
I thought this was a fairly interesting article. What do you guys/gals think?
http://www.businessweek.com/technolo...0512_tc056.htm
http://www.businessweek.com/technolo...0512_tc056.htm
Comments
As it always has, Apple will make its killing in the hardware. Wolf estimates that, even without the addition of Window users, iPod sales will swell to 975,000 units this year, giving Apple 54% of the market. And, when the Windows version is available, sales will jump even higher to 1.25 million, or equivalent to the sales of some Macs. With that kind of growth Macs will become a nice little side business -- perhaps even a giveaway someday to lure eager iPod buyers.
I might be misreading it, but does it say that there is no Windows version of the iPod?
Originally posted by CubeDude
I might be misreading it, but does it say that there is no Windows version of the iPod?
Actually, he does later in the article in quite some detail. I was confused when I read that the first time myself. I think he's referring to the Windows version of iTunes that will be a better solution for that platform than MusicMatch.
I know that IBM have plans for the 970, but Apple have to be the main customer for the chip.
-Snowster
Macs will become ... a giveaway to lure eager iPod buyers.
But Mac's being secondary to the iPod business? No I think the iPod will always have features that work better with Macs and Apple marketing will make it so that the iPod is always an advertisement for Macs. Plus I think that the iPod is a little too expensive for it to get that big.
The iPod is great, my dad got one last week and he is using my iMac to put music onto it, he doesn't care how he gets the music onto it he just cares that he can get music onto it easily. I really want one for myself now.
Add a docking station that hooks up to a tv with a wifi/blutooth keyboard/trackball combo.Maybe a docking station design off of a airport,with some sort of stackable add-ons(more HD space,CDR/DVDR drive,tivoesque thing).
I believe 300,000 iPods have been sold since the iTMS opened not too long ago...
I believe 150,000 macs were shipped this last quarter!!
So once the store opens for Windows users and eventually goes international Apple should (hypothetically) rake in sales on iPods. If people switch, thats better and will bring about world peace faster - but if they buy an iPod it's still good, and will keep Apple afloat.
Originally posted by MacsRGood4U
Apple itself doesn't believe the G5 will sell the quantities the pro towers sold 5 or 6 years ago.
Five or six years ago, what were your choices if you wanted a Mac?
Fred Anderson said at the analyst meeting they'd be happy with 200,000 units per year. They used to sell twice that many. The G5 is very profitable nevertheless. Certainly it's very possible the iPod and the other digital devices Apple has waiting for us will be their bread and butter (buttah if you're a new yawker).
You meant per quarter, not per year, and they used to sell half again as many.
I expect the iPod to take off when iTMS makes it to Windows, and that will both bring in a healthy amount of cash (less from iTMS and more from the iPod), an enormous amount of buzz, and it will most importantly spur lots of people to buy their first ever Apple product, making a future Mac purchase all the more likely.
In that sense, I think the iPod is the key to Apple's future. Not because Apple is downplaying or abandoning the Mac, but because the iPod is the ultimate switcher making machine.