Of all the comments I’ve read about Apple’s new iPod shuffle, I like Joe Gregorio’s best:
Apple’s marketing is breathtaking. They start with a perfectly good MP3 player, rip out the display so you have no idea which song is playing, lock the thing into permanent shuffle mode and call it a feature. Actually, they go even further and make it the primary selling point, naming it ‘shuffle’ and topping it off with the tag-line ‘Enjoy uncertainty.’ You just have to admire their skill.
On a related note, be sure to check out Apple iProduct and Apple Haters.
Actually, the shuffle can be switched into linear play mode (“Play in Order” mode). Reality is that most people I know who own MP3 players either listen to playlists of diffferent artists in order, or in shuffle mode. There’s not a ton of difference except the order in which you hear them — and that partly makes the experience “fresh” every time.
Still, it’s clearly a “damaged goods” strategy. Apple gets the benefit of capitalizing on its potent brand and design strength to grow share in the low-end of the market, while the extremely basic and limited feature set ensures it won’t cannibalize its high-end sales.
Will it work? Well, Creative’s MuVo doesn’t have a display either. And the cost savings on the screen enables Apple to offer more room for music. Which do kids value more? Probably the space for music. At $99 for 512 MB, I think that’s pretty close to class leading value on a capacity basis.
By the way, check out the picture of the guy biting into an Apple at the front page of iRiver’s web site. It’s pretty funny.
Full disclosure: I don’t own any Apple products.