Danmagnet wrote:Don't own one and I think they're pretty crap. Here's why:
- The technology is basic and far from revoultionary, the MP3 player concept came way before Apple moved into the market, the navigation methods are all Creative styles
- The design is dull, all white makes it look like a fridge, the black Nanos are better but the nano looks like a cigarette lighter anyway
- A large proportion of iPod owners own them for their fashion status, ask most people what made them buy an iPod and they'll reply "cos they're cool."
- As said, the iPod has saturated the market and thus Apple is lazy, where's the innovation in the iPod? The video element wasn't Apple's idea and nor was the idea to incoroporate a phone. Apple just responds to what its other competitors do and because of its brand appeal soaks up the market.
There are others but this sums it up. I have a (1.5 year old) Sony NWA-3000 20GB walkman (in blue/purple). It's a pretty basic design but that's all I want, watching films on a screen that small is stupid, the sound quality is good, the battery life is far superior to anything available at the time, Sony are brand with a history of decent products and (albeit more of a bonus than a selling point) it looks beautfiul. Plus the fact that they discontinued it shortly after makes me feel unique (lol).
Style is completely subjective. In my opinion the Ipod styling is superior to any of its competitors at the moment. To you your Sony is the epitemy of style but to me it looks like a purple bar of soap...
As for the technology well you seem to have refuted that in your last paragraph. You say the Ipod has basic and far from revolutionary technology yet you are happy with a 'pretty basic design' because thats all you want.
With the Ipod as a fashion accessory, so what? Their marketing has obviously worked much better than their competition's has. Wide owndership says nothing about the benefits of a product, and the only reason people complain is to feel somehow 'alternative' or 'underground' in their choice of media player. I think you'll find if you ask most people why they bought one they'll say 'cause I wanna listen to music' and the Ipod is the only real choice for a lot of people because its the only player put out there marketing wise.
I'm not a stalwart Ipod defender, and I've shopped around and used many different brands and models over the last few years, but I do get slightly annoyed by people who like to act superior because they don't have an Ipod and everyone else has. Its like the whole Windows vs Mac thing - IT DOESN'T MATTER! Whatever works best for you and whatever you think looks the nicest is the key.