Anyone else impressed with Apple's direction?

[chodadog]

Originally posted by Biggy@Jan 31 2005, 12:50 AM
I highly doubt ipod will increase its marketshare in the mp3 player market, it seems close to the peak, or will peak out soon. Other companies offer the same product, for a cheaper price, that does the same job.

I think they will increase their share of the mp3 player market. I remember reading just a few months ago that they couldn't keep up with the demands for the product. May have changed by now, but this is how long after the iPod was initially released? Add to that the fact that they're releasing one of those low end mp3 players (i think it's called the shuffle or something) and i think their market share is only going to increase further. People love the look and feel of iPod's. Friends of mine will fully acknowledge that other players are better, but they still want the iPod just because it's so chic.

That right there is the keyword. Right now, and for the forseeable future, the apple brand is chic.

But anyways. Apple is heading in a good direction, but i think it's tentative. Their huge growth in the last few years has been the the dividends of a huge gamble they took with the original iMac. Consumers don't just want something that is functional, they want something that is chic and cute. It obviously paid off big time. I think their main problem is going to be continuing to impress people. There are only so many cool ass lookin' PC designs you can come up with. I think people will eventually get bored of it. But not yet, i was super impressed with the iMac G5 design.

But then again, consumer loyalty seems to be a pretty huge thing apple have developed lately. I know guys that have been so taken with the iPod that they've gone mac crazy. I think, worst case scenario, the public at large will get bored of all the new funky designs over the next few years, but they'll continue to keep a share of the market because of consumer loyalty for quite some time. Best case, things continue heading in this direction and they keep amazing people with kickass product design!