Will the iPod Ever Die?

Azhar writes "Will we always prefer the iPod's glossy slim design over all the others? Or at one point of time will the iPod revolution actually fade? Lets have a look at what could happen and why."

'Ever' seems a bit optimistic

[celardore (844933)]

Granted, there have been some fantastic inventions in the history of man. Like the wheel, that's still going pretty strong and with a massive distribution even now. Will the iPod follow in its footsteps? Unlikely that it's not going to 'ever die'. So yes, it will. Might take five years, might take twenty; but yes it will die.

Re:TFA

[by Anonymous Coward]

I'm trying to figure out why the DRM is an issue. My iPod has exactly 0 DRM encumbered songs on it. How did I escape the wrath of Apple? Maybe it is because I don't use the iTunes Music Store. It's not a requirement for an iPod, but a choice.

If you don't like the iPod because it's too popular and has white ear-buds, just say so. Don't try to spread mis-information for some pathetic anti-iPod agenda.

Re:TFA

[nessus42 (230320)]

I want my music player to do playback and recording in a format unencumbered by any DRM so I can create and share as I see fit. Apple doesn't give me that,

This is patently false. iPods and iTunes will both play unencumbered mp3s, and iTunes is perfectly happy to rip CDs to unencumbered mp3s.

I have many gigabytes of music on my computer that I ripped from my own CDs. There's not a single DRM-encumbered track on my computer, and I play them all with iTunes, iPods, and mp3 CD-ROMs made with single click burning from iTunes. (My car stereo plays mp3 CD-ROMs.)

Furthermore, iTunes' restriction that it won't copy mp3s off of an iPod and onto a computer is merely proforma to mollify the recording industry. There is nothing built into the iPod to prevent you from copying mp3s off of it and onto your computer. In fact, there are a number of free programs out there that let you do precisely this.

|>oug

DRM and iTMS aren't mandatory.

[Kadin2048 (468275)]

There are a lot of legitimate criticisms of the iPod, but the DRM one I don't particularly understand. Okay, so the iPod supports DRM. It doesn't require it. There is nothing about owning an iPod which requires you to purchase music from the iTMS. You can own an iPod and just ignore the iTMS completely, and use it just like you would an iRiver or a Creative or whatever.

The whole "I hate the iPod because I don't want to pay $0.99 a song" is silly. Nothing about the iPod requires that you buy your music that way. In fact, I'd argue that if you want to get your music from a CD, the iPod is probably still the best player, because iTunes is the easiest ripping/syncing/library-management software around -- naturally that's debatable, of course.

Your points about the lack of a microphone and a line input are well taken, because they're actual capabilities of other devices which the iPod does not have. But the DRM thing is a rather silly point and it gets brought up a lot. If you're buying another player as a sort of "protest vote" against DRM, that's your choice, but it's not really a limitation of the device. Apple isn't Sony, and you can use an iPod just fine without ever paying a cent into the iTMS or buying a single DRMed song.

Re:DRM and iTMS aren't mandatory.

[Yvan256 (722131)]

[...] I should have the CHOICE whether I want to tag my files or not. [...] So-called smart playlists is the dumbest idea I have ever seen. I don't need Jobs and cos. iTMS crapware algorithmically mis-predicting what I want to listen to. A person that primarily listens on shuffle will find smart playlists to be quite "dumb" to say the least.

Personnal attacks aside, it seems you don't even know what you're talking about. Your hatred of anything from Apple probably makes you blind to reality.

The fact is, that's the way iTunes works. Any music player worthy of that name should also work that way in 2006. Music, by its nature, already has metadata associated with it, wether you want it or not. Year, type of music, artist, composer. album, track number, disc number, etc. The fact that you don't put the metadata in your files is your problem, not mine.

When you decide to put a track in a single directory, it limits you to a single metadata field (ex: artist directory, album sub-directory). You can't, however, make a "Best of the 1980's" from those files afterward. With smart playlists and metadata, it's done with a simple rule. Want a "Best Rock Tunes of the 80's"? Two rules. No need to handle files and directories. That's what metadata and smart playlists are all about. You make the smart playlists and define which fields to use and which parameters you want to apply to fiter those fields.

How do you handle tracks that should be in multiple directories? Aliases? I don't think your iRiver handles aliases... (and if it does, then fine for you).

Once you let go of the "I have to manage my files myself" syndrome and let iTunes do it, you'll be making your computer work for you. Until then, do your directories thing if you think it's good enough, and do the work your computer should be doing.

Nope, never

[0racle (667029)]

No one will ever create something people like better then the iPod, and no one will ever want a computer in their home.

Next up

[tkdog (889567)]

Will the automobile ever die, will toasters ever die, will stupid pointless articles written just to make ad money ever die? Stupid, stupid article.

Re:Next up

[gmby (205626)]

"Service Temporarily Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems.
Please try again later."

Ask and you shall recieve. /. Justice Strikes again!

Short answer: No, long answer: Maybe

[LiquidCoooled (634315)]

But only if we Nuke 'em from orbit. Its the only way to be sure.

Who's "we"?

[nurhussein (864532)]

In Malaysia, the ipod isn't terribly popular. Sure some folks have them, but it's rare. A lot of people do own an mp3 player, but it's usually of varied brands. The reason is that ipods are just too expensive for the average youth to own, and there is no iTunes service to download music from over in this part of the world.

Not even worth a mention.

[Jartan (219704)]

The article is just some blogger listing a bunch of reasons why the iPod is better than the Zune. Maybe if it were someone who's an authority on the subject it might be worth reading but after wasting my time I got the distinct impression that it's probably just a mac fan. Now that doesn't make his argument incorrect but it's not really worth a discussion.

Will the iPod ever die...

[bbh (210459)]

It's battery does... :(

Battery Replacement Service

[jdbartlett (941012)]

Fortunately, Apple offers a battery replacement service [apple.com] for out of warranty iPods.

Out of curiosity, which other brands offer a similar service? I have a feeling the brand I stick with will be the one to offer the best post-purchase support. For one thing, it shows confidence in their product.

Re:Battery Replacement Service

[thebigbluecheez (1010821)]

The thing about saying that other brands don't have a similar service is that it's true. I can't send my Iriver h10 to Iriver and have them put a battery in it. The bastards require me to push a little button, slide it off, and order another one for..hang on... $39.99USD. And they won't even let me ship it in so they can install it! I have to keep my player while they send me the new battery!

Why oh why won't they just let me pay them to do it!?

Excuse me, I've got a letter writing campaign to start.

Re:Battery Replacement Service

[jdbartlett (941012)]

On the contrary: the most expensive iPod, the 80 GB 20 hour model, costs $350. The battery replacement service is $65 or free if your iPod is within warranty period (one year).

Most other manufacturers of comparably sized digital music players have only a 90 day warranty period and a $30-$50 cost for battery replacement. For $15 more per battery replacement (a rare occurrence), I could get my preferred product.

I do indeed rock.

Battery Life

[cyberkahn (398201)]

If I were average Joe who didn't want to take apart my iPod to replace the battery then yes. It's the only thing I hate about iPod. I am sure they designed it this way to. After all, by the time the battery dies, the mindless consumer will just want the latest iPod that is out.

Re:Battery Life

[thelost (808451)]

Most products are designed with a certain lifespan in mind. Companies realized that while people will moan and grumble they will still go and fork out for that new washing machine because they need it. That's why TVs and microwaves from the 80's still work, but more recent ones will only have lifespans of 3-4 years.

The moment companies start to design products without a limited lifespan the sky will *actually* fall.

Stuff from the 80s still works?

[freeweed (309734)]

That's very funny, because as someone who was actually alive over 20 years ago, I can tell you that people said the very same thing back then.

Notice the pattern:

In the 2000s, everything built in the 1980s lasted forever; things made in the 2000s break after a few years.
In the 1980s, everything built in the 1960s lasted forever; things made in the 1980s break after a few years.
In the 1960s, everything built in the 1940s lasted forever; things made in the 1960s break after a few years.
In the 1940s, everything built in the 1920s lasted forever; things made in the 1940s break after a few years.
In the 1920s, everything built in the 19th century lasted forever; things made in the 1920s break after a few years.

And yes, I've done research on this. My grandparents are over 90 and swear that everything made since the Great Depression is crap and never lasts. I've found early newspaper op-ed pieces from the 1910s that claim the very same thing, just pushing back the date a little.

(The secret, of course, is that the things made in year X that only last a few years are long since discarded, and we only remember the things that last any decent length of time)

Repeated post from a while back. I can't believe people still believe the "stuff made today is shit, while everything made in the past lasted forever" meme.

Will the Walkman ever die?

[dschl (57168)]

July, 1983 - The Sony Walkman has dominated the portable cassette player market so far. It began the ultimate revolution in how we listen to our music......

Back to the present, the Walkman ceased to dominate the industry 15 years ago or more. The iPod will someday share it's fate. TFA is a lame blog article written by some fanboy who thinks he is creative, insightful, and discerning.

You know Taco, if it is a slow news day, it's better to leave the front page alone than to post "stories" like this just for the sake of filling space.

of course it could happen.

[abrotman (323016)]

There have been other companies we thought we never see a decline. For a recent example, look at the problems that Sony is facing with the PS3.

If Apple forsakes their loyal customers, and abuses said loyalty, they will lose their biggest cheerleaders.

Well

[Sv-Manowar (772313)]

The iPod is a revolutionary device, although maybe not techinically, it has entered the conciousness of the public and it will be extremely hard for anyone to even try and match it's market dominance. The one thing Microsoft could have done with the Zune was to make sharing music unrestricted, but once again red tape has stopped it and the DRM will limit the function that could have made the Zune the better choice (along with Apple cutting the price, a move Microsoft didn't expect). I think the only thing to match the iPod now will be a device that is a mix of genres, much like the phone that is rumoured to be in development from Apple, if they can successfully merge the best features of an iPod (plus storage) with the good functions of a phone and make it stylish (not a hard job for Apple right now) then they may just have a chance of beating one of the devices of the decade. For other companies, it will be very hard to beat the iPod in the long run, and the only front I think they will have is pricing - which will only hurt their bottom line, as people will pay a premium to have the iPod. Congratulations to Apple on their market domination with this one, it's well deserved.

Re:Well

[EricBoyd (532608)]

You've hinted at the real reason that the iPod is maintaining it's dominance - it's the DRM rules that the labels are imposing on everyone. Because everyone has to lock down their devices and music, nobody can play with an open strategy - and thus nobody can make an offering that is much better than Apple. Unless and until the labels agree to a DRM-less music store, Apple will maintain it's crushing market share.

DRM and Open Markets
http://digitalcrusader.ca/archives/2006/10/drm_and _open_ma.html [digitalcrusader.ca]

Sure, the iPod will die.

[dpbsmith (263124)]

The Osborne 1 computer died. The IBM Stretch 7030 computer died. The Sony Walkman died. The Studebaker died... and so did the Oldsmobile and the Plymouth. Eleven of the twelve corporations in the original Dow Jones Index died. Elvis Presley died. The Soviet Union died. The United Society of Believers (Shakers) died. The Roman Empire died. Kepler's supernova died.

The iPod will die. So will Windows. So will the Toyota Prius. So will Toyota. So will GE, the sole surviving original Dow Jones Index company. So will the United States of America. So will life on earth. So will the sun. Even Jack LaLanne will eventually die (oh, wait...)

And your point is?

Will the ipod never die? No!

[MMC Monster (602931)]

No. It will never die. It will survive the heat-death of the universe, as all other protons dissolve in the uncountable trillions of years in the future. They will be all that is left in The End.

Next question?

Re:Forgive the troll..

[Trillan (597339)]

Actually, all five of those points are wrong. The only one that's even debatable is the battery one - and I'm still using the battery that came with my iPod when I bought it in April 2003. But if by "MP3 only" you really mean "lots of formats, but no OGG" you'd be right.

Interfaces are entirely subjective, though. If you like your iRiver, that's great. :)