Leopards Spotted

Apple made a statement with the release of OS X Leopard, already having sold 2 million copies since its release. As a matter of perspective, when Tiger was released, it took 5 weeks to sell that many copies.

The "Nano-Touch"

Gentlemen, Apple is in great standing on the Amazon bestseller list, and I think we all know that is just a small snapshot of all the distribution avenues available to MP3 players. It is a little disturbing to find the Zune break the top 10. The brown Zune is selling for $130 and, for that price, appears to be selling.

I believe Apple can make a huge leap if they introduced a "Nano-Touch" iPod for $200. When it is introduced, they could reduce the price of the current 8Gb nano to $150. The new nano-Touch would have the touch screen that everyone is so enamored with, just without as many other features like WiFi. Any takers?

Fourth Arizona Apple Store

Gentelemen, are you all aware that a 4th Apple Store is having its grand opening tonight? It is the Apple Store at San Tan Village, the new shopping center opening in Gilbert. 4 is my lucky number! Anyone going to get those free Leopard shirts?

Apple does make computers too!

The numbers are in and it has been reported that Apple's market share of the United States personal computer market is now at 8%. For years it was hovering around 2-3% even after waves and waves of marketing blitzes from Apple to grow that market. Remember the "Think Different" campaign, and the "I'm a PC" campaign. It seems the halo effect is truly starting to kick in. Of course they don't sell nearly as many computers as iPods but maybe someday. Then again, isn't the iPhone really just a small computer?

Old Computer Blues

Gents,

As Lo knows, I pulled the trigger on an iPod touch. I was very excited to get it going last night, only to find out that, while USB is backwards compatible, the iPod touch is not! I do not have USB 2.0 on my PC - only 1.1 and Firewire. So, I was unable to link the touch to my PC, and it does not let you do anything without first synching! So, I have a beautiful iPod paperweight at home until I employ a solution! Ugh!!!! It is at this moment that I am very upset with Apple for no longer supporting Firewire. I am looking into a card slot USB 2.0 adaptor now to see if that's a solution I can use. I had not planned on getting a new PC at the moment.

-Le

Newton Again?

Once again it is being speculated that Apple will be bringing back the Newton from the dead. Of course it is more like a new form factor for the iPhone which has more PDA type functions. I don't think they will be going back to trying to recognize people's handwriting perfectly like the original. Not being accurate enough made a laughing stock in the electronics world. But using the touch screen technology would seem like it might be something plausable. But isn't the iPhone itself the new PDA for Apple? With all the new applications, albiet Web2.0, it can have all the functions developers can dream up. Of course this limitation with keeping the phone secure might be the reason for releasing a separate PDA version where developers can create full blown applications. Do you believe this is real?

Link

Leopard ready to Roar!

The word on the web is that Leopard has gone "Gold Master":

Gold Master

How many of you enterprising young men are looking to make the jump? I know I'm jumping in head first!

HD on iTunes rumor

I read an article that says Apple is ready to put HD content on iTunes:

HD on iTunes

In my opinion, that was the single biggest drawback to a device like the Apple TV. Why would I want to spend money for content I know will have to look dated fairly soon? Apple TV makes a heck of a lot more sense when you can send HD content to an HD TV. And if Apple allows customers to rent movies instead of buying them forever, that would take them much higher. It would be like Blockbuster without ever leaving the house. As it is, you pay around $3.00 to rent a regular DVD. It makes sense! What's your take?

Is Radiohead starting a new trend?

Have you heard the latest that the rock group Radiohead is allowing its fans to download their entire new album from their website for whatever price you feel is fair? NPR ran a segment about this and said that since most bands get little or nothing from the labels from the royalties on their songs, they have little to lose. If the fans pay anything it is a win for the band. Plus it helps promote new fans who may actually pay money for concerts. This seems like a perfect nitch for Apple to promote the bands on iTunes for minimal fees. Will this trend continue?

Will the Amazon music store gain traction?

Have you heard about the latest version of selling online music at Amazon. They have over 2 million songs for only 89 cents. Plus they do not have any DRM locks on them. Seems that Universal is the big provider of the music and appears to be an attempt to have their variable pricing they wanted from Apple. There are other labels providing music too. Amazon does not give up the right to raise the prices of songs down the road. Probably after this loss leader marketing campaign. Prices may rise to $2-$3 a song for some exclusive songs.

Sounds like they are trying an end run around Apple to get the variable pricing. Even at the price of leaving their songs unprotected with DRM. The songs will be in plain vanilla MP3 which would seem to allow you to give the song to others. Of course their may be some fine print to say you can't but it would be hard to enforce. This also would allow any music player to play the songs. Which in the end does not seem like it would hurt Apple. It may even increase demand for iPods, and they sell iPods on Amazon. It seems like Apple can't lose.

Mac is back on college campuses

Check out this article:

Mac is back

I see it all over ASU - there are Macbooks galore! When the young people start getting Macs, it bodes well for the future, don't you think?

Was it something I said?

Wow. Did our blog really get that many hits in one day? Maybe there system had a glitch. Any ideas?

Sanity Restored at Amazon

Well, Stitch, for now at least order has been restored to the Universe. The Zune is at number 8 for MP3 players on Amazon, and there is only one SanDisk above it. The rest are iPods. For a while there, the Zune was a shocking number 2!! For whatever reason, prices tend to slip on Amazon, and the Zune was down to about $149, which is pretty good for a 30 Gb player. But now the iPods are kicking butt. I think your anaysis was right - Apple has a lot of outlets to sell iPods, not the lease of which is its own Apple online store, which is every bit as easy to use as Amazon. You know, it's even as easy to buy an iPod at the Apple retail stores. It's so freaking easy! Power to the iPod!!!

p.s. Macbooks are selling like hotcakes. It's an Apple Universe, man!

The Zune has been competetive!

Gentlemen, it is time for me to get a bothersome issue off my chest. As you know I have an Amazon bestseller list fetish, and the results of late bother me. There is no question that the iPod is definitely number 1 - the new silver 4 Gb iPod nano is number 1 for MP3 players. The new 16 Gb ipod Touch is number 2. The 8Gb Sandisk is number 3, however, then come two versions of the iPod classic. Disappointingly, the white Zune comes in at number 6, and it has been around that spot for a while. I simply don't understand how people could opt for a player that is so darn large compared to the iPod. Now it is true that the Zune sells for $160 for 30 Gb, which is less than the iPods ahead of it. It almost seems that other companies are flooding the market with players, hoping to dupe the customer.

Tell me - is my thinking warped? Am I too much of an Apple fanatic? I could use your input.

iPod Hi Fi R.I.P.

Well, gentlemen, was it inevitable? Apple is no longer selling or manufacturing the much balleyhooed iPod Hi Fi. Are any of you sorry? Do you need a kleenex?

Time for variable pricing?

Is it time for Apple to be more flexible with pricing? iTunes is a household name, so it is obvious they are established. I believe that they should switch their business model the way Amazon has which allows for the market to decide a fair price. Amazon used to ship everything from their warehouses themselves. Now they are just the front end with some controls over how their storefronts act. Market pricing might actually give a boost to smaller labels on iTunes because it would show value relative to the big labels. There is enough competition to let the prices go to where they would be naturally. They may even drop if enough smaller labels gain ground. Apple make the plunge.

Apple delivers, Baby!

Well, about the only disappointment for Apple's announcement was that the Shuffle remains unchanged.

IPod nanos do video and cover flow, the Classic iPod is thinner and carries more music than ever, and...

The iPod Touch is the iPhone without the phone! And you can buy over the internet, baby! It just seemed like this time Apple was working on everyone's dream features for the iPod. I am a little surprised that the product line is getting so big. I would have guessed they would do away with what is now the "Classic iPod". Gentlemen, what do you think of today's announcements?

The iCar?

Have you heard the news that Apple and Volkwagen may be developing an iCar. It would have many Apple created features which Volkwagen hopes will appeal to the younger generation. I think this is so cool. It would give Apple opportunity to make the driving experience even more enjoyable and intuitive just like it has done in so many other areas. These joint ventures are a great idea. Apple knows integration, electronics and software, while Volkwagen know cars. By the way I don't think the car will look like this picture.

Link

NBC universal not renewing with iTunes

Well, a major defection has occurred. NBC will not have programming on iTunes for the coming season. Ouch! Apparently NBC wanted to double prices - shows would have gone up to $4.99 from their current $1.99. However, I understand they can still hammer out a deal - but right now Apple and iTunes arew at an impasse. Will they work it out? It sure seems like a tough situation. What do you think?

Apple winning PC wars?

This article lends support to Steve Job's idea that market share is not the only indication of success. Furthermore, Apple has valued profits over growth. (Which is hard for me to necessarily agree with because Apple has grown tremendously!) I don't think Apple is "winning the PC wars", but I do think Apple is as fierce a competitor as there ever was in the PC industry.

PC Wars