By Jocelyne Hilary, Staff Writer
Apple has dominated the technology market, with their products such as the iPhone, MacBook and iPad continuously being publicized and not to mention their sleek designs; it is no wonder people can’t get enough. It is virtually impossible to be somewhere and not find someone in possession of an Apple product. Even on campus, a wide array of students can be seen at the Lion’s Lair or the Library tyoing away on their Macs, or casually socializing on their iPads or iPhones. But with all this emphasis, on the newer products, it is fair to say that no one has noticed the decreasing popularity of one of the products, which quintessentially defines Apple, the iPod.
Ipods were first introduced as a revolutionary product at a time when portable music was starting to become a big hit with consumers. Up till then , as many would remember the “walkman” was the “it” item. Sony’s portable device paved the way for portable music, allowing people to listen to their tapes and CD’s on the go.
“I remember having a tape player, before getting a CD Walkman. I remember running with it, and it would always skip, then they introduced the anti-jog walkmans but they never worked. It was inconvenient when running but I loved it. “ said Senior Alexander Stewart.
On October 23rd 2001, Apple released their first collection of iPods, initially they weren’t very popular as most people were accustomed to Walkman players which dominated portable music. Brands such a s Samsung and Toshiba had also started making these portable CD players , so the transition from CD’s to digital music was going to require time. However it was not long before Apple had succeeded in revolutionizing digital music download.
“I wasn’t surprised at all that everyone resorted to Ipod’s, they are so much more convenient. You can attach then to your arm and run, which was harder with the walkmans. You can store much more music and you didn’t have to play a CD and take it out, which is always a bonus.” Said Senior Jose Amateco
Before long many people had started switching over to Apple to purchase their ipods, after all how could people resist it, with its unique style and renowned click wheel which became a quintessential Apple trade mark, people had fallen for the age of digital music downloads. They were more convenient than the Walkman’s after all, they didn’t require CD’s or tapes, were much smaller and who could resist their sleek look?
For almost ten years now, the iPod, the iPods shuffle, mini, nano, classic and touch had become a part of many people’s every day routine, whether it be at the gym, for a run , studying, long trips or on the daily commute. With many redesigns and limited editions of certain ipods for HIV awareness, these devices came in all shapes and sizes, suited to an individual’s personal style and convenience.
However , if one was to look around now it is slightly harder to find someone with their ipod out. Has the ipod revolution come to an end? The popularity of smart phones, especially the iPhone has made it more convenient for people to listen to music on their phones. This was even predicted by Steve Jobs himself when he had described the iphone as “the best ipod we’ve ever made?” back in 2007 at its launch. This growing tend has now made iPods less convenient. Most people, and certainly most students on campus live on their smartphones, so why carry an iPod around? There’s less electronic devices to charge and carry around, thanks to smartphones, and its definitely easier to do everything from one device. The iPod touch for example, is almost identical to an iPhone, except for the fact that it is thinner and lacks the ability to call, so is it no wonder, that people would rather spend a couple bucks extra to purchase the actual phone?
Following the publication of recent profit reports, Apple chief Tim Cook reflected on figures that indicated a dip in ipod sale profits.
“I think all of us have known for some time that iPod is a declining business,” said Cook.
This is particularly sad news given that most of us had grown up wanting an ipod for birthdays or Christmas. Now, the very product that had played a large contributing role in catapulting the brand, has become the bench player to its other sibling products.
“People do tend do use their phones now , from what I’ve noticed. But I’ve actually reverted back to using my iPod instead because that way I have more space for apps on my phone, save battery life and iPods also store more music.” said Stewart.
Yet despite disappointing numbers, the iPod had pushed many consumers to stretch their budgets at its hiatus. Many people were so intrigued and wanted to get “in “ on the trend that they had no problem opting to buy an ipod over other mp3 competitors, so its fair to say that Apple’s classic product is still at the forefront of its competitors in audio music. Furthermore, iTunes, the counterpart to the device has boosted legal music download among owners.
Apple has dominated the technology market, with their products such as the iPhone, MacBook and iPad continuously being publicized and not to mention their sleek designs; it is no wonder people can’t get enough. It is virtually impossible to be somewhere and not find someone in possession of an Apple product. Even on campus, a wide array of students can be seen at the Lion’s Lair or the Library tyoing away on their Macs, or casually socializing on their iPads or iPhones. But with all this emphasis, on the newer products, it is fair to say that no one has noticed the decreasing popularity of one of the products, which quintessentially defines Apple, the iPod.
Ipods were first introduced as a revolutionary product at a time when portable music was starting to become a big hit with consumers. Up till then , as many would remember the “walkman” was the “it” item. Sony’s portable device paved the way for portable music, allowing people to listen to their tapes and CD’s on the go.
“I remember having a tape player, before getting a CD Walkman. I remember running with it, and it would always skip, then they introduced the anti-jog walkmans but they never worked. It was inconvenient when running but I loved it. “ said Senior Alexander Stewart.
On October 23rd 2001, Apple released their first collection of iPods, initially they weren’t very popular as most people were accustomed to Walkman players which dominated portable music. Brands such a s Samsung and Toshiba had also started making these portable CD players , so the transition from CD’s to digital music was going to require time. However it was not long before Apple had succeeded in revolutionizing digital music download.
“I wasn’t surprised at all that everyone resorted to Ipod’s, they are so much more convenient. You can attach then to your arm and run, which was harder with the walkmans. You can store much more music and you didn’t have to play a CD and take it out, which is always a bonus.” Said Senior Jose Amateco
Before long many people had started switching over to Apple to purchase their ipods, after all how could people resist it, with its unique style and renowned click wheel which became a quintessential Apple trade mark, people had fallen for the age of digital music downloads. They were more convenient than the Walkman’s after all, they didn’t require CD’s or tapes, were much smaller and who could resist their sleek look?
For almost ten years now, the iPod, the iPods shuffle, mini, nano, classic and touch had become a part of many people’s every day routine, whether it be at the gym, for a run , studying, long trips or on the daily commute. With many redesigns and limited editions of certain ipods for HIV awareness, these devices came in all shapes and sizes, suited to an individual’s personal style and convenience.
However , if one was to look around now it is slightly harder to find someone with their ipod out. Has the ipod revolution come to an end? The popularity of smart phones, especially the iPhone has made it more convenient for people to listen to music on their phones. This was even predicted by Steve Jobs himself when he had described the iphone as “the best ipod we’ve ever made?” back in 2007 at its launch. This growing tend has now made iPods less convenient. Most people, and certainly most students on campus live on their smartphones, so why carry an iPod around? There’s less electronic devices to charge and carry around, thanks to smartphones, and its definitely easier to do everything from one device. The iPod touch for example, is almost identical to an iPhone, except for the fact that it is thinner and lacks the ability to call, so is it no wonder, that people would rather spend a couple bucks extra to purchase the actual phone?
Following the publication of recent profit reports, Apple chief Tim Cook reflected on figures that indicated a dip in ipod sale profits.
“I think all of us have known for some time that iPod is a declining business,” said Cook.
This is particularly sad news given that most of us had grown up wanting an ipod for birthdays or Christmas. Now, the very product that had played a large contributing role in catapulting the brand, has become the bench player to its other sibling products.
“People do tend do use their phones now , from what I’ve noticed. But I’ve actually reverted back to using my iPod instead because that way I have more space for apps on my phone, save battery life and iPods also store more music.” said Stewart.
Yet despite disappointing numbers, the iPod had pushed many consumers to stretch their budgets at its hiatus. Many people were so intrigued and wanted to get “in “ on the trend that they had no problem opting to buy an ipod over other mp3 competitors, so its fair to say that Apple’s classic product is still at the forefront of its competitors in audio music. Furthermore, iTunes, the counterpart to the device has boosted legal music download among owners.
For now the ipod looks like its holding , just because of its edge over other mp3 competitors, but with Apple constantly releasing new versions of iphones, it sonly natural that consumers would rather use their old iphones as a medium for music rather than purchasing an ipod. So an option for Apple may be to put some serious work into redesigning or introducing features.
