Dr. iPod: podders don't like cellphones, portable video, other people
posted Jun 20th 2005 5:00AM
British
sociologist Michael Bull — dubbed "Dr. iPod" for his
obsessive focus on you-know-what — is back with some new findings about the lifestyles of the rich and podded, and has
some good news and some bad news for Apple. Bull — who has surveyed over 1,000 iPod owners worldwide — finds that while
most iPod owners are loyal, well-off customers who consider their pod their "favorite consumer object," the majority
don't like cellphones a whole lot, which could be a blow to Apple's plans to work with partners on an
iTunes phone. However, they also don't
want to watch video on their portable players either, according to Bull — a potential vindication of Apple's
no-video-iPod policy. Bull has also followed up on his earlier research of the audio player's effect on society, saying
that a "world where everyone has their headphones on may not be a very pleasant world." Except, of course, for the
blissed out podders jamming to their inner soundtrack.
I knew there was a hole in my life until I read this. I love specific phrases like 'most' ipod users like their ipod. Way to go Dr. Obvious.
That's the point behind the iPhone and other possible products down the line. Apple knows people who already have an iPod most likely won't buy every new generation that comes out.
They are expanding their line to open their products to more people. Basic economics.
whil;e i believe that most ipod owners dont want the features that so many have begged here for, i also believe that once the "ipod" line has these features...they will realize the error of their ways...
most ipod owners are fairly oblivious to the coming digital revolution...though it creeps into their daily lives a bit more each and evey year with items like computers at first, then cell phones, now the ipod and other daps...next will be pvp's (personal video players) once their is more content available. thats really the main reason i see for people not adopting the idea of a pvp, is the lack of content.
i could go on forever on how the mpaa and television networks could make money distrubition stuff online, but ill leave it here as im sure no one really wants to get back into that debate.
Anyone who know anything about new product development processes knows that you can't ask the consumers what they want next. Knowing that, it just doesen't matter if ipod users say that they don't want to see videos on their devices or whatever. If they would have been asked about digital jukeboxes couple (ok, a bit more than couple) of years ago they would have said the same thing, no need for it.
So, when creating new products (or, even better, new needs) for potential customers, don't listen to the crowd. They don't know what they want next...
"However, [ipod owners] also don’t want to watch video on their portable players either..."
this is very biased, since people who DO want to watch video on portable devices buy other products-ipod owners (like myself) are no indication of how successful a videopod would be, since most current ipod owners don't want video anyway.
who's to say there arent tens of thousands of people waiting for apple to release a vpod before thinking of getting a 'pod?
He forgot that they're usually ninjas who don't seem to notice that their pod gives them away, and that they don't blend in with their background.
Not just "iPodders" feel this way about PMPs. I'm an iAudio G3er and have no need for a pocket-video player. If I have the time and leisure to watch a video, I'm already at home, where I can watch it full screen to begin with.
A mobile phone is a totally different issue though. Everyone carries a phone. The people that would like to carry one-fewer item will jump for a chance to have a decent implimentation of these music phones. The phones will need to include seperate power systems for phone and music player though because no one will be willing to listen to music at the risk of running down their phone battery.
"Bull has also followed up on his earlier research of the audio player’s effect on society, saying that a “world where everyone has their headphones on may not be a very pleasant world.”"
And neither is a world where everyone is constantly jabbering away on their cel phones directly into my ear.
Just yesterday while waiting in line at Dunkin Donuts I was forced to listen to some stupid chick (who was obviously a California transplant) carrying on an unnecessarily loud conversation about what she was going to wear dancing that night. This went on for at least five minutes and no matter how I moved my head it seemed her voice was constantly beamed like a laser directly at one or both of my ears.
If wearing headphones helps me avoid that situation, I think the world would be a lot *more* pleasant.
"most ipod owners are fairly oblivious to the coming digital revolution"
that's got to be the most arrogant generalization i've heard in a long time. and i'd question the good doctor's findings from a poll of 1,000+ people concidering that millions of iPods have been sold worldwide.
i understand what teksno is saying though. even the freakin queen has an ipod now, and i doubt she is 1337. they should have polled the many ipod fansites people have made, like the ipod hack sites.
"Bull has also followed up on his earlier research of the audio player’s effect on society,"
And how is listening to a DAP different from the last 20 years of listening to a portable tape or cd player? Lots of people did/do that too, and the world's generally all right. Maybe he comments on this, but I'm not about to read it for myself and give the site traffic for such an obvious publicity grab.
Doesn't anyone here see the problem that pocket-video players face? You can do other things while listening to audio. You can't watch personal-video while driving, excercising, doing errands, or working so what percentage of portable-audio users is left? I'm sure there are some people who want it. You can't blame the other people though who would rather pay for premium audio players than something that they don't see themselves ever using. Being a geek does not make you one-three-three-seven, it just makes you a seven-zero-zero-L.
This is further proof that "normal" MP3 lovers are NOT the kind of people buying these out-dated, over-priced Ipods. Just as I always thought, Ipods are being pushed entirely by Apple computer users, ie the Mac-Faithful, and those people follow Mac users for fear of being ostracized.
NOBODY in their Right Mind would spend $300 to $500 for an MP3 player without any support for media other then MP3's and AAC. Not to mention the non-user replaceable battery, lack of any built-in recorder, no FM tuner access, the inability to backup memory cards, no FM transmitter, and NO video playback even when there's a color screen that could support it!
Even if Apple does get into videos, it won't be an open format. Good luck watching your own videos, Mac Faithful. Unless their home videos of Steve Jobs rolling around naked in a pile of your money, you aren't ever going to see non-Apple approved videos on your handheld.
So the Ipod isn't a "Market Leader", because it isn't IN the same market. It's a Mac Peripheral for Mac Users and those Hanger-On-ers that follow that crowd.
"most iPod owners are fairly oblivious to the coming digital revolution"
That's about the most idiotic statement yet. If they are so "oblivious" to the coming digital revolution they'd be using their cassette walkman instead of spending money on an ipod to play their thousands of DIGITALLY ripped music on their COMPUTERS.
I think #5 has it right. I'm one of those thousands probably out there waiting on a video ipod as I spend more time watching video than listening to music. The beauty of the digital revolution is that there can several devices or solutions since people have very different viewing/listening habits. I would buy an audio ipod if there was a subscription service since that works for me. I only buy the harder-to-find tracks. Others like the a la carte way it currently is. To each their own...just make them all cool :-)
I think #5 has it right. I'm one of those thousands probably out there waiting on a video ipod as I spend more time watching video than listening to music. The beauty of the digital revolution is that there can several devices or solutions since people have very different viewing/listening habits. I would buy an audio ipod if there was a subscription service since that works for me. I only buy the harder-to-find tracks. Others like the a la carte way it currently is. To each their own...just make them all cool :-)
The reason they don't like those things is because Apple doesn't offer it yet. They like what they're told to like.
I bought an iPod photo mostly because it has a color screen. I never use it to display photos on it.
Now that apple released iPod camera connector, I also use the iPod photo to download photos off my digital camera.
Video on iPod? Nonsense. Why should I bother watching a movie on a tiny display? Even if the iPod will have a screen as big as the iPod, is waaay to small for playing movies. We are not talking about playing games. PSP does a good job. Movies are to play in cinema or on a big screen on your TV, not on tiny display. Movies on the go? Where you have time for a full movie and you have only your iPod with you?