In a viral marketing move that's sure to draw the fire of Apple
fanboys enthusiasts (probably right here in the comments, if history is any indication), SanDisk has posted a website called "iDon't" that encourages people to flee the closed iPod universe (the "iTatorship," they call it) -- and to pick up a SanDisk
Sansa e200 while they're at it. While we certainly won't go into the pros and cons of each company's products here (mainly for fear of getting flamed), we must say that the iDon't site features little compelling content other than a few cheesy wallpaper downloads and some links to anti-iPod sites, and mostly comes across as sour grapes from
the runner-up in an industry being dominated by a single player. Still, other manufacturers need to do
something in order to gain market share, and R&D is, like, really expensive, so if you can convince a couple of kids to sport t-shirts and buddy icons featuring your propaganda, who knows, maybe a few consumers will bite.
[Via
iLounge forums]
posted May 22nd 2006 1:30PM
I am the happy owner of a sansa m250. It was the best player I could find for $120, period. 2Gb and very clean sounding. Interface is fine. The fact that it takes one AAA (lasts about 10 hours per)is definitely a plus over propietary batteries that slowly stop holding charges.
Well, my point is that sansa's are the best budget players and they should stick to that niche, and not act like it's an act of rebellion to own one. Because it's not.
What's really funny, is that this is actually Apple's tactic too, always implying that "cool" people use Macs over PCs. They've been singing that song for 20 years. They're doing it today - with the amazing never-crash Mac.
The thing is 90% of my songs are encoded in AAC. (About 3% MP3 and 7% from iTMS.) Not AAC /w FairPlay. Its those other manufacturers who don't support AAC who are the problem right now. You want me to ever consider your wares? Support AAC.
I've never had a problem with my iPod and playing music where ever I want. In the car? iTrip. At home? iTunes. At a Picnic? inMotion iM7. I mean really. All of my bases are covered. It seems as if Creative and co's only leg to stand on is screeching about the iPod's closed system. I purchased my iPod photo for one and only one reason. It was the smallest DAP on the market with a 60GB hard drive. I don't regret the purchase for a nanosecond. At this point as long as Apple doesn't start going all Microsoftian on the market my next DAP in a year or so will prob be an 80GB iPod. This one has served me well. And I really want to beat people who say people buy an iPod to be trendy. Yes for some that might be the case. I purchased my iPod because of its HD size, its overall size, its audio software, and its wheel. Trendy didn’t factor into the purchase at all. In point of fact the first thing I did was to replace’s apple’s craptastic white earbuds with black sony ones. Along with a remote the thing almost never leaves my pocket.
Sandisk, creative, etc should stop bitching and start competing. This is something they haven't done since day one. Their web sites suck butt, their design isn’t all that great, and by and large their music software is usually WMP which is HORRID. I downloaded WMP11 yesterday. EGH. You would think after 11 versions you could get the interface at least somewhat trimmed down. It’s a convoluted nightmare.
I work at an ad agency, and I have to say this is just pathetic. It's obviously an attempt to co-opt the PR campaigns against the cigarette industry which try to touch on grass roots, punk rock style critiques and calls to action. Only thing is, this is about one luxury device vs. another.
It just seems a little ridiculous that they're saying to cast off the shackles of one business card-sized clickwheel sporting DAP and buy a different business card-sized clickwheel sporting DAP. If you're going to stoop to this level of mediocrity in advertising a product which obviously isn't selling itself, then you might as well have a product which has some sort of uniqueness, not another late-entry cookie cutter copy. Very few of the DAP also rans seem to have been able to create a distinct product, and those that do seem to be very poorly marketed, unfortunately.
This ad sucks.
"It's just not in our style to be pushy, cheesy, sales hacks."
Um, whatever. Don't get me wrong, I like Samsung's products, but I think their marketing execs are the ones acting like sheep here. Sheep, grazing on big green plains of Astroturf. "Oh look, viral ads! Stencil campaigns! It's big with the kids these days, they'll love it!"
"13. People Buy iPODs to be trendy"
Maybe some people, but not me... The first MP3 player I bought was a non-Apple that had recording capabilities (so I could record my band when we practice). But this thing was SO clunky to work with, I never used it as a player, only a recorder. I finally decided to buy an iPod shuffle because it was cheap, and sure enough, the hardware combined with iTunes software was infinitely more user-friendly. It's just so damn easy to work with iTunes and an iPod, whether you're ripping a CD, subscribing to a Podcast, creating CDs of songs for friends (non-copywritten materials only), changing an AIFF or WAV file to an AAC file, and even burning MP3 CDs for my dad to listen to on his MP3-capable portable CD player... And because I don't buy stuff from the iTunes music store, I'm not locked out of anything. I ended up giving the shuffle to my girlfriend and buying an iPod Nano, and I'm totally happy with it. I can't imagine another hardware-software combination being as painless to use, and to me, that's what this is all about.
What I'm saying is, you're dead wrong if you think iPod is all fashion and not all function. I switched to iPod/iTunes when I found out how much BETTER IT WORKS!
"iDon't iPod and that's for damn sure. I don't like any restrictions put on my tunes or what I can do with them."
You mean like Microsoft's Urge?
Fanbois, on both sides, are always so pathetic. Every platform has DRM. Neither is better or worse then the other. Apple supports non-DRM AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, and AIFF. Sounds like a pretty nonrestrictive setup to me.
#46 - Hey, I liked my cargo pants...
Besides that...
I think that the iPod is a superior product to the SanDisk one because they have had it all right from the start. Let's see what normally happens when you buy one. First, you go home and install iTunes, like the guide tells you to, using the provided installation CDs. Then, you start up iTunes and plug in your iPod. It automatically sets it up for you and then asks you what you would like your iPod's name to be. After this, you can buy songs from the built-in music store or rip CDs you already own onto iTunes for you to play on your iPod. Simple. If you need anything else, you can call up apple or look on the internet for aid - there is an upside to the most popular player.
Now, with something that uses WMP for example, the process is not so simple. You download and install the latest version of WMP. Then you plug in your player. You hope that WMP picks it up, if not, then you have a spot of trouble ahead. When (and if) it finally finds the device, you then have to manually select each song to go onto the playlist you want to be put on your player. No autoselect or anything like iTunes has. After this, you synchronise, which takes FOREVER because you are using flash memory, not a hard disk. Then you find out that the WMP and your player are, after all, not so compatible and something goes wrong. You can't find any help on the internet because it is minor, and the company's tech support isn't as helpful.
iDo, and iThink that apple has it right. Besdies, calling me a sheep or a chimp or whatever the hell you want just convinces me that SanDisk has not got the maturity level to really produce a good player. To make a viral marketing campaign, you aren't supposed to convey that expression. Or have a crappy site. Alas, you did both.
Apple even lets you burn your DRMed iTunes to audio cd format, which in effect, unDRMs the music. So then you can rerip DRM free and play anywhere. This isn't a sneaky backdoor, this is something Apple tells you to do specifically.
W00T!!!
you ipod loving weasels can't take a little poking fun at huh??
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAAAAA!!!!
i think it is an excellent little piece of marketing sandisk has managed to pur together. they should be commended. whether you like iPod or not you gotta admin it is really a funny piece!!!
Made my day!
The funny thing is: I'd love to wear most of these designs and I'm an ardant iPod fan and user and will not switch.
To me, these t-shirts/posters are hilarious! AND... they still look like iPod ads: a chimp, a donkey, a sheep wearing an iPod... who cares?! If anything, it's "cute"!
And... Isn't it more counter-culture to wear one of these shirts while wearing your iPod than anything they're suggesting?
The "iDon't" is so small and so meaningless to the vast majority of people most will assume that it is an iPod ad or at least some t-shirt's designer clever idea to jump on the bandwagon. No one will know: oh, that guys supporting SanDisk.
Spongebob has it all summed up.
"MERCEDES: Go ahead, buy the Jag... if you SUCK!"
Negative ads always fail. To all the haters: Which is it? Is Apple a third-tier computer maker with little market share and an underdog in the computer industry or is it the monolithic corporate bad guy like IBM? Apple has now ascended to Big Brother status? "Steve Jobs, Bourgeois!" The irony.
Anyone who is successful is automatically evil in your world. Ah well, maybe Sansa Claus will bring you headsets with a new color so all you Sansa sheep can wander off into your own direction.
They should spend their marketing dollars on R&D instead.
This is lame lame lame.
According to the iDon't campaign, iPods were purchased... "Blindly they’ve bought into the hype without ever realizing there are other mp3 players out there.”
I don't know a single person that bought a $300 - $400 item and thought it was the only one out there.
My guess is that if anything, the purchaser was blinded by the WALL of peripherals offered for the iPod and just didn't see the small drawer of other player's attachments.
It's pathetic, really. The whole message is "Don't buy an iPod, they're popular! Buy an unpopular MP3 player like ours!" Not exactly compelling.
http://www.idont.com/
Kind of reminds me of Apple's famouse 1984 Superbowl commercial going against IBM. Quote from the site above:
“Calling all free thinkers, contrarians, and malcontents. The time has come to rise up against the iTatorship. To resist the monotony of white earbuds and reject the oppressive forces of cultural conformity.
Now is the time to break-free from constrictive formats and a single source fro music. It’s time for choice, for freedom, for self-expression – and for all independent spirits to stand up and say “iDon’t.” You don’t need to follow. There is now an alternative.”
I have 2 iPods but I have to agree this is funny, but in a stupid kind of way.
Also what's even funnier, they are telling us not to follow like sheeps but yet their player copied the iPod with their circular dial (or what ever you call it)
Bah Bah Black Sheep
Have you any cool?
No sir. Nor sir.
iPods rule.
Can't compete on design.
Can't implement a store.
Oh well, I may as well whine a little more.
Wow, I dont like the iPod, but damn. Upon a closer look I found the links on the site didnt work unless you used Explorer.. hmmm.... Win-dont
Im glad some company decided to use a proper anti-ipod campaign to advertise their device. I am one of those who really hates ipods. I hate them with avengence. Next peson i see with one DIES. Ok, well maybe i wont actually kill them, but i will BORE THEM TO DEATH with a very long anti-ipod lecture. That will show them. I'm CRAZY. Watch out STEVE.
If iPod were Microsoft's everybody would be saying: "YES" to iDon't.com
why (on a GADGET! site) keep calling the iPod battery non-replaceable. Get your ass on eBay, £15... it comes with a wee plastc-screwdriver, its a 5 minute job. My 3G iPod is exactly 3 years old. I was getting 4+ hours battery, replaced the battery with a cheap one off eBay, now I've got my 6 back.
can't you even try San Disk... your iPod rip-off has white headphones, which look amazingly like my Apple in-ear headphones. shame they don't sound half as good, oh unless you use the battery-guzzeling-glitchy-crash-enducing equaliser. its white-headphones that make your ad stick out, your ad which is very much Apple inspired, don't you think?
(disclaimer: i've only used an older sansa, 3 or 4 months ago in a showroom... but it was buggy. first time i picked up an iPod I played a song... first time i picked up a sansa I grinned; it was so wrong - so over-complicated it played no songs)
i forgot to say, the sansa i played with in John Lewis could not play me any songs (see previous comment) because some asshole had misplaced the SD Card. again, I laughed... why does it have removable storage!? Isn't it worth paying a little extra for 20GB, or 60?
This would be a replacement for iPod if it had features that beat the iPod.
iPod has a capacity max of 60 GB. Maximum capacity for SanDisk's player is 6 GB.
iPod supports Mac and PC. SanDisk's player only supports PC.
Oh, and how is that battery life?
Style and chimpery aside, I still think the iPod is a better way to go than a player that tries to be iPod and fails to be even close to be as good.
I hate Apple. They make a commercial with the tagline "Macs don't crash" it's like they're advertising to retards.
I bought a Nano.
Why? because I was able to buy the accessory that connects it to my head unit. I would have been plenty happy with witha Creative Zen or many others but I wouldn't have the same functionality. Other maker need to learn the power of accessories.
A lot of people throw that "Apple's Dirty Little Secret" video in my face whenever I pull out my external hard drive/mp3 player iPod that happens to seemlessly integrate into my car, home stereo, and work stereo. What they don't realize is that video was made over a year ago, and quite frankly sounds fake. I discovered it when I lived in North Pole Alaska. Shortly after, when MY Ipod went dead after warranty was up, Apple, (nearest store being in Washington) replaced my Ipod with no mail in fee, and no replacement fee for the battery. In 2 days! I've had next day mail not get there for a week! I'm using a powerbook to write this comment, and I'll say it, the reason I use apple products is because they're solid, attractive, functional devices that have outlived their competitors'. If that makes me an Isheep then rock on, because I'm sick of spending money on multiple devices and just buying a new one when they break. I've had 2 iPods in my life, a 1st gen, and a pretty new 5th generation about 4 years later. They work wonderfully, and I'm not going to switch under some vain attempt to make people feel like they're doing something wrong by supporting a company that has gotten where they are by being the best available.
I dont know about everyone elese but I like sandisk's mp3 players because their cheap and do as much and/or more than many other expensive mp3 players. Im perfectly fine with one of these to listen to my music and podcasts on. I know at least 10 people that own 30 gb ipods with about 70 songs on them just so they can walk arround with the white earbuds on.
HEY! I just bought an iPod and... I *STILL* can't dance!! I thought that after you buy an iPod, it will make you dance like a pro b-boy and go all crazy and wacky! Isn't that what the white earbuds do?
Anyways, I truly dislike Apple and all their marketing ploys. However, I bought the Sandisk e260 and returned it 2 days later... it sucks. The ergonomics are terrible, and the firmware is abysmal. If you like using your fingernails to press buttons, go ahead and get a Sandisk e200 series...
Or, try Mobiblu or Samsung!
Calling all survivors of the Great Class War of 2006! Join the iDon't iRevolution! This virus will possess you... but in a good way!... and make you forget from whom you're buying your music! Things will once again be the way they were when the world was young! We need you, and the maverick renegades like you, to triumph over the Great White Headphoned Monolith of the Uncool! Save us! Please!
Just wait for me to be done fiddling with the dsPIC and I'll make an audio player for you engadget readers. :P
One that doesn't suck donkey balls.
This is one of the funniest things I've seen in a while. It won't work....but it's funny!
Thats a strong move they're pushing there. Trying to put fuel into the fire. Now i wonder if Apple will come out with commercials like the ones for their computers:
"Hi! I'm an iPod." "Hi. i'm an mp3 player."
if another company is going to compete with the market leader, they've got to convince people to "make the switch". degrading everyone who has already bought one of the 50 million ipods is *not* going to win anybody over. it's one thing to make fun of a product (like the new mac ads). it's another thing to insult its users.
it's too bad when a great product gains market success it automatically gets labeled as trendy. If you get 5% of the marketshare you suck - you're not as good as the rest. If you get 85% of the marketshare you're trendy. WTF? The iPod, as one poster put it, ideally and effortlessly integrates to your music habits. The iPod is not a locked format - it is an MP3 player. The songs downloaded from the iTMS are what is locked, and even then it isn't too bad - it doesn't keep me from using my music the way I want to. I can listen to it at home, work, on my iPod, through my stereo or burn it to CD. I can move purchased music onto my iPod, my wife's iPod, or my daughters iPod.
It's interesting the number of fanboys who say "why do you hate Apple because they're successful?" I hate Apple because they charge too much for their products (sorry...too much for their NAME). This cost is only increased by the battery problems. Personally, I could care less if *everyone* else loves their iPod and won't buy anything else. God bless 'em, it's their money, not mine.
#80: "Lithium ion batteries are just like that." LOL - does that somehow mean they don't suck, or that the iPod version of them doesn't suck? My phone uses a lithium ion battery and I have never had a single problem with it. Also, it's early ADOPTER, not ADAPTER. Do your research...and there were comparable products available even before the iPod that cost less, so your argument doesn't hold water anyway.
Also interesting: the "radio is all Clearchannel crap anyway" - you think the iTunes service is some sort of totally hip, underground-driven, give the people what they want and not what you want to sell them marketplace? Think again. I listen to the radio once in a while because once in a while, it introduces me to new music that I like. If that doesn't fit your music-snob taste I apologize. That said...the largest iPod is too small to hold all of my music.
Many of the aftermarket devices that all the fanboys have such serious wood for work with almost any audio device, so that's not much of a selling point - and the ones that do are just as ridiculously priced as the iPod itself. The vast majority of the add-ons are ridiculous junk anyway.
Lastly...the iTunes software sucks. It's excruciatingly slow, it's cumbersome, and it brings most computers to their knees. Solid?? *Please.*
That's why iDon't...and it has nothing to do with SanDisk.
What really gets me is people who try to refute someone else's argument and then can't write a simple paragraph without multiple spelling or grammar mistakes.
I agree that the campaign is a bad idea, but that doesn't make the iPod something I want to purchase.
archos's products are better. more space 100GB and they have been playing video long before ipods did.
"people buy ipods to be trendy"
you care about whats trendy?
ask not whom the tool is, the tool is thee.
Until I read the text of this post I thought the chimp was a certain political leader whom I understand was just given an iPod as a gift.
iRevolution? SanDisk is no counter-culture alternative. It's a $2bil enterprise. Sure, it may be small fish in the portable MP3 market, but we're not talking small-start-up-promoting-an-underground-product-for-the-trend-savvy-or-socially-conscious-crowd. No, we're talking about a clash of titans, and one ill-fated marketing campaign.
I'd like to ask commenters who claim that iPods are trendy and should therefore be slashed and burned along with the rest of mainstream society: "who are you to complain?" Yes, we are overrun by huge corporations with giant marketing budgets. Yes, our choices are limited by marketeers and CEOs. But just imagine the audacity to complain!
We wealthy Americans, with our disposable incomes, can purchase all the electronic gadgets we like. Go on! Enjoy the fruits of your labor! (and very cheap labor overseas) But then don't come whining about Apple's market share or how, like, totally 2003 the iPod is.
If you want to be counter-culture, stop buying MP3 players, digital cameras, laptops, coffee and gasoline, and go live in a shack in the woods. Or, alternatively, shut up and listen to your music.
it may not work immediately, but it will in the long run. The iPod has become mainstream now, and the trendsetters are always the counter-culture, "anti-establishment" types. These people "keep it real", until whatever "it" is becomes super popular and the cycle starts anew.
IMO:
Buying an iPod to be hip = lameness
Bashing iPods to anti-mainstream = lameness
Buy what suits you, not others.
i dont know if anyone looked at idont.com, but its totally rediculous lol.
also i have a zen micro and it works just fine, its got more accessories than most other off-branders and some nice stuff like a mic and radio
too bad the ad itself looks terrible. even in ripping-off an ad for parody's sake, it looks worse--the font, especially, is shittay.
This is just a website that tracks you and gives u spam another smart SanDisk idea(view-source):
i like variety
notice how much their "alternative" looks like every other wish-i-was-an-ipod on the market?
if you want to make an alternative, actually do it. this is just a bunch of hype for more of the same.
"it's one thing to make fun of a product (like the new mac ads). it's another thing to insult its users."
This almost sounds like you're trying to justify the Apple campaign through semantics. Face it, they both negatively attack users, it's just that one is more direct at doing so.
Either way, they're both retarded campaigns based on falsehoods.
It's funny how when Apple is discussed in the computer world they are the little company that Thinks Different. But, change the conversation to mp3 players and they are Big Evil Apple. SanDisk is the little fish in mp3 industry but big giant corporation in the memory industry. Seriously, who gives a f*ck?!
Anyways, thank you SanDisk for posting those kickass iPod posters in vector PDF files. I was able to open them in Adobe Illustrator, delete the lame ass ad type in seconds and now I have a really sweet poster of a monkey sportin' an ipod. And because they're vector I can make them as big as a house if want. Sweet.
lol
i was just thinking..
this ad might actually help apple
people aren't going to research into it if they see it.
what it seems like at first glance:
"omg even a chimp has an ipod i definitely need one!"
now onto my story
I own an ipod
I can see why some people may not like some features, such as the $1 songs.. the file limits, and what not
but seriously,
the ipod is a great mp3 player
the battery life is great
the sound quality is incredible
it's user friendly
60 gigabites, cmon!
so before they start calling it something people get just to be trendy, they need to consider the facts.
it really is a great device.
it's dissapointing companies stoop so low as to make fun of other companies just to get their product out there. that's just not good marketing..
tisk
As insulting as that whole website is, I'm surprised that it's taken this long for anyone anyone with their crosshair on Apple's market to try the whole individualist, anti-corporation thing. I'm looking at you, Creative.
Oh, and I wish them luck on finding any success with their horrifyingly N-Gage-esque screen.
we have an iPod at home, i forget which generation, and i find the advertisement actually amusing. its just interesting to see how iPod owners are so enraged about SanDisks' ad and then support Apple's ads that make fun of Microsoft.
personally, i like my Lyra that i've had for 2 years now. its small and has an SD expandable port, what else do i need? its great for outdoor stuff and weighs next to nothing.
my MP3 player that i'd like to see would be rugged, light weight (an ounce or two), minimal buttons, Secure Digital or similar, waterproof/resistant, long batter life (18hours) and a remote for the headphones. its maybe too much to ask.