Scotsman.com: Apple Faces the Music as Public Discord with iPod Grows

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=962882006' target='_blank'>http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=962882006</a><br /><br /></div><i>"It is the gadget that no fashion-conscious bright young thing can afford to be seen without. But two years after Britain fell in love with the iPod there are signs that the pocket-sized box that transformed the way millions listen to music is beginning to lose its shine. Internet chatrooms are carrying accounts of "unreliable machines", while questions are being asked about working conditions in the Chinese factories where they are made. The "very significant" fall in public confidence is highlighted in new figures from YouGov's brand awareness index, which show a steady fall in the popularity of the Apple brand."</i><br /><br />There's the old saying that when you're the king of the hill, everyone will try to knock you down, and the iPod is certainly on the top of the MP3 playing hill. I don't know how much real significance there is in this report, though the screen quality issue certainly resonates with every iPod owner I know and causes frustration.

[Janak Parekh]

though the screen quality issue certainly resonates with every iPod owner I know and causes frustration.
Are you referring to scratchiness? Apart from that (and I prevented that problem with an InvisibleSHIELD), I think the screen is fantastic.

I think a far bigger problem than those cited here is the fact that Apple hasn't released a new iPod for some time. They're getting closer and closer to losing the "iPod buzz", and that might give competitors a small opening to snatch it.

--janak

[Phronetix]

Is the iPod screen any different than other mp3 player screens? Are there not problems with scratching in every lcd mp3 player on the market?

The reason why there is scratching for most poeple is that the iPod gets the same treatment as a key ring by most owners. It sloshes about in the pocket of jeans, coats, backpacks without protection.

I can attest that the screen can be preserved with the proper protection. I wish Apple would jump on this one and deal with it by factory applying a screen protector, or at least including one with each iPod.

[Jason Dunn]

Are you referring to scratchiness? Apart from that (and I prevented that problem with an InvisibleSHIELD), I think the screen is fantastic.

Yes, the fragile nature of the screen. You shouldn't need a third party product to use the iPod in day to day use. You and I know to get screen protectors for mobile devices, but the average person does not.

[Jason Dunn]

Is the iPod screen any different than other mp3 player screens? Are there not problems with scratching in every lcd mp3 player on the market?

No, definitely not with all of them - it seem to be a recent development as they've moved towards screens capable of displaying colour and higher resolutions. My Zen Vision:M also has a soft screen (which ticks me off), but my older Zen Micro had a really tough screen.

The reason why there is scratching for most poeple is that the iPod gets the same treatment as a key ring by most owners. It sloshes about in the pocket of jeans, coats, backpacks without protection.

Absolutely, but that's precisely the reason why the iPod should have an extremely though screen. You can't defend a product by criticizing human behavior, that's just silly. The product should match our behavior, we shouldn't need to adapt ourselves to compensate for shoddy product design. Surely your defense of Apple has SOME rational boundary?

I can attest that the screen can be preserved with the proper protection. I wish Apple would jump on this one and deal with it by factory applying a screen protector, or at least including one with each iPod.

I think that would be great, but it won't happen because it would be an admission by Apple that they ship anything less than perfect products, or that the needs people have are not perfectly met by them. Just watch: the next generation of iPods will have much tougher screens, Steve Jobs will tout it as a revolutionary new feature, and all the iPod owners of the world will hail it as magical and buy new iPods. :roll:

[Janak Parekh]

I think that would be great, but it won't happen because it would be an admission by Apple that they ship anything less than perfect products, or that the needs people have are not perfectly met by them. Just watch: the next generation of iPods will have much tougher screens, Steve Jobs will tout it as a revolutionary new feature, and all the iPod owners of the world will hail it as magical and buy new iPods. :roll:
Okay, I agree with your other points, but now you're being too cynical. ;) Do you know of a company that "admits" that they ship less than perfect products? And if you regularly read Apple blogs, they're very forthcoming with criticism of Apple and have more of the "about time" vibe than you imply. Apple's also fixed 1st-gen issues many times and quietly slipstreamed the hardware update.

Interestingly, the iPod Mini was pretty durable and very difficult to scratch; it didn't use the soft glass/plastic that the other iPods use. A lot of people consider it the best iPod Apple made.

--janak

[Phronetix]

but it won't happen because it would be an admission by Apple that they ship anything less than perfect products, or that the needs people have are not perfectly met by them. Just watch: the next generation of iPods will have much tougher screens, Steve Jobs will tout it as a revolutionary new feature, and all the iPod owners of the world will hail it as magical and buy new iPods. :roll:

Heheh. Yes, you're probably right. Honestly though, I'll be disappointed if this isn't addressed with the next revision.

Look on the bright side, if Apple was pleasing you too, then... golly, there'd be no one left to lambaste. :P

[Damion Chaplin]

Or gosh, one could, oh, look at the crappy screen and buy someone else's product. Sheesh, there are hundreds of other DAPs out there and many of them have tough durable screens.

Don't be a sheep - make your own informed decision before plunking down your money and you'll be more satisfied with the DAP you chose.

[Phoenix]

...I think a far bigger problem than those cited here is the fact that Apple hasn't released a new iPod for some time. They're getting closer and closer to losing the "iPod buzz", and that might give competitors a small opening to snatch it.

--janak

I agree it's been awhile, but I'm sure Apple will be releasing something very soon. Afterall, wasn't it Steve that said that a consumer has to buy a new Ipod once every year to have the latest?


That said, although I do like my Ipod, I do want to see some new features in the next model, so here are some suggestions (and maybe a few rants):

:!: Hey, Steve...

- How about BT? (Getting a little tired of the wires).

- How about an FM tuner? (I'd prefer XM, but that won't happen for some time).

- How about an SD slot for loading and storing photos? (Like this will ever happen, but it would increase the Ipod's flexibility and increase sales.).

- How about customizable backgrounds and font styles/colors? (The plain white background is getting old - time for some color and graphics).

- How about a user replaceable battery? (Bit of a no brainer there, Steve. People swap out batteries with everything else. Do you think your customers are too stupid to do so?)

- How about integrating stereo microphones and small speakers for voice recording and playback? I've been waiting for the day when I can chuck my digital voice recorder and just use the Ipod for this. External plug in mics and all that crap are lame. Integration is the key.


:!: And Steve, how about working on the out-of-box experience more? We used to get everything we needed included in the box. Now, Apple charges $30 for socks. :roll: You continue to remove more and more until there's nothing left. What's next? $30 for a USB cable, and another $30 for earbuds? Are we going to have to pay extra for the battery, too? With that said, let me expound on this a bit...

- How about including a few things with the Ipod. Oh, I dunno, Steve... like maybe an AC adaptor??? Duh. Please quit forcing people to spend extra on necessary things like this. There's nothing more annoying than spending $200-300 on something and then having to go out and spend extra on necessary things you need to make it function. I think for $200-300, and the billion dollars you've made from the Ipod, you can afford to include a way to plug the thing into an outlet to charge it out of the box. A USB cable isn't going to cut it. Not all of us have desktops that run 24/7 just to charge our gadgets. I hate the idea of using a computer to charge batteries. An outlet is my preferred method for that, and I'll bet most everyone else's too.

- And how about also including a desktop charger, standard? For something that gets so scratched up, I'd love to be able to charge it without laying it flat on a desk or having to pay extra in order to avoid doing so. Something like the Ipod should be propped up, safe and seen. Or if I have a case for it, I still don't like charging wires strewn across my desk (it looks tacky and they don't stay put) - desktop chargers keep the act of charging items like an Ipod so much cleaner and organized and give people a safe place to dock the thing until they use it again. And please allow the desktop charger to fit an Ipod while it's in a case. Removing the player from a case over and over again just to be able to plug it into a desktop charger is a real annoyance. Oh, and please design the desktop charger with an additional slot to charge a second user-swappable battery! :)


:!: Here's something for extra credit, Stevo:

- How about taking a Nano, placing a much smaller amount of flash memory into it (and maybe you wouldn't need any, not sure...), and adapting it and selling it as a remote control for the Ipod? And please use RF, not IR (no line of sight issues that way). Of course, then the Ipods would need an RF receiver/transceiver (but integrate them into the Ipod itself, not a dock, thank you).

It's just that we have all these docks out there on the market that include speakers or allow us to hook our Ipods up to speakers and so forth, but it's a bit difficult to see a 2" - 2.5" screen from across the room, ya know? A remote just like the Nano with its color screen that would allow me to see what I'm doing when trying to control my docked Ipod that's across the room, would be the best remote I could imagine having.


I think doing these things would certainly reignite the fires a bit.

[Janak Parekh]

I agree it's been awhile, but I'm sure Apple will be releasing something very soon. Afterall, wasn't it Steve that said that a consumer has to buy a new Ipod once every year to have the latest?
Not sure. The overarching rumor has been that they want to launch a video iPod, but the negotiations with the RIAA are going very badly. Right now, the most likely release is a 6GB or 8GB nano. Wheee.

That said, although I do like my Ipod, I do want to see some new features in the next model, so here are some suggestions (and maybe a few rants):
Good luck. People have been clamoring for features for years, but Apple's philosophy is "less is more", and it's taken to an extreme on the iPod. My pet peeve: gapless playback.

We used to get everything we needed included in the box. Now, Apple charges $30 for socks. :roll:
I don't see this changing. It's a way of slimming the cost. And it isn't a huge problem for most people, although it's inconvenient.

--janak

[Phoenix]

Not sure. The overarching rumor has been that they want to launch a video iPod, but the negotiations with the RIAA are going very badly. Right now, the most likely release is a 6GB or 8GB nano. Wheee.

I wouldn't be surprised. I was poking fun at what Steve said more than anything. But I hear ya.

Good luck. People have been clamoring for features for years, but Apple's philosophy is "less is more", and it's taken to an extreme on the iPod. My pet peeve: gapless playback.

Trust me, I won't hold my breath, but at least I get credit for trying. I don't doubt that Apple will plug away doing the same boring thing forever. When a really great hardware/software combo outside of Apple appears, I'll most likely switch. Right now, Ipod/iTunes is the best, IMO.

And yes, gapless playback. How could I have forgotten that?! What is the deal with that? Isn't the Ipod one of the only players that still doesn't offer it? Why can't they fix this? Major flaw.

I don't see this changing. It's a way of slimming the cost. And it isn't a huge problem for most people, although it's inconvenient.

Inconvenience, yes, which is the point. And I don't know how much it slims the cost. Certainly not anything significant. By what? $10 or $20? It certainly doesn't cost them hardly anything to make a USB-based AC adaptor. And the same goes for making a dock. Those are things they should include. They charge $30 and $40 for everything because apart from the really expensive things, Apple likes the figures "30" and "40". It seems to be the magic price for them on their accessories page no matter what. Offering accessories is fine, but like everything, there's a threshold before it starts getting stupid. And Apple has reached that point. But hey, greed rules all, right? Certainly so at Apple.

[Janak Parekh]

And yes, gapless playback. How could I have forgotten that?! What is the deal with that? Isn't the Ipod one of the only players that still doesn't offer it? Why can't they fix this? Major flaw.
Actually, quite a few players still don't offer gapless playback. :?

Inconvenience, yes, which is the point. And I don't know how much it slims the cost. Certainly not anything significant.
Sure, it's not significant, but by eliminating it, they may shave a few dollars off the price, plus they have the "razor blade" effect by selling accessories.

But hey, greed rules all, right? Certainly so at Apple.
I think you give the rest of the market way too much credit. ;) That said, Apple has never been "cheap" compared to the rest of the market.

--janak

[Phoenix]

Actually, quite a few players still don't offer gapless playback. :?

Which ones?


Sure, it's not significant, but by eliminating it, they may shave a few dollars off the price, plus they have the "razor blade" effect by selling accessories.

That's obvious. But not everything needs to be about dollars and cents. The Ipod/iTunes duo has made Apple and Jobs very wealthy and they should include the two things I mentioned before to improve the out of box experience.


I think you give the rest of the market way too much credit. ;) That said, Apple has never been "cheap" compared to the rest of the market.

I'm not giving anyone else credit. My comments are focused on Apple right now. What I'm saying is that Apple is being greedy by not including a couple of important components.

But you're right in saying that Apple products always cost more than the rest of the market.

I like my Ipod, but hopefully we'll see some real competition and a great alternative when MS enters the market with the Zune. It's time someone breathed a bit of fresh air into this market segment.

[Janak Parekh]

Which ones?
Most, if not all Creative players, last I checked. Hey Jason, has any of your recent Creative players properly supported gapless playback? I hope I'm wrong.

--janak