Vinny says:

“Since support is more than half of the iPod’s success, how big a dent will this device make in the iPod hegemony?”

0

Just like every other one before it.

Jeff says:

I have an iPod, I will not be buying another one. This seems to be the typical answer from most of my friends as well. It, however, does not mean that we want some lame WMA subscription based service either though.

KJones says:

I’ve had a 2Gb Sansa for almost 2 months now, and I love it! I don’t know why anyone would spend more money on an iPod Nano that has fewer features. The 1Gb Nano costs more than the 2Gb Sansa, and the Nano doesn’t have video abilities, the built-in FM radio tuner, or the voice recorder. People are paying a premium for the Apple logo on the back, and it doesn’t make sense to me. I guess some people are happy being sheep.

Another thing I like about the Sansa (or any non-Apple music player for that matter) is that I’m not tied to one particular service. If the service I use (puretracks.com) goes out of business I can easily switch to another one. iPod owners are tied to iTunes… and as unlikely as it might be, if iTunes disappears iPods will be useless.

iPod owners are forever tied to iPods because all the music they bought won’t be transferable to other devices. The WMA music I buy will work with other devices besides my Sansa, so if something even better comes along I can easily switch and bring my music with me.

Andy says:

Yeah they do have a 1gb nano for $149.

But this is not going to do anything to the ipod, all these players batently copy the ipods design. The ipod + itunes cmobo isn’t going anywhere soon. The ipod is considered fashionable and that why it sells.

I also agree with #6 that most people dont nearly fill their ipods. People aren’t awed that much by more gigs.

Joao says:

It’s the cuteness not the gigabiteness. It’s the logoness not the featureness. It’s the trendyness not the geekiness. It’s the Brand.
It’s all about the brand. It’s brand awereness. It’s Sony 21st century. It’s the top product. No one will derail the iPod. The iPod it’s a self perpetuating mantra. iPod sells more iPod sells more iPod. Things will be as they are till there’s a paradigm shift. Till there’s no more iPod devices. You can try but you can’t beat’em.

And that’s sad…

Roger M says:

I welcome the Sansa. Well, it’s been around for a while now.
I might get one. The Sansa got a lot that the iPod doesn’t. Radio, mic/recorder and video. And it’s not the proprietary nignag that limits the iPod. The end user can even change the battery in the Sansa. And all this for how much less? A lot less. Just shop around.
I never liked monopoly, even if the wares the monopoly sells is fancy and people go crazy in order to get it. The whole iPod craze has made it a monopoly, and it’s been a big turn off for me.
G O S a n s a 🙂

Angel H. Wong says:

People will prefer the iPod because they are animals contioned by the environment.

and people were/are stupid enough to pay more for a Sony product just because of the name of the brand even if the product is a MP3 player that can’t play MP3s natively.

Podesta says:

KJones’ rant sounds familiar because its verbatim from SanDisk’s ‘viral’ site promoting the Sansa. Amusing coming from someone who says he is not a sheep. Mike Voice did get a great job of debunking what are, basically, lies.

To maximize the Sansa’s one must add large capacity SD cards. Once you add the cost of that the notion that Sansas are much cheaper than iPods dissipates.

I think SanDisk will remain number two with 10 percent or less of the market, assuming Zune flops. But, it can’t compete with Apple.

Mike Voice says:

Podesta,

Thanks.

I didn’t even get into the “The WMA music I buy …” part.

Being a long-time Mac-user, I can’t buy any WMA music…or anything tied to Windows Media DRM.

I like competition in the portable player market, but the difference in cost between players pales to insignificance if I would also have to buy a Windows computer [or an Intel-based Mac, running BootCamp] to use it.

If I wanted the features the Sansa provides – and I could load it up with media from my Mac – I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one. I just don’t need anything more than my 1Gb Nano, at the moment.

KJones says:

First, I will point out that I was wrong about the 1Gb Nano being more expensive than the 2Gb Sansa. However, the 2Gb Nano is significantly more expensive than the 2Gb Sansa, and it has fewer features. You’re paying for the Apple logo, plain and simple.

Why? I’ve got 27GB of files in iTunes on my Mac – all playable on my iPod – and only 300Mb of it is purchased from iTMS.

So you’ve ripped music from CD’s. That’s fine, but it’s not the point I was trying to make. If people invest a lot of money on music from iTunes it will only work with iPods. That forces them to continue buying iPods (whenever their batteries die and can’t be easily replaced) in order to continue using the music they have bought. If someone told you you could only buy your clothes from one store for the rest of you life, would you be happy with that?

Yes, you can burn the music to a CD and then rip it in MP3 format, but in my experience there is a loss in quality when you do that. Besides, why should people be forced to do that? Why can’t Apple simply make the music they sell available in a format that other devices can handle, or all other players to use their format? They don’t do that because it would hurt their profits.

Same for the drm’d music I’ve bought from iTMS, when something better than my iPod comes along.

As long as that “something better” is also made by Apple. Music bought through iTunes is in a format that only Apple devices can play… so how are you going to transfer your iTunes music to a non-Apple device?

KJones’ rant sounds familiar because its verbatim from SanDisk’s ‘viral’ site promoting the Sansa.

Oh brother. So now I’m a paid shill because I can’t see the advantage of paying more money for an iPod that has fewer features and more limitations? If what I said is “verbatim” from another site please show me a link. You do know the meaning of “verbatim”, don’t you?

Mike Voice did get a great job of debunking what are, basically, lies.

What lies? Is it not true that the iPod Nano lacks features that the Sansa has? Is it not true that most music bought through iTunes only works with iPods (or within iTunes)?

To maximize the Sansa’s one must add large capacity SD cards. Once you add the cost of that the notion that Sansas are much cheaper than iPods dissipates.

That has to be the most ridiculous thing you’ve said yet. You’re trying to turn one of the Sansa’s bonuses (expandibility) into a negative.

Sansa owners are not required to buy SD cards. A 2Gb Sansa has just as much memory as a 2Gb Nano… the difference is that if a Sansa owner fills that 2Gb of internal memory they have the option of adding more memory. That’s something Nano owners can’t do, and yet you’re trying to make the Nano out to be better? What kind of logic is that?

Being a long-time Mac-user, I can’t buy any WMA music…or anything tied to Windows Media DRM.

My criticism has nothing to do with Mac owners who have no choice but to buy iPods… it’s not your fault that the OS you use limits your options.

My criticism is about Windows users who do have options and STILL buy the inferior device just because it is more popular.

The iPod was, at one time, the best music player. It is not anymore.

Sansa benefits:

– The ability to add more memory
– Replaceable batteries
– Recordable FM radio tuner
– Voice recorder
– Video playback
– Options (not limited to one online source of music)

iPod Nano benefits:

– a really nice scroll wheel
– people will think you’re cool because you spent more money on an inferior product just to have the Apple logo.
– iTunes is, for now, the best online music store