Podcasting--the latest techno razor blade.(Brief Article)

If you thought these little apparatuses were predominantly popular for music downloads it seems that Apple has found a killer app for iPods that is turning the industry upside down. Stumbling on the latest invention of a "podcast" has created a revolution in downloading numbers and sales of the unit. (A podcast is simply a recorded file--usually a talk or lecture that a user can download for free).

In a recent NY Times article on July 28th, David Pogue wrote:

"The big question is, why is Apple working so hard to claim the podcast phenomenon as its own ..... Clearly, the motivation behind Apple's podcasting program is selling more iPods. You can certainly get podcasts onto other music players, but not with the effortless, automated flow of the iTunes-iPod system.

"In other words, these free podcasts are just another feather in the iPod's cap. As an editorial at daringfireball.net astutely observed, Apple is flipping the traditional business plan on its head. It's giving away the razor blades, but selling a staggering number of razors.

"... Overnight, iTunes 4.9 has already become the most popular podcast-management software on earth; Apple says that within 48 hours of its release, Pod people had subscribed to more than a million podcasts. Pockets of the populace may not enjoy the transformation of podcasting into a commercial, pop-culture phenomenon, but it's too late now. The people have spoken--or, rather, listened."

Full text of NY Times article--available online free until Aug 3rd http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/28/technology/circuits/28pogue.html?

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