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?
COPYRIGHT 2005 Sarah Stambler's Marketing with
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