Slashdot Mirror
The Billion Dollar iPod Accessories Market
OleSurinam writes "The NYTimes has a story about the lucrative iPod accessories market." From the article: "Making add-ons for the iPod is a $1 billion business. Does that sound like hyperbole? Consider this. Last year, Apple sold 32 million iPods, or one every second. But for every $3 spent on an iPod, at least $1 is spent on an accessory, estimates Steve Baker, an analyst for the NPD Group, a research firm. That works out to three or four additional purchases per iPod."
That's not really true anymore, since most PC accessory companies make iPod accessories now. Logitech, Griffin, and Altec Lansing come to mind pretty quickly, and even higher-end producers like Bose and Coach make iPod add-ons now.
My main gripe with accessories is that they don't work with all the numerous versions of the iPod.
Take this example, I'm the happy owner of an iPod mini (which did not had a long life), but the great iTalk does not (and will probably never) work with the mini. See this Griffin iPod Compatibility chart, you'll find out the huge gap in iPod accessories compatibilities. (no I don't work for griffin, I'm just making a point here, I'm pretty sure other accessories providers have the same "problem"...)
Animoog.org
As an employee of NPD, I can say that it's not a "guesstimate". We know the exact number of iPods sold because Apple chooses to release those exact numbers. That data comes from the only company that makes iPods. Do you have any idea how many companies make iPod accessories? There's no one source to get that information from. That's what NPD does... we're the "one source" for data across the entire marketplace.
I got an ipod nano before Xmas and was frightened by all the reports of scratched screens. A friend told me about InvisibleShield (www.invisibleshield.com) so I ordered one. They're a bit expensive at $19.95 but it's a one-time application. My friend even had to send his ipod video into Apple under warranty and he got a replacement and IS sent him a free replacement shield (not like plastic and postage costs that much) even though it was not their fault. It changes the feel of the ipod, it's not smooth slick like it was, but I'm quite happy that I'm not getting any more scratches.
With the flip side being, of course, that there seems to be a distinct lack of Bose SoundDocks and other cool accessories for Neuros...
Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.