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iPod Takes Japan by Storm
conq writes "BusinessWeek reports on the soaring popularity of the iPod in Japan. From the article: 'iPod mania is alive and well in Japan -- one of the most competitive consumer-electronics markets on the planet. Despite an array of well-entrenched Japanese rivals, such as Sony and Matsushita, the iPod had cornered 51.3% of the digital-music player market as of the end of 2005, up from about 32% in 2004, according to research firm BCN. Sony was a distant second with 16.2%, while Panasonic grabbed just 8.2% of the market.'"
Popular technology popular. Interesting....
That's payback for the whole Walkman thing back in the 80's !
... and I saw a LOT of people wearing iPods in the trains, walking on the streets, and at the Narita airport. I talked with a few people about the iPod, and most were using them for Japanese pop music ripped from CDs: I did not meet anyone who had used the iTunes store.
Further, most of the models I saw were the video iPod or the Nano. Very few older photo iPods, and none of the earlier generations.
I'd say that the iPod was the dominant music player that I saw (although there were a few portable CD players)
Until I owned one.
I've owned at least 6 or 7 different non-IPOD players including RIO's, RCA's, hard drive, flash based, you name it.
My wife bought me a Video Ipod this year and I was skeptical. "Why not save the $50 and get a non-Apple one.". After less than 3 months, I like it so well, I'm ready to trade her Rio Carbon in for a Nano just because its so easy to use. I generally consider myself tech savy (using Linux since 1997) but the interface just seems so slick, so smooth, so simple to use with one hand that I can't get over it. Just the fact that you can rate songs as you play them and have that transferred back into Itunes seemed to represent a higher level of integration (seamlessness) than I saw with any other player and client-side software combination.
Want to fast forward though a song? No problem. Couple of intuitive ways to do it. Love the album art. I used to download podcasts with a non-Itunes client and download to my other players. Completely simple with Itunes and the Ipod.
I'm not suprised. Apple just got it right.
a 'real' iPod killer
Here's one for only $7.
Just wait until Godzilla gets back from his battle with Mothra.
It'll beat back this iPod invasion.
Now we need a Naruto SE with all episodes loaded. My kids would NEVER speak out loud again.
War was beginning. ....
Japan: What happen?
Mechanic: Somebody set up us the iPod.
Operator: We get signal.
Japan: What !
Operator: Main screen turn on.
Japan: It's You !!
Apple: How are you gentlemen !!
Apple: All your mp3 player are belong to us.
Apple: You are on the way to destruction.
Japan: What you say !!
Apple: You have no chance to survive make your time.
Apple: HA HA HA HA
Japan: Take off every 'wma' !!
Japan: You know what you doing.
Japan: Move 'wma'.
Japan: For great justice.
[!] No, I can't see my comments. They are not worthy of +3 moderation.