PC vs MAC

[brodski]

Why is it that with the market lousy with better and cheaper MP3 players, nearly everyone seems to want the expensive, inferior iPod? Did Apple put something in the water?

Marketing, which is the same reason that people who get perfectly good water pumped into their homes for next to nothing will pay £2 for a bottle of "mineral" water.

 

[merentha]

Why is it that with the market lousy with better and cheaper MP3 players, nearly everyone seems to want the expensive, inferior iPod? Did Apple put something in the water?

It certainly has little to do with quality. Else why would the iPodians want the same device in every new colour?

To a lesser extent I'm seeing this phenomenon with the PSP owners as well. But they at least can make the excuse that they're keeping the older unit with the earlier firmware for homebrews and ISOs, and the new machine with the updated firmware for the new games.

 

[Darat]

Why is it that with the market lousy with better and cheaper MP3 players, nearly everyone seems to want the expensive, inferior iPod? Did Apple put something in the water?

You must have not have noticed -I didn't want an iPod, I wanted something smaller, with a color screen, easier to use and a longer battery life.

 

[cyborg]

Why is it that with the market lousy with better and cheaper MP3 players, nearly everyone seems to want the expensive, inferior iPod? Did Apple put something in the water?

I'd be careful arguing down this line of reasoning... arguing that the market leader is the ostensibly best product will lead you to argue PCs are better than Macs.

 

[Ian Osborne]

I'd be careful arguing down this line of reasoning... arguing that the market leader is the ostensibly best product will lead you to argue PCs are better than Macs.

A lot of people buy PCs because they know no different. I'd say anyone in the market for a new MP3 player will be aware that the iPod isn't the only option.

 

[coalesce]

One last thing--I promise.

Saying that the most popular product is always the best product, to me, is like saying "Eat S(Rule8)t! Millions of Flies Can't Be Wrong!" Sometimes people like what they like because it fits their needs. There's nothing wrong with that, especially if it's a decision that doesn't include your choice.

Michael

 

[cyborg]

A lot of people buy PCs because they know no different. I'd say anyone in the market for a new MP3 player will be aware that the iPod isn't the only option.

And I say you're making that up.

 

[phyz]

You must have not have noticed -I didn't want an iPod.

I did notice. So I wrote the word "nearly" in my comment. The query wasn't about your choice but rather the choice of all those who have made the iPod the far-and-away leader in the market.

Marketing.

Similarly, Apple's marketing genius has made Macintosh the far-and-away leader in its market. Oh, wait...

I'd be careful arguing down this line of reasoning... arguing that the market leader is the ostensibly best product will lead you to argue PCs are better than Macs.

Whoa! I made no such argument! I asked a question. And I am eager for answer to it. Most people who have such things have PCs and iPods, so they can claim majority rules. I was hoping to hear from a PC-Hearter and iPod-Hater on this issue. Entertainment value, you know?

 

[delphi_ote]

I appreciate the fact that some interfaces are more intuitive than others but if some guy can't learn to use an iPod in 3 minutes (there's an instruction manual and a quick reference sheet) time then I have to wonder who he stole the iPod from because he's not smart enough to hold a job so he could buy one for himself.

There's a lot wrong with that interface, though. I outlined more than a few problems with it in an earlier post. The most glaringly obvious is that you can't control the volume at certain times. That is dangerous.

 

[brodski]

Similarly, Apple's marketing genius has made Macintosh the far-and-away leader in its market. Oh, wait...

Apple did something very new with it's marketing of the iPod, focusing on its non traditional markets and making mp3 players appeal to people who where otherwise largely uninterested in computers.
They push the ascetics and the alleged "lifestyle" choice of owning an Ipod over technical features, and all in all try to make owning an MP3 player less "geeky". They have seceded to such an extent that the terms iPod and MP3 player are now interchangeable in the minds of many.

 

[phyz]

The most glaringly obvious is that you can't control the volume at certain times. That is dangerous.

For the good of the order: one can always
1. disconnect the earphones.
2. remove said earphones from one's ears.

Danger averted!

Anyway, one source of fondness I have for my 3G iPod is that it's exterior has only one moving part: the lock-unlock slider switch.

 

[delphi_ote]

For the good of the order: one can always
1. disconnect the earphones.
2. remove said earphones from one's ears.

Danger averted!

My criticism remains relevant. A user's first instinct when their ears hurt is going to be to spin the wheel to turn down the volume. I love my iPod, but from a usability perspective it is just not well designed. Personally, I can't understand why anyone would let brand loyalty get in the way of objectively critiquing a piece of electronics. There are triumphs and failures in the iPod design. The software and display on the iPod are fantastic. iTunes is a bloated abomination when running on a PC. The shape of the device is very convenient. The inability to change the battery on the Mini and Nano is lame. The headphones included with the device sound awful, but they're better than what you get with other MP3 players.

Anyway, one source of fondness I have for my 3G iPod is that it's exterior has only one moving part: the lock-unlock slider switch.

Which is fantastic from aesthetic, reliability, and simplicity perspectives. Unfortunately, in my experience neither that slider switch or the main control wheel are very robust in the Mini and Nano. Over time, they get a little tricky. Definitely stick to the iPod proper if you can help it.

 

[phyz]

I love my iPod, but from a usability perspective it is just not well designed.

I cannot disagree with a personal assessment that is true for you. As with so many things in life, you endure what you percieve as shortcomings in design. Or vote with your pocketbook and shop elsewhere.

Everyone's idea of The Perfect Design is different. With the iPod, we get Steve Jobs' idea. A lot of people seem to be OK with that. Anyone who isn't can buy a competing device.

If you know of the perfect device for you, do tell (and steer 'em some business)!

 

[delphi_ote]

Everyone's idea of The Perfect Design is different.

And I think it's worth putting out different critiques of a particular product to help other people make up their mind. Or at least help them anticipate some of the quirks of the product if they decide to get one for themselves. No product is perfect.

It's also worth discussing purely as a lesson in usability. So many commercial software programmers and electronics designers lose sight of this very important aspect of the development cycle. If you constantly look at the up sides and downsides of different user interfaces, you can improve on your own designs. It also helps a consumer anticipate problems they'll have using a product. What at first seems like a very flashy and interesting idea usually has some serious downsides and confuses the user in practice. Most HCI people I've talked to say the best user interface improvements are the ones users don't even notice are there.

I'm not flaming the iPod here. I'm just trying to balance Apple's hype with honest criticism of its flaws and point out that designers should put serious thought into flashy new user interfaces.

 

[phyz]

And I think it's worth putting out different critiques of a particular product to help other people make up their mind. Or at least help them anticipate some of the quirks of the product if they decide to get one for themselves. No product is perfect.

I'm just trying to balance Apple's hype with honest criticism of its flaws and point out that designers should put serious thought into flashy new user interfaces.

I'll drink to that.

 

[Doc Daneeka]

Why is it that with the market lousy with better and cheaper MP3 players, nearly everyone seems to want the expensive, inferior iPod? Did Apple put something in the water?

All hail the cult of Apple. Their marketing genius can only be explained by resorting to the supernatural.

 

[HarryKeogh]

All hail the cult of Apple. Their marketing genius can only be explained by resorting to the supernatural.

If it was just their marketing shouldn't their computers have more than a 4% market share? (If I remember correctly it's 4% up from 2% from a few years ago)

Whenever I've been tempted to go a different route from iPod I read the reviews on Amazon.com for other mp3 players and too many times I read "this dumb thing won't work right!" or something to that effect. In my experience the iPod has always been headache-free. That's worth a premium in my book.

And they're so shiny!

 

[delphi_ote]

I'll drink to that.

If you're coming to TAM, I'll take you up on that.

 

[merentha]

Whenever I've been tempted to go a different route from iPod I read the reviews on Amazon.com for other mp3 players and too many times I read "this dumb thing won't work right!" or something to that effect. In my experience the iPod has always been headache-free. That's worth a premium in my book.

Not too sure about Amazon.com, but I've read and heard so many bad experiences about iPod (esp the battery problems) and Apple's service ("sent for repairs, only to get somebody else's old iPod back") it was enough to make me skip the shiny and get a decent player which looks just as cool and was cheaper too.

 

[phyz]

All hail the cult of Apple. Their marketing genius can only be explained by resorting to the supernatural.

Like I said, that explains their impenetrable lock on the personal computer market, right?

Look for members of the cult at TAM, sitting behind the glowing apple on their laptops; they've infiltrated JREF en masse. So bold they don't even try to hide their allegiance.