Here is the deal.
For over a year now I’ve been trying to look for a device that is > the iPod. In that time Apple has constantly moved the needle forward in a number of areas. We are still far behind, and in all likelihood, when we catch up, Apple will have something like this.
- Design
- The new generation of iPods and Nano are smaller, prettier and more feature rich
- All iPods have a readable color screen with album art
- The UX and Interaction Design are still better than anything out there
- I’d argue that the Portable Media Center has a much better and more usable interface, but it doesn’t matter when you can’t buy it or when the OEM screws it up with their agenda (like jog dial or some nonsense).
- Features
- The iPod has such new features as an FM radio remote
- There are about 100,000 new accessories that have appeared since I started looking for a replacement. many of this are just awesome.
- Pervasiveness
- Staying at the W Hotel? forgot your iPod charger or Sync cable? They have some for you to borrow in the same way they have plug converters if you are in a foreign country. Have some cryptically named Philips device with a massive brick? You are out of luck.
- Staying at your friend’s house and forgot your iPod charger? Yeah, well they have a charger too.
I’m beginning to change my mind about things. Even though we have a great eco system for music stores etc, the reality is that our OEM partners are never ever going to create a product like the iPod. They are simply no match for the iPod Dock Connector, which as generated an ecosystem of hardware that’s probably more lucrative than the online music business.
Game over.
I’m not such a zealot that I’m simply going to go out of my way to make myself miserable when the answer is probably an iPod. I don’t sync my music very often (like once a month) so using iTunes might not be so bad (eeek I can’t believe I said that). All I have to do is have my pc transcode all my music to mp3 or aac in a few days.
For now I’m going to hold out for the Gigabeat S. But if it’s big and ugly and has crappy battery life or a bad FM radio I’m out. I’m 90% of the way there. I’m also going to hold out for urge.com and Windows Media Player 11. But if any of these things suck, I’m off to the Apple Store to smack down a few hundred on some bling bling.
[update: I gave in and got a nano and I love it]