Fred Davis at Always On reckons the video-capable iPod is not the future of television, and I have to agree with him.Steve Jobs employs some of the best marketing people in the business, and Apple never misses the opportunity to magically transform the limitations of a new device into a so-called "feature" -- the new iPod is no exception; it's a music player that plays video, but Steve has made everyone truly believe that it's a personal video player.
By tapping into the increasing demand from Mac-fanatics and rumor mongerers for a "Video iPod", Jobs has sated the audience appetite for something they clearly didn't need, and achieved it by cashing in on the immense popularity of shows like Desperate Housewives and Lost -- simultaneously driving the entire Hollywood establishment into the arms of their corporate lawyers and setting himself up for a potentially ruinous battle with the most powerful and ruthless commercial force on the face of the planet; the movie industry.
When you break down Fred's criticism of the new iPod (-- it's not exactly lightweight for a PMP, the battery life is poor, the screen is tiny and the iTunes content is copy-protected), it really isn't much for Steve to be banging on about -- especially since he derided the idea of a video iPod several months ago.
As a music player with limited video features, it's fine -- as a personal video player, it's average, at best. The PocketDish, announced a few weeks ago, has much more potential in terms of audience reach and technical capabilities. Apple might be winning the battle, but only time will tell who will win the war.
As Fred suggests, don't be fooled into thinking that old Steve is out to make everyone's life better, or that he's starting a "television revolution" by offering TV shows for $1.99 -- he's out to make money, flat and simple -- and he needs the iPod bandwagon to keep on rolling along in order to make it happen.
1. Mr. Davis is missing the fact that most consumers don't own a personal media player. But many do own an ipod. If you start educating consumers on what else they can do with this device, they are going to start asking for content and bigger screens and more battery life and more. By Steve Jobs and Apple releasing this as a ipod which happens to play video, they create demand and still leave the door open for a true Video iPod down the road.
Posted at 7:03PM on Oct 21st 2005 by Josh