Do We Love iPods Too Much?
Posted by Sean Fallon on July 27, 2006
Filed Under Audio | Stumble This
Like millions of other Americans, I am a proud iPod owner. Fortunately, I haven’t encountered any problems with it thus far, but I must admit that the durability of the device has always been a concern.
The web is filled with sob stories about iPod failures, and various reports about other shortcomings have been widely reported (see Nano / Earbuds). Generally, the response to these failures involves a three step process: anger, acceptance, and a trip to the Apple Store to pick up another model.
According to the Chicago Tribune, “an Apple spokeswoman, Natalie Kerris, said iPods have a failure rate of less than 5 percent, which she said is “fairly low” compared with other consumer electronics.” She also noted that an iPod is designed to last four years.
However, the Tribune also cited a survey conducted last year by the 12 year old macintouch.com that revealed a 13.7% failure rate for the iPod. That is to say, 1400 out of the 9000 iPods owned by survey respondents failed due to battery or hard drive problems. That figure is in line with the 15% rate that analysts like Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group believe will be the expected failure rate for iPods less than a year old.
Naturally, these failures could be blamed on any number of things outside of the manufacturing plant. Still, when you consider how much an iPod costs these days, a potential 15% risk of failure is a little worrisome. And even if that figure is incorrect, Apple itself admitted that an iPod is designed to last a mere four years. Obviously, Apple knows that it has a loyal customer base that will keep coming back to the well regardless of the circumstances.
There is no question that Apple stands alone atop the portable media player market - but a product this revolutionary can only go without competition for so long. The bottom line is that competition helps to ensure that the best product is making its way to store shelves at a price that people can afford. Hopefully, when the right product does come along, people can shake free from the iPods spell long enough to give it a fair shot.
Could the upcoming Zune be this product? Only time will tell.
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