Prior to Tuesday , Apple produced a fistful of iPod accessary , from remote ascendancy to socks . But the freeing of theiPod Hi - Fi speaker systemmoves the company more squarely into the in high spirits - end accessory soil marked out by third - party developers . And that could curve up backlash on Apple if the caller finds itself shove with those developers for cut-rate sale , analysts warn .
“ I was surprised when I see that Apple was releasing another major iPod accessory . ” articulate Technology Business Research elderly psychoanalyst Tim Deal , notice the release of theiPod Radio Remoteat January ’s Macworld Expo . “ This send a clear message to iPod developers and I ’m sure it will multiply some ill will . ”
EndPoint Technologies President Roger Kay agree . “ Stepping on your partners warns them against succeeding cooperation and you cease up defend the world alone , ” he said .
During the iPod Hi - Fi ’s unveiling , Apple CEO Steve Jobs mentioned two competing speaker system products — JBL ’s OnStageand theBose SoundDock . The competition also includes XtremeMac’sTangospeaker organization .
“ We think those product are going to continue to do well , ” say Greg Joswiak , Apple ’s frailty chairwoman of cosmopolitan iPod marketing . “ They have a large market , and they will persist in to have a big mart , but nobody in this space is bringing effectual quality that competes with a home stereo and doing it at an iPod economy monetary value . ”
Deal contends that products like these have helped fire the iPod ’s popularity , and a visit to any online store seems to abide his thesis . Searching for iPod accoutrement turns up a potpourri of production , from cases to car stereoscopic photograph hook - ups . A more visible thrust by Apple into this area could have immediate consequences , Deal state .
“ If Apple continues to do this , those companies may begin to rally behind a competitor ’s production , ” he tot up . That could establish to be a challenge , as Apple controls 78 percent of the mart for MP3 players , according to figures cited by Jobs Tuesday .
And for that rationality , Apple executives believe there ’s plenty of way for their ware . “ What make this grocery so interesting is that it ’s so encompassing , ” Joswiak says . “ There are two places people really want to use their iPods : the car and the home . We want to focus on the dwelling house and give people keen sounding audio . ”
While neither Deal nor Kay suggested that developers would stop making products for the iPod , both analysts expressed business organization that Apple would suffer the community of interests that has been built around the gimmick . “ Ultimately an ecosystem is a muscular thing , ” said Kay . “ It ’s one hombre ’s ego against the world and he ’s had a pretty practiced run , but he ’s still human . ”
Apple enjoys a natural advantage over third - party accessary shaper , analyst say . The troupe jazz in advance what changes are coming to the iPod bloodline and can tailor any accessories to take advantage of new features ; third - company developers usually find out about raw products when the rest of the world does and have to scramble to update their offerings .
What ’s more , Apple operate the ledge blank for both its brick - and - mortar and on-line stores . It can give prominent placement to its own Cartesian product while ignoring vie accessory .
“ It ’s a double - edge brand , ” Deal enunciate . “ Ultimately it benefits the consumer to have more ware on the mart , but it is very hard for developers to compete with Apple . If Apple keep running developers out of the market , it is not going to benefit the iPod or consumers . ”
While it remain to be seen how consumers will oppose to Apple ’s iPod Hi - Fi , EndPoint ’s Kay conceive that Apple is confident its moves wo n’t deter third - party developers . “ Apple is count that it ’s a bread and butter issue and that the marketer not affected will remain out of ego - interestingness , ” he said .
