“The result is, the iPod is popular but other brands like Creative - and even generic mp3 players - have caught on too. With Sony marketing its Walkman phones and Nokia its ‘Music Phones’ a lot of young people don’t even think they need an iPod.”

Can you explain on how are the Creative and other mp3 players catching with ipod? Regarding Sony Walkman, in July 16, 2007 San Francisco Chronicle states in the article below how Sony is in unaccustomed position of playing catch-up to Apple ipod.

The article - http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/07/05/BUG267F5521.DTL

I don’t where Nokia is in this picture of mp3 player with or without phone.

Second point – “The moral of the story is that Apple is a guru at producing these amazing products. But then it would rather let them sell without much effort, especially overseas.”

I don’t have the latest number but last year number states - The Cupertino-based company told investors that it holds 40 percent marketshare in the U.K., 54 percent in Japan, 45 percent in Canada, and 58 percent in Australia.

Read the complete article here - http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/04/20/apples.music.business/

And finally – “As Business Standard reports: Grey market operators say they can ‘unlock’ the phone for just Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 so that it can be used on any network in India. “Unlocking the iPhone isn’t tough,” said a dealer in central Delhi.”

Please don’t try to unlock iphone YET. It’s phone function will stop working. You still be able to use ipod, wi-fi and other functions of iphone. US hackers are trying hard to unlock iphone.

BTW – I have an iphone and I love it. No regrets. It is differently this week’s killer app. Stay tune with more to come from Apple.

Neil

Now about India, How long would we import perpetual European modernity?

In every thing we like or we eye European shit even though if its some thing we dont even need and would not even use in the future.

Dekoh Photos

But if Apple wanted to make a truly innovative and customisable device - why didn’t they support Java?!

Some of the coolest widgets out there are based on this technology.

My idea of innovation - i just downloaded a little app from http://www.yoober.com that lets me send as many text messages as i want without paying for SMS.

Yes, it’s a beta still, but at least someones trying to do something a bit different and useful!

But if you really can’t wait for the iPhone (and you have a Windows phone) then check out this link - it’s a must look. And best of all, its all free!

Skinning your phone to look like an iPhone

Hope this is useful

Apple and its biz practices are so cool that I wonder why no one is talking about it. The day of the I-Phone Launch I was at the Apple Store and what a sight it was.

Customers were greeted like kings and Queens. When someone after buying I phone used to head out of the store the apple staff would give them a big round of applause - as if the guy guy just hit Shoaib Akhtar out of the Green Park for a six.

Expereince them in thier store, at the Genius bar and you wud know what I am talking about…

I-Phone is a revoultion folks…

BTW, the USD 600 price in the US is after a subsidy from AT&T, and after AT&T has agreed to kickback some of the revenues to Apple. Which is why Apple has not tied up with any other service provider even in the US (you can’t get an Iphone if you are on T-Mobile)

If the product works in the US, one of our operators will tie up with them (a la Blackberry on Airtel) and launch the phone here

For example, the San Disk Sansa MP3 player is everything you’d want in an iPod Nano and more: 8 GB, FM tuner, voice recording, direct USB transfer and play. The last three features are not in the Nano. San Disk is a reputed company too, they were makign flash drives before the iPod was around.

The Nano costs $249, the Sansa $200.

Guess which one sells more?

That wont work here. They will not sell enough to recover the money they invest in publicity and marketing. Which is where Apple’s money goes into. A web/wiki search for “Reality Distortion Field” will be interesting…

Most people who have iPods here have them because
A) They buy them abroad where it costs 60% of the Indian price (8 GB Nano - $249/Rs.10000 in the US v/s Rs. 16000 in India officially or 14000 in the grey) and
B) They do not know other alternatives.

It appears to be arrogance on Apple’s part, more than anything else that demands higher prices than their alternatives. Dont hold your breath on the iPhone. There are alternatives officially released in India - the Nokia N95 which has more features and the HTC Touch. Apple can go jump in the Arabian Sea for all I care.