[salannelson]

Because I'm dumb and I like the ease of using iTunes + iPod.

 

[marvin]

Quote:

It still seems so weird how iPod/iPhone has gotten THAT huge popularity though, it's not bad but the 90% figure I just took out of the blue doesn't seem to be far from the truth and I have a hard time seeing it being THAT good that would warrant it to be that much more of a popular choice than say Cowon mp3 players for example.

Can I go to a bricks and mortar electronics store in any given town and buy a Cowon MP3 player? No. That alone ensures that Cowon is always going to be a small player.

 

[Brooko]

I would never have touched an iPod - especially after reading some of the threads on head-fi.  The problem is that you have some who say great things about them - then others who scorn their  SQ.
 
This year, I got a Touch Gen4 (through a rewards scheme).  My original idea was to sell it for reasonable money in NZ - then buy a J3 when I'm in  the US next month.  I was coming from a Cowon iAudio7 (great little DAP) .... and I'd read a lot of bad things about iPods not having good SQ.
 
So I got a chance to actually try it.
 
How wrong I was.  The SQ on the Touch I think is as good if not better than the J3 (personal opinion OK) - I'm talking about non/flat EQ.  Cowon has excellent EQ capability and BBE - but I just really like the straight up sound of the Touch now.  And there are two apps (EQU and Equalizer) that add full manual EQ capability to the Touch as well.  Mostly I listen with no EQ - and just use the apps when I need to.
 
I have an entry level amp/DAC on the way - so I'm looking forward to seeing if that makes even more improvement.
 
For those who do 'bag' the ipods - I'd suggest actually trying a Touch - and if you get the opportunity, try and do it for at least a day.  I'm keeping mine, and only regret now is that I only went 32Gb instead of 64Gb.  I have the Cowon iAudio7 as a backup - but I don't think I've actually used it for weeks now.
 
The one thing that peeves me a bit now is the people who do make comment on the ipods - without actually trying them.  IMO they're contributing to a continuing myth that the ipod has poor SQ.

 

[J W]

I buy Apple stuff because of the packaging.

 

[azncookiecutter]

The combo of apps, phone, and good SQ, all in one compact package.

 

[salannelson]

Quote:

I buy Apple stuff because of the packaging.

I swear their products would be about $30 cheaper if they packaged stuff like everyone else.
 
That's Apple though...

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Thanks for mentioning EQu, it looks like a really great EQ (graphic even which adds even better configurability) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GomY7Wrn0Iw
 
I might even concider iPhone in future now depending on price just for the phone + mp3 player all in one.

 

[tyde165]

well ive only bought 1 ipod. that was the 2nd gen nano. That one was stolen. i got a new one for free. that one i lost while deep sea fishing. the ocean was hungry for an apple. so i then got another new one due to warranty. that 3rd one fell into the sink. Then got another. that one was ripped from my hand while in an argument. and thrown into the camp fire. So i finally said stop. i went a while without an ipod or any music player for that matter. until this past x-mas when i won a 4th gen touch from walmart in a drawing.
 
so ya. thats why i use one. i guess.

 

[Ttvetjanu]

Quote:

Ooh, I can feel the animosity oozing from the OP. The ipod/phone has quite possibly the best overall package of apps, web browser, intuitive UI, and sound quality. A jack of all trades, master of maybe some. Have you tried, like, actually reading the portable source forum? Here's one thread discussing the iphone's SQ: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/499008/iphone-4-sound-quality
 
Fairly positive from what I could tell, I also owned one, acceptable sound to say the very least. 

 
 
This.
 
Convinience, I always carry my iphone with me, so why would I want to carry another player in my already full pockets when the iphone already does the job pretty well. As for why an iphone... well the 4 was easily the best overall solution in smartphones (camera quality and use of itunes is a big + for me personally).
 

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

for non audiophiles, its just because of the branding "Apple". Same thing for people who wear Beats while strolling in the mall with their family/friends (What?)

Yes!   That's exactly it - marketing and branding!
 
This is the same reason why so many people carry a Newton as a personal organizer.  I, and so many others, use Newtons just because they're made by Apple.
 
At home, I run an Apple ///, the successor to the Apple ][, which was hugely successful just because it is an Apple.
 
Similarly, the office runs the Lisa, because Apple marketed the Lisa towards businesses and found widespread adoption and massive success because 1) they marketed it, and 2) it's an Apple product.
 
At home, when I'm not using my Apple /// or Newton, I like to play a few games on my Apple Pippin.  I'm sure you've heard of it, but the Pippin is Apple's game console.
 
It was also great to use NeXT computers when I went to school - Steve Jobs created NeXT specifically for the education market.  Why, there were nothing but black cubes whenever I went into the computer lab.  Amazing how NeXT conquered every school, college and university, isn't it?
 
And to be serious for a moment, you don't get marketshare by putting out a product people don't want to buy.  The AppleTV hasn't moved anywhere as many units as the iPhone or iPad.  That'll probably change when apps are allowed on it.  It's a nice unit, but consumers don't see a huge reason to buy it.  Yet.
 
Oh, and I actually have a NeXT Cube.  It's still awesome, even 20 years on.  One of very few vintage machines that will browse the Internet and function like most of today's desktops.
 

 

[blufox4900]

Because it's apple. Many people out there have the mindset that apple is the best with no questions asked. Apple just have a monopoly on the market and it'll take something incredible to replace them..and I mean incredible.

 

[Eric_C]

• iTunes. This means ease of syncing devices, ease of purchases (songs and apps), and podcasts. Every morning I try to update my podcasts, especially for stuff like BBC, and sync my iPod before I head to work. 
• Storage capacity (iPod Classic only). Ignoring arguments on SQ, EQ and software, the fact is that a Classic can hold a lot of music, and in Lossless to boot. Maybe some will object to ALAC over FLAC, but I've seen enough arguments for their quality being effectively equal to remain convinced of that stance.
• Aesthetics. Many people clearly think that the majority of the iPods and iPhones look good. You know those criticisms on the iPhone 4 and the later-generation Nanos being ugly? That's indicative that folks loved the previous iterations enough to speak up.
• Reliability. Sure, Apple has its criticisms on hardware failure rates...but the company looks stable enough to most consumers, and its products sold in so many places that there's a peace of mind that if something goes wrong with my iPod, I can at least contact support pretty easily, even face-to-face.

 
You'll notice a common them running through those points: convenience. Using an iPod or iPhone makes it easy to manage music, it's not bulky, you don't have to worry about running out of space, and you can probably walk into a store during your lunch break to pick one up. We are talking about the majority of people out there, and these things are huge selling points.
 
For me, I choose a Classic because of ALAC (as outlined above), podcasts and ease of podcast management, and in addition I think the SQ is pretty good. It's neutral to my ears. There's also a lot of support for LODs out there, so I'm happy as far as amping is concerned.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Because it's apple. Many people out there have the mindset that apple is the best with no questions asked. Apple just have a monopoly on the market and it'll take something incredible to replace them..and I mean incredible.

Apple's history is littered with failures. A few Google searches are all you need to find lists of their failed products.

Go back a few years and look at the tremendous risk the iPhone was. It seems like a sure thing today, but it sure wasn't at the time it was released. A new product from a company that had never been in a well-established mobile phone market. It was hugely risky. Go back and read the iPhone threads here at Head-Fi. It got trashed by many.

But not only did it work, it spawned a horde of copies. Android would not exist but for the iPhone. (I do think Android is good, by the way.) Neither would WP7 or any of the other smartphones.

Likewise, the iPad was a huge gamble. Before it, the tablet market was littered with ten years of failed products. No one had ever made a tablet people wanted to buy.

Go back and look at all the times Apple rolled the dice. They created the first practical home PC, the first practical networking tools, the first consumer GUI (Windows uses parts of it - Microsoft licensed a number of things from Apple), the first easily used DAP, the first smartphone, and the first tablet people actually use. And for every success, there were a bunch of failures.

Which reminds me, the iPhone wasn't Apple's first attempt at getting into the cellular market. Anyone remember the Motorola ROKR?

Like it or not, Apple consistently pushes the envelope in technology. They have a pretty good batting average as of late. They're making products people actually use and want to have.

Also reminds me, have you seen an "Apple is going to die" story lately? Go back a few years and you'll find dire predictions coming out regularly. This is a company that has had innumerable ups and downs. Check out Apple's stock history going back 30 years. It's scary-looking. Today, Apple seems to have its ducks in a row and is turning out very popular products. Maybe they will continue to, maybe not.

 

[GreatDane]

I recently watched a documentary on Netflix titled MacHEADS (2009). I learned a few things about Apple. It was pretty good IMO.

 

[eric0531]

Quote:

Well it still lacks EQ capabilities which is a big no-no for me at least.

Many other players lack gapless playback which is an absolute deal-killer for me, while EQ is not something I have any desire for.
 
I think that for most people the combination of a killer interface and pretty good to very good sound quality (depending on model) is a tough combination to beat.  And I say this as someone who really doesn't care for Apple as company, nor have I ever owned a Mac.