Today’s announcement that Apple has already sold over 1 million video downloads amazes me. It goes to show how smart Apple really is. Content is king, and when you launch a product that has content readily available at the same time, you are sure to sell a lot of units. Microsoft, iRiver, Samsung and the others could lean a thing or two from this model. Archos has had media players on the market for a long time, and while early adopters and technophiles were quick to snatch up their products, the mainstream has stayed away. Why? Because who wants a media player with nothing to play on it? People can be lazy and others simply do not have the time to learn new technologies. They want to open the product and have it working in 30 minutes or less. With the Archos or Zen Vision, you need to know how to convert media, record shows etc. But with the Apple iPod Video, all you have to do is open iTunes - its that simple.
I am not a huge fan of the iPod Video. I think its screen is too small, and it only supports a MPEG-4 video. I need a DivX compatible player to be happy. But I am the exception. You can read my review of the Apple iPod Video here. I didn’t review it based on my personal tastes, but rather in the eyes of those whom Apple is targeting. And once again they hit the Bulls Eye.