iPod stockpile weighs on Apple

Apple's shares falls after a fan site says the Mac maker is sitting on tens of thousands of iPod models.

The story "iPod stockpile weighs on Apple" published June 3, 2005 at 9:55 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

Content from Reuters expires after 30 days.

[jamie.p.walsh]

iPod Shuffle surplus? SHOCKER

Kudos for Apple's designs, but this one is a bomb. Much bigger than most in it's class. No display. Poor sound quality.

[kieranmullen]

Stick to gum is too large?

Have you seen the shuffle or used it? My brother has one and it sounds fine even with larger headphones on the audio is quite good. How small are the other ones in the market?

Kieran Mullen

[jamie.p.walsh]

iPod Shuffle surplus? SHOCKER

Kudos for Apple's designs, but this one is a bomb. Much bigger than most in it's class. No display. Poor sound quality.

[kieranmullen]

Stick to gum is too large?

Have you seen the shuffle or used it? My brother has one and it sounds fine even with larger headphones on the audio is quite good. How small are the other ones in the market?

Kieran Mullen

[Jonathan]

So how's that Dell DJ pipeline treating yah?

Apple has to be the only company on the planet that gets press for having too much inventory. If this was Dell, IBM, Gateway, Toshiba it would be a nonevent. But because its Apple....OMG! Look out! Sad really how everyone has to pick on Apple because they finally found a market they can win in. I mean its not like we see the spotlight on Dell every day because they are #1 in the PC industry. Did I say sad? How about pathetic.

[Sboston]

hmm

More likely Apple thought that everyone in the known universe HAD to have one.

Looks like that is not the case. I don't have one and have no burning desire to aquire one.

But then, I don't have a need to walk around with music plugged into me all the time.

No slam or flame, just an observation.

[sanenazok]

there's a good reason

Apple's profits are based on unending sales of these devices, once the market gets saturated then Wall Street will take notice (like it already has). If Dell, IBM, Toshiba had growing stockpiles of their money making products it would be news too.

Just recently it was news that Dreamworks was sued for overstating demand for its Shrek 2 DVD's since there was a glut of supply. A small oversupply and suddently 100's of millions are lost.

It matters to investors

As an investor - trying to grow my savings for retirement, I care if unit sales growth is petering out. It doesn't matter what the company is - if they have a new product that has unchecked sales grwth, I don't much worry where I buy. But if I buy stock, just as unit sales growth flattens out - my potential return is far less.

[Jonathan]

So how's that Dell DJ pipeline treating yah?

Apple has to be the only company on the planet that gets press for having too much inventory. If this was Dell, IBM, Gateway, Toshiba it would be a nonevent. But because its Apple....OMG! Look out! Sad really how everyone has to pick on Apple because they finally found a market they can win in. I mean its not like we see the spotlight on Dell every day because they are #1 in the PC industry. Did I say sad? How about pathetic.

[Sboston]

hmm

More likely Apple thought that everyone in the known universe HAD to have one.

Looks like that is not the case. I don't have one and have no burning desire to aquire one.

But then, I don't have a need to walk around with music plugged into me all the time.

No slam or flame, just an observation.

[sanenazok]

there's a good reason

Apple's profits are based on unending sales of these devices, once the market gets saturated then Wall Street will take notice (like it already has). If Dell, IBM, Toshiba had growing stockpiles of their money making products it would be news too.

Just recently it was news that Dreamworks was sued for overstating demand for its Shrek 2 DVD's since there was a glut of supply. A small oversupply and suddently 100's of millions are lost.

It matters to investors

As an investor - trying to grow my savings for retirement, I care if unit sales growth is petering out. It doesn't matter what the company is - if they have a new product that has unchecked sales grwth, I don't much worry where I buy. But if I buy stock, just as unit sales growth flattens out - my potential return is far less.

stupid me

I'm not sure what to really make of this news. Apple is still
selling over 5 million of these babies a quater, but finally supply
had caught up with demand - how is that bad? For the last little
while they have been getting flack for not meeting demand.
Can't win it seems. Let's just wait and see how the overall
quater did to pass judgement on Apple, shall we?

stupid me

I'm not sure what to really make of this news. Apple is still
selling over 5 million of these babies a quater, but finally supply
had caught up with demand - how is that bad? For the last little
while they have been getting flack for not meeting demand.
Can't win it seems. Let's just wait and see how the overall
quater did to pass judgement on Apple, shall we?

[SteveBarry687]

The real problem with the iPod

The problem is that when the iPod first came out, it was all the rage. All of the kids had to have one. I know my daughter got hers for christmas. She just had to have it. It didn't matter what size or the fact that she had royally screwed up her PC and couldn't put anything on it. It was a status symbol for kids. Much like Pokemon was or Pawgs or any number of trends that have come and gone.

This is where most of those iPods went.

Now, the iPod is not cool anymore. My daughter never has hers. Before, she wouldn't go anywhere without it.

Why is it not cool anymore? Because adults started buying them. Now that old people are wanting iPods, kids don't want to go near them.

That is how I broke my other daughter of the Pokemon craze. I got really into them and talked about them with her until she didn't think they were cool anymore, because dad (an old man) liked them.

This isn't a shot at the iPod, it is a very cool MP3 player. It just isn't a trend anymore. Could the fact that Apple chose U2 (read old men) as their front men have anything to do with it losing its coolness factor?

[SteveBarry687]

The real problem with the iPod

The problem is that when the iPod first came out, it was all the rage. All of the kids had to have one. I know my daughter got hers for christmas. She just had to have it. It didn't matter what size or the fact that she had royally screwed up her PC and couldn't put anything on it. It was a status symbol for kids. Much like Pokemon was or Pawgs or any number of trends that have come and gone.

This is where most of those iPods went.

Now, the iPod is not cool anymore. My daughter never has hers. Before, she wouldn't go anywhere without it.

Why is it not cool anymore? Because adults started buying them. Now that old people are wanting iPods, kids don't want to go near them.

That is how I broke my other daughter of the Pokemon craze. I got really into them and talked about them with her until she didn't think they were cool anymore, because dad (an old man) liked them.

This isn't a shot at the iPod, it is a very cool MP3 player. It just isn't a trend anymore. Could the fact that Apple chose U2 (read old men) as their front men have anything to do with it losing its coolness factor?

This is based on a Rumor Site?!

Folks, before you all get your undies in a pinch, there are two points to consider.

First, this story is based on a comment made on a rumor site. That's sort of like "I know a friend of a friend of a friend of Steve Jobs who said..."

Second, the story is about the iPod Shuffle, not the iPod. There's also a story going around that Apple is about to beef up the iPod Shuffle, so maybe that's where this RUMOR story started.

This is based on a Rumor Site?!

Folks, before you all get your undies in a pinch, there are two points to consider.

First, this story is based on a comment made on a rumor site. That's sort of like "I know a friend of a friend of a friend of Steve Jobs who said..."

Second, the story is about the iPod Shuffle, not the iPod. There's also a story going around that Apple is about to beef up the iPod Shuffle, so maybe that's where this RUMOR story started.

Too expensive..

As typical with most Apple products.. they are too expensive.. and im taking a shot at apple.. because the dell and HP ones are the same way. There is no reason that a MP3 player that costs less than 30$ to product is sold for that high a cost. The reason.. was that all the kids had to have one.. and that shoved the cost way up there. Then in order to get decent storage in an iPod or any of the competitors you end up spending over 200$ for a glorified walkman (That doesnt even have a tuner). Come on.. reasonable prices for reasonable products makes a stable market. But right now we live in such a corporate greed country that is focused only on returning large amounts of money to investors and overpaid CEO's.. hmm .. apple outsource any american jobs to india yet?

Too expensive..

As typical with most Apple products.. they are too expensive.. and im taking a shot at apple.. because the dell and HP ones are the same way. There is no reason that a MP3 player that costs less than 30$ to product is sold for that high a cost. The reason.. was that all the kids had to have one.. and that shoved the cost way up there. Then in order to get decent storage in an iPod or any of the competitors you end up spending over 200$ for a glorified walkman (That doesnt even have a tuner). Come on.. reasonable prices for reasonable products makes a stable market. But right now we live in such a corporate greed country that is focused only on returning large amounts of money to investors and overpaid CEO's.. hmm .. apple outsource any american jobs to india yet?