Here is a post (two posts, actually, blended together) from iHub on the Sansa and the major issue (IMHO, as well as the writer's opinion) that Sandisk and Eli will have to confront if they are to become a major retail consumer electronic product company.
"Sansa is doing well in the marketplace"
I suppose that depends on how you define "well". On the one hand, it entered the market and went straight to #2 behind the iPod in the flash-powered category. On the other hand, it's market share started at 6% and has been falling. Not very scientific, but in projecting whether it's 6% on the way to 20% or 6% and irrelevant, I start by asking "could I see myself ever buying one of these? could I see anyone I know ever buying one of these?" Honestly, how many people do you know that own a Sansa? How many have you seen on the street? Ever heard any kids asking for them as holiday gifts? Ever heard anyone say "gee, I can't wait to get a Sansa!"?Would you buy one? Apple got big enough fast enough, that it's buying terms are so good, Sandisk isn't going to be able to appreciably undercut it on price. So as long as buying an iPod and a Sansa are roughly the same price, who in their right mind would voluntarily choose to buy the Sansa? Clunk-factor warp 10. :-)
I'll repeat, Eli can't take the step of shelling out to bring in a non-joke design team until he understands what "cool" is, at least to the degree of knowing he doesn't have any of it on his design teams or inside Sandisk. Fortunately, Sandisk can prosper plenty without a successful horizontally integrated, branded consumer electronics business. It's just that I had at one time considered that a sort of substantial/huge potential upside. Can't realistically say that any more.
....
Jobs has aesthetic sensibilities, an appreciation of that stuff, a willingness to make it a priority.
Perhaps it's the latter 2 things that are the truly critical elements. Eli will never be cool like Jobs. But he could develop an appreciation for aesthetics in consumer electronics design (including the menu-software that powers them), and he could develop a willingness to make it a priority.
But it is clear that is not the case now. If it was the case, he would have taken one look at the Sansa and thrown a Jobs-like tantrum and said get this clunky load of crap out of my sight and don't come back until you bring me something decent. And then if they didn't in the next 30 days, he'd fire the entire industrial design team.
Let's keep in mind, Jobs didn't create the design revolution at Apple. He nurtured it and emphasized it. Jonathon Ive had already designed the revolutionary original iMac before Jobs returned to the company in 1997. It is Ive who is the design genius.
What I really and truly cannot believe, is that Jonathon Ive is the only industrial designer in the world who's capable of creating cool design in the MP3 digital player space. He may very well be the creme de la creme. But I believe if Eli made it a priority and had a clue, he'd shell out and hire a guy like Ive and give him the full resources to hire a design team.
It could happen. I just wouldn't hold my breath waiting. :-)
I'm gone for the day.
Sam |
