You miss the point. The point is, Iomega needs all the Zip sales it can muster to help keep their stock price from collapsing any further. Sony is coming and is going to steal market share in this already saturated market. Iomaniacs think that since nothing else is compatible with Zip, it has no chance. This is far from the truth. Zip is a popular peripheral. Nothing more. It is easily replaced with a better product, like Sony/Teac HiFi. HiFi is roughly the same cost (reporedly about $10 to $20 more than Zip) for the drive, and twice as good $$/MB for the media, since they both sell for about $10-$15. And, Sony HiFi is 2.5 times faster than Zip. At last there is an alternative and a real quality option in getting rid of the dedicated floppy drive, while still not losing floppy compatibility (which is still important regardless of the Iomaniac's protests). Millions of users use their floppy drives every single day. I use mine frequently when Netscape starts acting up and I have to boot my Mac off a floppy.
Will people throw their Zips out? Maybe not, but new buyers will have another option to choose from- an option from Sony which is a better product, and a better more respected name brand.
Sony has no need to buy out Iomega, since they will steal away Iomega's market share regardless. No one has any incentive to buy out Iomega, since there is so much speculation from Wall Street that their days are numbered with the release of HiFi. Imation's LS-120 is toast immediately. (Well, with LS-120's now selling for $49 total after rebate, they may sell some more).
Zips will continue to sell, but only at a 50% comparative rate within 3 months after Sony HiFi is released. Bank on it. |
