Challenging Apple

So it appears that Samsung has launched another foray against Apple’s dominance in the portable music player market. Yeah! Six more devices that will go totally unnoticed.

What does Apple have going for them? It’s more than just sexy players. It’s the entire package; Apple is to the music/computer industry as Nike is to the shoe industry. They are a marketing company; they sell easy-to-use hardware that is sleek and extremely well-designed.

One of the guys I work with just ordered a 12″ PowerBook. The purchase order was faxed out on Monday and he had the machine (from China I might add) by Wednesday. Wednesday?! Are you kidding me?! Score yet another one for Apple; supply chain management is spot on.

Okay, so for Samsung, how will they stack up? Their devices boast some great statistics; they have a wide-range of tools, etc. But, they just don’t have that sex-appeal that the iPod’s do … iTunes and Apple’s music store bring the full package to bear for end-users. Just putting some players out on the market doesn’t cut it any more; you have to have a full-blown strategy that encompasses the device and the lifestyle.

Samsung’s devices will sell but they won’t make a dent in Apple’s market share.