iPods & MP3 players

[Nokia]

Um, sorry, but no. That didn't happen. I don't know how you could even believe that story, especially considering that BB carried Creative long after the Zen Touch was released.

[CieloPerso]

but notice the topic of the discussion is about MP3 players. BB does not carey Creative MP3 players. oh, and you are partly correct, Nokia. after Apple made their gamble with BB, Creative MP3 products (Zen Touch) were not seen in BB for quite some time. Creative MP3 started to make its return to BB until in Q4 of 2007 BB required all MP3 products to be compatable with Rhapsody, iTunes, and Zune. Creative didn't want to once again be pushed around by BB and ignored their request and NOW Creative MP3 is not in BB.

I do remember the initial cut of Creative MP3 after the Touch and I do remember the Rhapsody noncompliance. I followed both to the letter when they were going on. Thanks

[Nokia]

Yes, that's what I meant. BB carried Creative mp3 players long after the touch was released. Also, since Rhapsody used PFS, Creative was compatible, as all their players were PFS compatible. The only player that BB carried that was not compatible was apple.

Sorry, your source was wrong. I do know the real reason that they are not carried, but it's internal information, so I cannot release it. BB stopped carrying the ZT because it didn't sell well on account of how large it was.

[moniquebf06]

It's really ridiculous that best buy can't sell an amazing product like the creative mp3.  It was ranked 2nd best mp3 player buy pcworld a couple months ago so it's just crazy that i could only get it online this x-mas.  sure hope this changes in the future because i research all the electronics i buy and creative is #1 in my book.  I'm not a fan of apple. 

[Nokia]

It's not ridiculous because no one buys them. Why spend money to carry a product that no one is going to buy?

[CieloPerso]

and the lack of sales is based on what? If BB doesn't carry them, then how on earth could they sell? if they aren't being bought elsewhere, how could Creative Labs still be in the MP3 player business during a recession?

[Nokia]

They were removed from inventory both because of their unpopularity and the very high return rate.

They're still afloat because the people of Singapore buy them, along with many countries in SE Asia and Oceania. However, they buy the dime-a-dozen models that are...a dime-a-dozen. I haven't looked at their lineup lately, but I know a year or two back, their product catalog consisted of around 20 different small, low-storage, unremarkable, flash-based players, almost all under 4GB. Each had a different "feature" such as being one color, two colors, or maybe even three colors.

Creative failed to market their products effectively, or even innovate. Their idea of "innovation" basically consisted of "we're going to beat apple spec-wise no matter what". I owned a Zen Touch 40GB. That thing was the definition of "brick." Why did it exist? For them to boast of a 24-hour battery life. After apple came on the scene, their new product releases simply proclaimed "we will follow apple every step of the way." Their niche, which was HD-based players, was taken over by apple, and they failed to innovate, unlike, say, Sandisk, who came to become a force to be reckoned with in the low-cost flash player segment. They are still giving apple a run for their money.

Also, you have to remember that mp3 players are not their only market. They are one of the largest producers of sound cards, and have a pretty darn good computer speaker line.

I think you'll see Creative exit the DAP business in the next three years.