iPod Creative launches UK iPod price war

[Stella]

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=14337

Creative launches UK iPod price war
By Jonny Evans


Creative has launched a full-scale attack on Apple's iPod marketshare in the UK, aggressively slashing prices across its product range.


The company has cut prices significantly, and its announcement of the discounts clearly referenced Apple as its main market competitor.


The 8GB Zen MicroPhoto now costs £149.99 (from £179.99). "This is £30 cheaper than the iPod nano," Creative claimed.


The company has also slashed prices on its Creative Zen Nano Plus range of flash-based MP3 players. "Now the same price as Apple's 'random' flash offering", the company declared. These products now start at £34.99 (for the 256MB version).


The Apple competitor recently revealed an operating loss of about $55-$65 million for the three months ended March 31. Revenues for the quarter came in at "about $220-$230 million", the company said, compared to $333.8 million in the same period a year earlier. Its stock currently trades at $6.26.


Creative sold over eight million music players in 2005 - but clearly hopes to profit from its newly announced pitch on price.

 

[Blue Velvet]

They've got an uphill struggle for mindshare.

An informal straw poll around the building where I work -- conducted by wandering around and being nosy a couple of days ago -- reveals a surprising number of iPod Nanos. A few Shuffles and about half a dozen proper iPods.

One Sony thing on a lanyard but didn't see one Creative player anywhere.

 

[rdowns]

They recently announced huge losses so now they cut prices. I guess they'll make it up on volume.

"The company projects an operating loss of $55 million to $65 million on revenue ranging from $220 million to $230 million. "- From last week

 

[Stella]

Oops, didn't realise this had already been posted on macbytes!

 

[dizzyiris]

no matter how low they go they will never beat apple

 

[needthephone]

Didn't creative have an mp3 player out before the ipod or was it rio?

 

[Piarco]

Didn't creative have an mp3 player out before the ipod or was it rio?

I think they did - and it was frackin' huge! same shape as a ye olde CD player, but nearly twice as thick. Can't remember the capacity though...

 

[student_trap]

I think they did - and it was frackin' huge! same shape as a ye olde CD player, but nearly twice as thick. Can't remember the capacity though...

wasn't it the mp3 CD based creative "jukebox"? i think a friend of mine had one

 

[Piarco]

wasn't it the mp3 CD based creative "jukebox"? i think a friend of mine had one

That sounds spot on mate - be interesting to know what their first capacity was... couldn't have been more than 5GB...

 

[Eraserhead]

I think it was as it had a 3.5" drive (i guess, those things are huge) I think it was 20GB.