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Target to Sell iPods

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One more thing. In case you haven't noticed, Apple has spent over half a billion dollars to build up a brand image. They realize they can't compete with dirt cheap pc makers so they built up a brand. Brands often command higher prices, making Macs more justifiable. Apple can sell at Target because of what Target's ad campaign has done for it's image. It's very complimentary. Walmart on the other hand will destroy their brand image they worked so hard to build up. Any company with any marketing company knows that. If they don't, they won't be in business very long.


People don't go into walmart looking for a good product, there are other stores for that. They just want some dirt cheap crap.
 
Originally posted by Nebrie
One more thing. In case you haven't noticed, Apple has spent over half a billion dollars to build up a brand image. They realize they can't compete with dirt cheap pc makers so they built up a brand. Brands often command higher prices, making Macs more justifiable. Apple can sell at Target because of what Target's ad campaign has done for it's image. It's very complimentary. Walmart on the other hand will destroy their brand image they worked so hard to build up. Any company with any marketing company knows that. If they don't, they won't be in business very long.


People don't go into walmart looking for a good product, there are other stores for that. They just want some dirt cheap crap.
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Bingo!
I live within walking distance of a Walmart, a K-Mart and a Target. I wear clothes bought from all three (okay, I just bought socks at KMart.... :) ). I go to Walmart when I want something cheap, Target when I want something cheap that doesn't suck too much (look at the home furnishings aisles in both stores), and the K-Mart closed down six months ago :D.

It's not the Walmart is better than Target, it's that Target has built up a brand identity based on *style* and convience, and WalMart's is based on *price* and convenience. Both have equally clueless highschoolers behind the counter, and both are not the pinnacle of retail buying, but when's the last time you saw a Target ad stressing low prices over style?

WalMart has done some amazing stuff with distribution that is the model for all retail, and has their niche (and a very successful on at that). But for a brand like Apple, who has placed their own retail stores in upscale malls, and has always stressed user experience over price, teaming up with Target is a great idea.

Sorry to inject an element of logic and sanity to this debate, you may continue with your name-calling and taunting. :D ;)
 
Originally posted by Chisholm


Sounds like a Switch campaign to me!:p
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I used to be a PC user ... then one day I walked into the Apple Store ... well ... I can't afford any computers at the moment, so To Be Continued ... :D


Off Topic I know.


Anyways, Wal-Mart is the low-cost provider, it competes on the basis of the lowest cost for stuff. They achieve that through good inventory management, good deals, etc. Target might not be as cheap, but it is still reasonable, and what they try to sell to differentiate themselves seems to be image of the store - like that dog with the Target eye.

Whether they sell iPods at Wal-Mar, Target, or -God forbid- Kmart, it doesn't matter, bust most likely it won't show up at Wal-Mart.

Now I have to go investigate Wal-Mart to see if they have any MP3 players ... and if the customer service improved ;)
 
Originally posted by LethalWolfe


If both Mac and PC iPods have the same level of functionality when connected to a Mac I don't understand why anyone would buy a "Mac only" iPod.

I own (and work with) both Macs and PCs and being able to easily use an iPod to Xfer files cross-platform just gave the iPod a bump up on my "things I want" list. As a "Mac only" device it wasn't worth the cost to me, but as a cross-platform device I just might have to grab one.


Lethal
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Actually the PC-iPod has a bit more functionality. I think you picked up on this from one of my previous posts but the Mac-iPod does not work with a PC period unless reformated. The PC-iPod works out of the box with PCs and Macs therefore you can transfer files between the two.
 
Re: So Walmart shoppers are white trash

Originally posted by digitalbiker
Boy, thats news to the Walmart shoppers of the world.

I just have one question and I want this answered by someone who has never bought a single item from Walmart in his or her life.

What's it like to not be white trash?

Huh?... NO responses, I guess we must all be guilty of shopping at Walmart and we are all white trash.:D
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Actually, I have never bought anything from Walmart. Mainly for there dirty corporate business practices. When they were building them at least here in the NW they wouldn't build them in a large town originally. Instead they built them in outlying areas in towns with 10K or less population. The result was to put all competing businesses out of business because when they first open they lower all the prices to the point that no one can compete. After the local businesses have been destroyed they raised there prices back to normal levels. Soon after this happens they realize they can't support a store of there size in a small town so they promptly close the store and finally move to the larger market. This leaves the small town completely dead. Also Wal-Mart has a nasty habit of selling edited music and DVDs as the original verison. Which really pissed off a friend of mine when he bought there and found out later.

I can't say that I have never been in one. When I was in the local one I felt dirty just being in the parking lot. This had a lot to do with the business practices I mentioned before hand. Once I entered the store I wondered if I could make it back out the door with all my teeth in tact and without a raging case of head lice.
 
Originally posted by TEG
Also... Why can't Apple make an iPod that is both Mac and PC compatible. Add some PC compatibility to OSX and then configure iTunes to work with it. That way it doesn't matter, they are all the same so no confusion for the newbies.

TEG
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There is no need to add the PC compatibility to OSX it's all ther already. There is no need for confusion with nubies. Just read all the posts I have made. The PC iPod works with Macs and PCs. The Mac iPod works with Macs. Both iPods are exactly the same hardware. The only difference between the iPods is the format and software on the iPod itself. This can be changed either way now thanks to a recent upgrade of the Windows iPod software. Previously you couldn't download the Win-iPod software anywhere so you couldn't make a Mac-iPod Win compatible.
 
Originally posted by Shrek


Selling iPods at Wal-mart is actually a very intelligent idea and would be a smart move for Apple. This is because Apple is trying to get more PC users to switch to the Mac by showing them how good it can really be. Now you can be sure that since PC users like cheap stuff, then a lot of them must shop at Wal-Mart because Wal-mart has low prices. If this is true then the iPod can really reach those masses and masses of Windows users that Apple is targeting, even if Wal-mart can't sell the iPod at low prices (which I think they can, Look here).

Forget about Mac users shopping at Wal-mart though, for ya'll are just obsessed with expensive stuff! But let PC users shop for cheap if that's the way they want to shop. Think about it, stupid! :mad:
Click to expand...

Put this together with all the posts and you have a grand vision of the average PC user.

They drive a big truck, have black teeth (at least the ones they still have), have head lice, say huyuck a lot, and date there own kin. :D
 
Originally posted by beatle888


Hey *******
thats Fncked up. wallmart is inexpensive and
some people are not fortunate enough to shop
anywhere else. one of my best friends is so
poor she does here grocery shopping at the
99cent store, has all her teeth and doesn't judge
people by how much cash they have....dick.
Click to expand...


Hey calm down no reason to get personal. I didn't point anyone out directly just the general overview of the local customer base at the Walmarts in this town. I know what it's like to po, I worked myself up out of it.
 
Originally posted by solvs
I wondered why this thread was so long. Everybody's talking about Wal-Mart. It's a store, some people who go to some stores are poorer, some are just cheap. I myself fall somewhere in the middle and shop at all sorts of stores.

On topic, I think any exposure for Apple will be good at this point.

To those confused, the Windows version of the iPod WILL NOT work like the Mac version on a Mac. Technically, you may be able to use it as a hard drive, but it will not function as a Mac iPod. Not to mention the fact that the Windows version has a 4 pin firewire connection, not the 6 pin you find on Macs (and actually a lot of PCs). There may be a way to do it, but as someone else posted, Apple says you can't (or they won't).

You don't need a hack to use an iPod with both. Like someone else said, just buy xPlay. Mediafour makes some great cross-platform software. It would have been easier for Apple just to sell 1 iPod (with 3 different drive sizes) and include xPlay, instead of a Windows version incompatible with Apple, and vice versa.

Of course, if you buy a Windows iPod, and love it so much you buy a Mac, you'd have to format it to work as a regular Mac version. Then you'd have to buy xPlay or not use it on your PC, because the PC wouldn't recognize it anymore. Even as a hard drive. And since Apple won't support it after you format it, it might not work as an iPod anymore and you'd have a very expensive little hard drive.

Or a paperweight if it doesn't work at all.
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Read my thread I started last week. I recently had a PC iPod in hand and had to use it with a Mac. I repeat myself when I say there is no difference between the two. It was 5gig Windows iPod the software on board also said Windows. It did not have the small firewire connector. It worked with the Mac flawlessly iTunes started up just the way it's suppose to. Apple also has a couple support documents explaining how to make a PC iPod into a Mac iPod. They also say in them that it's possible to make a Mac iPod into a PC iPod as long as you have the software disc that comes with the PC iPod(this is no longer necessary since Apple posted a software download for the Windows-iPod software.

I have done real hands on research with this stuff and know what I'm talking about. I recommend that you think before you speak and read what has been written also. If you have evidence for what you say back it up.

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13087
 
The NASCAR crowd

Originally posted by zarathustra


Target has a better target customer (pun intended). Every time I walk into Walmart, I feel like I am in Arkansas during a NASCAR meet. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but people at Walmart might not understand why a music doohickey costs 399, when they can get a walkman for 9.99.
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Yeah, just for the record, let's remind ourselves that for millions of working-class Americans luxuries such as the ipod are out of reach--Wal-Mart's demographic. Target's demographic is the frugal yuppie, college kid, and upwardly mobile apartment dweller, who can afford to drop $100 on a Mossimo leather jacket or $50 on a commodified deco floor lamp. The Wal-Mart crowd may understand very well why that "music doohickey" costs $399, but they'll have to opt for the $9.99 walkman, not because they don't know the difference or don't desire to have nice things, but because that's all they can afford.
 
Maybe I'm wrong or something, but aren't a large portion of the products sold at Target and WalMart the same brands? (especially the electronics sections) The have the same DVD's, same stereos, video game systems, TV's, Software, home appliances, etc etc etc. I think that Walmart sells just as many (formerly) $300 Playstation 2's as Target, speaker systems, Powertools, etc. Just my 2 cents. (I agree that the images are the same, but I'm saying that both stores sell alot of $300 range electronics.)
 
Macbandit, you keep saying that the Windows iPod will work fine with both the mac and windows, but I belive this is untrue. This is what Apple say's on the subject:
-I have a computer at home and one at work. Can I update my iPod music collection from more than one computer?
Yes. When you first connect iPod to your computer, iPod recognizes that computer as its “home” computer. Each time you connect, iPod automatically downloads the music library stored on it. When you connect iPod to a different computer, iPod asks for permission before synchronizing with this music library. If you choose Auto-sync, iPod recognizes the second computer as its home computer and breaks the link with the original computer. If you do not choose Auto-sync, iPod switches to manual update mode, allowing you to selectively drag songs, albums, or playlists from the second computer to your iPod.
Synchronization occurs only in one direction, from your computer to your iPod. This means you cannot transfer music, automatically or manually, from your iPod to a computer, and you cannot use iPod to copy a music library from one computer to another.
Can I update more than one iPod with my computer?
Yes. Each iPod communicates a unique device identification number to your computer, allowing you to take advantage of automatic music transfers to your iPod even if you share a computer with another iPod user. You can choose to automatically update your entire music collection on multiple iPod players or choose to update selected playlists, allowing you to transfer custom playlists to individual iPod players.
-I have both a Mac and a PC. Will my iPod work on both?
No, iPod is specially configured for either Mac or PC. iPod for Mac comes in the HFS+ file format which is optimized for performance and usability in Mac OS X and 9. iPod for Windows comes in the FAT32 file format which is optimized for performance and usability in Windows ME, 2000, and XP.

If you purchased an iPod for Windows, you can easily reformat it to work on your Mac by downloading the iPod for Mac Software Updater on the Apple web site. Note that once it is reformatted, it will only work with Macs. You need Mac OS 9.2 or Mac OS X version 10.1 or later to reformat an iPod for Windows into an iPod for Mac.

If you purchased iPod for Mac and would like to reformat it to work with a PC, you can download the iPod PC updater from the Apple web site. Before you reformat your iPod, make sure to back-up the contents because they will be erased during the reformatting process. Please visit http://www.musicmatch.com/ipodforwin.htm to download MUSICMATCH Jukebox 7.1 for iPod from the MUSICMATCH web site in order to manage and transfer your music to iPod.

Reformatting your iPod for Mac to work with Windows is an unsupported operation.

Using the iPod for Mac on a PC, or using the iPod for Windows on a Mac, is not supported by Apple.

-Can I use my existing iPod for Mac on a PC, or my iPod for Windows on a Mac?
Using the iPod for Mac on a PC, or using the iPod for Windows on a Mac, is not supported by Apple.


You say it's fine and works great, but I'd say most (definitely not all) users tend not to try things that arn't supported by Apple.

Also this probably isn't even an issue anymore because, as I posted before, Cnet states that Target said they will be carrying BOTH the Windows and Mac versions.
 
Why I shop at Sams Club

I used to own an Eagle Talon. I was a great little car. However, when it came time to buy tires, I chose the local tire dealer. I ended up with 2 Dunlops, and an over $400 dollar bill for them. 12,000 miles later, I needed new tires again. I bought 4 Goodyear Eagles at Sams club, for less than $300, including mounting, balancing,and warrantee. I don't think the national tire chains can touch that price.
That is why people shop at Sam's (and Walmart).

Yeah, I know, its not Mac related, just my .02 worth of opinion. :)
 
What the heck,

... here's my 2 cents.

My experience (from Phoenix, Tucson and Dallas/Ft.Worth) is that Target stores are always cleaner, have bigger isles (without a million items clogging up the middle of them), a better selection and their staff just seems nicer. Target treats me more as a customer than just another person to process.

One of the nice things about Target's housewares and clothes is that it is, basically, Mervyn's stuff. They're both owned by Dayton Hudson's and share manufacturers. (Different names on the tags though)

I think the iPod at Target will sell very well.

edit: One more thing - Target Super Centers have been going up here in DFW a lot - we've been shopping for groceries there almost exclusevly because they don't make you carry one of those stupid discount cards just to get their sale prices. (Out here Kroger, Tom Thumb/Safeway, and Albertsons all have those evil things now)
 
You know what this is?

This is a trojan horse.
The lame PC box makers were not wanting to put firewire into their dumb little boxes. Well if the PC users demand it since certain digital lifestyle products work with it, guess what? They will put it in. Or in the alternative people will add it themselves. Means Apple pushes firewire at the expense of USB2.0.
Of course as well the Apple logo gets permanently etched onto the brains of PC lusers through voodoo as well. ;)
 
As a side note. I don't know why Apple did not buy Corel for Wordperfect when they had the chance in the past. Maybe the deal with Microsoft prevented them.
Even ignoring that Apple should make an Appleworks for the PC. Call it Clarisworks and sell it on the PC. Heck get some bundling deals going with the PC box makers. That way there is a cross platform office program to start selling and as well Apple can make some dollars off of the PC lusers too.
 
Originally posted by synergy
You know what this is?

This is a trojan horse.
The lame PC box makers were not wanting to put firewire into their dumb little boxes. Well if the PC users demand it since certain digital lifestyle products work with it, guess what? They will put it in. Or in the alternative people will add it themselves. Means Apple pushes firewire at the expense of USB2.0.
Of course as well the Apple logo gets permanently etched onto the brains of PC lusers through voodoo as well. ;)
Click to expand...
Apple lifted Firewire tradmark fees quite a while ago. It's an IEEE standard so I don't think Apple is making any money off Sony or anyone else that includes 'em. (TI is making a bit since they make a lot of the chips though) Besides that, most non-geeks have no idea that it is an Apple invented product anyway.
 
Originally posted by synergy
You know what this is?

This is a trojan horse.
The lame PC box makers were not wanting to put firewire into their dumb little boxes. Well if the PC users demand it since certain digital lifestyle products work with it, guess what? They will put it in. Or in the alternative people will add it themselves. Means Apple pushes firewire at the expense of USB2.0.
Of course as well the Apple logo gets permanently etched onto the brains of PC lusers through voodoo as well. ;)
Click to expand...
...but - the real trojan horse would be if the PC versions came with a cross-platform manual:

Table of contents:
Using iPod with Mac OS X: page 1
Using iPod with Windows: pages 2-50

:D
 
Originally posted by MacBandit
I have done real hands on research with this stuff and know what I'm talking about. I recommend that you think before you speak and read what has been written also. If you have evidence for what you say back it up.

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13087
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Relax dude, no need to get personnal.

I hadn't read your eariler post, and I'm glad you got yours to work. I got my information from the same place that Medea did (Apple itself). I guess it's possible to get it to work (as you have said), but it is not supported, and apparently they tell their Apple Store employees it just won't work. That's what several of them told me. And some of them actually seemed to know what they were talking about.

According to the iPod FAQ, you aren't supposed to use the same iPod for more than one computer, especially a Mac and a PC. You can reformat in either HFS+ or FAT32, according to the FAQ, and reinstall the software. And I know that you can use the Windows version as a hard drive on your Mac. But that won't help much if you want to use it as a Mac and PC drive and MP3 player. The same FAQ says the Windows version comes with a 6 to 4 pin firewire adapter. If it comes with a 6 to 6 pin cable as well, I wasn't aware of that.

If you got yours to work as both a hard drive and MP3 player on both types of computers, without any modifications, then hopefully everyone else can too. I don't know why Apple doesn't advertise this (or officially support it as an option). Most people won't be buying 2 iPods. And I always thought it was stupid for Apple to get people to buy Windows iPods, like them so much they buy a Mac, and not be able to use their iPods on their new Macs without re-formating it and re-installing the software.

Are you using both iTunes on you Mac and MusicMatch on your PC? Do they work together? Or are you using it to transfer MP3s as a hard drive? Details.

No need to get snippy, just asking.
 
Lets say this. i'm not going to go to a place where the cashiers are openly rude and the employees are slovenly and ignorant to buy a $400 electronic item. i wouldn't trust the quality of the product after wal-mart had their hands on it for a while. I don't care about price, walmart's customer service is absurd... i wonder if it's like that everywhere or just here in iowa. a while back, we suggested that a cashier had a bad attitude because he stopped and sighed loudly when we asked him to do something-- he starts yelling at us and waves a cop over, like we're going to do something. Walmart is white trash, whether or not you like the term, it's the only one that's remotely accurate.

Target on the other hand, is going with designers like Graves and Staark (as was said earlier), has *decent* customer service, clean stores, overall nice merchandise... the guys working the electronics counter could probably tell you what an iPod's for, at least..

sorry about my rant, i'm just really pissed about walmarts. almost every time i go in one, someone is overtly rude to me. And almost every time i go into a target, i come out with armsloads of merchandise :) so i'm happy about this... i'll finally get an ipod thanks to my target card :)

pnw
 
Originally posted by synergy
As a side note. I don't know why Apple did not buy Corel for Wordperfect when they had the chance in the past. Maybe the deal with Microsoft prevented them.
Even ignoring that Apple should make an Appleworks for the PC. Call it Clarisworks and sell it on the PC. Heck get some bundling deals going with the PC box makers. That way there is a cross platform office program to start selling and as well Apple can make some dollars off of the PC lusers too.
Click to expand...

That's a great idea. My AppleWorks 6 cd says on it, "Mac OS 8.1 or later (built for Mac OS X) and Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP".

Seems to me they beat you to that part of it. Though I agree they should work on a packaging deal.
 
Originally posted by solvs


Relax dude, no need to get personnal.

I hadn't read your eariler post, and I'm glad you got yours to work. I got my information from the same place that Medea did (Apple itself). I guess it's possible to get it to work (as you have said), but it is not supported, and apparently they tell their Apple Store employees it just won't work. That's what several of them told me. And some of them actually seemed to know what they were talking about.

According to the iPod FAQ, you aren't supposed to use the same iPod for more than one computer, especially a Mac and a PC. You can reformat in either HFS+ or FAT32, according to the FAQ, and reinstall the software. And I know that you can use the Windows version as a hard drive on your Mac. But that won't help much if you want to use it as a Mac and PC drive and MP3 player. The same FAQ says the Windows version comes with a 6 to 4 pin firewire adapter. If it comes with a 6 to 6 pin cable as well, I wasn't aware of that.

If you got yours to work as both a hard drive and MP3 player on both types of computers, without any modifications, then hopefully everyone else can too. I don't know why Apple doesn't advertise this (or officially support it as an option). Most people won't be buying 2 iPods. And I always thought it was stupid for Apple to get people to buy Windows iPods, like them so much they buy a Mac, and not be able to use their iPods on their new Macs without re-formating it and re-installing the software.

Are you using both iTunes on you Mac and MusicMatch on your PC? Do they work together? Or are you using it to transfer MP3s as a hard drive? Details.

No need to get snippy, just asking.
Click to expand...

Sorry I went off a little bit. I just get frustrated sometimes when I have already posted about the subject with all the evidence and someone tries to refute fact.

Well the PC iPod does come with an adaptor I think it must be for PCs because the iPod itself has the full 6 pin connector on it. The 4pin connector doesn't carry power on it does it? That would mean you couldn't charge your iPod using your computer.

You can not transfer MP3's from one computer to the next using iTunes or MusicMatch. The iPod encodes your mp3s (when they are installed on it as music files) to only work with the computer they came from. This is to prevent piracy. You can use the hard drive functionality of it.

The PC iPod will work as an MP3 player or a hard drive right out of the box. With a Mac you need no extra software. With a PC the software that comes with it is all you need. Though it's rather buggy with some PCs. If you have been using the iPod to play MP3s from one computer matters not the type pc/mac you will have to wipe the MP3s off the drive before putting music on it from another computer.

I hope this helps.
 
Re: The NASCAR crowd

Originally posted by Phaedrus


Yeah, just for the record, let's remind ourselves that for millions of working-class Americans luxuries such as the ipod are out of reach--Wal-Mart's demographic. Target's demographic is the frugal yuppie, college kid, and upwardly mobile apartment dweller, who can afford to drop $100 on a Mossimo leather jacket or $50 on a commodified deco floor lamp. The Wal-Mart crowd may understand very well why that "music doohickey" costs $399, but they'll have to opt for the $9.99 walkman, not because they don't know the difference or don't desire to have nice things, but because that's all they can afford.
Click to expand...

Chill, man. You are taking this way too much to heart. Maybe if the shirt fits...
 
Originally posted by MacBandit

You can not transfer MP3's from one computer to the next using iTunes or MusicMatch. The iPod encodes your mp3s (when they are installed on it as music files) to only work with the computer they came from. This is to prevent piracy. You can use the hard drive functionality of it.
Click to expand...

Odd how I have been able to get music off an iPod through the Terminal then play it in iTunes, even though they're "encoded." Does the Terminal app automatically decode copyrighted music off an iPod??
 

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