After all, the whole customer-friendly integration between the company's iPod and its iTunes music store is what kept customers coming back for more (and more). The iPod was the coolest DAP on the market (and still is from market share figures alone), and songs downloaded from iTunes could only be played on the iPod, just as Apple designed and intended, tech hacks aside.
But now that non-protected digital music files (in AAC format) can be downloaded from the iTunes music store at a more hefty $1.29 each, is Apple going to see its iPod market share slip since customers can now use any AAC-compatible DAP to listen to music from the iTunes Plus selection?
Remember that the still-protected iTunes music selections far outweigh the iTunes Plus non-protected music selections. I'm quite sure Apple will reign in the iTunes Plus selection to gauge customer response for at least a little while.
With new players like this Creative Labs credit card-sized player about to debut, should Apple feel threatened? Not at all, although the company is just asking for the competition to try and come come close to the iPod-iTunes experience in order for more competition to be stirred up.
Problem is, only the iPod will seamlessly integrate with the iTunes music store. Even though customers can download non-protected music from the iTunes music store, the fact that they would have to manually move those downloads to a non-iPod DAP adds extra complexity into the process.
Apple's not wanting the integration between its iPod and iTunes broken, of course. Will Creative Labs appeal to the iPod masses? Very doubtful -- but for those who want iTunes purchased music files on their non-iPod DAP, it can now be done.
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