Not exactly a doom-and-gloom piece for Apple, but it does project a time when the gap between the iPod and other digital music players has narrowed. The only idea that really jumps out in this piece as wrong is the idea that Apple will only be able to compete on price once the gap has narrowed sufficiently.
If there’s anything that Apple’s history proves, it’s that they rarely compete on price. Even with the new mini, it’s low cost is only relative to other Apple products. That said, I’m still planning to buy one. Yes, I’m one of those PC users who got caught by the iPod “halo effect” that’s been written about elsewhere in the press.