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Something I just thought about...I wonder why Apple/Sony/Microsoft/et al haven't tried the "console strategy" with music players. (The "console strategy" is whe
by profquail 17y ago
Something I just thought about...I wonder why Apple/Sony/Microsoft/et al haven't tried the "console strategy" with music players. (The "console strategy" is where gaming console makers sell their hardware at an artificially low price, then make up the cost from software sales).
For example, Apple could tie an iPod to an account so that all songs are $1.29 on the iTunes store (instead of varying prices), then sell the iPods for very cheap. I think it would get more people hooked on the cheap up-front price, which would eventually be recouped from the music/video/software sales.
- ianferrel 17y agoFor one, it would require making very specific agreements with the music industry to support that price structure, and I don't think Apple trusts the music industry much. But, more importantly, console games are much more difficult to pirate. Sure, you can do it, but it usually involves either soldering on a 3rd party chip or going through an in-game exploit + hacked ROM process, which most people aren't going to bother with. The vast majority of those cheap iPods would just be full of downloaded music, and the hardware manufacturer would take a huge loss.
- mikeryan 17y agoAlso Apple/AT&T does basically take this approach with the iphone. Cheap phone if you sign up for service. BTW this is more traditionally called the Razor blade (or Razor and Blade) model (cheap razor, expensive blades) http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/razor-razorblademodel.asp http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/razor-razorblademodel.as...
- QE2 17y agoAlso known as the "printer-ink" model.