In a transfer to faucet into the rising reputation of the digital gadget sort that Apple’s iPod has made a family title, the Walt Disney Co. yesterday introduced plans to hawk a kid-sized MP3 participant.
Disney Combine Sticks is in regards to the dimension of a pack of gum, holds about 60 songs on a 128 Mb storage card and sells for US$49.99. The Combine Stick can maintain an extra 1 Gb of reminiscence playing cards for about 500 songs.
Disney made an earlier foray into kids’s electronics final yr with a PC geared toward children. The monitor resembled the form of the youngsters’s favourite Mickey Mouse.
In true Disney fashion, the corporate will launch themed digital music gamers to differentiate itself in a crowded market. Endlessly Princess and Sassy Pixie, amongst different fashions, might be obtainable at Goal, Sears, Restricted Too, Walmart.com and Disney’s on-line retailer in mid-October.
Priced to Transfer
The Disney Combine Stick permits children as younger as six years previous to obtain songs from the Web, copy them from CDs or play music from reminiscence playing cards.
Add-on reminiscence playing cards embody Combine Clip albums like Radio Disney Final Jams, which carries songs by Hillary Duff; That’s So Raven, with songs from the favored TV sequence; Disney Mania 3; and Disney Channel Hits, with songs from its cable TV applications.
Jupiter Analysis analyst Michael Gartenberg informed TechNewsWorld that Disney’s dual-strategy of providing some prerecorded Disney-esque content material whereas nonetheless permitting children to obtain their favourite songs from the Web is a brilliant transfer.
“Disney didn’t take the unique route the place you’ll be able to solely play Disney content material,” he stated. “They’re leaving it open. And at $49, it’s definitely priced to maneuver.”
The Combine Stick comes with a 10-hour rechargeable battery, earbud audio system and Microsoft Home windows Media Participant software program. Combine Stick gamers can be found in Home windows-based private computer systems and Apple’s Macintosh fashions.
Taking a Chunk Out of Apple?
Talking of Apple, the iPod-maker has shipped 21.8 million iPod music gamers because the product launched in 2001. Greater than 18 million have shipped previously yr alone.
Apple’s success within the MP3 participant market has induced an electronics business rush to develop and manufacture rivals. Dell just lately launched a DJ Ditty participant. Sony got here out with a mini-player dubbed Sony Bean. Each fashions goal the iPod Shuffle.
Nevertheless, as some enter the MP3 participant market, others are exiting. Rio, the MP3 participant pioneer, just lately gave up its place within the iPod-dominant market.
However might this priced-to-move MP3 participant give Apple a run for its iPod cash?
“The Combine Stick has a kid-friendly notion about it. This is likely to be an choice for fogeys who aren’t be inclined to spend the premium iPod worth for a youthful youngster,” Gartenberg stated. “However I don’t understand it going to have that cross attraction with adults. Adults are likely to need the cachet of the iPod.”
Analysts stated Disney has a distinct segment focus with a particular audience that no different MP3-maker has tapped. The magical firm is just not positioning the Combine Stick as a mainstream participant — and which may enable it to search out some success the place so many others have failed.
