The iPod has become a staple within the Apple brand and with the new line made available yesterday, many Windows users are believed to make a conversion.
Needham & Co. analyst, Charlie Wolf, believes that the new iPod product range will lure over 20 million Windows users over the next year. “We estimate that 20 million or more Windows users will join the iPod nation annually over the next few years and potentially fall under the sway of the iPod halo effect, which is great for Mac sales,” Wolf said.
Wolf had also noted a decreased impact among the current brood of portable music players, citing that a change in the market dynamic was of concern. “…The importance of the iPod in Apple’s product portfolio has definitely taken a back seat to the iPhone, which is targeting a market that’s 20 times larger than the music player market,” he said.
In his opinion, the two “most important aspects of Apple’s “Let’s Rock” event in San Francisco were Steve Jobs’ health and a software update for the iPhone.” He notes that the iPhone 2.1 software update due later this week is a critical move in extinguishing criticisms that include, “dropped calls, poor battery life and crashes…it was crucial that Apple address these problems.”
Wolf keeps a strong buy rating with a $240 target price for AAPL stock, adding that, “The iPod continues to gain share in markets abroad, most notably in Europe, where iPod sales dramatically lagged those in the US, and in China and other countries in the Asia Pacific region.”
[via 9to5Mac via DistortedLoop]
