Dell to Challenge Apple’s iPod Dominance with Pocket DJ 5

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Look out Apple. Dell thinks their Pocket DJ 5 is an “iPod killer”. Their strategy is to undersell. But can cheaper hardware alone lure consumers away from the iPod?

Dell’s Cheaper Alternatives to the iPod

Dell’s recently announced Pocket DJ 5 ($199) will have 5GB of storage and is designed to compete with Apple’s 4GB iPod Mini ($249).

Also announced is a cheaper Dell DJ 20GB model for $249. Dell hopes to lure consumers away from Apple products with lower prices and get a bigger presence in the digital home market.

Dell’s Software Still Sucks

Cheaper hardware will definitely get some attention. But simply lowering the price of their music players is not going to help Dell. To dominate the digital music home market you need to provide a total experience. Apple has iPod + iTunes. Both are great products by themselves. But when combined, they are unstoppable.

Dell’s biggest issue is their software sucks. They will need to improve both the user interface of its electronics’ software, as well as the desktop software used with their devices.

Will Anyone Care About the Pocket DJ 5?

Almost every major music, communications and electronics brand including Sony, Virgin, Vodafone, Microsoft, Napster and MySpace has attempted to dethrone the iPod… and failed. Announcing an “iPod killer” or predicting you’ll “dethrone the iPod” is like crying wolf. No one cares anymore. I doubt anyone will even remember Dell’s Pocket DJ 5 in a couple years. Am I wrong? Tell me about it in the comments section.