Actually, it`s TGE`s customers who need to listen up. It just amazes me that potential competitors to the IPOD haven`t stepped up to the plate. How obvious does it need to be? Build something a little more feature rich, price it competitively, and market the crap out of it! Can`t believe that one of the more powerful CE companies can`t come up with the necessary marketing muscle ($) to take a bite out of the Apple. The market is proven beyond any shadow of a doubt.

Just yesterday on CNBC they talked about how the IPOD may have peaked out, that its limited format (CODEC/DRM) compatability would ultimately bite them, and others would eventually take over the realm as sales leader.

Last summer we talked of how Microsoft may be coming into the game. They`ve got the music delivery thing going (a la ITunes), but not the other piece of the puzzle, the device. We speculated about the possibility of EDIG involvement. Since Microsoft has the muscle and seems to like skinning the Apple whenever possible, it still seems a ``natural``. Maybe all their employees love their IPODs so much that they`ve just said heck with it (LOL).

SGE