Apple iTunes is still the reigning king over digital music and they proved this when they reached one of their biggest milestone. They have sold over 5 billion songs since it first started in 2003. Their music catalog alone hold over 8 million tracks – which offer customers a variety of songs as well as over 20 thousand television episodes and more than 2 thousand movies. For those of you who are wondering many of those movies are offered in high-def.
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SoftBank Mobile Corporation is Japan’s fastest growing mobile operator. This week they stated that they had signed an agreement with Apple that will allow them to sell the iPhone to all of their customers. The phones will be available later this year.
This mobile carrier uses only 2G and 3G networks. Because of this many of us are hoping that Apple will be coming out with a new version of the handset to allow them to run on 3G networks. Apple and SoftBank have been trying to come out with an agreement for up to two years since May of 2006. Apple was also talking to NTT DoCoMo – which is at this time Japan’s largest mobile carrier.
GameStop has refused to stock and sell the Microsoft Zune player because of the poor sales that they have been experiencing. Many consumers are now wondering if this is the end for the Zune.
Microsoft’s entry into the consumer electronics space came with a thorny channel problem. Microsoft sells the vast majority of its products through PC makers, who bundle Windows (and often Office and other software) on new PCs, and through well-established partners who specialize in selling to large organizations and businesses. Microsoft had a retail channel for selling Windows and Office upgrades and other consumer products (like Money, Encarta, and keyboards and mice), but for the most part these products were sold through computer specialty stores like CompUSA. To succeed in capturing a broader audience, Microsoft had to broaden its retail channel.