Earlier this year, I greeted the announcement of the Nike + iPod with some skepticism, not the least of which was why they just didn’t call it the NiPod.
As a longtime runner who prefers his New Balance and iRiver (with the FM Radio — hello, Apple!!), it just seemed too gimmicky for me. I just don’t need a disembodied voice telling me my progress. However, I am clearly in the minority here, as it is apparently a big hit, perhaps even helping Nike have their best quarter in a decade.
Shows what I know.
However, not everybody is happy with the Nike + iPod.
One company, called PhatRat, who develops a similar performance-measuring technology, has filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Apple.
A bit more ominously, a University of Washington doctoral student discovered that someone could be tracked in real time while earing the device. However, given the limited transmission range; the amount of trouble you would need to go to set up the tracking system, and the fact that if the person doesn’t go where you expect them to go, they would be off of the grid, it seems like a pretty inefficient stalking system.
Nevertheless, look for it as a plot point on an upcoming — “Ripped From The Headlines” — episode of one of those CBS procedurals.
And finally, there is this recent commercial, which uses what everybody no doubt refers to as “That OK Go Song With The Treadmills.” To me, this makes no sense whatsoever. Because that song will forever be associated with the clever video where they are doing the dance routine — not even running! — on the treadmills, I’m not sure how it fits in this context.
First off, street runners aren’t all that wild about treadmills — being outdoors, with all of the attendant issues, is part of the point — so it doesn’t seem to be targeted correctly. Also, when I’ve been forced to use treadmills (see what I mean?), I’ve noticed that they are full of dials and gauges that measure time and distance. So why would I need the NiPod in that context, exactly? It doesn’t make any sense.
Of course, once again, who am I to judge the joint output of two of the greatest marketing departments the world has ever seen? It could be that I’m just entirely wrong about the whole thing. As a matter of fact, I probably am.
I think you don’t like this product for the very reason that you are a New Balance and iRiver user. You probably enjoy supporting underdog brands, which I do too. However, there is no doubt that iPods dominate the market and many people use them for a source of music to workout. I’d say some people even justified the purchase by telling themselves they’d workout if they could listen to their music. Nike + Apple were smart to recognize the market’s natural momentum by creating Nike+. I think the issue is that you’re just not the target market. 😉
I wouldn’t buy Nikes — I have huge feet, and New Balance has better shoes in my size — but I’d be willing to buy the rest. From what I’ve heard, you can buy a little shoe wallet thing that works just as well. I sure wish I could press my old black and white U2 iPod into service, though, instead of buying a nano, because I can’t afford that right now.
I keep telling myself that if I spend lots of money on exercising, maybe I’ll have the motivation one day to actually do it 🙂 Anyone have better ways to just get your butt out of bed and outside in the morning?
I think that Justin is probably right for the reason that Jason mentions is his issue with Nike: part of the reason that I switched to New Balance is the 4EEE widths they have.
As far as Jason’s other problem: the only way that I was able to solve the “get out of bed in the morning” problem was to make it part of my identity, if that makes any sense. I get up early to run because I’ve made it an integral part of who I am.
And yet you still haven’t answered the most basic question Jim. What are you running from?
You could always use a Garmin Forerunner 101/201 with your New Balances and Ipod Nano . I love to do at least one treadmill run a week at 10% elevation it helps with your speed when you run outside.
For me : Nike + iPod (nano) is better than iPod Shuffle + Garmin eTrex + Sony Clie PDA + Powerbook (+ Adidas).
Watch this & you do the math :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEiRtNLqKQY