"Super Shuffle" a Marketing Stunt?
"Super Shuffle" a Marketing Stunt?
by , 1:50 PM EST, March 21st, 2005
The Super Shuffle that exactly copied Apple's iPod shuffle was nothing more than a marketing stunt, according to an article published by Engadget. The Super Shuffle made headlines earlier in March when it was shown by Taiwanese manufacturer LuxPro at CeBit, the German electronics trade show. According to Engadget, however, the device was never meant to be published, and was only intended to draw Apple's legal guns, along with the corresponding publicity to LuxPro's manufacturing and design abilities.
The story's source is a letter from an electronics manufacturing exec that Engadget didn't name. In addition, the story was not double sourced or confirmed, and should be received accordingly. The exec's letter, however, makes for interesting reading.
According to the letter, this executive contacted LuxPro after hearing about the Super Shuffle, as he was interested in having LuxPro make a new product for his own company. After contacting the company, he said, he was eventually told the truth.
"LuxPro had a USB 2.0 based music player architecture already in development," he wrote, "when Apple launched the shuffle, in January. The guys at LuxPro hatched a plan to leverage the media attention created by Apple to their advantage. They are a contract manufacturer, making their living by selling their circuitry, put into enclosures designed by U.S. or European branded resellers. So, they saw this adventure as a wonderful way to swing the world's spotlight in their direction for a few days.
The LuxPro Super Shuffle, as originally posted by LuxPro itself
There is more in the full article at Engadget. As of this writing, LuxPro is still showing the Super Shuffle on its Web site, along with several other music players.
Observer Comments
Mon Mar 21, 2005 3:00 pm Subject: Isn't that called "Bait and Switch"?
to advertise a non-existant product, clearly ripped off from another popular product has got to be a real marketing stroke of genius.
i know when i deal with a vendor, making things up is always at the top of my list. that way i know up front, i'm wasting my money.
on that note, my time travel rocket shoes are in beta and i'm taking advance orders.
"According to Engadget, however, the device was never meant to be published, and was only intended to draw Apple's legal guns, along with the corresponding publicity to LuxPro's manufacturing and design abilities."
Design Capabilities? Sure, design is easy when someone does it for you.
Mon Mar 21, 2005 3:35 pm Subject: Why Would I Want to do Business With These Guys?
Mon Mar 21, 2005 4:20 pm Subject: time travel shoes
Mon Mar 21, 2005 4:50 pm Subject: D@mn you iLemmings! I was going to buy one!
Mon Mar 21, 2005 4:51 pm Subject: Time Travel Shoes
QuoteGuest wrote:
What's REALLY funny is that the Winblows-idiot 'anyone but Apple' crowd were ALL OVER the LuxPro, saying "they were gonna buy one" and how "Apple's lawyers couldn't do anything about this".
Then it turns out the product doesn't even exist. ROFLMAO.
Yep, you're right, the 'I hate Apple' crowd is hilarious in its short-sightedness and idiocy.
QuoteAnonymous wrote:QuoteGuest wrote:
What's REALLY funny is that the Mac-idiot 'anyone but Windows' crowd were ALL OVER the LuxPro, saying "they weren't gonna buy one" and how "Apple's lawyers were going to sue everyone thinking about buying one".
Then it turns out the product doesn't even exist. ROFLMAO.
Yep, you're right, the 'I hate Windows' crowd is hilarious in its short-sightedness and idiocy. I do love being an Apple Slave iBot.
QuoteGuest wrote:QuoteAnonymous wrote:QuoteGuest wrote:
What's REALLY funny is that the Mac-idiot 'anyone but Windows' crowd were ALL OVER the LuxPro, saying "they weren't gonna buy one" and how "Apple's lawyers were going to sue everyone thinking about buying one".
Then it turns out the product doesn't even exist. ROFLMAO.
Yep, you're right, the 'I hate Windows' crowd is hilarious in its short-sightedness and idiocy. I do love being an Apple Slave iBot.
Man, you can cut the bitterness with a knife.
Buck up champ... Apple's doing great. You may not like it, but its a good thing for the tech industry as a whole, and stockholders in particular. The latter of which, I guess was not you. Hence the bitterness.
Tue Mar 22, 2005 7:33 pm Subject: Yea but us Mac users aren't brain washed like Windows users
Only an idiot would use Windows when you spend 95% of your time fighting viruses,spyware, and malware. Having to worry about when the next trojan will hit the system and take it completely down.
Us Mac user are using are computers to be productive and can be on the web without having 4 different apps checking for spyware every hour. Yea were the idiots huh. Only a brain washed Windows user would think that way.
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