Forget the iPod. MP3 players for the Long Tail.

After walking the floor of this year's Consumer Electronics Showcase (CES), I've seen the future of MP3 players, and it's dull. In 2008, it seems manufacturers are becoming more content with the idea that they'll never compete with the iPod in the hearts and minds of consumers. Unfortunately, there's still a noticeable lemming effect that keeps manufacturers pumping out Nano clones despite their better judgment. As Apple's own iPod prices keep declining, however, and their iTunes software becomes stronger, the incentive for consumers to buy non-iPod MP3 players will inevitably shrink. In order to adapt (and possibly coexist) with an increasingly iPod world, why don't manufacturers throw out their stale B-grade MP3 players and start seizing the unique opportunities to create niche devices for today's Long Tail marketplace? After all, there are problems to be solved with MP3 players that no one--not even Apple--has been able to figure out yet.

Wheres the MP3 player for the real music nerds?(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET Networks)