I'm not bashing you - I'm just saying that it's trend. iRiver and Creative aren't as well known because they're not trendy like the iPod is. I had a shuffle once - got stolen because of the Apple logo. Nobody's ever oogled over my Zen Touch, other than people looking into buying a decent MP3 player that doesn't have the Apple brand on it.
iRiver is an AMAZING player, I think it's better than the Creative offerings and the Apple offerings - but people just simply don't know about it.
PS - you said if these two companies "kept up their reputation", they'd be where Apple is. Sorry, but Creative has been making MP3 players far longer than Apple has been, and their reputation for audio products is outstanding. Like I said, trend.
One trend that Apple started is the touch pad. WTF. That assumes that the user has to be looking at the player to work it. Buttons are the way to go, and the iRiver has a fantastic interface. Touch technology shouldn't be on MP3 players, I think. I say this after using my Zen Touch for almost a year and using a Nano for a few days. If I could get rid of it, I would.
And, Apple overcharges. $30 is pretty much the cheapest you can pay for any accessory, and the player itself sells for more than it should. You never see any sales or low prices on iPods either, because they're so trendy that it'll sell at most any price. Used players go for almost the same people bought them for new on ebay. There's something wrong with THAT trend...
I wouldn't mind having an iPod, but after using their crappy software, crappy touchpad, and dealing with helping friends send in their broken iPods (there's no buffer area to soften drops or anything. no protection whatsoever. MP3 players will be dropped no matter what - Apple should take this into account when designing the case. This broken iPod thing happens quite often), I simply won't spend my money on one. My money is better spent for $100 less for an MP3 player of equal or better quality (Zen Touch). Considering an iRiver in the future, but Apple won't be getting a cent of my money.
PPS - OMG LIKE TV IS ALWAYS RIGHT
Trust me. One product. Sony isn't even in the running for high-end MP3 players. They have a couple of flash -based models. Meanwhile they deal with console systems, cameras (just released a fantastic camera in the $1000 range that prosumers will eat up), camcorders, car stereos, gps systems, TVs, displays, DVD players, laptops, desktops, headphones, amps, speakers, recordable media, etc.
One product taking down a corporation like Sony? Sorry. Don't even kid yourself - everything you see on TV isn't true. Even if it is on a news program like Primetime or 60 Minutes, don't assume it's true. Everything is fallible - even your iPod and my Zen.