Dell concedes defeat in the audio player market

Texas-based Dell originally entered the digital audio player market in late 2003 in what many saw as a calculated move to capitalize on the rapidly expanding popularity of Apple's iPod in North America. Despite attempts to compete with Apple on features and price, however, Dell has consistently struggled to find significant marketshare for its players. Evidence of resignation in the company's approach began in February of this year when it discontinued all its hard drive-based players in favor of the lower-end DJ Ditty flash player. As of today, Dell has quietly admitted its long-term failure in the market by removing the DJ Ditty and most references to it from the company website. Users of Dell's DJ forums have also reported that no Dell-branded players remain in the monthly catalog and that the DJ Ditty had been discounted earlier in the month.