Creative struggles to top Apple, iPod

Creative's Technology founder Sim Wong Hoo, of Singapore, is facing his toughest challenge since boldly stating he intended to rival Apple as the world's leading maker of portable music players, reports AustralianIT. Although Creative is still selling millions of portable music players, profits are slumping because consumers don't consider Sim's products as cool as Apple's iPod, analysts say.Locked in a fierce price war with Apple and other electronics giants, Creative's net profits in the March quarter fell 72 per cent to $15.9 million from $57 million a year earlier. In contrast, Apple's profits for its March quarter shot up six-fold to $290 million, driven mainly by the iPod.

Filed under: iPod, industry