iLounge

So it begins: Made for Sansa launches, Made for Zune is next

By Jeremy Horwitz

Editor-in-Chief, iLounge
Published: Monday, September 4, 2006
Category: Backstage

As expected, SanDisk has officially announced and debuted a promotional page for its Made For iPod-style accessory licensing program Made for Sansa. (Sound familiar - super-familiar?) A few interesting things to note: as is the case with Microsoft’s Zune, SanDisk’s licensing terms are substantially more attractive than Apple’s, more transparently voluntary, and - no shock - designed to win over iPod accessory makers. The first seven companies to sign with SanDisk are Altec Lansing, DLO (Digital Lifestyle Outfitters), Griffin Technology, HandStands, Macally Peripherals, Maximo Products and Speck Products; the only unfamiliar one to iPod users will be Maximo, a unit of a company called Debisco, which appears to resell other companies’ cables and wireless devices.

So what sorts of goodies do Sansa owners get? In the “I saw that before” category, Altec’s created iM510, which looks like a recolored version of the low-end iM11 iPod speaker, DLO has some armbands and a car FM transmitter based on TransPod micro, Macally has repurposed virtually its entire line-up of low-end iPod accessories for Sansa, and Speck has several former iPod cases in new shapes. More interestingly - a first - Griffin has not only repurposed iTrip, a couple of chargers, and cases for Sansa, but has actually introduced new Sansa products before launching their iPod equivalents. Centerstage and Disko cases show off a new flipstand concept and a case with rotating lights, both eventually planned for iPod release as well.

Are these first accessories the start of something big for SanDisk, or just another attempt by iPod makers to cash in on their previous inventions? What do you think?