] The fear: After watching the early development of the
] iPod accessory ecosystem, Apple will crash the party and
] make it harder for little companies like Speck to make a
] go of it. Apple has a reputation for trying to control as
] much of the "user experience" as it can -- especially
] when big profits on accessories could ease Apple's recent
] move into low-cost hardware markets, where both prices
] and profits are lower.
]
] Fear not, iPod accessory makers. Rather than aggressively
] expanding into iPod accessories, Apple's plan appears to
] be: keep the party going for its many partners. Besides
] the iPod shuffle sports case, it has no plans for a
] broader product rollout, says Executive Vice-President
] Phil Schiller.

There are many markets that pop up and down on the whims of consumer branding. This is the start of an interesting case study, I think.