Gene Munster, a research analyst with Piper Jaffray has maintained an “outperform” rating and a US$79 price target on Apple, notes Forbes. “While non-iPod devices often have similar, if not broader (for example: an FM tuner), feature sets than the iPod, none of these devices have shown that they can compete in two key areas: user interface and ‘cool’ factor,” the analyst was quoted in the story. “Munster believes non-iPod devices must compete on price to gain adoption, but the massive relative shipment volume of the iPod prevents other MP3 player manufacturers from replicating the economies of scale achieved by Apple, allowing the company to continue sell iPods at the lowest prices in the market,” notes the report.