They said that about MP3 players right before the iPod was introduced.
Now the iPod *is* 75% of the market.
Late? More like “right on time”.
The ipod was brilliantly marketed. People are fadish about portable music players, and probably have been since the "transistor" radio. I don't know if folks are going to get worked up about a cell phone, but if anyone can do it, Apple can.